Twelve-bar blues
A chord progression of twelve bars, based on the tonic, subdominant and dominant chords, which underlies a huge amount of blues, rock and jazz.
The form is three four-bar phrases in which the harmony moves from the tonic to the subdominant and then through the dominant and back, and its last two bars are usually given to a turnaround. Countless variations exist, including quick-change versions that move to the subdominant in the second bar, but the shape is so well known that musicians can play together without discussion. It is the most useful single form for a guitarist to internalise, since it is the basis of most blues jamming.
Example: A blues in A that moves through A, D and E across twelve bars follows the twelve-bar blues form.
See also
Related
- PageBlues
- PageTurnaround
- PageDominant seventh
- PageAugmented chord
- PageBlue note
- PageBlues scale
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley