top of page

Blues & Jazz Music

Lesson 1 - Blues (origin 1860s onwards)

What is Blues music and what are its origins?
Political-World-Map-3360.jpg

Before the blues...

How it came blues came about

C Jam Blues

Blues 12 bar Year 8 -2.png
c ukulele copy.png
F-G-ukulele-chords .png

Ukulele chords

Blues 12 bar Year 8 -2-3.png

Lesson 1 - chord extensions and flattened fifth chord.

Chord extensions are where extra 3rds are stacked on top of a triad to produce 7ths, 9ths, 11ths and 13ths.
Chord extensions are typical in jazz music and make it distinguishable from other types of music.
Notes for improvisation
A, C, D, E, F

Root

Third

Fifth

Seventh (minor)

Ninth

Eleventh

Thirteenth

Major triad chord

Extensions

Listen to Bill Evans's 'Waltz For Debbie'. It's full of chord extensions!
Screenshot 2019-01-09 at 10.30.43.png

Lesson 2 - key signatures and the circle of fifths

Key signatures tell you which key the music is in.
Circle of fifths in music theory, the circle of fifths (or circle of fourths) is the relationship among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys. 

Take Five Tutorial

Play your keyboard part in time with this drum rhythm...

Take Five Live

Try this 5/4 meter, drum rhythm!

bottom of page