12-bar blues: Beginner’s guide

How to play the 12-bar blues on guitar

Let’s start off simple with single notes. Luckily, the notes on our lowest three strings happen to be E, A, and D – perfect for our I-IV-V in the key of A!

Single-note exercise

Hit every quarter note (four times per bar), and make sure you practice to a fixed tempo.

Use our free online metronome if you don’t have one to hand.

Open chord exercise

Hopefully, you’re already familiar with these basic open chords. Follow the exact same method as the previous exercise. If it’s too difficult at first, slow down – if it feels too easy, increase the tempo a little.

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Is the 12-bar blues major or minor?

It can be both, it just depends on the key and the type of chords you use.

The dominant seventh chord is ubiquitous throughout blues music and this may be what leads to some confusion around major and minor – it’s kind of in between the two

Dominant seventh chords have a major 3rd and a minor 7th. This blurs the line between major and minor and allows us to explore unusual territory – like playing a minor pentatonic scale in a major key, or vice versa.

Check out our article on essential blues chords to learn how to construct and play them yourself.

How to solo over 12-bar blues

Ahh, those first shaky steps into the world of lead guitar. Nothing beats the feeling of nailing your first pentatonic lick over a blues track!

Step #1 – Learn the blues scale

If you already know the A minor pentatonic, this will be a breeze.

• All you need to do is add one extra note.
• The ‘blue’ note is the b5 – it adds drama by adding some tension and resolution.
• Make sure you really pay attention to how this note interacts with the underlying chords.

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Step #2 – Understand the chord progression

We’ve scratched the surface of a 12-bar blues progression, but there’s still a lot to explore.

• Each note you play will have a different emotion depending on what chord it’s over.
• Once you understand how chords are constructed you can begin to outline ‘chord tones’.
• We can even change the feel of a chord by highlighting certain notes.

Step #3 – Keep it simple

Most of the great blues musicians weren’t alternate picking three-note-per-string lines at break-neck speed.

• Sometimes a simple melodic phrase played with heart is all it takes.
• Don’t rely on licks and scale patterns too much.
• Try to sing through your guitar – think of a phrase and then play it.
• This can take time to develop but it’s an invaluable skill.

Step #4 - Be a copycat!

There’s no shame in stealing a few licks from the legends – they probably took a thing or two from their guitar heroes too.

• Listen to as much blues music as you can to internalize the sounds and vibes.
• Pay close attention to expressive techniques like bends, slides, and vibrato – that’s where the secret sauce is!
• Learning to play tracks by your blues idols is a good way to study, just be sure to work on your own style too.

Conclusion

That’s plenty to get you moving on down the road. Just remember, if you end up at a crossroads, don’t make any deals with the devil 😈

Here’s a quick reminder of our main points:

• The 12-bar blues is an essential structure to memorize.
• I-IV-V is unversal way to describe a chord progression for any key.
• Dominant 7th chords blur the lines between major and minor.
• Add a b5 to the pentatonic to make your solos extra bluesy.
• Practice singing simple phrases and then playing them on the guitar.

If you want to give yourself a solid foundation in blues guitar, we recommend you start with our Blues Learning Pathway.

It’s perfect for beginners, with daily lessons, exercises, and personalized feedback. You can even try before you buy with our 14-day free trial.

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Author: Richard Spooner

Richard Spooner is a writer and musician originally from the UK. After studying contemporary guitar at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) in London, he toured the UK with various groups, playing styles ranging from acoustic to metal.

Richard's diverse experience gigging, studying music, working in guitar stores, and managing rehearsal studios has given him valuable insight into guitar and what it means to be a working musician. Since 2019, he has been traveling and working as an editor for Pickup Music, while also contributing to Total Guitar, Killer Guitar Rigs, and Guitar Pro. After a decade of performing, he now enjoys creating songs, writing about guitar, and taking long walks on the beach.