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  • This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by john.
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  • November 3, 2016 at 12:53 pm #42897
    Andrew Gibson
    Participant

      I have a question about the II V I chord progression.
      Now, I understand the blues progression I IV V and how it fits into a 12 bar blues song.
      I I I I
      IV IV I I
      V IV I V

      But how do I similarly use the II V I progression into a song.

      A

      November 3, 2016 at 3:42 pm #42899
      Anonymous

        Are you trying to compose a song using II V I chords in it?
        or are you trying to improvise on the sax to a song which has
        II V I chords in it?

        November 4, 2016 at 5:51 pm #42927
        john
        Keymaster

          you can play the 2 on bar 9 of the 12 bar progression.
          we use the 2 chord to spice up the basic 12 bar as you showed in your example above.
          remember, normally it can be 5, 5, 1 as well as you noted: 5, 4 1
          so, by using the 2 it looks like this: 2, 5, 1
          it’s used a lot in jazz and pop and a little bit in blues and rock.

          November 9, 2016 at 3:42 pm #43067
          Andrew Gibson
          Participant

            Thanks Johnny and sxpoet.

            I’ve been trying to compose simple tunes as a way of learning the theory; and then improvising around what I’ve written. I’m into 12 bar blues, so I’ll throw in some II V I chords into bars 9,10,11….thanks

            November 9, 2016 at 6:19 pm #43079
            john
            Keymaster

              Great! the 12 bar is really good to experiment and learn with but you can still change it up a bit as I’ve shown below.

              the first example is the very basic way of playing a 12 bar followed by some common variations people like to use, depending on the feel you want in your tune:
              | I | I | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | V | I | I |

              | I | I | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | V |

              | I | I | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | II | V | I | V |

              | I | IV | I | I I(7)| IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | V |

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