stefrol
Verified buyer
05/03/26
A must have
I like Chris Buono's Lessons very much. This course explain a lot of blues progressions, in a very clear way. Good backing tracks e very useful pdf transcription. A must have!
Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions
Substitutions, extensions and voice leading for 23 essential progressions
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About this course
Besides the requisite 12- and 8-bar I IV V blues progressions, do you know at least 12 other distinct forms and progressions? Do you know at least six ways to voice, alter and extend all of the dominant and minor chords in those progressions? When comping the blues, are you adept at voice leading when making chord and voicing selections?
If you answered "no" to any of the above three questions, then three things are likely true; 1) you're not bringing anything fresh to the jam or rehearsal; 2) you're bored stiff with your own blues comping; and 3) you need this edition of Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions yesterday.
True to form in these Guitar Lab intensives, Chris Buono digs deep into the what, how, whys and wherefores of blues progressions. You will learn how to play 23 progressions in various keys and forms including a few eclectic 6-, 14- and 16-bar forms. So, just in terms of expanding your bag of progressions you'll be way ahead of the game, but that's just the start.
The truly juicy quality of this course is the six-string rocket science revealed within those 23 progression-specific video guitar lessons. Buono steps you through three choruses for each of the 23 progressions. The first chorus utilizes familiar 7th chords and "stock changes." Chris then spices up the second chorus with tasty chord extensions and voicings to demonstrate how to expand the palette of colors you can draw on when comping the blues.
In the third chorus, Buono takes you to graduate school and teachers you how to play and use next-level voicings, voice leading, riff-based approaches and a variety of other advanced concepts to freshen up your blues comps.
The accompanying 167-page manual features lead sheet charts with pint-sized chord grids beneath the chord symbols for quick reference and fingerings, for all 23 progressions.
Below each one-chorus lead sheet, Buono charts out all of the chords, including any passing chords, in larger grids that display the chord tone designations so that you're on top of every last detail.
All of the progressions are demonstrated with simple rhythmic figures, which are also notated in the accompanying charts, and all examples are played over killer practice rhythm tracks powered by live recordings with bassist extraordinaire Steve Jenkins.
Put your time in with Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions and you'll hear dramatic sonic changes busting out of your new bag of progressions, forms and voicings. Pull a few of these treats out at the next jam to freshen things up and you'll see heads turning and players rushing the stage to jump in.
If you answered "no" to any of the above three questions, then three things are likely true; 1) you're not bringing anything fresh to the jam or rehearsal; 2) you're bored stiff with your own blues comping; and 3) you need this edition of Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions yesterday.
True to form in these Guitar Lab intensives, Chris Buono digs deep into the what, how, whys and wherefores of blues progressions. You will learn how to play 23 progressions in various keys and forms including a few eclectic 6-, 14- and 16-bar forms. So, just in terms of expanding your bag of progressions you'll be way ahead of the game, but that's just the start.
The truly juicy quality of this course is the six-string rocket science revealed within those 23 progression-specific video guitar lessons. Buono steps you through three choruses for each of the 23 progressions. The first chorus utilizes familiar 7th chords and "stock changes." Chris then spices up the second chorus with tasty chord extensions and voicings to demonstrate how to expand the palette of colors you can draw on when comping the blues.
In the third chorus, Buono takes you to graduate school and teachers you how to play and use next-level voicings, voice leading, riff-based approaches and a variety of other advanced concepts to freshen up your blues comps.
The accompanying 167-page manual features lead sheet charts with pint-sized chord grids beneath the chord symbols for quick reference and fingerings, for all 23 progressions.
Below each one-chorus lead sheet, Buono charts out all of the chords, including any passing chords, in larger grids that display the chord tone designations so that you're on top of every last detail.
All of the progressions are demonstrated with simple rhythmic figures, which are also notated in the accompanying charts, and all examples are played over killer practice rhythm tracks powered by live recordings with bassist extraordinaire Steve Jenkins.
Put your time in with Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions and you'll hear dramatic sonic changes busting out of your new bag of progressions, forms and voicings. Pull a few of these treats out at the next jam to freshen things up and you'll see heads turning and players rushing the stage to jump in.
