The 12- Bar Blues (Major)

This is the very basic form based around I7, IV7 and V7. In this case I7 and IV7 are not
considered secondary dominants as they do not have the same tendency to drop down a 5th.
IV7 does not compel a resolution down a 5th and a piece can happily start and end on I7.
Consider these dominant chords as idiomatic substitutions for I and IV (ot Imaj7 and IVmaj7)
Note that the 12 bars are divided into 3 groups of 4 bars and that I, IV and V begin each group.
Basic Form

I7

& 44 V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
'Statement'

IV7 I7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
'Restatement'

V7 IV7 I7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V ™™
'Response'

The basic form is often embellished with harmonic inflections, the 'quick change', the #IVº7 and the 'turnaround'.

'quick change'

I7 IV7 I7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

The #IVº7 raises the root

of the IV7

#IVº7 I7
IV7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
The 'turnaround', the last 2 bars, is a little turn
resolving the harmony back to the beginning of the form.
There are many variations, 4 of them are given below

I7 V7
I7 V7

™™
I7 IV7 I7 V7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
V7 IV7 V7
I7 VIm7 IIm7
2 A 'jazz blues' takes the basic 12-bar blues form and embellishes it with secondary dominants.
Bars 9 and 10 are typically IIm7 to V7 rather than V7 to IV7.
Jazz-blues appear in many different forms and a typical example is given below.
Although not written, 7th chords are often extended to 9ths, 11ths and 13ths for added colour

IV7 I7 Vm7 V7/IV

I7
C7 F7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
C7 G‹7 C7

IV7 #IVº7 I7 IIIm7(b5) V7/II

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
F9 F©º7 C7 E‹7(b5) A7

IIm7 V7 I7 VIm7 IIm7 V7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V ™™
D‹7 G7 C7 A‹7 D‹7 G7

A complex jazz-blues progression is found in Charlie Parker's 'Blues For Alice'

Even though there is much embellishment of harmony, the 3 basic 4-bar divisions are
still in place (analysed below).
A jazz analysis on the remaining chords will be helpful in unravelling its complexity.

I7
FŒ„Š7 E‹7(b5) A7

&b V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
D‹7 G7 C‹7 F7

IV7

&b V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
B¨7 B¨‹7 E¨7 A‹7 D7 A¨‹7 D¨7

IIm7 V7

&b V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V ™™
G‹7 C7 F6 D7 G‹7 C7