This document provides an overview of a music lesson on the blues. The lesson will focus on developing knowledge of early blues, skills in playing chords and bass lines on keyboards, and understanding how chord patterns link to blues songs. Students will listen to an early blues song and answer questions, then practice putting chords C, F and G together in the 12 bar blues progression using proper finger technique. They will also work on playing the corresponding bass line with their left hand.

1. Starter Activity
Background to the Blues
• What is a worksong?
• What is a Spiritual?
• Who would have sung these?

2. Spirituals
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Thz1zDAytzU

3. Lesson Objectives:
• Today you will develop your....
• Knowledge of Early Blues
• Skills by developing your playing of chords on
the keyboards and starting to play a bass line
in your left hand
• Understanding of how the chord pattern links
to actual Blues songs

4. Listening activity
Listen to the Early Blues song and answer the
questions on the worksheet

5. Practical activity
• Put the chords of C, F and G major together to
create the 12 Bar Blues chord pattern – using
the correct fingers of your right hand
• When the right hand is secure (confident)
start to work on the bass line in the left hand

6. 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression
Remember:
C = C E G =1,3,5
F = F A C = 1,3,5
G = G B D – 1,3,5
C C C C
F F C C
G F C C

7. Bass Line – in the left hand
C
5 – little
finger LH
C
5
C
5
C
5
F
2 – pointy
finger LH
F
2
C
5
C
5
G
1 – thumb LH
F
2
C
5
C
5

8. Key words
• Chord
• Worksong
• Spiritual
• Call and response
• Unison
• Harmony
• Bass line