12 Bar Blues in Different Keys
In Lessons 1 and 2, you were introduced to a 12 Bar Blues progression, which used the C, F and G7 chords. The first chord of the progression was a C chord, and hence that progression was in the key of C major.
The basic form of 12 Bar Blues only uses three chords:
- I - the root or tonic chord, which is the first and key chord of the progression
- IV - the subdominant chord, which is a fourth above the root chord, I
- V7 - the dominant seventh chord, which is a fifth above the root, and is the last chord in the 12 bar progression. It has a sound which leads back to the key chord of the progression, I.