12-Bar Blues Chord Pattern

You now know how to build:

-minor thirds
-major thirds
-perfect fifths
-major chords
-minor chords
-seventh chords

I bet you never thought you’d be able to learn this much in a few days, huh?

We will put some of these chords to work in this lesson! You will need:

-The 300-pg workbook or…
-To visit our website and view the free “Chord Series” lessons

https://www.hearandplay.com/members/

Log-in with the username “piano” and the password “piano”

Note: Without the ( ” “) quotation marks

Chords used in this progression: (you will need to know these chords)

-C7
-F7
-G7

You already know how to build a C7 chord

Use the same method to learn an F7 and G7 chord.

——————————————————
REMEMBER: Major third + perfect fifth + minor third
——————————————————

Here’s another way to figure out seventh chords

1) Start from the root note of the chord you want to play. That is (F) or (G) …

2) Add a major third (4 half steps)

3) Then add a minor third (which is the same as a perfect fifth from the root)

4) Then add another minor third

Seventh Chord = major third + minor third + minor third

Or…

Major third (combined with perfect fifth) + minor third

REFERENCE:

I might as well just tell you what the F7 and G7 chords are (but do yourself a favor and learn the rest of them either by purchasing our course or by visiting our site).

C7 = C + E + G + Bb

F7 = F + A + C + Eb

G7 = G + B + D + F

—————————-
BLUES CHORD PROGRESSION
—————————-

A “chord progression” is a series of chords played one after the other.

A “Blues chord progression” is usually 12 bars long.

In this progression, a bar equals 4 beats. Clapping your hands 4 times (in a rhythmical beat) equals 1 bar. Thus, 12 bars equal 48 beats.

Note: Each bar begins at 1 again. That is, “1-2-3-4” — “1-2-3-4” as opposed to “1-2-3-4 —- 5-6-7-8”

How to read the e-mail blues chart below:

1) The chord is listed first; the beat numbers are listed below the chord names.

2) Play the chord for the given amount of beats listed (the bar # is also listed)

For example,

C7
(1-2-3-4)
Bar 1

This means that you will play a C7 chord for (4 beats).

So… you will play a C7 Chord while counting to 4

-The 300-pg course explains the blues chord progression in depth. It also covers several other blues, gospel, and jazz chord progressions.

Visit:

https://www.hearandplay.com/course

… for more information on the 300-pg course.

—————————-
CHORD PROGRESSION
—————————-

C7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 1

C7)
(1-2-3-4)
bar 2

C7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 3

C7)
(1-2-3-4)
bar 4

F7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 5

F7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 6

C7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 7

C7)
(1-2-3-4)
bar 8

G7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 9

F7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 10

C7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 11

C7
(1-2-3-4)
bar 12

Congratulations, you now know how to play the blues!!!!!!!

Make sure you check out our 300-pg workbook! It will guide you into playing several other songs and chord progressions!

Until tomorrow!

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Jermaine Griggs

Founder at HearandPlay.com

Hi, I'm Jermaine Griggs, founder of this site. We teach people how to express themselves through the language of music. Just as you talk and listen freely, music can be enjoyed and played in the same way... if you know the rules of the "language!" I started this site at 17 years old in August 2000 and more than a decade later, we've helped literally millions of musicians along the way. Enjoy!

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