12 Bar Blues
12 Bar Blues is a form of music containing a chord progression which repeats every 12 bars. A chord is a group of notes played together by an instrument like a guitar or keyboard. A chord progression is a group of chords played in succession before repeating. Chords will be discussed in Lesson 10. There are hundreds of well known songs based on the 12 Bar Blues progression, i.e., they contain basically the same chords in the same order.
12 Bar Blues is one of the most common progressions in Blues, Jazz and Rock. Every drummer will be asked to play a 12 Bar Blues at some stage. In fact it is very likely to be one of the first progressions used at a jam session. When playing a 12 Bar Blues, try playing a fill at the end of every four bars. This will correspond with some of the chord changes played by the other instruments and will help build momentum in the song.
Songs using the 12 Bar Blues Progression
- Original Batman T.V. Theme
- Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
- Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
- Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley
- Killing Floor - Jimi Hendrix
- Sweet Home Chicago - Blues Brothers
- Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Ice Cream Man - Van Halen
- Why Didn’t You Call Me? - Macy Gray
- Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman
- Oh Pretty Woman - Gary Moore
Notice the fills in this example. Each one is slightly different, which keeps the sound interesting. The fill in bar 8 lasts only two beats. This is just as common as a full bar fill. Experiment with other beats and fills on the 12 Bar Blues form. If you are playing in a band, listen to what the other players are doing and try to make your part fit in with theirs. Don’t be afraid to try variations and use the crash cymbal where you think it sounds good.
