What is a 12 bar blues?
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Subject Area: Music | Grade Level: 6
Lesson Length: 15 minutes or less
Keywords/Tags: 12 bar blues, blues, rock, jazz
Lesson Description: Students will learn what the 12 bar blues is. Students will investigate how to play a 12 bar blues.

  • Other MSIB.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.
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Video : What is a 12 Bar Blues?
Instructions: Please watch the following video as many times as needed before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of the video is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this video content.
Description: Hoffman Academy explains how a 12 Bar Blues is constructed and how it is used.
Reading : How can I play a 12 Bar Blues?
Instructions: Please read the following article as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through the rest of the lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the following lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the article if needed.

After watching the video, you should have an image in your mind of the 12 Bar Blues structure. The 12 Bar Blues is just that, 12 bars (or 12 measures)! The 12 Bar Blues can be broken up into 3 parts. The 12 Bar Blues below starts with "C." This would be called a 12 Bar Blues in C, because C is the ROOT chord.

C  C  C  C  

F  F  C  C  

G  F  C  C

In Band class we will be using different keys for our ROOT chord based on your instrument. We will be using the 12 Bar Blues in Concert Bb. The structure will look like this:

Bb  Bb  Bb  Bb

Eb  Eb  Bb  Bb

F    F    Bb  Bb

In the video, Hoffman Academy used four notes in each chord. We will be starting with one note in each chord, the ROOT. The ROOT is the same as the name of the note. For example, the ROOT of Bb is Bb. The ROOT of C is C.

 

What would be the 12 Bar Blues structure if we started with the ROOT as G?

 

Description: 12 Bar Blues structure
Assignment : 12 Bar Blues Fill in the Blank

Step 1: Locate the scale that your instrument plays for Concert Bb Warm-up (G Scale, C Scale, Bb Scale, or F Scale)

Step 2: Circle the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes

Step 3: Using the 12 Bar Blues Template, fill in the ROOTS for all 12 bars.

12 Bar Blues Assignment

Reading : JOKE: What's the difference between a Blues musician and Jazz Musician?
Instructions: from jojojokes.com

A Blues musician plays 3 chords to audiences of thousands.

A Jazz musician plays thousands of chords to audiences of 3.