What you'll learn
- Play a 12-bar blues progression using harmonic minor scale harmony
- Apply common tone voice leading across chord changes
- Use vertical harmonic thinking (applying modal sounds per chord change)
- Create dynamic variation through voicing choices across multiple choruses
- Understand how to apply harmonic minor sounds to minor blues progressions
Release date: 07/01/2010 • 4h 21m runtime
Sample lessons
Sussy Strut
Key: Bb - 12 Bar
Ford-ward
Key: B - 6 Bar
For the Bird
Key: F - 12 Bar
Hurricane Allman
Key: G - 12 Bar
What's included
25 lessons • 23 charts • 23 Jam Tracks
Blues Progressions
The 12-bar blues progression is definitely universal stuff and it's something every guitar player should know not only know how to play, but also know how to expand. I mean, c’mon, it’s almost a guarantee if you step into a jam session just about anywhere on this planet and start to play a blues everyone in the room will jump in and join the jam. This style of music and its fundamental progression is driven by the guitar so more often than not it’s up to you to lead the session. One way to take jam sessions to the next level is to breath some new life into your blues progressions and that’s what this course is all about!
Welcome to Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions--a reference-palooza for the 12-bar and beyond! From dropping some tasty voice leading into a standard 12-bar to playing with the bar count to taking a completely different approach with fresh changes; this course will show you myriad blues progressions that will help make a good blues jam a great one. Here’s how it works: Each of the 23 segments is dedicated to a single blues progression. The progression will be presented in three phases (one chorus each) with the first featuring basic 7th chords of applicable types we’ll call “stock changes”. Next up the progression will get treated with extended chords that feature 9ths and 13ths among other options. Finally, the progression will get super-charged with more advanced ideas such as next-level voicings and voice leading, riff-based approaches and more! All the while the progressions will be played over a simple rhythm figure that will be notated in each of the accompanying charts, but most importantly the concept of voice leading will be at the center of it all.
The charts themselves will be cut and dry and right to the point, as they’ll list just the chords with pint-sized grids on top for quick reference and basic rhythm notation. Below the staves will be a glut of larger chord grids more clearly depicting each chord played in each of the three demonstration portions of the segment ensuring you don’t miss a beat, err, chord. Within the chord grids’ fingering dots will be the chord tone designations so you’re totally aware of the chord’s voicing setup. Take note: In this collection per each chorus the collection of grids will include all the chords played in the order they appear, but without repeats. If a chord of a specific voicing is played more than once it will only appear once in this collection at the juncture it was first played. You can find every chord in grid form above the chord names in the actual chart.
Be it known this is not a soloing course and they’re won’t be a single lick played... YET. Following Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions will be its companion course: Guitar Lab: Blues Soloing! In that course I will show you how to solo over every last one of these progressions, which includes all three phases making you armed and ready for some serious action!
*** A big thank you goes to bassist extraordinaire Steve Jenkins for laying down the stellar lines in every last jam track. Also big thanks to Chris Donlon for the endless amount of Beta Monkey drum loops. Because of these two guys your jam tracks rock! Finally, many thank you’s to Justin Dolezy from Neck Diagrams for making such a great program and providing incredible support!!
Welcome to Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions--a reference-palooza for the 12-bar and beyond! From dropping some tasty voice leading into a standard 12-bar to playing with the bar count to taking a completely different approach with fresh changes; this course will show you myriad blues progressions that will help make a good blues jam a great one. Here’s how it works: Each of the 23 segments is dedicated to a single blues progression. The progression will be presented in three phases (one chorus each) with the first featuring basic 7th chords of applicable types we’ll call “stock changes”. Next up the progression will get treated with extended chords that feature 9ths and 13ths among other options. Finally, the progression will get super-charged with more advanced ideas such as next-level voicings and voice leading, riff-based approaches and more! All the while the progressions will be played over a simple rhythm figure that will be notated in each of the accompanying charts, but most importantly the concept of voice leading will be at the center of it all.
The charts themselves will be cut and dry and right to the point, as they’ll list just the chords with pint-sized grids on top for quick reference and basic rhythm notation. Below the staves will be a glut of larger chord grids more clearly depicting each chord played in each of the three demonstration portions of the segment ensuring you don’t miss a beat, err, chord. Within the chord grids’ fingering dots will be the chord tone designations so you’re totally aware of the chord’s voicing setup. Take note: In this collection per each chorus the collection of grids will include all the chords played in the order they appear, but without repeats. If a chord of a specific voicing is played more than once it will only appear once in this collection at the juncture it was first played. You can find every chord in grid form above the chord names in the actual chart.
Be it known this is not a soloing course and they’re won’t be a single lick played... YET. Following Guitar Lab: Blues Progressions will be its companion course: Guitar Lab: Blues Soloing! In that course I will show you how to solo over every last one of these progressions, which includes all three phases making you armed and ready for some serious action!
*** A big thank you goes to bassist extraordinaire Steve Jenkins for laying down the stellar lines in every last jam track. Also big thanks to Chris Donlon for the endless amount of Beta Monkey drum loops. Because of these two guys your jam tracks rock! Finally, many thank you’s to Justin Dolezy from Neck Diagrams for making such a great program and providing incredible support!!
