Topmusicanswers
- Does jazz use 12-bar blues?
- What is a 12-bar blues pattern?
- Why do they call it 12-bar blues?
- How many choruses are in a 12-bar blues?
Does jazz use 12-bar blues?
Standard Jazz Blues Progressions
In contemporary jazz, a blues form typically means a repeating 12-bar progression—often in a horn-friendly key like F or Bb—with standard chord changes and common substitutions.
What is a 12-bar blues pattern?
The most common musical form of blues is the 12-bar blues. The term "12-bar" refers to the number of measures, or musical bars, used to express the theme of a typical blues song. ... In a 12-bar blues, the first and second lines are repeated, and the third line is a response to them—often with a twist.
Why do they call it 12-bar blues?
The 12-Bar Blues form is called that because it has a chord progression that takes place over 12 bars, or measures. The chord progression uses only the I, IV, and V chords of a key, also called the tonic, subdominant, and dominant, respectively. The 12 bars are broken up into three groups of four.
How many choruses are in a 12-bar blues?
"Chorus" typically means once through the form that you solo on in any improvisational context like blues or jazz. So if the form were different and lasted 32 bars, then it would mean one iteration through that 32-bar form. In this case it's 12 bars. Corollary: four choruses of a 12-bar blues would be 48 measures.
