What is 12-bar blues simplified?

The term “12-bar” refers to the number of measures, or musical bars, used to express the theme of a typical blues song. Nearly all blues music is played to a 4/4 time signature, which means that there are four beats in every measure or bar and each quarter note is equal to one beat.

What are the 3 chords needed to play a basic 12-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.

Why are 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 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.

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.

What is example of 12 bar blues?

Early blues, especially Mississippi and Delta blues, serve as examples of 12-bar blues. Muddy Waters in particular is a great example of someone who used 12-bar blues and helped the genre transition from the Deep South to the urban North.

What are the notes for 12 bar blues?

The 12 bar blues form consists of 12 bars or measures. It uses the I7, IV7, and V7 chords. Since these are all dominant chords they have some dissonant notes that are not in the key. For those who don’t know, the roman numerals represent the degree of the major scale.

What is 12 bar blues progression?

The 12 bar blues is the most basic blues chord progression. As it’s name would suggest, it is made up of 12 bars (or measures), which are laid out in a very specific order: The progression uses the I, IV and V chords of the major scale. This means that if you know the root note or chord,…

What is the definition of 12 bar blues?

12 Bar Blues. The 12 bar blues is easily one of the most popular chord progressions in music. If someone asks you to play a “blues in G”, they are most likely referring to a 12 bar blues. There are other variations, such as the 8 bar and 16 bar, but 12 is the most prominent. This progression is usually broken up into three groups of four measures.