10 Jazz Blues Tunes Every Guitarist

Should Know
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When learning how to play jazz guitar, one of the most important
elements to check out in the woodshed is making sure you have
enough tunes to play when you get out into a jam session or on the
bandstand, especially jazz blues tunes. For this reason, I have put
together my list of 10 jazz blues tunes every guitarist should know.
Often times well be focused on learning all of the chords, scales and
arpeggios that we need to be able to comp and solo over jazz-blues
changes, but we forget that we also need to learn at least a few heads
so that we are ready to take the lead on any tune when it comes to
jamming with friends and other musicians.
Because there are literally hundreds of jazz-blues heads to choose
from, Ive put together a list of 10 jazz blues tunes every guitarist
should know that you can work through in your practice routine and
add to your repertoire list.
I have chosen a variety of jazz-blues tunes, including riff-based heads,
major blues, minor blues, bird blues and common altered blues heads
that you can get under your fingers and bring into your playing, so
that you always have a good mixture of blues heads to choose from
when it comes to jamming or getting out on the bandstand.
Have a question or comment about this lesson? Visit the 10 Jazz Blues
Tunes Every Guitarist Should Know thread in the MWG Forum.
If you are new to the jazz blues genre, start by checking out my article
How to Play a Jazz Blues Chord Progression before digging into these
10 classic jazz-blues melodies.

C Jam Blues
This is probably the most commonly learned Jazz Blues head for
guitarists as they first begin their exploration of the genre.
With only two notes in the melody line, it is easy to play and
memorize, and it can be quickly transposed to any key as the line is
moved around the neck of the guitar.
Though it only has two notes and follows the standard Jazz Blues chord
progression, the rhythm can be a little tricky to nail down, which is the
element that makes the two-note melody so memorable.
So, when learning this tune, make sure you spend the time to get the
rhythm down as you bring this classic blues head into your jazz guitar
repertoire.

Bags Groove
Another must-know riff style jazz blues head, this melody can be
played in two ways when taking it onto the guitar fretboard.
Some players, especially those just beginning their jazz-guitar journey,
will play the melody without the trills that you can here when vibes,
sax or other horns play the tune, while other players prefer to add
those trills into the melody line when they learn it on guitar.
No matter which way you prefer to learn the melody line, trills or not,
this is a great line that is built from the tonic blues scale, which allows
you to learn the fingering quickly as you can build it from a scale
shape that you already know, as well as use the melody as the basis
for your jazz guitar solos as all of the notes of the melody will sound
good when used to solo over the 12-bar blues form.
Lastly, as was the case with C Jam Blues, since this is a repeated-riff
melody line, it is easy to transpose into different keys on the neck as
you simply move your hand around the neck to bring it to different
keys on the guitar.

Billies Bounce
Now we can branch out from the riff-style melody lines and check out
a Bebop Jazz Blues progression and melody.
If you are unfamiliar with the extended jazz blues changes, check out
my article Jazz Blues Substitutions and Alterations for Guitar to begin
digging into the Bebop side of the jazz-blues genre.
Though there are a large number of Charlie Parker blues heads that
are classics and deserve to be learned by jazz guitarists of all
backgrounds, Billies Bounce is one that is commonly called on jam
sessions, and a jazz-blues Bebop style melody that sits well on the
fingerboard, which isnt always the case when you transfer tunes from
sax to the guitar.

Take it slow when first working on this melody as it does offer some
unique fingering challenges that youll need to work through.
As well, you might need to learn it in a few different positions on the
neck, or even shift between positions during the course of one 12-bar
chorus, in order to find a comfortable and flowing fingering for the
melody.
If you are looking for a jazz blues soloing primer, check out my article
Expand Your Jazz Blues Soloing Chops With This 1 Easy Shape.