Sussy Strut
In this first segment many of the core approaches to Blues Progressions will be laid out for you, so listen up. In order to start kickin’ around ideas, it’s important you have a solid foundation in the basic 12-bar blues progression. The one we have here is so basic the only IV chord in sight is the double-bar instance at bars 5 and 6.
Throughout this course we’ll be taking a deep look into the chords you’ll be playing. From basic grips to extended altered excursions we’re going to cover a lot of ground, so you’ll have plenty of firepower. To get started, this segment will dole out the skinny on the core of most every chord in Blues Progressions: the b5 interval between the 3rd and b7th. This is the crux of a dominant 7th chord, which is the backbone tonality of these 23 progressions. Following that probe we’ll take a first look into extending those dom7 chords into phat-sounding 9ths and 13ths.
The third and final segment will be the first of many times I’ll introduce a signature approach to a progression. In the case of Sussy Strut you have a simple approach to changing things up by way of dom9sus4 chords as well as moving triads.
Throughout this course we’ll be taking a deep look into the chords you’ll be playing. From basic grips to extended altered excursions we’re going to cover a lot of ground, so you’ll have plenty of firepower. To get started, this segment will dole out the skinny on the core of most every chord in Blues Progressions: the b5 interval between the 3rd and b7th. This is the crux of a dominant 7th chord, which is the backbone tonality of these 23 progressions. Following that probe we’ll take a first look into extending those dom7 chords into phat-sounding 9ths and 13ths.
The third and final segment will be the first of many times I’ll introduce a signature approach to a progression. In the case of Sussy Strut you have a simple approach to changing things up by way of dom9sus4 chords as well as moving triads.
Larry's Trick
This next progression introduces some pivotal components that will be seen throughout many of the progressions that follow. For instance, taking a quick look at the chart will reveal a IV7 in the 2nd bar. The move by which you inject the IV chord at this juncture is known as the "quick four (IV)" or "quick-to-four (IV)". It provides some initial movement at the onset of the progression and sounds great. Rhythmically speaking, this segment swings hard to a simple rhythm known to some as a “Charleston”. At its core, the Charleston is a downbeat dotted quarter note followed by an upbeat 1/8 at beat 2 played with heavy swing feel. Though you’ll notice a sort of rhythmic tag to that idea at beat 4 of bars 3, 7 and 11.
Following the first round of 12 bars the second chorus takes advantage of the 1/8 note tag with a tasty rendition of the 6-9 slide. This is a great example of a subtle, yet effective embellishment to the foundational approach laid out for you in the first chorus. Watch for these slight enhancements throughout the course. THAT’S the real deal when it comes to stepping up a jam in many cases--slight additives like this go so much further than drastic changes or random embellishments that leave the pocket in the dust.
While there will be oodles of voice leading moments here in Blues Progressions, this particular progression forgoes that approach in the first two choruses for good reason. That reason lies within the idea behind the title and will be revealed in the third chorus. Watch and see...
Following the first round of 12 bars the second chorus takes advantage of the 1/8 note tag with a tasty rendition of the 6-9 slide. This is a great example of a subtle, yet effective embellishment to the foundational approach laid out for you in the first chorus. Watch for these slight enhancements throughout the course. THAT’S the real deal when it comes to stepping up a jam in many cases--slight additives like this go so much further than drastic changes or random embellishments that leave the pocket in the dust.
While there will be oodles of voice leading moments here in Blues Progressions, this particular progression forgoes that approach in the first two choruses for good reason. That reason lies within the idea behind the title and will be revealed in the third chorus. Watch and see...
Lookin' Sharp!
Now that we have a better understanding of what goes on in a basic 12-bar blues and two ways to color this tried-and-true progression, let's start to play around with its content. First up is adding a single chord to the mix in the form of a dim7 chord. Let's drop the same one--F#dim7--in bars 2, 6 and 10 following the IV chord (F7).
The logic behind this chord is, on the surface, pretty simple. You're just raising the root of the IV chord up a half step. Besides sounding totally cool, this makes for good, tight voice leading and more interesting bass movement. The piquant color of the dim7 is a welcome tension that is resolved every time by the tonic I7 chord.
The #ivdim7 chord is a sound that's easily recognizable. Just take a listen to your favorite blues CD's and I guarantee you'll discover countless examples of this chordal idea. Keep an eye, err, ear open for this cool tool as you progress through the course, as it will be one that pops up again and again.
