Which three chords is the 12-bar blues based on?
The 12-bar blues (or blues changes) is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly based on the I, IV, and V chords of a key.
What is the 12-bar blues pattern in the key of C?
Basic 12 Bar Blues Form The C major scale consists of the following notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. So in the key of C: I7 = C7, IV7 = F7, V7 = G7. The basic 12 bar blues consists of the following: 4 measures of the I chord.
What is the 12-bar blues sequence in Roman numerals?
In general, 12-bar blues follow a simple I-IV-V chord progression, or a group of chords that is repeated. The Roman numerals correspond to the scale degrees each chord is built upon. So, if your blues piece was in the key of C, the I would denote the C, the IV would represent the F and the V would signify the G chords.
What are the famous 12-bar blues chords?
In whatever key you are in, 12-bar blues uses the same basic sequence of I, IV, and V chords. It is most easily thought of as three 4-bar sections – the first 4, the middle 4, and the last 4 bars. The first 4 bars just use the I chord - I, I, I, I.
What is 12-bar blues examples?
Two examples of 12 bar blues using that chord sequence are – “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry and “Crossroads” by Robert Johnson below.
What is the most common key for 12-bar blues?
In the final bar, V7 is usually used before a repeating a chorus-this called a “turnaround” -and I is used for the last chorus. Seventh chords can also be substituted throughout. Minor key blues, which should also be learned, has a minor I and IV, and a dominant V7 as in major key blues....I1VV7FBbC7GCD75 more rows
How do you explain 12-bar blues?
1:232:44What is a 12 Bar Blues? - Music Notes - by Hoffman Academy - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow let's look closer at the harmonies. Every chord in a typical 12 bar blues is built like aMoreNow let's look closer at the harmonies. Every chord in a typical 12 bar blues is built like a dominant seventh chord a basic dominant seventh chord will have the root. The major third the fifth. And
How many measures is the 12-bar blues?
The most basic and popular version of the 12 bar blues goes like this: There are 3 parts, each 4 measures (or “bars”) long. Each bar uses either the I, IV, or V chord.
What was the 12-bar blues quizlet?
What is 12-bar blues form? Common structural pattern found in rhythm and blues, rock and roll and jazz. A 12-bar blues consists twelve groups of 4-beat measures and is distinctive because of its three groups of four. Structure repeated several times.
What are the three blues chords?
THE 12-BAR FORM The primary harmonic structure of the blues is the I-IV-V progression, which derived from church music of the South. Unlike most tonal music, which uses dominant 7th chords (1–3–5–b7) as functional harmony, the blues uses them to add color, most commonly in a 12-bar form (FIGURE 1).
What are the most common blues keys?
Blues guitar keys The two most common keys in blues music are E and A. There are others, but these two keys are the most common.
How do you end A 12-bar blues?
1:042:5512 Bar Blues Cool Ending Chord Guitar Lesson @EricBlackmonGuitarYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhen we get to the ending of the 12 bar blues will be playing b7 four beats a7 four beats each sevenMoreWhen we get to the ending of the 12 bar blues will be playing b7 four beats a7 four beats each seven back to b7. End it with an e7. And then strike that be 13.
What is the bassline on the 12 bar blues?
Typical boogie woogie bassline on twelve-bar blues progression in C, chord roots in red. Play (help·info) The twelve-bar blues (or blues changes) is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly ...
How many bars are there in blues?
The first line takes four bars, as do the remaining two lines, for a total of twelve bars. However, the vocal or lead phrases, though they often come in threes, do not coincide with the above three lines or sections. This overlap between the grouping of the accompaniment and the vocal is part of what creates interest in the twelve bar blues.
What is a 7th chord?
Seventh chords are a type of chord that includes the 7th scale degree other wise known as the 7th note of the scale. There are different types of 7th chords such as: Major 7ths, Dominant 7ths, Minor 7ths, Half diminished 7ths, Fully diminished 7ths. These chords are similar with slight changes, but are all centered around the same key center. Dominant 7th chords are generally used throughout a blues progression. The addition of dominant 7th chords as well as the inclusion of other types of 7th chords (i.e. minor and diminished 7ths) are often used just before a change, and more changes can be added. A more complicated example might look like this, where "7" indicates a seventh chord:
What blues chords are in the fifth scale?
There are also minor twelve-bar blues, such as John Coltrane 's " Equinox " and " Mr. P.C. ", and " Why Don't You Do Right? ", made famous by Lil Green with Big Bill Broonzy. The chord on the fifth scale degree may be major (V 7) or minor (v 7 ), in which case it fits an aeolian scale along with the minor i 7 and iv 7 chords, creating a modal feeling. Major and minor can also be mixed together, a signature characteristic of the music of Charles Brown.
What is the progression of blues?
