Chords for Branford Marsalis - Mo Better Blues | Totally Electric Guitars Lesson Preview
Tempo:
87.7 bpm
Chords used:
F#
B
G#m
G#
D#m
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[F#] [B] [F#]
[A#m] [G#m]
[G#] [B]
[D#] [F#]
[D#m] [F#]
[B] [G#m]
[G#] [B]
[G#] [D#m] [F#]
[N] Hey there, Max Rich, Total Electric Guitars here, and we are talking about Mo' Better Blues.
This song, originally kind of composed, played by Branford Marsalis, super sweet jazz player,
Branford Marsalis.
And this song is really, a really good song to learn how, like, melding of key changes,
especially for a guitar player, because for like a horn player, like, you know, Branford,
it becomes a little easier, they have to listen for pitches, and then just kind of spit out
the note that they hear in their head.
For us, we have to visualize things maybe a little bit more.
So, the fact that this song is in the key of G sharp, or I'm sorry, G flat major, really
creates, I want to say like, a blending of tonalities, because us guitar players really
tend to think of things in sharps a lot of the time.
And that's maybe not always for the best, especially when you're playing jazz, R&B type stuff.
Because, for example, in this case, we're dealing with like E flat minor, [F#] but if you
[B] notice, [F#] G flat major and [C#] E flat minor all work in the same key.
[B] However, B major is also in there.
And why would B major [F#] be part of [F#] G flat?
That doesn't seem intuitive.
Well, in reality, if you're going about things in what are called an enharmonic way, meaning
you're sticking to the original key signature of G flat, then this [B] B major that we play
in the song [N] would not technically be called B major, it would be called C flat major.
Now, that might have just blown some of your minds, because there is no C flat.
C flat is B.
Why would it be called that?
Well, in the key of [G#m] G flat major, [F#] if you go through the scale, you have G flat, [G#] A flat,
B [A#] flat, and then the next note wouldn't be B, the next note would have to be a C of some
kind, because you're just going in order.
So the next note [F#] wouldn't be C natural, [C] because that would [A#] be a tritone away from the root,
that would be really weird.
The [B] next note is in actuality B, but because of the key signature of G flat, you have actually
a C flat.
So C flat major or B major, [N] however you want to look at it.
But that's a perfect example of how blending keys for a guitar player is usually pretty
difficult, because [B] when you think of B major, you think of D sharp, F [F#] sharp, C sharp.
But in [G#m] reality, you have to think of that as, instead of D [B] sharp, you have to think
of it as E flat.
[F#] Instead of F sharp, G flat.
Instead of [C#m] C sharp, D flat.
So it kind of forces you to switch around [N] your thinking strategy, I believe.
And that coupled with the various chord changes in the song and the melody make it a really
cool song, very easy on the ears.
It's an awesome song to jam over, because once you understand this key signature, then
playing over it actually becomes a lot of fun, because there are enough chord changes
to keep things interesting, but not wild key changes, and not outlandish, crazy altered chords.
So it is sort of like a good way for maybe intermediate players to kind of bring their
harmonic understanding and their key signature understanding up to a next level, while at
the same time learning how to improvise over what I think is a
[A#m] [G#m]
[G#] [B]
[D#] [F#]
[D#m] [F#]
[B] [G#m]
[G#] [B]
[G#] [D#m] [F#]
[N] Hey there, Max Rich, Total Electric Guitars here, and we are talking about Mo' Better Blues.
This song, originally kind of composed, played by Branford Marsalis, super sweet jazz player,
Branford Marsalis.
And this song is really, a really good song to learn how, like, melding of key changes,
especially for a guitar player, because for like a horn player, like, you know, Branford,
it becomes a little easier, they have to listen for pitches, and then just kind of spit out
the note that they hear in their head.
For us, we have to visualize things maybe a little bit more.
So, the fact that this song is in the key of G sharp, or I'm sorry, G flat major, really
creates, I want to say like, a blending of tonalities, because us guitar players really
tend to think of things in sharps a lot of the time.
And that's maybe not always for the best, especially when you're playing jazz, R&B type stuff.
Because, for example, in this case, we're dealing with like E flat minor, [F#] but if you
[B] notice, [F#] G flat major and [C#] E flat minor all work in the same key.
