The Jazz Blues in 12 keys – A couple of weeks ago I started a blog post on Facebook titled A day in the life. The post focuses on what I’m practicing at the moment.

As I often do, Ive gone back to practicing the blues in 12 keys. It really is a great way to practice and I recommend it to all my students.

Generally I play the Jazz blues cycle around the cycle of 4ths. Depending on how much time I have, I may work on one or two keys per day. Alternately I go  through the 12 keys modulating after every second or third chorus.

Playing the blues in the first  and open position is a great exercise for upright bass players, enabling them to build up dexterity in the hands.

As well as working through intonation issues.

Generally I start out with the standard jazz blues progression and then start adding in tritone substitutes and or diminished substitutes.

Once I’m settled in I then work on some other chord progressions often played on the blues,  e.g. bebop, or bird blues as well as the Coltrane changes.

Then theres the minor blues which is a favorite of mine.

To download some play along backing tracks to practice the blues in 12 keys, join our bass forum and download them free.

Use the following link, membership is free.

http://bassforum.invisionzone.com/files/file/9-the-blues-in-12-keys-backing-tracks/