View source for Hacking the Blues Guitar

== Lesson 1 - The Blues Progression ==

=== Chord progressions ===

If you ever wondered how musicians can simply play along with each other although they never heard the song before, here's how: they actually always play the same pattern of chords (called a "progression") and just move it through the scale (and possibly modify it a bit).

With the Blues, the chords that belong together - apart from the main "key" of the song (which in music theory is called the "tonic" or ''first''), there is the ''fourth'' (called "subdominant") and ''fifth'' (or "dominant").

OK, that sounds complicated - it isn't. Here's an overview for a few selected keys, please read this from top to bottom, i.e. for a Blues in "E", the sequence is E-A-B:

{| style="width: 50%; height: 64px" border="1"
|-
! scope="row" align="left" | Key / Tonic (I)
| E || F || G || A || B || C || D
|-
! scope="row" align="left" | Subdominant (IV)
| A || B♭ || C || D || E || F || G
|-
! scope="row" align="left" | Dominant (V)
| B || C || D || E || F♯ || G || A
|}

Still sounds complicated? Let's have a look at where we can find the tonic ('T'), subdominant ('S') and dominant ('D') on the guitar:

[[File:Blues_progression_keys.png]]

How to read this: once you have located the tone corresponding to the key of the song on the guitar, you can find the subdominant five frets down on the same string, and the dominant two more down from there.

Of course, mathematically minded people will quickly see: as there are 12 different notes, and if the dominant is seven frets down from the tonic, you can also find it five frets up from the key. Actually, you could already see this on the fretboard above (look at the A-string), but here it is again with highlights:

[[File:Blues_progression_keys_2.png]]

So you can also think of the three main chords as being five notes away from each other with the key note (the "tonic") right in the middle.

And that means it doesn't matter in which key you are playing, the keys you are looking for are always 5 frets down and 5 frets up from the key note. For example, if you play in '''A''' (5<sup>th</sup> fret on the E-string), the subdominant is '''D''' (5 + 5 = 10<sup>th</sup> fret) and the dominant is '''E''' (5 - 5 = 0<sup>th</sup> fret = empty string, or 10<sup>th</sup> + 2 = 12<sup>th</sup> fret).

Knowing this, you can forget the progression table again, all you need to remember is where to find the tonic - preferably on the E-string. 

In case you don't remember that, please see this table:

{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | Fret
! 0 (empty) !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !!
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | Note
| align="center" | E
| align="center" | F
| align="center" | F♯/G♭ 
| align="center" | G 
| align="center" | G♯/A♭ 
| align="center" | A 
| align="center" | A♯/B♭ 
| align="center" | B 
| align="center" | C 
| align="center" | C♯/D♭ 
| align="center" | D 
| align="center" | D♯/E♭ 
| align="center" | E 
| align="center" | ''etc.'' 
|}
And, yes, this table is the one you need to learn by heart. SRSLY.

==== Exercise ====

You know now how musicians know which chords to play if they are told: "Blues in A". 

* name the chords you need to play in "Blues in E", a "Blues in D" or a "Blues in B♭"?

==== More information ====

Of course, there is another approach to learning this, called the [http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/circle-of-fifths.php Circle of Fifths]. Have a look at it, maybe you like this better (just make sure you have "Major / Ionian" mode selected).

=== 12-bar Blues ===

There are many ways how the chords of the Blues progression can be played, but the most typical form is the "12-bar Blues" pattern, where the following pattern of 12 bars is repeated throughout the song:

{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
|-
| align="center" | Subdominant (IV)
| align="center" | Subdominant (IV)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
|-
| align="center" | Dominant (V)
| align="center" | Subdominant (IV)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Dominant (V)
|}

Agreed, this is all very abstract. Let's see how that looks in the key of 'A':

{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
|-
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
|-
| align="center" | E
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | E
|}

The last, 12<sup>th</sup> bar is called the "turnaround". This is where the tension built up during the rest of the pattern is released and somehow "rolled back". It often features a change in rhythm as well; A good drummer will at least mark the end of this bar (and hence the sequence) with a cymbal crash or a drum roll or something similar. This makes it easier to find into a song without having to count the bars from the beginning...

Simple as it is, this pattern is the basis for the vast majority of Blues, R&B, Blues Rock and of course Rock'n'Roll songs. Learn this and you will be able to play along with a lot of different songs.

You may think that such a strict pattern is quite restricting for musicians, but any music-collection holds the proof that an endless stream of creativity can be added on top of it. Think of it this way: this pattern makes sure that you don't have to waste time explaining your band members how they have to play, so you can focus of your guitar solos and creative lyrics writing.

