New Workshop: Chord Substitutions
Published: Wed, 03/20/24
The new Reliable Source workshop, Chord Substitutions, will help you answer both those questions.
We tend to learn chords one of two ways: either someone shows us a particular set of chords for a particular song, or we encounter something like a chord dictionary that gives us whole slew of chords but no specific context for any of them. I've always thought there should be a third approach: some kind of simple, stepwise way to look at enhancing the chord progressions to classic 8-, 12- and 16-bar tunes that's specific enough to be useful, yet general enough to be applied to whatever song you happen to be interested in.
This month's upcoming two-hour workshop on March 30th will walk you through a three-step process for transforming how you play blues chord progressions.
First, we'll look at how to play the three main chords in a key – I, IV and V – in four different positions on the neck, using three-note Freddie Green shapes, plus where to find the three other chords most frequently added to blues progressions: ii, VI7 and diminished.
Next, we'll see how to combine those same chords into one- to two-bar moves, or "chord licks," that connect one chord in a song to the next one with smooth, compelling motion. How can you stay on the I chord for two or even four bars and still sound interesting? What are the coolest ways to get from I to IV, from IV to I, from I to V?
Finally, equipped with our new moves, we'll take on some classic blues progressions – tunes like "Trouble In Mind," "How Long Blues" or "Frankie and Johnny" – and see, through repeated application, how each chord lick can work on a variety of tunes to connect, embellish and improve on those songs' basic I IV and V chords.
Whether you want to dress up the tunes you already know, get better at hearing chord progressions on records or at jam sessions, or open the door to writing better chord progressions of your own, the Chord Substitutions workshop has the tools you need. Get all the details and sign up at the link below:
Chord Substitutions Workshop
More soon,
David