The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly based on the I, IV, and V chords of a key. Mastery of the blues and rhythm changes are "critical elements for building a jazz repertoire".
How many bars are in a chord progression?
Using said notations, the chord progression outlined above can be represented as follows. The first line takes four bars, as do the remaining two lines, for a total of twelve bars. However, the vocal or lead phrases, though they often come in threes, do not coincide with the above three lines or sections.
What is the minor blues?
Minor blues. There are also minor twelve-bar blues, such as John Coltrane 's " Equinox " and " Mr. P.C. ". The chord on the fifth scale degree may be major (V 7) or minor (v 7 ). Major and minor can also be mixed together, a signature characteristic of the music of Charles Brown. Minor blues.
What chords are used in 12 bar blues?
The blues can be played in any key. In whatever key you are in, 12-bar blues uses the same basic sequence of I, IV, and V chords. It is most easily thought of as three 4-bar sections – the first 4, the middle 4, and the last 4 bars. The first 4 bars just use the I chord - I, I, I, I. The middle 4 bars go IV, IV, I, I.
How many major keys are there for blues?
Blues in C would plug in the chords C, F, and G into the 12-bar blues structure. Blues in E would use E, A, and B. And, so on. There are 12 major keys; you can play the blues in any one of them.
What is the Blues Form?
The blues form is a specific song structure used in the blues as well as other styles inspired by the blues like rock, jazz, R&B, etc.
How to get the blues chord progression in A?
To get the blues chord progression for the blues in A, we take the I, IV, and V chords from the key of A. That means A is I, D is IV, and E is V. Then, we plug those three chords into the corresponding places in the blues form. We end up with this set of chord changes:
What chords does the blues use?
The blues uses the I, IV, and V chords throughout the song form. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of the I, IV, and V chords, make sure you go through that lesson before continuing.
What chord do you use for the first 4 bars of a song?
The first 4 bars just use the I chord - I, I, I, I.
How many times does a blues song play?
Most often in blues you will count 4 beats to each bar – 4/4 time. In a blues song this 12-bar cycle gets repeated over and over through the course of the tune. A blues song might play through it 20 times. It will depend on the specific song.
Why is the 12 bar blues progression important?
The 12-bar blues progression is important because it’s a starting point when musicians get together. If you all know the standard 12-bar blues progression, then everyone knows the starting point. That way if you do want to change things up, it’s easy because you all have that progression down. Let’s talk about keys when it comes to the blues.
How many chords are in a 12 bar blues progression?
The standard 12-bar blues progression has three chords in it – the 1 chord, the 4 chord, and then the 5 chord. In the key of E blues, the 1 chord is an E, the 4 chord is an A, and the 5 chord is a B. Let’s talk about blues rhythm. All of the jam tracks I have for you in this series are 4/4 time, which means you have 4 pulses, or 4 beats, ...
How many bars are blues?
Let’s start working on the standard 12-bar blues progression. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a set progression of chords through 12 bars of music. Memorize this forwards and backwards so that you have it down cold.
What is the progression of blues music?
Many blues songs are in 4/4 time, that’s why we’re sticking with 4/4 time in these lessons. The standard 12-bar blues progression is a set progression of chords throughout 12 measures of music. Blues music usually has a shuffle feel to it, and you’ll have to get this down to get the feel of blues music right.
What does shuffle feel like in blues music?
Blues music usually has a shuffle feel to it, and you’ll have to get this down to get the feel of blues music right. If you have eighth notes in 4/4 time, they’re usually straight and evenly spaced, like I demonstrate in the video. A shuffle or swing feel is going to have a long note followed by a short note, which is easier to understand once you’ve seen me demonstrate it in the video. It gives the music more of a skipping or rolling feel.
What chord do you use for the 5 chord?
For the 5 chord, we’ll use a B power chord. Place your index finger on the second fret of the A string, third finger on the fourth fret of the D string, and strum just the fifth and fourth strings.
What key is the blues?
It might simply say what key the song is written in, like the key of E blues or the key of A blues. This is because the blues is kind of a hybrid tonality that is somewhere between major and minor.
What does 12 bar mean in blues?
There are other blues sequences, usually adaptations or extensions of the typical 12 bar. When a jazz musician says: “let’s play a blues,” they often mean a 12 bar with a II-V in bar 9, usually with the secondary dominant or more sophisticated changes (ex 12c). Blues players usually indicate to the band whether they want a V-IV or II-V type ...
What are the 12 bar blues chords?
Chords in the 12 bar blues sequence. Blues breaks the rules of conventional jazz harmony and improvisation. The distinctive sound of blues chords is often created by the flattening of various notes (mainly the 3rd, 5th and 7th). The harmony often becomes ambiguous as the flattened 3rd will often be used in a melody at the same time as ...
What key is C7 in blues?