Au Privave
Another classic Parker tune that sits well on the neck, Au Privave is
worth learning as it not only brings a Bebop blues head into your
repertoire, but its commonly called by sax players and pianists on gigs
and jams, so you could double the melody line with them if you have it
under your fingers.
As is the case with any Bebop tune, working with a metronome and
starting slowly is essential when getting this tune under your fingers.
As well, work the head out in multiple positions if needed in order to
find one that fits well with your fingers on the fretboard.
If you are knew to soloing over Bebop jazz blues tunes, check out my
article Jazz Blues Bebop Scales: The Definitive Guide to help you
navigate this sometimes tricky changes by bringing a good dose of
Bebop vocabulary into your soloing on this tune.

Straight No Chaser
The last Bebop style jazz-blues head well look at on this list is a
classic, highly rhythmic and fun to play tune by Thelonious Monk.
This tune can be found in a number of jazz fake books, and there are
several books that have different notes/rhythms than others, so its
worth going to the original recording and checking your notes/timing

when learning this tune so that they line up with what Monk originally
wrote and recorded.
Again, soloing over this tune means building your bebop vocabulary,
and so learning how to navigate the ii-V in bars 9 and 10, as well as
the VI7b9 chord that is often used in bar 8, is essential when bringing
this tune into your repertoire list.
Played at a slower tempo than some of the other Bebop blues heads,
some players, such as Mike Stern on his album Standards, prefer to
play this track at blistering speeds.
So, when learning this head make sure you can at least play it at a
medium to medium-up tempo in case you get out into a jam and
someone calls it at a quicker tempo than you are used to hearing on
your favorite recording.

Mr. P.C.
Shifting gears, we can now look at a few minor blues heads that are
must-know tunes for any jazz guitarist. The first, Mr. P.C. is a riff-style
head written by John Cotrane, and is probably the most commonly
called minor-blues head on jam sessions or pick-up gigs and so its
definitely worth getting under your fingers.
Often played at a very fast tempo, getting this melody under your
fingers isnt that difficult compared to navigating these changes at
medium-up to up speeds on the bandstand.
In order to make sure you are prepared to blow on this tune in a jam or
on a gig, make sure you are comfortable soloing over minor key ii-V-i
chord changes as that tends to be the part of the tune, bars 9-12,
where players struggle when blowing on this tune at faster tempos.

Birks Works

Another minor-blues head that is often called on jams and gigs, this is
a great way to get under your fingers from a repertoire standpoint, but
also from a phrasing standpoint.
Because of the way the melody is built, it is a study in how you can
take a simple idea, add in a good dose of blues phrasing, and voila,
classic melody.
As well, if you bring this melody into your soloing, and use it as the
basis for your melodic ideas when blowing, you can also bring a strong
focus on phrasing and space into your improvisations as well.
To see how you can take this idea into the practice room check out my
article Jazz Blues Phrasing Exercises Video Lesson.

Blue Train
This is the first out of the ordinary blues head that well check out
and that you should have under your fingers as a jazz guitarist.
This tune features 7#9 chords over each change in the melody
section, before switching to standard 7th chords in the blowing
sections.
Because of these changes, and the fact that the melody line is based
on the minor pentatonic scale, a lot of players will mistake this for a
minor blues tune when first learning to play it, especially if they learn
it by ear from the record.
Its easy to make this mistake so if you are in this boat and thought it
was a minor blues tune, dont feel bad.
To make sure you have the right changes for the melody and blowing
sections of the tune, check out the Jamey Aebersold lead sheet for this
tune, or double check your changes with your guitar teacher or more
experienced player if you are just starting out with your journey into
jazz guitar.

Blue Seven

Written by jazz-sax legend Sonny Rollins, this tune features 7#11

chords for each of the three changes in the form, I7#11, IV7#11 and
V7#11.
As well, the melody line outlines these changes and so the #11 is
prevalent in the scale choice for each chord as well.
When working on this blues head and changes, you will need to check
out the fourth mode of the melodic minor scale, often called the
Lydian Dominant Scale, as it can be used to solo over each of the
7#11 chords in the tune.
This mode can often sound dissonant when you first get your fingers
and ears around these 7 notes, but with time you will become
comfortable with it and be able to easily apply it to this, and other,
blues tune.
So, not only is this tune a classic jazz-blues head that you can call on a
jam, it allows you to work on developing your control and
understanding of the melodic minor scale and its application to the
jazz-blues progression.

