12-BAR BLUES
Try out a staple rock and blues progression with TG’S easy lesson
“Okay… 12-bar blues. What is it and why does it have to be 12 bars long?”
Great question! Obviously you can make a verse or chorus (or any part of a song for that matter) as long as you like. Lots of songs follow 12-, 16- or 24-bar patterns but if it’s your music it’s your rules! 13 bars? No problem! 21 and a half bars? Fine! No repeating patterns at all? Also perfectly fine! Still, the 12-bar blues is a common progression in rock, blues and various other styles. Learn some related chords and riffs and you’ll soon be jamming along with dozens of classic tracks.
“Great! Can you name some well-known 12-bar blues songs?”
Pride And Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan is a great example, as is Wipe Out by The Surfaris. Both tracks follow a fairly strict 12-bar blues pattern – so they’re ideal to learn from. Guitarists and songwriters do try to be creative so you’ll often hear variations on the 12-bar pattern. John Mayer’s Something Like Olivia, Prince’s Kiss and George Ezra’s Budapest all feature some simple changes to the chord sequence.
“It sounds like this will be complicated…”
Well, let’s try and avoid that and start with a look at the bare bones of the progression. Take a look at the boxout on the right where we’ve outlined some basics.
“So it’s just a chord progression. What more do I need to know?”
Think of the 12-bar blues as a broad template which you can interpret however you like. For example, you could change the chords to Am, Dm and Em for a darker sounding minor key sound; or switch to simple major chords (A, D and E) for a brighter, happier vibe.
“I’m happy playing chords but is there any way to create something more musical?”
Yes indeed! And you’re touching on the most important thing: you can play riffs around the 12-bar blues structure, often without playing any standard chords at all.
“That’s what I’m talking about! Tell me more!”
Take a listen to AC/DC’S The Jack. The chorus follows a 12-bar blues in E – so the chords would be E, A and B. We say ‘would be’ because, instead of chords, Angus and Malcolm’s guitars use a simple blues-influenced rock ’n’ roll riff to outline the progression. Take a look at the tab below where we’ve outlined how riffs and chords relate – this time in A.