Blue In Green in Si

Miles Davis, Bill Evans(1959)balladBallad
A

Chord Diagrams — Blue In Green in Si (Guitar)

Blue In Green in Si

Miles Davis and Bill Evans's impressionistic miniature from Kind of Blue creates a suspended harmonic atmosphere through Lydian color on the major chords, Dorian voicing on the minor tonic, and Altered dominant tension that never fully resolves. The circular ten-bar form resists conventional phrase structure, rewarding improvisers who can sustain mood over motion. One of jazz's most harmonically poetic compositions.

Blue In Green in Si

B major mixes barre and open elements. The B chord itself is a barre at fret 2, but E and A are comfortable open chords forming the IV and V. The open B string rings as the root, allowing creative drone-based arrangements. B is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open B string rings as the root and the open E strings provide the 4th — useful for sus4 voicings and drone effects. This key mixes open and barre shapes, making it a good intermediate challenge that builds fretboard fluency.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through B to A# (descending half step), A# to D# (ascending perfect fourth), D# to D (descending half step), D to C# (descending half step), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to F (descending half step), F to A# (ascending perfect fourth). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The predominantly stepwise bass motion creates smooth, connected voice leading. When the progression loops, the bass returns from A# to B by half step.

Scales for Improvisation

B major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, B Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.

ballad4/4 · 10 bars · Form: A

Chords: SiMaj7♯11, La♯7♯9, Re♯m7, Re7♯11, Do♯m7, Fa♯7, Fa7, La♯m7.

Scales for Improvisation Si lydian, Si dorian, Si altered, Si bebop major, Si major pentatonic.