12 bar blues is a standard blues format from which many songs have been derived. It can be played in any key though some are easier because there is less finger stretching. If you want to join in the Endless Blues Guitar Jam In E you’ll need to know how to play the rhythm part of the 12 bar blues. As discussed in a previous post, a standard blues progression consists of three chords. These chords are derived from the major scale. The major scale consists of seven notes and the blues chord progression uses chords that are built from the first, fourth and fifth notes of the major scale.

If we’re in E, the first chord is E major, the four would be A major, and the five is B major. You can use dominant 7 chords as well but we’re not going to get all that heavy yet. It’s called 12 bar blues because there are 12 segments to the entire progression. You just repeat them until you pass out or you can’t feel your arms any more. In E it goes like this… E,A,E,E,A,A,E,E,B,A,E,E.

One of the easiest ways to do this is also probably the most familiar. It uses two note chords and can be played with three fingers. Looking at the first image, the hollow dot represents an open string. You put your index finger on the second fret of the A string (second string from the top). The blue dot. Strum those two strings twice, then put your ring finger down two frets up from your index, the green dot, strum those twice. Now put your pinky where the red dot is, or just reach it with your ring finger. Strum twice then move back to the green dot and strum twice. That’s the riff in E. That’s your 1 chord.

E

A

B

For the four chord do the same thing except one string down (up in pitch, down in proximity), using the A and D strings. That’s the riff in A, your four chord.

The five gets a little tricky. You are basically doing the same riff only two frets up the neck. Instead of having an open string you have to use your index finger (black dot). You will have to use your pinky on the green dot AND the red doy which is a bit of a stretch.

So that’s all the riffs, the 1 or E, the 4 or A, and the 5 or B. Now you just have to plug them into the 12 bar blues formula.

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