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Blues in All Major and Minor Keys


Phil W

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My good friend Mike, who is a fabulous guitarist, had a great idea for a blogpost on his website. I wish I'd thought of it. As a practice tool, or just for the fun of it, Mike collected examples of tunes (mostly jazz tunes) using blues form in all 12 major and all 12 minor keys. He got stuck on Bb minor but I thought of Mingus' Boogie Stop Shuffle.

 

However, two keys remain undiscovered: E minor and F#/Gb minor.

You'd think there'd be loads of blues in E minor but they are surprisingly hard to find.

 

So, a request, have a read through Mike's list and if you can think of a recorded example of a minor blues in E minor or F# minor please let me (or Mike) know.

 

http://www.mikeoutram.com/wordpress/2009/12/blues-in-all-major-and-minor-keys.html

 

The other plus of Mike's post is that in the UK, the Spotify links allow us to hear the recordings for free as a playlist and play along.

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Jeremy, did you see Mavis Staples' rendition of that tune in Lightning In A Bottle? Awesome.

 

Thanks! I was trying to think of where I had heard it.... very very good... That whole DVD is very good...

"When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown
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Chitlins Con Carne is in C. 1st chord C7#9

 

Listening to Roadhouse Blues now I'n not sure it's not E7

 

The missing piece turned out to be Riders On The Storm which is an adapted E minor blues - just as I was playing along to Otis Rush and hunting for something. His All Your Love is in F#minor.

 

Here's the complete list:

 

http://www.mikeoutram.com/wordpress/2009/12/blues-in-all-major-and-minor-keys.html

 

C Major: Cheryl, Relaxin' At Camarillo, Turnaround, Perhaps, C Jam Blues

Db Major: Things Ain't What They Used To Be

D Major: D Natural Blues

Eb: Sandau, Bessie's Blues

E: Follow Your Heart, Mystery Train

F: Honky Tonk, [it's massively out of tune but hey, ho. Amazing solo, so that's ok. Sorry to all you perfect pitchers and people unable to retune their instruments :)] Billie's Bounce, Au Privave, Blues For Alice, Now's The Time, Barbados

F#: Mr. Day, Texas Flood

G: Night Train, Cross Court, All Blues

Ab: Freight Trane, Chi Chi

A: Go Get It

Bb: Blues On The Corner, Blue Monk, Vierd Blues, Mohawk, Parker's Mood, Bloomdido, Buzzy

B: H+H

 

C minor: Stolen Moments, Mr. P.C, Footprints, Babys Minor Lope, Spiderman

C# minor: Equinox

D minor: Timeline, Isreal

Eb minor: Loose Bloose

E minor: Riders On The Storm

F minor: Green Onions, Interplay

F# minor: I Put A Spell On You

G minor: Blues For Yna Yna, Nothing Personal

Ab minor: Up 'Gainst The Wall

A minor: Love That Burns

Bb minor: Boogie Stop Shuffle, Pursuance

B minor: Hide And Seek, Five Spot After Dark

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