Blues for Alice

Probably the most famous non-traditional blues tune, Blues for Alice
features a series of tough chord changes that have become known
simply as Bird Blues chords, as the tune was written by Charlie
Parker whose nickname was Bird.
The melody is tricky to get started on if you havent learned a Parker
tune before, but it is manageable on the guitar and if you take it up
the octave, starting on the F on the 13th fret of the top string, it can
actually sit nicely on the neck of the guitar.
But it is the chord changes that provide a unique challenge to
guitarists that are looking to tackle these fast moving ii-Vs.

If you arent familiar with the Bird Blues changes this tune might not
even be recognizable as a blues progression, especially since it starts
on an Fmaj7 chord.
But, these changes are based on the blues, and are built from adding
Bebop subs to the common blues form, and so as tough as it may be,
its a great tune to get into your playing as you build your jazz blues
vocabulary.
Do you have a question about the 10 jazz blues tunes every guitarist
should know? Share it in the comments section below.

Matt Warnock Guitar Frequently

Asked Questions
Click any link below for answers to the 9 most frequently asked
questions that I receive from readers, students, workshop participants
and Facebook followers about how to learn jazz guitar.

I Am New To Jazz Guitar. Where Should I Start?

What Are The Essential Beginning Guitar Chords, Scales and Arpeggios?

How do I Learn How to Run My Own Guitar Teacing Website?

How Do I Build An Effective Jazz Guitar Practice Routine?

What Are The Three Elements Of Music?

Should I Play Jazz Guitar With My Fingers Or A Pick?

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What Are Essential Tunes For A Beginning Jazz Guitarist to Know?

How Do I Play a Jazz Blues Chord Progression?

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26 Responses to "10 Jazz Blues Tunes

Every Guitarist Should Know"
1.

Jamie says:

Reply
Great list Matt, I wouldnt change one tune from that list! Two lesser-known blues heads Ive
been enjoying playing at gigs recantly are Soft Winds and Vanguard Blues.
July 29, 2012 at 3:36 pm
1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply
Thanks Jamie, yeah those are both lesser-known but very fun to play jazz blues tunes!
July 29, 2012 at 3:45 pm

2.

Jim Alrutz says:

Reply
So Matt, from one fingerstyle player to another, how do you handle the trilling in Bags Groove?
If I played it with a pick, Id be fine with tremolo picking and a light touch, but how do you get a
consistent sounding trill with your fingers?
July 29, 2012 at 8:59 pm

1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply
Hey Jim, I slur all of those trills if I play them. So I would pick the first note and then hammerpulloff on the next two notes. Check it out, much easier than fingerpicking every note.
July 29, 2012 at 9:12 pm

3.

Nikki MacLeod says:

Reply
Well I reckon you forgot Tenor Madness and Blue Monk but only of course imho ;-)
July 29, 2012 at 9:14 pm

1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply
Yeah Nikki, those are two great tunes to learn as well. I guess it also depends on where you live
as different cities Ive gone to like to play Blue Monk on gigs while others like to call Straight No
Chaser. So I guess you can never learn enough blues heads to get them all!
July 29, 2012 at 9:16 pm

4.

Jim Mustard says:

Reply
All Blues, Freddie The Freeloader, Blue Monk, Thrill Is Gone, Nobody Loves You (When Youre
Down & Out), Killer Joe, these are all West Coast favorites.

July 30, 2012 at 2:42 pm

5.

Matt (A Different One) says:

Reply
I had always planned on making my first post a detailed question, but I instead Im inspired to
note that my favorite version of Birks Works is this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XKypc6AwyQ
(Even if some of the kids look like they need to work on finding two and four.)
Also, great list. The contemporary jazz guitarist I think of most when I think of blues is John
Scofield, although that may be different for others. Im not saying any one of his many blues
heads is essential, but there are some good ones. Wabash III from Time on My Hands is
really cool different changes on a 32-bar form. Every played it?
July 30, 2012 at 5:47 pm

1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply
Yeah there are some cool modern tunes, I played a concert in college where we played
Wabash III, great tune! I also like Locomotion by Trane for a blues with a bridge, kind of a tricky
form to get, but once you do its a fun form to jam on.
July 30, 2012 at 5:49 pm

6.