[B] However, B major is also in there.
And why would B major [F#] be part of [F#] G flat?
That doesn't seem intuitive.
Well, in reality, if you're going about things in what are called an enharmonic way, meaning
you're sticking to the original key signature of G flat, then this [B] B major that we play
in the song [N] would not technically be called B major, it would be called C flat major.
Now, that might have just blown some of your minds, because there is no C flat.
C flat is B.
Why would it be called that?
Well, in the key of [G#m] G flat major, [F#] if you go through the scale, you have G flat, [G#] A flat,
B [A#] flat, and then the next note wouldn't be B, the next note would have to be a C of some
kind, because you're just going in order.
So the next note [F#] wouldn't be C natural, [C] because that would [A#] be a tritone away from the root,
that would be really weird.
The [B] next note is in actuality B, but because of the key signature of G flat, you have actually
a C flat.
So C flat major or B major, [N] however you want to look at it.
But that's a perfect example of how blending keys for a guitar player is usually pretty
difficult, because [B] when you think of B major, you think of D sharp, F [F#] sharp, C sharp.
But in [G#m] reality, you have to think of that as, instead of D [B] sharp, you have to think
of it as E flat.
[F#] Instead of F sharp, G flat.
Instead of [C#m] C sharp, D flat.
So it kind of forces you to switch around [N] your thinking strategy, I believe.
And that coupled with the various chord changes in the song and the melody make it a really
cool song, very easy on the ears.
It's an awesome song to jam over, because once you understand this key signature, then
playing over it actually becomes a lot of fun, because there are enough chord changes
to keep things interesting, but not wild key changes, and not outlandish, crazy altered chords.
So it is sort of like a good way for maybe intermediate players to kind of bring their
harmonic understanding and their key signature understanding up to a next level, while at
the same time learning how to improvise over what I think is a
Key:
F#
B
G#m
G#
D#m
F#
B
G#m
_ _ _ [F#] _ _ [B] _ _ [F#] _
_ _ _ _ _ [A#m] _ [G#m] _ _
_ [G#] _ _ _ _ _ [B] _ _
[D#] _ _ [F#] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D#m] _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _ _
_ [B] _ _ _ _ [G#m] _ _ _
[G#] _ _ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _
[G#] _ _ [D#m] _ _ _ [F#] _ _ _
_ _ [N] Hey there, Max Rich, Total Electric Guitars here, and we are talking about Mo' Better Blues.
This song, _ originally kind of composed, played by Branford Marsalis, _ super sweet jazz player,
Branford Marsalis. _ _ _
And this song is really, a really good song to learn how, like, melding of key changes,
especially for a guitar player, because for like a horn player, like, you know, Branford,
it becomes a little easier, they have to listen for pitches, and then just kind of spit out
the note that they hear in their head.
For us, we have to visualize things maybe a little bit more.
So, the fact that this song is in the key of G sharp, or I'm sorry, G flat major, really
creates, _ I want to say like, a blending of tonalities, because us guitar players really
tend to think of things in sharps a lot of the time.
And that's maybe not always for the best, especially when you're playing jazz, R&B type stuff.
Because, for example, in this case, we're dealing with like E flat minor, [F#] _ _ _ _ _ but if you
[B] notice, _ [F#] _ _ _ _ _ G flat major and [C#] E flat minor _ all work in the same key.
[B] However, _ _ B major is also in there.
And why would B major [F#] be part of [F#] G flat?
That doesn't seem intuitive.
Well, in reality, if you're going about things in what are called an enharmonic way, meaning
you're sticking to the original key signature of G flat, then this [B] B major that we play
in the song [N] would not technically be called B major, it would be called C flat major.
Now, that might have just blown some of your minds, because there is no C flat.
C flat is B.
Why would it be called that?
Well, in the key of [G#m] G flat major, [F#] if you go through the scale, you have G flat, [G#] A flat,
B [A#] flat, and then the next note wouldn't be B, the next note would have to be a C of some
kind, because you're just going in order.
So the next note [F#] wouldn't be C natural, _ [C] because that would [A#] be a tritone away from the root,
that would be really weird.
The [B] next note is in actuality B, but because of the key signature of G flat, you have actually
a C flat.
