12 Bar blues normally revolves around the I – IV – V chords of any given key. Our example is in the key of C Major:
This is a very common progression for blues rhythm guitar. It sticks to the I-IV-V chords of C Major, adding a Maj6 and min7 interval throughout the rhythm. The full progression follows this pattern: I – I – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – IV – I – I
To change the key simply change the tonic chord to the appropriate root note, for example; if you wanted to play in the key of G Major, start the first pattern on the 3rd fret of your E string.
Other common blues progressions include:
- I – I – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – IV – I – V
- I – IV – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – IV – I – V
- I – I – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – V – I – I
If you would like a list of all your I – IV – V notes for each key you can find it on our: Extended chord theory lesson by clicking here!