Blues for the New Millennium

Randy Johnston teaches Blues for the New Millennium, his lyrical blues from the 1997 album Somewhere in the Night. Written around the turn of the Y2K era, it's a 12-bar blues built on simple 1-4-5 chords — with a twist in the harmony, including a two-ending form and a D-flat turnaround. Randy shows you the chords, the melody, and his strategy for improvising confidently over a basic blues with a modern flavor.

What's covered

• The chord changes, played slowly and then over a loop, with half-step anticipations for variation
• The sequential melody — one phrase repeated across the changes — with a written-out chart included
• The three scales he uses to navigate the changes, starting with the blues scale and the Mixolydian of each chord
• Adding chromatic passing notes for that Pat Martino sound in your lines
• The Chuck Berry move that adds a blues sound when you need it
• A 'false fingering' approach that makes your lines sound even better
• Thinking from the minor chord to make dominant sounds easier

Randy keeps it direct and to the point — no filler, just what he actually plays, straight from his home in Central Virginia. Full video is 31 minutes. 3 Pages PDF Included.

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