12-Bar Blues

I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-V

progression

At a Glance

Illustrated in C major.

GuitarPiano

I – I – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – IV – I – V

What It Is

A 12-measure form built from the tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords in a fixed, repeating pattern.

Structures an entire blues chorus around just three chords, with the final measure's dominant chord driving back into the next chorus.

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