The focus of this lesson is to learn 24 blues licks, but with a twist. A standard blues progression, or sequence of notes, typically features three chords based. Once you know a blues scale, the next step is to play some melodies over a 12 bar blues chord progression. Here are the blues scales in all 12 keys listed in circle of fifths order.
Easily share your publications and get them in front of issuus. The 12bar progression is the foundation of most blues music. The lesson is complete with pdf and guitarpro tab files. The basic 12 bar blues progression can be played in any key and will use the i, iv, and v chords from that key. This variant can be played with or without a turnaround.
The 12bar blues form basic a typical starting point for studying the blues is the 12bar format. Blues progressions are almost exclusively played in 44 time and dominated by the root i chord, with the iv and v chords providing that extra bit of flavor to keep things interesting. From stripped down acoustic sound of the delta blues to the very electric chicago blues sound, tons of blues music is based on 12 bar blues progressions. Since you specifically asked about making a 12bar blues progression more interesting. The chord changes for 12 bar blues in bflat instruments in the key of c b. The first variation we will explore is the quick iv variation in bar 2 of the progression. Ray charles ray charles style 12 bar blues improv midi file for clarinet midi. Ive been a fan of philip martin for quite some time now. Once you learn to play the 12 bar blues on the guitar, you can play such classic blues pieces as hound dog, stormy monday, kansas city, st.
Understanding the 12 bar blues form rock class 101. The vast majority of contemporary blues music is based on what is termed a 12bar format. This video is about 12 bar blues chord progression elementary this video is about 12 bar blues chord progression elementary. The basic blues progression uses 3 chords the tonic i or the chord that the song is centered on, the dominant v or the chord based on the fifth step of the tonic scale, and the subdominant iv or the chord based on the fourth step of the tonic scale. The premier site for the history and analysis of the standards jazz musicians play the most. The 12 bar blues progression had a heavy influence on early rock and rock. These are constructed of a major triad as in the table below and then adding a minor 7th on the top 10 semitones. Based on the i, iv and v chords of any key, the 12 bar blues is one of the most prominent chord progressions in modern music. Chord variations may also be added for harmonic diversity. There are two common variations of the 12 bar blues progression. Ray charles ray charles style 12 bar blues improv midi file for. The standard 12 bar blues is a iivv chord progression most typically divided into three four bar segments. The 12 bar blues progression is the framework that so much of the blues is built upon.
The blues have been used as a basis for many types of music such as pop. The blues is a musical form as much as it is a musical style or feeling. Completing the 12 bar blues progression with a slide. This is because they are following the format of the 12 bar blues chord progression. Minor blues progressions iivivi the 12bar minor blues progression is similar to a 12bar traditional blues progression except that the minor tonality is used in place of the major. If someone asks you to play a blues in g, they are most likely referring to a 12 bar blues. Most popular music is at least influenced by blues, and early rock was all blues influenced. By adding the quick iv we create more harmonic variety for the first line and this is a very common addition to the basic 12 bar structure. Each of these songs follows the 12 bar blues pattern.
The simplicity of blues is what draws people to it. The 12 bar blues is a chord progression used in blues and rock music that lasts for 12 bars. The 12 bar blues is the most common blues chord progression. The most common form of the blues is a 12bar pattern of chord changes. As its name would suggest, it is made up of 12 bars or measures, which are laid out in a very specific order. The most common musical form of blues is the 12bar blues. Most often in blues you will count 4 beats to each bar 44 time. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. The most basic variation of the 12 bar blues is comprised of just 3 chords. The 12bar blues progression is important because its a starting point when musicians get together. C c c c f f c c g f c c instruments in the key of eflat g g g g c. Blues chord progressions 12, 8 and 16 bar examples.
In music, an eightbar blues is a typical blues chord progression, the second most common. The chord progression is easy for beginners because it only uses three chords, the root, the fourth, and the fifth. Common variations of 12 bar blues chord progressions. In its basic form, it is predominantly based on the i, iv, and v chords of a key. Take your time and learn the chord forms before trying to apply the rhythms to them. One progression that is the foundation of rock n roll is the blues progression. The blues progressions vary in many blues styles such as.
After working with this ygb case study you will be able to. The 12 bar blues progression is the foundation of the blues. Generally, major keys only have a dominant seventh chord appear for the 5 chord, but when youre playing the blues, you can get away with playing dominant seventh chords for all the chords in the 12bar blues progression the 1 4 and 5. As the name implies, the 12 bar is a chord progression that is 12 measures long. Nail this and youll have an entire 12 bar blues progression in open g that really incorporates some sweet licks. These are constructed of a major triad as in the table below and then adding a minor 7th on the top 10 semitones above the. This style works so well because its built from the most fundamental chords.
The twelvebar blues or blues changes is one of the most prominent chord progressions in. Note that, in this blues form, chord changes can occur within the same bar, as indicated in the some of the variations below. Learn the 12 bar blues progression blues guitar institute. In the basic 12 bar form, the i7 chord lasts for the first 4 bars. The most common blues form is the 12bar blues consisting of the iivv progression. The 12bar blues form exercises blues bass studybass. Goode by chuck berry, aint nothin but a hound dog by elvis and the twist by chubby checker.
