12 Bar Blues in E, A and G

 

Learning the 12 bar blues progression is a vital part of learning to play the blues guitar. It underpins many of the classic songs we all know and love, not just in blues, but in many other styles of popular music, such as soul, jazz, metal and rock.

There are many variations on the 12 bar blues form, but the most basic form is a I-IV-V chord pattern. As an example, let’s look at the key of A, which allows you to play a 12 bar progression just using simple open chords. We’ll use dominant 7th major chords, as they give a lovely bluesy sound, so the chords you’ll need for the I-IV-V pattern are A7-D7-E7.

Most Blues no matter what key uses the following progression.

I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-I is the pattern of the 12 bar progression.

 

1. Blues progression in the Key of A:

The above pattern translated into the key of A is like this below:

(Each chord has 4 down strokes and is one bar long.)

A7-A7-A7-A7-D7-D7-A7-A7-E7-D7-A7-A7 is the chord pattern in A.

 

2. Blues progression in the Key of E:

A Blues Pattern in E using the same theory is:

(Each chord has 4 down strokes and is one bar long.)

E7-E7-E7-E7-A7-A7-E7-E7-B7-A7-E7-E7

 

3. Blues progression in the Key of G:

A Blues Pattern in the Key of G using the same theory is:

(Each chord has 4 down strokes and is one bar long.)

G7-G7-G7-G7-C7-C7-G7-G7-D7-C7-G7-G7

 

 

This 12 bar progression can be played simply, with four beats to the bar. Use downstrokes at the start, then change this rhythm around as you get fluent with the pattern. Even if you’re not consciously aware of it, this 12 bar pattern is rolling along underneath, like a heartbeat, solid and repetitive, while the song unfolds above it.

Listen to any great blues guitarist play, and you can hear that they are soloing around the basic 12 bar blues. Once you’ve mastered the underlying 12 bar blues rhythm, then you can try creating your own solos by jamming around the basic chords, either with friends or over a recorded rhythm track. Blues tabs are a great way to learn riffs and licks to use in building your blues guitar solos.

 

 

 

Watch Some Videos of Players using the 12 Bar Blues

BB King

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Albert Collins

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