Example: In the key of C the C7 chord in bar 4 of a typical 12 bar blues (see below Ex: 12a) appears to be a secondary dominant chord (V7 of IV), but it is more in keeping with the genre to think of the 5th and 6th bars as the subdominant rather than a new key centre. The IV chord is very often a IV7, but the F7 at bar 6 is chord IV7 of C, not chord V7 of Bb. Although theoretically you could think in terms of the RN analysis we have been using, and play a scale of F Mixolydian (mode starting on F using notes of the Bb major scale) this is unlikely to sound good.
What chord is the 3rd note of the tonic scale?
A very useful rule to remember: This alteration of the 3rd note of the tonic scale from major on the I chord to minor as it becomes the 7th of the IV chord is extremely useful when composing or improvising any type of blues. In jazz, blues sequences can become quite complex but still retain these 3 areas.
What is flattened 7th in blues?
The flattened 7th is often used on tonic and subdominant chords purely as colour and need not imply a V7-I cadence or a secondary dominant.
What chords are used in jazz blues?
A simple jazz blues sequence usually changes to chord IV at bar 2 and back to chord I at bar 3 and uses a IIm7 V7 at bar 9 (often preceded by a secondary dominant). This type of sequence is typical of 1930s-1950s swing, jump and R&B styles. More complex sequences were used in bebop.
How to make 4 note chords on piano?
The easiest way is to imagine piano voicings where chords are inverted to keep the top voice around the same pitch (ex 12l). Add 6ths or 7ths where necessary to create 4 note chords.
What key is 12 bar blues in?
12 bar blues in open D. The chord you will need to learn to play the 12 bar blues in the key of D are: The G7 will seem like quite a sretch at first, but with enough practice, it will become 2nd nature.
What is the most basic blues chord progression?
The 12 bar blues is the most basic blues chord progression.
What chords do you need to learn to play bluesy?
You will need to learn 7th chords to be able to get that bluesy sound.
Why is blues so popular?
Blues is one of my favorite musical genres, in part, because it is very easy to teach to beginners. Even a guitar newbie can learn and play basic blues at an early stage.
How to learn to play blues guitar?
Listen to a lot of blues music, both classic and contemporary. Practice as much as you can. Learning to play the blues will not be an overnight thing, but it can be done. You need to be diligent and find the time to practice. Keep in mind that the best blues guitarists were all beginners at first.
What is the most popular way to play the blues?
The shuffle rhythm is one of the most popular ways to play the blues.
What is the backbone of blues guitar?
The above paragraphs are meant to give you a blues guitar primer. The backbone of the blues is the 12 bar blues, but of course, the blues is so much more than that. Learning to play the blues will not be an overnight thing, but it can be done. You need to be diligent and find the time to practice.
What is 12 bar blues?
The 12 bar blues is a 12 bar - or measure - sequence of chords that occurs frequently in popular music. If you are interested in learning jazz improvisation this is the best place to start.
What chord do you improvise on in the bars?
Therefore in bars 1 2 3 4 7 8 11 & 12 you improvise on the C chord which is the notes C E and G. In bars 5 and 6 you improvise on the F chord which is the notes F A and C and in bars 9 and 10 you improvise on the G chord which is the notes G B and D.
What is the chord sequence for C?
The root note, which is the first note in the scale is therefore C, the fourth note is F and the fifth note is G. So the chord sequence goes C C C C F F C C G G C C.
Overview
The 12-bar blues (or blues changes) is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly based on the I, IV, and V chords of a key. Mastery of the blues and rhythm changes are "critical elements for building a jazz repertoire".
Background
The blues originated from a combination of work songs, spirituals, and early southern country music. The music was passed down through oral tradition. It was first written down by W. C. Handy, an African American composer and band leader. Its popularity lead to the creation of "race records" and the popularity of blues singers like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainy. The style of music heard on race records was later called "rhythm and blues" (R & B). As the music became more p…
Variations
In the original form, the dominant chord continued through the tenth bar; later on the V–IV–I–I "shuffle blues" pattern became standard in the third set of four bars:
I I I I IV IV I I V IV I I
Play
The common quick-change, quick to four, or quick four variation uses the subdominant or IV cho…
Melodic line
As the chords of a 12 bar blues follow a form, so does the melodic line. The melodic line might just be the melody of the piece or it might also include lyrics. The melody and lyrics frequently follow an AA'B form, meaning one phrase is played then repeated (perhaps with a slight alteration), then something new is played. This pattern is frequently used in the blues and in musical genres that have their roots in the blues.
See also
• Eight-bar blues
• Sixteen-bar blues
• Bird changes
Sources
• Benward, Bruce; Saker, Marilyn Nadine (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
• Covach, John (2005). "Form in Rock Music: A Primer". In Stein, Deborah (ed.). Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517010-5.