Ali “Bluesman” Sleeq: Blues Bass-ics PART TWO is here!3

Ali “Bluesman” Sleeq is back this week with part 2 of his Blues Bass-ics series exclusively on Kuwait Music!! Part 2 of the tutorial will focus on triplets.

Here we are for Part 2 of the blus bass-ics tutorial!

Last time we talked about the concepts of 12-bar blues and its structure; today we will expand on that with playing in triplets, some endings, and turnarounds, and introducing the blues scale.

Triplets

A triplet beat or timing is grouping notes together to create a new feel or beat, basically pouting 3 notes instead of 2. It’s kind of subdividing the beat to create new types of rhythm. The easiest way to understand that is listening to jazz shuffles. I would pronounce the beat as (1-tri-pl-et 2-tri-pl-et, 3-tri-pl-et, 4-tri-pl-et). This would be one bar in the 12 bar blues. Listen to this beat and you will understand what I’m talking about:

So referring to the definition and the link, the triplet feel is the defacto standard in blues. It’s got that swing feeling and it really gets your head bopping. Let go back to C major to the simple play along.

Key of C

C = Root (I)

F = Fourth (IV) ie the fourth note in the C major scale sequence

G = Fifth (V) ie the fifth note in the C major scale sequence

Major Scale of C = C D E F G A B C

4/4 – Triplet/Swing feel

Example 1- Play

Play sample mp3 >>

C

Bar   1                                             2                                              3

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

A|--3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3—--3—3--—3-3---3-3---3-3—--3-3---3—3---|

E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

F

Bar   4                                             5                                              6

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---|

A|--3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---------------------------------------------------|

E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

C                                                                                           G

Bar   7                                             8                                             9

G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|-------------------------------------------------5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5-----|

A|--3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3—--3—3--—3-3----------------------------|

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

F                                            C                                              G

Bar  10                                          11                                             12

G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---------------------------5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5----|

A|--------------------------3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3----------------------------|

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

This is the simple way to play this shuffle (named that because of the rhythm)

Now let’s make it a little more interesting. Using our example 2 from the first lesson (in G)

Example 2- Play

Play Sample Mp3 >>

G

Bar   1                                             2                                              3

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------2-2---------------------2-2---------------------2-2---|

A|--------2-2---5-5---------------2-2---5-5---------------2-2---5-5---------|

E|--3-3---------------------3-3---------------------3-3---------------------|

C

Bar   4                                             5                                              6

G|--------------------------------------------2-2---------------------2-2---|

D|--------------------2-2---------2-2---5-5---------------2-2---5-5---------|

A|--------2-2---5-5---------3-3---------------------3-3---------------------|

E|--3-3---------------------------------------------------------------------|

G                                                                                           D

Bar   7                                             8                                             9

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------4-4---|

D|--------------------2-2---------------------2-2---------4-4---7-7---------|

A|--------2-2---5-5---------------2-2---5-5---------5-5---------------------|

E|--3-3---------------------3-3---------------------------------------------|

C                                            G                                              D

Bar  10                                          11                                             12

G|--------------------2-2---------------------------------------------4-4---|

D|--------2-2---5-5---------------------------2-2---------4-4---7-7---------|

A|--3-3---------------------------2-2---5-5---------5-5---------------------|

E|--------------------------3-3---------------------------------------------|

Now we’re shuffling! Lets make it even more interesting:

Again in the key of G major:

Example 3- Play

Play Sample Mp3 >>

G

Bar   1                                             2                                              3

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------2-2---5-5---2-2---------------------------------2-2---|

A|--------2-2---5-5---------------------5-5---2-2---------2-2---5-5---------|

E|--3-3---------------------------------------------3-3---------------------|

C

Bar   4                                             5                                              6

G|--------------------------------------------2-2---5-5---2-2---------------|

D|--5-5---2-2---------------------2-2---5-5---------------------5-5---2-2---|

A|-------------5-5---2-2---3-3----------------------------------------------|

E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G                                                                                            D

Bar   7                                             8                                              9

G|-------------------------------------------------------------------4------|

D|--------------------2-2---5-5---2-2--------------------4-4---7-7-------7--|

A|--------2-2---5-5---------------------5-5---2-2---5-5---------------------|

E|--3-3---------------------------------------------------------------------|

C                                             G                                              D

Bar  10                                            11                                             12

G|--------------------2-----------------------------------------------4-4---|

D|--------2-2---5-5------5--------------------2-2---------4-4---7-7---------|

A|--3-3---------------------------2-2---5-5---------5-5---------------------|

E|--------------------------3-3---------------------------------------------|

Notice how I played the line at bars 9 and 10. Instead of repeating the riff I played the 5^th of each chord instead, to provide a tense of transition to the next shift. This is a useful technique to implement.

For the next example, we use the Mixolidian (or Dominant) scale again.

Example 4- Play

[dewplayer:http://kuwait-music.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ex4.mp3]

G

Bar   1                                             2                                              3

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------2-2---3-3---2-2---------------------------------2-2---|

A|--------2-2---5-5---------------------5-5---2-2---------2-2---5-5---------|

E|--3-3---------------------------------------------3-3---------------------|

C

Bar   4                                             5                                              6

G|--------------------------------------------2-2---3-3---2-2---------------|

D|--3-3---2-2---------------------2-2---5-5---------------------5-5---2-2---|

A|-------------5-5---2-2---3-3----------------------------------------------|

E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G                                                                                            D

Bar   7                                             8                                              9

G|-------------------------------------------------------------------4------|

D|--------------------2-2---3-3---2-2--------------------4-4---7-7-------7--|

A|--------2-2---5-5---------------------5-5---2-2---5-5---------------------|

E|--3-3---------------------------------------------------------------------|

C                                             G                                              D

Bar  10                                            11                                             12

G|--------------------2-----------------------------------------------4-4---|

D|--------2-2---5-5------5--------------------2-2---------4-4---7-7---------|

A|--3-3---------------------------2-2---5-5---------5-5---------------------|

E|--------------------------3-3---------------------------------------------|

Again, that flat minor 7 gives it a more bluesy, edgy sound.

Basically this is the jist of the 12 bar blues. Next week, I’ll get down with variations and introduce the blues scale, among other touches to enhance this lesson.

Cheers. 

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