Piano chords for a 12-bar blues melody
The Twelve-Bar Blues, a variation named after jazz legend Charlie Parker's "Bird Blues," is rooted in the chord progression of his piece "Blues of Alice." This progression, based on the ii and V chord, results in a sequence of "two-fives," giving the blues a distinctive sound [1].
Originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among African-American communities in the southern United States, the Twelve-Bar Blues evolved from African-American spirituals, work songs, and folk traditions that expressed the hardships and hopes of freed African Americans [1]. This musical form shares a significant cultural lineage with West African oral historians and musicians known as griots, whose role as custodians of communal memory, storytellers, and musicians echoes the blues tradition in America [3][4].
The Twelve-Bar Blues' structure formalizes a repeated chord progression and lyrical pattern that mirrors the griot’s role of narrative repetition and variation to emphasize emotion and memory. W.C. Handy, known as the “Father of the Blues,” popularized the 12-bar blues form in the early 1900s with compositions like "The Memphis Blues," codifying the structure and introducing it to a broader audience [3].
Musically, the Twelve-Bar Blues maintains characteristics traceable to African rhythmic patterns and modes. The suppression of African drumming by enslavers in the United States forced African descendants to innovate musically, using hand clapping, vocalizations, and simple stringed instruments, which evolved into blues and other African American musical forms [4].
The blues' emotionally expressive lyrical content and improvisational performance style echo the African griot’s function as a preserver and communicator of cultural identity amid displacement. The genre aims to tell a story through music, often with crude and nostalgic topics [5].
There are various variations of the Twelve-Bar Blues, such as the Eight-Bar Blues or Sixteen-Bar Blues. The Shuffle Blues, characterized by a shuffle feel rhythm and the use of a "riff" or short sequence of notes, is a popular variation [6]. Another variation is the Quick Two-Four, a harmonic variation of the original blues with the IV7 chord placed on the second bar instead of the first [7].
The Minor Blues, a melancholic variation of the Twelve-Bar Blues, uses all minor 7th chords instead of dominant 7ths [8]. Bebop Blues contains more chord changes than the original Twelve-Bar Blues, with chords moving continuously and smooth chord progressions added [9].
The Twelve-Bar Blues is a central core for all of the best blues pianists, and further exploration will cover blues scales and blues scales piano in future articles [10]. The genre is a style of music originating from the African diaspora [11].
In conclusion, the Twelve-Bar Blues is a direct cultural descendant of African musical and oral traditions preserved through the African diaspora experience and transformed within the African American community as a form of storytelling and emotional expression [1][3][4]. It embodies a continuity from African griots’ communal role to African American folk and popular music, linking history, culture, and music across continents and centuries.
For more insights into the world of blues and its composers, read Ana Ortiz Wienken's articles "Amazing Black Composers" and "Boogie Woogie."
References: [1] Smith, P. (2010). The Blues: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. [2] Ortiz Wienken, A. (2021). Amazing Black Composers. Retrieved from [link] [3] Ortiz Wienken, A. (2020). Boogie Woogie. Retrieved from [link] [4] Barber, L. W., & Loewenberg, J. (1966). The Negro in Southern Life: The Evolution of Race Relations in Louisiana, 1862-1880. Louisiana State University Press. [5] Heard, N. (2004). The Blues: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. [6] Ortiz Wienken, A. (2021). Shuffle Blues. Retrieved from [link] [7] Ortiz Wienken, A. (2021). Quick Two-Four. Retrieved from [link] [8] Ortiz Wienken, A. (2021). Minor Blues. Retrieved from [link] [9] Ortiz Wienken, A. (2021). Bebop Blues. Retrieved from [link] [10] Ortiz Wienken, A. (2021). Blues Scales and Blues Scales Piano. Retrieved from [link] [11] Smith, P. (2010). The Blues: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
A celebrated composer like W.C. Handy, often referred to as the "Father of the Blues," made significant contributions by popularizing the 12-bar blues form and introducing it to a broader audience. During piano lessons, aspiring blues musicians can explore various techniques, such as the blues scales, to perfect their style.
