The bluesy mood
The 12-bar blues chord progression
Twelve bars, three chords, every one a seventh. 120 songs in the library go round it. Hear it in any style and key, and see it in all twelve keys.
Want to mix it with other hands?
The loop
Twelve bars, round and round, in C. Each chord on the keys:
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- G7G · B · D · F
Songs that go round it
120 songs, best known first. Rest the mouse on one to hear it.
Left hands these songs use
The patterns most often played under this loop.
In the Playground this is the Bluesy mood. Try it with the blues and boogie-woogie piano style.
Questions about 12-bar blues
What is the 12-bar blues chord progression?
Twelve bars of three chords, the one, the four and the five, each played as a seventh: I7 I7 I7 I7, IV7 IV7 I7 I7, V7 IV7 I7 V7. It is the backbone of blues and rock and roll.
What songs use the 12-bar blues progression?
120 songs in the library repeat it, including White Christmas, Georgia On My Mind, Great Balls Of Fire, Misty and Rolling In The Deep.
How do I play 12-bar blues on piano?
Hold each chord with the right hand while the left hand plays its root, then swap in a pattern: jazz walk is the left hand these songs use most. The player above plays it in any style and key.