Lets now return to the Blues. In the first lesson I demonstrated how to improvise using a Blues Scale over a simple repeated bass line. Now let's look at the 12 Bar Blues. Almost everyone is familiar with the sound of a 12 Bar Blues, even if they don't know what it is. There are 3 things which make this such a recognisable musical form:
1. The chord progression in a 12 Bar Blues is:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                             1         1         1           1  
                                                             1V       1V      1           1
                                                             V         1V      1           1

So in the key of C Major the would be:

                                                             C         C        C           C
                                                             F         F         C           C
                                                             G        F         C           C
                                                                                                                                                                                                           2. The Form of a 12 Bar Blues is A A B  which means that it starts with a 4 bar phrase played over the first 4 bars 1 1 1 1
which we call A. This is then repeated over the next four bars 1V 1V 1 1 (often with a slight change), this is the second A.
Finally there is a different phrase over the last 4 bars V 1V  1  1, this is B. This form is found in both the melody and in the solos that follow.

3. The use of The Blues Scale. 

In this video Jason goes through the 12 Bar Blues chord progression in the key of C Major, he also covers 2 variations which are often used, chord 1V in the second bar instead of 1 and chord V in the final bar instead of 1.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                      In this video Jason demonstrates a much used and must know left hand pattern to play over the 12 Bar Blues progression.






In this third video Jason demonstrates how to use two Blues Scales to improvise over the the 12 Bar Blues Progression using the the left hand pattern covered in the last lesson. He also explains how to develop Motives in improvisation using techniques also used by composers.






In this video I demonstrate how to use passing chords in a 12 Bar Blues Progression.