# Blues

Twelve bars, three chords, a swung feel, minor pentatonic on top. Everything in A.

## The form

| Bars 1–4 | A7 | A7 | A7 | A7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bars 5–8 | D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| Bars 9–12 | E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 |

I = A7, IV = D7, V = E7 ([Chords in a key](keys.md)). Bar 12 is the turnaround; end on A7 the last time.

## The shuffle feel

Count each beat in three and play the first and last: long, short.

## The boogie riff

Root + fifth, root + sixth, long-short pairs. A on strings 5–4 (0+2, 0+4), D on strings 4–3, E on strings 6–5.

## The riff through all twelve bars

One bar of riff per bar of the form; start at 70 BPM.

## Soloing — the blues scale

A minor pentatonic at fret 5 plus the ♭5 (E♭) at A string 6 and G string 8. Pass through it.

## Call and response

Call: e5 · B8 · B5 · G7b9 — rest — answer: G7 · G5 · D7~ . Keep the call, change the answer. Then [Improv](improv.md) and [Backing band](/tools/backing.html?you=guitar).

## Ready when

- You know where you are in the twelve bars without counting from bar 1.
- The boogie riff moves A → D → E on time with a real shuffle.
- One chorus solo from the blues scale with an in-tune bend, landing on A at bar 11.