How long is a standard blues form?

The most common form of the blues is a 12-bar pattern of chord changes. That is, a repeated twelve-bar chord progression. This is called “12-Bar Blues ”. You should remember a bar is the same as a measure.

How many measures are in a standard chorus of the blues forms?

A standard blues form consists of a rhymed couplet, with the first line repeated. Each line lasts four measures, so each couplet is matched to twelve measures of music. Each twelve- measure unit forms one chorus; a typical blues song contains several choruses.

How do you write a 12 bar blues song?

Writing a 12-Bar Blues

1. Pick a Subject. The main subject for the blues is the awfulness of life – how you’re down on your luck and how everything is going wrong.
2. Write the Lyrics.
3. Pick a Key.
4. Sing the Scale.
5. Practise the Rhythm.
6. Practise the Chords.
7. Add the Vocals.
8. Sharing the Blues with a Friend.

What is a 12 bar blues progression?

A 12-bar blues progression is a set chord progression that repeats every 12 bars of music. You’ll play the 1 chord for four measures, the 4 chord for two measures, the 1 chord for two measures, the 5 chord for one measure, the 4 chord for one measure, the 1 chord for one measure, then the 5 chord for the last measure.

What are the 3 blues chords?

A common type of three-chord song is the simple twelve-bar blues used in blues and rock and roll. Typically, the three chords used are the chords on the tonic, subdominant, and dominant (scale degrees I, IV and V): in the key of C, these would be the C, F and G chords.

What is the most common form of blues?

The most common musical form of blues is the 12-bar blues. The term “12-bar” refers to the number of measures, or musical bars, used to express the theme of a typical blues song.

What are the 3 chords used in the 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.

What is the structure of a typical blues verse?

Blues music has a three-line verse structure where the second line repeats the first – A A B. In the first line state the problem. In the second line you repeat the first line. In the third line state the solution (or consequence).

Who gave himself the title The Father of the Blues?

William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was a composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States.

Why is 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 is the 12 bar blues pattern in the key of C?

Basic 12 Bar Blues Form The C major scale consists of the following notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. So in the key of C: I7 = C7, IV7 = F7, V7 = G7. The basic 12 bar blues consists of the following: 4 measures of the I chord.

Is Blues Scale major or minor?

The heptatonic, or seven-note, conception of the blues scale is as a diatonic scale (a major scale) with lowered third, fifth, and seventh degrees, which is equivalent to the dorian ♭5 scale, the second mode of the harmonic major scale.

How many bars should a chord progression be?

Generally speaking, 4 bars is as long as a song will stay on one chord. Even at that the single chord can sound tedious, so towards the end it is often changed, sometimes by adding a 7th. Other songs get away with only 2 chords, but change every bar or 2 bars. ‘Dance the night away’ and ‘Jambalaya’ come to mind.

What are the chords in a blues in the key of C?

Essentially, the blues is a specific progression that uses the C7, F7, and G7 chords. (For the sake of brevity, I’ll only look at playing blues in the key of C). The blues chord progression lasts 12 bars (thus the phrase “12-bar blues”) that move in a familiar pattern using those three chords.