The progression lasts for twelve measures, which is why it is called the 12bar progression. The progression has stuck throughout the years and can be heard in rock. In the above example, the last 2 measures use a cadence referred to as a turnaround. Mastery of the blues and rhythm changes are critical elements for building a jazz repertoire. The 12 bar blues is easily one of the most popular chord progressions in music. Dominant seventh blues chords blues guitar lessons. We will be playing it in the key of g, so our chords are g, c and d.
The second is the well traveled 12 bar blues progression. Im in the key of e blues and using the 12 bar blues pattern. With that in mind this go over what makes up the basic 12 bar blues structure and a stepbystep approach to learning it. The 12bar blues chord progression what is the 12bar blues progression. The 12bar blues progression is well known and is present in these examples which most people already know or will recognize when heard. That way if you do want to change things up, its easy because you all have that progression down. If you all know the standard 12bar blues progression, then everyone knows the starting point. These free files include a pdf of each 12 bar blues progression in all 12 major keys with rhythm backing tracks of organ, guitar, bass and. These free files include a pdf of each 12 bar blues progression in all 12 major keys and rhythm backing tracks of organ, guitar, bass and drums at 60 b. Below is an example of a proto typical progression in the key of c followed by several examples of common variations. In todays lesson, we are going to take an indepth look at how the form, or structure, of a blues chord progression is made. Instead of annoying, creepy, privacyinvading ads, popups, or selling your data, studybass relies on the support of its users. This case study will take you through three 12 bar blues progressions from basic rock, advanced blues to jazz.
Lesson 1 grade 7 music minds on pause and ponder whole class setting the blues context read aloudashorttextorexcerptthatintroducesthehistoricalperiodwhentheblueswere popularandgivessomeinsightintotheculture. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. Boogieblues, rockblues, swingblues, funkyblues, slow. Although for jazz and bebop, this progression is often embellished with more complex chords. In the notation below, i notated a repeat sign to indicate the use of a turnaround. The 12 bar blues is by far the most popular form for the blues. The twelvebar blues or blues changes is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. Chord changes in the 12 bar blues blues piano synthesia tutorial. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. Typically built on a 12 bar progression, a blues may be built on a single note riff or on a chord progression.
In the key of c the chords would be c major f major and g major. This printable guitar method in pdf format contains 40 easy minor. Below is an example of a proto typical progression in the key of am followed by several common variations. Literacy gains transforming instructional practice supports grade 7 music 2 what is the blues. With only 3 chords in a 12 bar blues, it has the power to move you. This is probably the most popular of the blues forms other types include 8bar, 16bar, or something irregular and has a high degree of structure and predictability although never dull. However, im getting bored with the same chord progression and some of my mates are as well. There are other variations, such as the 8 bar and 16 bar, but 12 is the most prominent.
The progression uses the i, iv and v chords of the major scale. Yellow guitar books case study blues to jazz substitutions i understand the form and construction of a 12 bar blues. Some songs may have several different patterns to give them a bit of variety, but the guts of the song will normally be based on a set chord pattern for every 12 bars of music. Less common than 12 bar blues, the 8 bar blues form condenses the 1 4 5 sequence into. Add some visual interest to your own prepared materials by using these images in your powerpoint or keynote files and worksheets. The 12 bar blues is the most basic blues chord progression. It is assumed that you are familiar with the 12 bar blues progression. Chord changes in the 12 bar blues blues piano tutorial youtube. He is an artist who creates beautiful clipart for teachers and he has a number of images that would be. To play it, you change measure 2 from a i chord to a iv chord.
Free download of 12 bar blues progression playalong tracks in. In music, an eightbar blues is a typical blues chord progression, the second most common blues form, common to folk, rock, and jazz forms of the blues, taking eight 4 4 or 12 8 bars to the verse. Examples include sitting on top of the world and key to the highway, trouble in mind and stagolee. You should remember a bar is the same as a measure. In c major, the chords would be c major, f major, and g major. Here is the structure of the basic blues progression. Each of the cd tracks utilize the same 12 bar blues chord progression. Well not only take a look at what to do to round out this progression, but well bring all of the previous slide lessons in this series together. Basically all you need to get started is to learn the 12 bar blues progression and the most commonly used lead pattern. In short understanding the 12 bar blues progression is a great first step playing blues, but also can help you to learn songs in many styles quickly once you recognize the pattern. That is, the main body of a song follows a set pattern of chords over 12 bars of music that is repeated over and over.
The 12 bar blues progression is one of the most used in popular music, so even if your not a big fan of the blues it is a good idea to try and understand what a 12 bar blues progression is. The progression can be heard in early hits like johnny b. Not all blues songs follow the 12bar format, but by understanding this basic musical. It is very common in blues music to add 7ths to the major chords giving that classic blues sound.
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