The logic behind this chord is, on the surface, pretty simple. You're just raising the root of the IV chord up a half step. Besides sounding totally cool, this makes for good, tight voice leading and more interesting bass movement. The piquant color of the dim7 is a welcome tension that is resolved every time by the tonic I7 chord.
The #ivdim7 chord is a sound that's easily recognizable. Just take a listen to your favorite blues CD's and I guarantee you'll discover countless examples of this chordal idea. Keep an eye, err, ear open for this cool tool as you progress through the course, as it will be one that pops up again and again.
Freddie Free
In Freddie Free we free ourselves of the #ivdim7 chord and go down another additive-chord road that's completely different. Playing a seemingly straight laced 12-bar blues in Bb, everything seems standard-blues-progression copacetic until bar 11 where a bVII7 (Ab7) gets dropped. This hip approach is inspired by the work of jazz luminary Miles Davis and his forward-thinking composition entitled "Freddie Freeloader". The shift and surprise this chord brings is very effective and actually sounds smooth as butter even in simple voice leading scenarios. This is partly due to the fact you're moving a 4th below (or 5th above) from the IV chord (Eb7) in bar 10, which is a movement that's strewn about the blues and is extremely stable.
Freddie Free also gets you hip to the idea of mixing concepts. Taking some ideas from Larry's Trick with complementary m7 chords bouncing off the primary changes, this time they are played after the primary chord. In the third chorus the idea is taken to new levels where the primary chords are subbed out to m7b5 chords built off the 3rd and the bouncing m7s are built from the 6th.
Freddie Free also gets you hip to the idea of mixing concepts. Taking some ideas from Larry's Trick with complementary m7 chords bouncing off the primary changes, this time they are played after the primary chord. In the third chorus the idea is taken to new levels where the primary chords are subbed out to m7b5 chords built off the 3rd and the bouncing m7s are built from the 6th.
The Wes Coast
The sound of the bVII7 is so cool we're gonna check it out in another scenario. This time let's drop it in bar 2 in place of the of the quick IV first introduced in Larry's Trick. The idea is lifted from the changes heard in the Wes Montgomery classic "West Coast Blues" from the must-have Incredible Jazz Guitar CD.
In the third chorus you'll see a deliberate focus on playing chords on the top strings. This is extremely important you develop a set of voicings and some voice leading approaches in this register as this is what cuts through the best. Playing chords on these strings will become especially useful when playing with other chordal instruments as well as playing with fellow guitarists.
If you're looking at bar 4 and saying to yourself, "Wha?", hold that thought. It's a tritone ii-V and that will make more sense to you when you get more into the course and hit progressions like Try Tone and For the Bird.
In the third chorus you'll see a deliberate focus on playing chords on the top strings. This is extremely important you develop a set of voicings and some voice leading approaches in this register as this is what cuts through the best. Playing chords on these strings will become especially useful when playing with other chordal instruments as well as playing with fellow guitarists.
If you're looking at bar 4 and saying to yourself, "Wha?", hold that thought. It's a tritone ii-V and that will make more sense to you when you get more into the course and hit progressions like Try Tone and For the Bird.
Sweet 16
Here's the first of many examples where a blues progression is more than just a set of 12 bars. Here we have 16 bars of shuffled glory in F# coming at you. If you've tried to play a blues outside the 12-bar count and had some trouble making it feel right--it's not you. The 12-bar blues is so deeply engrained in our rhythmic psyches it's hard to stray away from it. That's why this first taste of non-12-bars is basically a 12-bar blues with bars 9 and 10 tagged two times before resolving to the I7 (F#7). Part of what makes this all flow is the inclusion of the IV chord that follows the V in bars 10, 12 and 14.
Notice the chords are played on the top four strings in all three instances. This string set choice enables you to effectively cut through the mix in high-tempo environments such as this.
Working through this 16-bar blues will start to get you in the right groove for the various progressions that will have non-12 counts. When playing a blues that's not seated in the time-honored 12-bar count the most important aspect is to key in on making the pocket come to life because when the flow is real so will be anything you play.
Notice the chords are played on the top four strings in all three instances. This string set choice enables you to effectively cut through the mix in high-tempo environments such as this.
Working through this 16-bar blues will start to get you in the right groove for the various progressions that will have non-12 counts. When playing a blues that's not seated in the time-honored 12-bar count the most important aspect is to key in on making the pocket come to life because when the flow is real so will be anything you play.
+ 18 more lessons
Reviews
18 results
hansjohn
Verified buyer
11/10/21
great teacher who helps you progress learning the chords for the blues progressions.
Baritonepaul
Verified buyer
07/25/21
This course covers information I am interested in. I haven’t given it my full attention but I know I will.
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