Jazzity

Blues

Basic Blues in A

The 12-bar blues in its simplest form, with dominant 7th chords on I, IV and V; the most commonly played progression in jazz.

120 BPM
Practice in all 12 keys
  1. A7 I7
  2. D7 IV7
  3. A7 I7
  5. D7 IV7
  7. A7 I7
  9. E7 V7
  10. D7 IV7
  11. A7 I7
  12. E7 V7

Four-note rootless voicings in their two forms, with the 3rd or the 7th on the bottom, played over the root.

Customize each chord
Meter
4/4
Form
A-B-C
Bars
12
Usual key
F

Its three four-bar lines answer one another: four bars on I with a quick change to IV in bar 2, two on IV and two back on I, then V, IV and I with V in the last bar to turn it around. Dominant 7ths on every chord, the tonic included, are what make it sound like the blues. Practice the blues scale over the whole form, then learn to hear each change and follow it with the chord’s 3rd and 7th.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Variations