Topic: Progressions other than I-IV-V

[LeftyStrat]

Hello fellow Blues Enthusiasts,

I've been noodling around quite a bit lately on my guitars, and found myself realizing that a good majority of songs that I play have the staple I-IV-V (or V7) progression, and that set me to wondering what other common progressions I could use to "break out of the rut" (although I find it a glorious one most of the time), so to speak, and add a bit more to my playing vocabulary.  Off the top of my head, I couldn't think of any, and thought "What better place to get input on it than from here?"  

I hope that I was clear with that question. If not, perhaps I can clarify in a later post.  

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Lefty

[Johnm]

Hi Lefty Strat,
There are a host of ideas for different 8-bar blues in the thread at http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=785.0.  If you are interested in Raggy blues and circle of fifths progressions, go to http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=712.0.  For 16-bar blues, try http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=733.0.  For interesting one-offs, try the "One of a Kind and Great" thread at http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=2044.0.  For examples of blues utilizing minor chords, go to http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=892.0.  These threads should give you plenty to chew on.
All best,
Johnm 

[LeftyStrat]

Thanks for the input, John.  Apologies for posting something that was apparently answered several times over. It didn't cross my mind to check for such pre-existing threads, but I'll chalk that up to lack of sleep and the spur of the moment nature of the topic idea.

Looks like it'll help me learn how to play quite a few tunes, as well.
Definitely bookmarking this for future reference. It's much appreciated

Lefty

[LeftyStrat]

I apologize for the double post and the bump, and again thank John for his suggestions of previous threads, which I've found helpful.  

My reason for posting here is something that's been buggin' me a bit and I figured it related well enough to post here.

A few days ago, I was fiddling around with one of my guitars and started a shuffle in A. For some reason, on the turnaround, I went to a B7 rather than E, and it sounded pretty good to me, but rather than the I-IV-V progression I'd normally play it makes for a I-IV-II7, if I'm not mistaken, and it seems to fit.

Is there somethin' wrong with my ear? Maybe it really *doesn't* fit, and I'm just hearing it wrong?

Also, I can't think of any use of I-IV-II in anything I've ever heard.  Surely I haven't stumbled onto something that's never been done before  

[frankie]

you should play it the way it sounds right to you... a friend that plays chicago blues does a tune called blue shadows, where in place of the V, a II chord is used, and that goes straight to the IV and then back to the I.  sounds fine in context - weird, but good.

Normally, a II7 would yank your ear toward the V7 which would then yank your ear toward the I.  That's the magic of the circle of fifths.

[GhostRider]

Hey:

It might seem to "fit" because we're used to hearing B7 right after an A chord in turnarounds for Blues in E. I tried it and it did sound good, but when you went to D (the IV chord in A) the D sounded dreadful, out of place. Did you get the same impression?

Alex

[uncle bud]

you should play it the way it sounds right to you... a friend that plays chicago blues does a tune called blue shadows, where in place of the V, a II chord is used, and that goes straight to the IV and then back to the I.  sounds fine in context - weird, but good.

That's not Chicago blues, that's Donovan's Atlantis. 

Lefty, no need to apologize for bumping threads. That's what they're here for.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
This is a slightly different variant of the movement to the II7 chord in place of the V7 that you cited, Lefty Strat, but John Hurt, in his "Worried Blues", played out of A position in standard tuning, substituted a II minor 7 chord for the V7 chord.  John Hurt fingered his X-2-0-2-0-X and the way he uses it gives the song a very dark sort of cast in the place the V7 would normally fall.
Gabriel Brown, in his songs in A position in standard tuning, does a different substitution that has some of the same color.  He substitutes a V minor 7 chord with its fifth in the bass for the V7 chord, so in A his E minor 7 chord ends up being voiced X-2-X-0-3-0. 
Both of these sounds are worth examining and trying in other keys and positions or tunings.  They sit particularly well in A in standard tuning, but work comparably well in some other keys and sound great there as well.
All best,
Johnm   

[LeftyStrat]

Alex,

I will say that the D sounds somewhat different to me when played after the B7, but I'm not sure if it was necessarily bad, at least when I played it.  Could be the fact that it was different from what I'm used to playing and hearing made it sound good to me, even though it may indeed be out of place.

I'll keep noodlin' on it and listening a little closer and let you know what I figure out.