I like the use of color I’ve always seen music in color and now I can see the relationship between what took me years to discover on my own. This should help so many more players.
Great lesson introducing the basic 12 bar chord progression and explaining why it sounds great. Blues though is rarely played in simple major chords, the effect is more classical rock or country than blues. There are many variations on the basic 12 bar progression, its especially common in a slow blues to relieve the long time hung up on the first four bars of the 1 chord by intriducing the quick change here: (1-4-1-1, then continue the sequence). Also rather than major chords, dominant seventh chords are freely substituted in a major blues because this mixes major and minor tonalities giving a deep, complex and exotic effect. In sophisticated jazzy or gospel styled 12 bar blues variants, secondary dominants and diminished chords are added to further spice (or colour) up the 12 bars. Minor blues are interesting too, same 12 bar basic pattern but often using the minor 1 chord, a minor 4 and a diminished 7th for the 5 chord.
Worth mentioning I think that on a guitar, it sounds best in E using E A and B7 (all played in first position) as the 1 4 and 5(7th) chords. Or, capo them up the fretboard to change key but use these chord shapes. It sounds way more authentic than in, say, A or C in first position.
Your theory make it easy to understand. Can it explain anything about those two bass players, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson? There must be something about understanding bass that makes you a better writer, because those guys wrote the songs most loved by the most people in my lifetime.
I like the use of color I’ve always seen music in color and now I can see the relationship between what took me years to discover on my own. This should help so many more players.
Give me one reason to stay - Tracy Chapman. Now that's a good modern example. Good tutorial. Thanks Mike!
Such a great song.
Great lesson introducing the basic 12 bar chord progression and explaining why it sounds great. Blues though is rarely played in simple major chords, the effect is more classical rock or country than blues. There are many variations on the basic 12 bar progression, its especially common in a slow blues to relieve the long time hung up on the first four bars of the 1 chord by intriducing the quick change here: (1-4-1-1, then continue the sequence). Also rather than major chords, dominant seventh chords are freely substituted in a major blues because this mixes major and minor tonalities giving a deep, complex and exotic effect. In sophisticated jazzy or gospel styled 12 bar blues variants, secondary dominants and diminished chords are added to further spice (or colour) up the 12 bars. Minor blues are interesting too, same 12 bar basic pattern but often using the minor 1 chord, a minor 4 and a diminished 7th for the 5 chord.
Worth mentioning I think that on a guitar, it sounds best in E using E A and B7 (all played in first position) as the 1 4 and 5(7th) chords. Or, capo them up the fretboard to change key but use these chord shapes. It sounds way more authentic than in, say, A or C in first position.
Super helpful, thanks 👌
Thanks man now i can see it
Your theory make it easy to understand. Can it explain anything about those two bass players, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson? There must be something about understanding bass that makes you a better writer, because those guys wrote the songs most loved by the most people in my lifetime.
Merci for this lesson.
Any thing by John Lee Hooker! Boom boom.