1. 12 Bar Blues
The guide to writing music – the easy way!

2. What is the Blues Form?
 Do you remember what a form is?
 The blues form is a specific song
structure used in the blues as well as
other styles inspired by the blues like
rock, jazz, R&B, etc.

3. Examples of Blues
 Find them here

4. The blues uses the I, IV, and V
chords throughout the song form.
What do you mean by I, IV, V Chords?
 The I, IV, and V chords are the three
most used chords in each major key.
 Aloud you would call them, ―The
one, four, and five chords.‖

5. More information on chords...
 The I chord is built on the first note of
the key.
 The IV chord is built on the fourth note
of the key.
 And the V chord is built on
the fifth note of the key.

6.  The most common musical form of
blues is the 12-bar blues.
 The term "12-bar" refers to the
number of bars used to express the
theme of a typical blues song.
 Nearly all blues music is played to a
4/4 time signature.

8. The lyrics
 The lyrics of a 12-bar blues song often
follow what's known as an AAB
pattern.
 "A" refers to the first and second four-
bar verse, and "B" is the third four-bar
verse.
 In a 12-bar blues, the first and second
lines are repeated, and the third line is

9. Example: Dust my Broom, Elmore
James