JAZZ THEORY MASTERCLASS

Blue Monk: The Quirky Geometry of Monk's Blues

Blue Monk is Thelonious Monk’s most famous and approachable 12-bar blues, a composition...

Blue Monk: Inside the Music

Every standard has a story, and Blue Monk (in key of Bb) is a masterclass in songwriting and a foundational canvas for improvisation. Let's explore its unique approach to Chromatic melodic development and standard 12-bar blues form..

A Musician's Perspective & Background

Thelonious Monk reportedly considered Blue Monk one of his favorite compositions,...

Interactive Soloing Laboratory

Use the controls below to visualize key harmonic moments on the fretboard and circle of fifths.

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Harmonic Deep-Dive

The harmonic foundation of Blue Monk is a...

Bb7 (I7)

Bb

D

F

Ab

Intervals: root, 3, 5, b7

Eb7 (IV7)

Eb

G

Bb

Db

Intervals: root, 3, 5, b7

F7 (V7)

F

A

C

Eb

Intervals: root, 3, 5, b7

Melodic Ideas to Try

The melody of Blue Monk is a...

The Groove & The Feel

The rhythmic foundation of Blue Monk is a...

Improvisation Strategies

Soloing over Blue Monk requires a strategy...

Summary & Takeaways

The primary takeaway from Blue Monk...

Master the key of A# on Guitar with our complete collection of sheet music bundles. Download the high-resolution PDFs below to practice chords, scales, and arpeggios offline.

A# Chords ➔A# Scales ➔A# Arpeggios ➔