Matt (A Different One) says:

Reply
Oh yeah: Isotope. Fun melody, cool turnaound.
August 1, 2012 at 2:09 am

7.

Marty says:
Reply
Work Song
August 2, 2012 at 3:59 pm

8.

DannyD says:
Reply
How about West Coast Blues to get comfortable in 6/8? Doesnt hurt to learn some Wes
Montgomery if youre working on your jazz blues guitar chops.
August 2, 2012 at 10:18 pm

9.

Gabe says:
Reply
Hey Matt, great article and website, such great resources! Also, just a recommendation: you
could do 10 progressions every jazz guitarist should know (rhythm changes, blues, minor blues,

etc.)
Keep up the great site!
August 26, 2012 at 7:17 am
1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply
Thanks Gabe, I did a list like that years ago that you can find here, I need to update it with
examples, but itll get you started.
http://www.jazzguitarlife.com/jazz-guitar-lesson-with-mathew-warnock-commonchord-progressions/
August 26, 2012 at 8:03 am

10.

Jeffrey says:
Reply
Hi Matt Ive been using this list as a jumping point for getting some blues heads under my
fingers, starting with Straight, No chaser. Do you know of any recordings that use these
alternate/bebop changes in mm. 7-9 that you mentioned? The real book only gives the basic
changes for a 12 bar blues, and Im trying to get the sound wholly in my ears, since I learned
the head by ear.
Thanks! I love your articles, so many have been helpful to me.
January 13, 2013 at 10:53 pm

1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply
Hey Jeff, glad you are digging these tunes! Check out Mike Sterns version, I think he uses the
VI7b9 chord in bar 8, but he plays it very fast. And Miles version might use those changes, I
cant remember but I would check those two to start. I think Miles uses those changes in the
solos
January 13, 2013 at 11:04 pm

11.

peter says:
Reply
How about Oleo? By the way Matt every guitarists has a curse and mine believe or not is the
timing of Billies Bounce never seem to get it right -and usually fake it.
Any views?
January 15, 2013 at 8:41 pm

1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply

Hey, yeah Oleo is a rhythm changes tune, so I consider is essential but from a rhythm changes
point of view.
Billies Bounce is tough to emulate the rhythm of Parkers recording, you really have to go back
to the original and learn it from there rather than a lead sheet.
January 16, 2013 at 9:00 pm
12.

Erwin says:
Reply
Watermelon man (Herbie Hancock) is an example of a widely played blues pattern in F7,
especially in jamsessions!
January 15, 2013 at 9:27 pm

13.

old woodlark says:

Reply
Love your site, Matt.
What is the best source for charts for all these tunes? I have stack of books but still lack most.
January 19, 2013 at 6:17 pm

1.

Matthew Warnock says:

Reply
Hey, a lot of the harder ones are in the Real Book. But you can learn the easy riff ones C Jam
Blues, etc from the recordings. They are pretty easy to pick up from the albums.
January 19, 2013 at 6:38 pm

14.

oldwoodak says:
Reply
Thanks for the quick reply,
As soon as I sent question I knew the answer. I need to practice transcribing. worked through
the melody of Grant Greens Count Every Star tonight on to the solos tomorrow.
January 20, 2013 at 10:10 am

15.

Michael says:
Reply
Bags Groove sounds a lot like the theme song from an old sitcom that I cant quite place yet.
Does anybody else hear this?
April 8, 2013 at 2:34 am

1.

Matt Warnock says:

Reply

Hey Michael. Im not sure if it was exactly the Theme to the Odd Couple TV Show, but it always
reminded me of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDrfHj3j398
Kind of close to that one.
April 8, 2013 at 6:56 am
1.

Michael says:
Reply
Thats the one. Thanks. Its a little different but you can surely hear Bags Groove in
there.
April 8, 2013 at 8:11 am
1.

Matt Warnock says:

Reply
For sure, pretty similar!
April 8, 2013 at 8:15 am

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