So C flat major or B major, _ [N] however you want to look at it.
But that's a perfect example of how blending _ keys for a guitar player is usually pretty
difficult, because [B] when you think of B major, you think of D sharp, F [F#] sharp, C sharp.
But in [G#m] reality, you have to think of that as, instead of D [B] sharp, you have to think
of it as E flat.
[F#] Instead of F sharp, G flat.
Instead of [C#m] C sharp, D flat.
So it kind of forces you to switch around [N] your thinking strategy, I believe.
And that coupled with the various chord changes in the song and the melody make it a really
cool song, very easy on the ears.
It's an awesome song to jam over, because once you understand this key signature, then
playing over it actually becomes a lot of fun, because there are enough chord changes
to keep things interesting, but not wild key changes, and not outlandish, crazy altered chords.
So it is sort of like a good way for maybe intermediate players to kind of bring their
harmonic understanding and their key signature understanding up to a next level, while at
the same time learning how to improvise over what I think is a
_ _ _ _ _ [A#m] _ [G#m] _ _
_ [G#] _ _ _ _ _ [B] _ _
[D#] _ _ [F#] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D#m] _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _ _
_ [B] _ _ _ _ [G#m] _ _ _
[G#] _ _ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _
[G#] _ _ [D#m] _ _ _ [F#] _ _ _
_ _ [N] Hey there, Max Rich, Total Electric Guitars here, and we are talking about Mo' Better Blues.
This song, _ originally kind of composed, played by Branford Marsalis, _ super sweet jazz player,
Branford Marsalis. _ _ _
And this song is really, a really good song to learn how, like, melding of key changes,
especially for a guitar player, because for like a horn player, like, you know, Branford,
it becomes a little easier, they have to listen for pitches, and then just kind of spit out
the note that they hear in their head.
For us, we have to visualize things maybe a little bit more.
So, the fact that this song is in the key of G sharp, or I'm sorry, G flat major, really
creates, _ I want to say like, a blending of tonalities, because us guitar players really
tend to think of things in sharps a lot of the time.
And that's maybe not always for the best, especially when you're playing jazz, R&B type stuff.
Because, for example, in this case, we're dealing with like E flat minor, [F#] _ _ _ _ _ but if you
[B] notice, _ [F#] _ _ _ _ _ G flat major and [C#] E flat minor _ all work in the same key.
[B] However, _ _ B major is also in there.
And why would B major [F#] be part of [F#] G flat?
That doesn't seem intuitive.
Well, in reality, if you're going about things in what are called an enharmonic way, meaning
you're sticking to the original key signature of G flat, then this [B] B major that we play
in the song [N] would not technically be called B major, it would be called C flat major.
Now, that might have just blown some of your minds, because there is no C flat.
C flat is B.
Why would it be called that?
Well, in the key of [G#m] G flat major, [F#] if you go through the scale, you have G flat, [G#] A flat,
B [A#] flat, and then the next note wouldn't be B, the next note would have to be a C of some
kind, because you're just going in order.
So the next note [F#] wouldn't be C natural, _ [C] because that would [A#] be a tritone away from the root,
that would be really weird.
The [B] next note is in actuality B, but because of the key signature of G flat, you have actually
a C flat.
So C flat major or B major, _ [N] however you want to look at it.
But that's a perfect example of how blending _ keys for a guitar player is usually pretty
difficult, because [B] when you think of B major, you think of D sharp, F [F#] sharp, C sharp.
But in [G#m] reality, you have to think of that as, instead of D [B] sharp, you have to think
of it as E flat.
[F#] Instead of F sharp, G flat.
Instead of [C#m] C sharp, D flat.
So it kind of forces you to switch around [N] your thinking strategy, I believe.
And that coupled with the various chord changes in the song and the melody make it a really
cool song, very easy on the ears.
It's an awesome song to jam over, because once you understand this key signature, then
playing over it actually becomes a lot of fun, because there are enough chord changes
to keep things interesting, but not wild key changes, and not outlandish, crazy altered chords.
So it is sort of like a good way for maybe intermediate players to kind of bring their
harmonic understanding and their key signature understanding up to a next level, while at
the same time learning how to improvise over what I think is a