# Twelve-bar blues

Three chords, a swung feel, and a short scale with one blue note. Everything here is in C; [Play along](songs.md) has the same form in G.

## The form

I is C7, IV is F7, V is G7.

| | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bars 1–4 | C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
| Bars 5–8 | F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |
| Bars 9–12 | G7 | F7 | C7 | G7 |

Bar 12 on the V is the turnaround. End on C7 the last time. Going to the IV for bar 2 is the quick change.

## The three shapes

Frets read G C E A: C7 0001 · F7 2310 · G7 0212.

## The shuffle feel

Count each beat in three and strum the first and last of each three: long down, short up. Written as plain eighths with a note saying swing.

## Soloing — the blues scale

C blues in first position: C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ C. The G♭ (♭5) is a passing note, not a place to rest.

## Call and response

A question and an answer. The call ends open on F; the answer walks down through G♭ and lands on C. Make your own by keeping the call and changing the answer — see [Improv](improv.md).

## Ready when

- Say where you are in the twelve bars without counting from bar 1.
- C7 → F7 → G7 on time with a real shuffle.
- Play the C blues scale, answer a call of your own, land on C at bar 11.