Blue In Green in Re

Miles Davis, Bill Evans(1959)balladBallad
A

Chord Diagrams — Blue In Green in Re (Guitar)

Blue In Green in Re

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 Re

D major is one of guitar's most resonant keys. The open D string acts as a droning root, and the open A string provides the fifth. This gives D-based strumming a wide, ringing quality that flatpicks and fingerpicks love. D is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open D and A strings provide a powerful bass foundation, and the open high E is the 2nd scale degree adding brightness. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through D to C# (descending half step), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to F (descending half step), F to E (descending half step), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to G# (descending half step), G# to C# (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 C# to D by half step.

Scales for Improvisation

D 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, D Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.

ballad4/4 · 10 bars · Form: A

Chords: ReMaj7♯11, Do♯7♯9, Fa♯m7, Fa7♯11, Mim7, La7, Sol♯7, Do♯m7.

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