How Many Chords Are in Blues Music?

How Many Chords Are in Blues Music?

The blues is a genre of music that is built around the use of the blues scale. This scale consists of just three notes, which are played in a particular order. Because of this, the blues scale is often thought of as being made up of just three chords.

The Three Chord Trick

The blues is built on a simple three-chord progression of tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords. While this progression can be followed strictly, many blues songs use minor or seventh chords for added flavor. The basic three-chord progression is sometimes called the “blues box” or “E form” because it consists of the tonic (I), subdominant (IV), and dominant (V) chords in the key of E.

The tonic chord is usually a minor chord, which gives the blues its characteristic sound. The subdominant chord is usually a major or dominant seventh chord, which adds tension and keeps the listener’s interest. The dominant chord is usually a major chord, which provides resolution and relaxation after the tension of the previous two chords.

The three-chord progression is perhaps the most fundamental building block of blues music. It can be used in any key, with any combination of chords, and with any number of variations. Experiment with different chord progressions to find the sound that you like best.

The Twelve Bar Blues

The twelve-bar blues is a musical form that is typically sung in blues songs. It is made up of twelve measures, or bars, of music. Each measure contains four beats, and each beat is equal to one quarter note. The twelve-bar blues is usually played in 4/4 time, which means that there are four beats in a measure and each beat is equal to one quarter note.

The twelve-bar blues consists of three chord progressions. These progressions are usually played in the following order: I, IV, V (1, 4, 5), or I7, IV7, V7 (1 7th, 4 7th, 5 7th). However, there are many variations of this form, and some songs may use different chord progressions.

The first progression (I, IV, V) is known as the “traditional” Blues progression. The second progression (I7, IV7, V7) is known as the “dominant” Blues progression. The dominant progression is often used when playing Blues in a minor key.

Here are some examples of songs that use the twelve-bar blues: “Sweet Home Chicago” by Robert Johnson, “Cross Road Blues” by Robert Johnson, “Stormy Monday” by T-Bone Walker, and “I Can’t Quit You Baby” by Willie Dixon.

The Eight Bar Blues

The eight bar blues is the most common blues form. It is constructed using two phrases of four bars each. The first phrase is typically referred to as the “A” phrase and the second phrase is typically referred to as the “B” phrase. Each phrase has a specific chord progression that is repeated throughout the entire eight bars. The most common chord progressions used in the eight bar blues are I-IV-V (the “standard” blues progression) and I-VII-V (the “jazzy” blues progression).

The standard blues progression uses the following chords:

I – A major or minor
IV – D major or minor
V – E major or minor

The jazzy blues progression uses the following chords:

I – A major or minor
VII – G major or minor
V – E major or minor

The Sixteen Bar Blues

There are a variety of different types of blues music, each with its own distinct chord progressions. The most common type of blues is the sixteen bar blues, which is made up of four four-bar phrases. The chord progression for a typical sixteen bar blues is as follows:

I IV I V
I IV I V
I IV I V
I IV I V

The Twenty-Four Bar Blues

The twenty-four bar blues is the most commonly used blues form. It is a twelve-bar form (I-IV-V) that is repeated twice. Each section (except for the last two bars) contains eight measures. The last two bars are four measures each and are called the turnaround. The turnaround usually contains a V-IV chord progression, which helps to create a sense of resolution when the form is repeated.