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Swing Time and the Blues

Collective time, blues and improvisation

The lessons

1. Pulse and subdivision in collective time. Keep a shared beat as the rhythm around it changes. Open
2. Straight and swung eighths in context. Hear the difference between straight and swung eighths. Open
3. Blues form and harmonic landmarks. Follow the twelve bars of a blues and hear its chords move. Open
4. Transcribing pickups and rhythmic rests. Write down short rhythms by ear, rests included. Open
5. Guide tones and hearing chord motion. Follow the third and seventh of each chord through a blues. Open
6. Call and response with motivic development. Answer a short idea and develop it with variation and space. Open
7. Comping and listening in the rhythm section. Listen across the band and leave room for the soloist. Open
8. Playing a chorus over the blues. Play a chorus of your own over the blues in steady time. Open

This course is part of the Jazz lessons.