In other words, think of it as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_pattern design pattern]. As all design patterns, the 12-bar Blues pattern has its limitations, but it has proven to be useful in many situations.

Just for the record, it is also good to know some common variations of this pattern:

'''Quick change'''

Some musicians consider the first four bars without any tonal change as too long and boring, so they play a variation that is known as the "quick change":

{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Subdominant (IV)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" | ⋯
|-
|}
Or for the example in the key of A this translates into:
{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" | ⋯
|-
|}

All you need to remember is simply that if there is some odd tonal change just one bar after the drummer hit the crash, you are probably in a "quick change" scheme ...

'''No turnaround'''

For some songs, there is no need for a tonal "turnaround" needed, so the last four bars are simply played as follows:

{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" | ⋯
|-
| align="center" | Dominant (V)
| align="center" | Dominant (V)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
| align="center" | Tonic (I)
|-
|}
Once again, translated for the key of A:
{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" | ⋯
|-
| align="center" | E
| align="center" | E
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
|-
|}
This variant is often used in combination with the "quick change" variation mentioned above.

'''24-bar Blues'''

A 24-bar Blues is effectively just a 12-bar Blues where each bar is duplicated. Quite simple, really - just count to eight instead of four, etc.

'''Using sevenths'''

Blues guitarists love sevenths. Seriously! They will try to sneak them in whenever they can, often without telling the piano player (who hates them) or the drummer (who doesn't care). 

At least the very last bar is very commonly played as a seventh, other candidates are the fourth and eight - but if nobody stops them, Blues guitarists may well try to play a seventh in every single bar of the scheme.

Here once again the 12-bar scheme with ''the usual suspects'' marked as sevenths:
{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A7
|-
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | A7
|-
| align="center" | E
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | E7
|}

At least you know now why the 12-bar scheme is usually presented in a 4×3 table: it's so the seventh chords align neatly at the end of each line ;-)

==== Exercises ====

Please play the following YouTube video in a new window:

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSiWeFXrNI Blues Backing track in A]

Please take your time to complete the following exercises. Even if you think that they are easy and you want to move on - it is better to spend 5 minutes repeating something you think you already know than to being stuck later because you missed something you should have learned earlier...

# Please count the beat to know at any time at which section of the 12-bar scheme you are in the song; please speak the key out loud together with the count (like: "A - 2 - 3 - 4 / D - 2 - 3 - 4 /", etc.)
# Take your guitar and play the base note on the E-string (hint: A is on the 5th, D on the 10th, E on the 12th or on the empty string [0th])
# Search YouTube for more [http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Blues+backing+track+in+A Blues backing tracks in A] and try to play along. 
# Why not try your luck with [http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Blues+Backing+track&oq=Blues+Backing+track Blues backing tracks] in other keys? It's not so hard ...

=== Other bar schemes ===

Not every song writer lets him or herself being limited by the 12-bar Blues scheme, so you may encounter some other patterns, like 7, 13, 15, 25 or other counts.

The most popular of the "other" schemes, however, is the '''8-bar''' scheme. This is how it looks like for the key of A:

{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | E
| align="center" | D
| align="center" | D
|-
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | E
| align="center" | A
| align="center" | E
|-
|}

This is used in one particularly famous "traditional" Blues called "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_to_the_Highway Key to the Highway]", played like this:

<pre>
              A              E                 D              D7
I got the key to the highway; I'm booked out and bound to go,

              A              E            A             E
I'm gonna leave here running; ain't coming back no more

...
</pre>

Have a look at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKbkDN-C4eY Eric Clapton playing it live] (and try to count the bars as an extra exercise!)

And here's a really weïrd (literally) scheme used by Donovan in his awe-inspiring song '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Season_of_the_Witch_%28song%29 Season of the Witch]''' ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyB21j-ZTgg watch on YouTube]):
{| style="width: 75%;" border="1"
|-
| align="center" | A7
| align="center" | D9
| align="center" | A7
| align="center" | D9
|-
| align="center" | A7
| align="center" | D9
| align="center" | A7
| align="center" | D9
|-
| align="center" | A7
| align="center" | D9
| align="center" | A7
| align="center" | D9
|-
|}
<pre>
A7                   D9     A7             D9
  When I look out my window, many sights to see.

A7                      D9     A7                    D9
  And when I look in my window, so many different people to be.

...
</pre>

If any proof was needed that a great song doesn't need a complex chord progression, here it is.

Oh wait... that's not a proper Blues you say? Well, maybe you're right, but [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g5B4DWlVX0 maybe you're not].

=== More Information ===
* Wikipedia article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-bar_blues Twelve-bar Blues]
* [http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/appendix/blues/bluesprogression.html Standard Blues Progressions] - a more academic approach to different Blues progressions