Blues chord progressions
4 progressions · 48 keyed pagesIn blues every chord is a dominant seventh, the tonic included, so nothing ever fully settles. Three chords across twelve bars, a shuffle underneath, and a turnaround in the last two bars that pushes you back to the top.
- Tempo
- 60–200 BPM
- Feel
- 3 major · 1 minor
- Harmony
- All diatonic
- Form
- 3, 4, 12 bars · 4/4
The soundin E
I7–IV7–I7–V7E7 · A7 · B7
I7E7IV7A7V7B7
Chord tones on the keyboard — the solid key is the root.
Uplifting1
Energetic2
I7–IV7–I7–V7
E7 · A7 · B7
I7E7IV7A7V7B7
4 chordsbeginner80–160 BPM · 4/4
As heard in Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson
I7–IV7–V7
E7 · A7 · B7
I7E7IV7A7V7B7
12 barsintermediate80–200 BPM · 4/4
As heard in Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
Melancholic1
i–iv–v–i
Em · Am · Bm
iEmivAmvBm
4 chordsintermediate60–130 BPM · 4/4
As heard in The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King
Songs built on these changes
Each one links to the progression behind it.