What Are The 12 Bar Blues Chords?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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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.

Which chords are found in A basic twelve bar blues?

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.

What is the 12 bar blues chord pattern in 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 are the 12 bar blues chords piano?

The 12 bar blues is the most common blues chord progression. In it’s most basic form, it contains

just the I, the IV and the V chords of the given key

. It’s important to understand that the 12 bar blues is a cycle and it is repeated many times during a performance.

What are the 3 chords used in the 12 bar blues?

Keeping all that in mind, we’ll be in the key of E blues for the rest of this lesson series. The standard 12-bar blues progression contains three chords. These three chords are

the 1 chord, the 4 chord, and the 5 chord

. Since we’re in the key of E blues, the 1 chord is E, the 4 chord is A, and the 5 chord is a B.

What is the 3 chord trick?

The three chord trick refers to

the practice of accompanying a melody by only three chords

. There are large numbers of melodies, both popular and classical, that can be harmonised in this way.

How can you tell if a song is 12-bar blues?

The lyrics of a 12-bar blues song often follow what’s known as an AAB pattern. “A” refers to the first and second four-bar verse, and “B” is the third four-bar verse. In a 12-bar blues,

the first and second lines are repeated, and the third line is a response to them

—often with a twist.

Is 12 Bar Blues major or minor?

12 Bar Blues Structure

That’s right, the 12 bar blues is really just a I-IV-V progression played in a predetermined (formulaic, if you will) way. Take a few minutes to memorize this formula, and try it in a

variety of different major, minor or dominant keys

. You’ll likely hear a very familiar pattern—enjoy!

Why is the 12 bar blues important?

The 12 bar blues is

the structure upon which blues music is built

. It has been used since the inception of the genre and appears in almost every iconic blues song ever written. It provides the framework for the blues and will help you learn a wide variety of blues songs, as well as jam confidently with other musicians.

What 2 instruments are most common in blues music?

  • brass instruments – often heard playing with mutes.
  • saxophone.
  • acoustic and electric guitar.
  • Dixieland drum kit.
  • double bass – a walking bass line is a common harmonic device in which the bass will play notes of the chord and notes leading to the next chord.

What makes the 12-bar blues unique?

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

based on the I, IV, and V chords of a key

.

What are the 3 chords used in the blues?

A common type of three-chord song is the simple twelve-bar blues used in blues and rock and roll. Typically, the three chords used are the chords on the tonic, subdominant, and dominant (scale degrees I, IV and V): in the key of C, these would be the

C, F and G chords

.

How many bars is 12-bar blues?

The “12-bar blues” is a simply a particular chord progression which is

12 bars long

. It’s helpful to think of it as being arranged into 3 lines, each of 4 bars. It uses just the I, IV and V chords – and if you don’t know what I mean by that please check out episode 33 about the “one, four, five and six” chords.

Is piano A jazz?

Jazz piano encompasses a range of

music jazz

styles including ragtime, swing, bebop, latin jazz, and more. … The piano has long been a favorite of jazz audiences and an essential part of many styles in the genre.

What is C7 chord?

The C7 chord is

a variation on the standard C chord with one small addition – the seventh note, Bb

. The addition of that one little flat note makes a big difference. Seventh chords can be swapped into a song when its root note chord doesn’t sound quite right, or you want to add an extra twist to the song.

How many blues scales are there?

There are

2 kinds

of blues scales: the minor blues scale and the major blues scale.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.