The variation involves changing the I and IV chords in the blues progression to and iv (changing major chords to minor chords).. There is however, another scale that is very similar, but much more bluesy. The minor blues scale is really just a minor pentatonic scale, with the blue note added in. In the lesson on arpeggios, we explored the notes that make up different chords. Observe the following two scale diagrams. Ok, back to the licks. Leave "Minor Blues Progression" and Return to Guitar Lessons The 12 Bar Blues And The Minor Blues Scale. Here is another example: Again, we have still used the same chord progression, but played a different riff instead of standard chords, effectively creating a new song. Stream 12 Bar Blues Backing Track (A Minor) by danjazzproof from desktop or your mobile device It is the ‘b5’ note that just sounds bluesy and cool. The point is this – the sound of a chord is really dependent on context. It goes like this: Playing the 12 Bar Blues in a particular key is simply a matter of figuring out the I, IV and V of that key and then using those chords with the above form. Have a listen to this example of quick-change blues in E major: It’s probably easier to just refer to them as I, IV and V. I have mentioned the labels because it’s good to be thorough, but also, it’s an insight into the fact that each chord has a relationship to the other chords, or a function. The second diagram (to the right) is of a minor blues scale. ‘B flat 7’ is actually a ‘B Flat Dominant 7th chord’. The 12 bar blues progression is as follows: It is very common in blues music to add 7ths to the major chords giving that classic blues sound. Lets do a quick review of our theory. If you remember from the lesson on advanced techniques, we learnt that bending a note increases the pitch of the note. The dominant 7th chord is the name that we give to chords that we shorten to ‘7’. The 12 bar blues is made up of 12 bars (crazy, huh?) In the case of the A minor blues scale, those chords are A, D, and E. These intervals are the same in both major scales and minor scales. Swing, 12-bar (V-IV) Blues for Alice - F - Med/Fast Swing, 12-bar "Bird" Blues. If we use a half bend, it becomes the ‘b5’. 12-Bar Blues in A: 12 Bar Blues The Blues typically follows a simple, repeating pattern known as the 12 bar blues. The 12 bar blues is the most basic blues chord progression. It adds a soulful, bluesy sound that has been the ‘go to’ sound for thousands of guitarists over many years. Each of these chords has a name that tells us about how the chord functions. When playing a blues in A, like in the above examples, we can use an A minor pentatonic scale to improvise and construct solos. 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. If we keep bending it into a full bend, it becomes the ‘5’. The above ‘descriptions’ of the I, IV and V chords are deliberately vague. Last edit on Feb 13, 2014. Because as it is bent, the pitch increases. In the lessons on pentatonic scales, we learnt how to play the minor pentatonic scale, how to practise it in five different positions and how to improvise with it by learning licks. The songs used only a few, often only one “chord” all over the song. - Cm - Fast Swing, 12-bar Minor Blues. You will often find that composers change the chord in the 2nd bar from Chord I to Chord IV. these chords. Basically, we can use a bend to get from one note to another. Let’s take a look at the minor blues scale in terms of its properties: The ‘4’, ‘5’ and ‘b5’ are all one semitone apart. The minor pentatonic scale is a fantastic scale to jam over a 12-bar blues with, but by adding a few more notes you can infuse your blues with the slick sounds of virtuoso blues-meisters such as Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford and more. ©2020 onlineguitarbooks.com. Taking this a step further additional notes coming from the Blues scale and even the Major Pentatonic scale can also be selectively used too. 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 root forming dominant 7th chords). It has been used to produce countless hits including outside of the blues genre. If we are playing a song in the key of G major, the G major chord is the I chord. What we’re going to do now is look at three blues licks, using the minor blues scale. The minor pentatonic scale can be used over a 12-Bar Blues. 12 Bar Blues tab by Lessons - Guitar. The V When playing a blues in A, like in the above examples, we can use an A minor pentatonic scale to improvise and construct solos. In fact, the labels aren’t even that important for now. "jazzy" flavor. Although it is difficult to articulate the function of each chord, it helps to give a general idea. You will probably be reminded of specific songs as you play the chords, because they are so common. There are also minor twelve-bar blues, such as John Coltrane's "Equinox" and "Mr. The ‘I’ Chord is like the ‘home’ chord in any key. ", made famous by Lil Green with Big Bill Broonzy. 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. 12 Bar Blues Songs – In Summary. If you missed the lesson on the process of learning scales in five positions, and using licks to master scales and improvisation, read up on them by following the links. Electric Blues Essentials. << Blues Classroom: The most common musical form of blues is the 12-bar blues. What we’re going to do now is play a 12 Bar Blues in the key of A, but instead of simply playing chords, we’re going to use a riff. The theory behind all this stuff is explained in my Practical Music Theory ebook if … Here's a lesson on the 12 bar blues from the "Blues Guitar Fundamentals" Course. These ones have bends in them. Basically, the ‘4’ of the scale is a great one to bend because as you bend it, you are effectively just playing other notes of the minor blues scale. While technically we can bend any note, there is one note that we bend often with the minor blues scale. chord remains the same--MAJOR or DOMINANT 7. 12 bar blues in a minor key gives a fantastic moody feel to a song! For the dominant 7th chords we tackle the theory behind the shapes and then how to play them in 5 positions of the neck. Here you will learn many 12 bar blues progressions, from the most basic ones to more complex. As I mentioned earlier, the I, IV and V are the ‘strongest’ three chords in a key. Have a look, have a listen, then have a learn and enjoy! The ‘IV’ Chord is another safe chord that always seems to work well. If you are playing the blues on your own, using this kind of bass line can also break things up a bit. For example, ‘A7’ is actually an ‘A Dominant 7th’ chord. Blues if often played with a 12 bar structure, a so-called 12 Bar Blues. In the above examples, each chord was played with a very simple strumming pattern, without altering the chords or the rhythm. It will always feel comfortable and safe. 12 bar blues is basically a I IV V progression, meaning in the key of A will be A, D and E. So our three scales we will be working with will be: A Major Pentatonic. The variation involves changing the I and IV chords in the blues progression to and iv (changing major chords to minor chords). While the above ‘formula’ is the basic 12 Bar Blues, often we turn each chord into a ‘Dominant 7th’ chord. We’re only going to use one position and we’re only going to learn three licks. Swing (or straight), Minor Blues (in 6/4) Freddie The Freeloader - Bb - Med. Both feature the I, IV and V chords (although the numerals are lower case in the minor blues progression). P.C. The possibilities are endless – we could change keys, tempo, feel, time signature, and more. Some only use two (such as the I and IV, or I and V). This is a good example of how chords have relationships. It is the minor blues scale. Something new was born, and after several changes and various forms (and some of them are still used) the 12 bar Blues (look at the URL) became the most popular blues form. Swing, 12-bar (V-IV) Mr. P.C. While it usually sounds good, bright and interesting, it does create tension. It sounded good, but perhaps a little bland. For example in C Major this would be: I I I I You should practise playing this chord progression in different keys, just to get used to the process and become familiar with the chord progression. Download Pdf----- 12 bar blues in A minor ----- Tabbed by:Olin C Email: Tuning:Standard this is something I was taught and it is what I use whenever I jam with someone. Scroll down for blues progressions in minor. Bends sound best on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings of the guitar, so you should spend more time experimenting with bends on those three strings. And so on. These three chords work together so well, that it’s very easy to write songs using just the I, IV and V. You should experiment with playing I, IV and V in any key and observe how well they fit together. Later the influences of the western music (western doesn’t stand for country here but for the western hemisphere) introduced chord changes, but they where different to the existing musical forms.