The most commonly recurring sequence of chords is a progression called "12-Bar Blues." There are a couple of variations that are the most basic and that serve as the underlying "template" from which many variations are derived. The simplest is the first one shown below. It is a twelve measure repeating sequence with the following familiar sounding "formula" based on the 1-4-5 progression. (In the example all chords have a '7' in them... while '7' chords are not always used for any or all of the chords, they are a very common device to spice up the "blues" sound.) The formula is: 4 bars of the 1  chord, 2 bars of the 4, 2 bars of the 1, 1 bar of the 5, 1 bar of the 4, 2 bars of the 1, or, if it is easier to remember 1(x4), 4(x2), 1(x2), 5, 4, 1(x2). OR, the visual representation...



The variation below is called the "Quick Change" because it inserts a 4 chord in the second measure to break up the first 4 measures instead of having the 1 chord going for all 4. This variation could be used in the example above as well, which has a 1 chord in the twelfth measure, or, in this second example the twelfth measure also has a 5 chord inserted which creates a strong desire in the listener to hear the 1 chord again, thus creating a "fresh" turn as the sequence repeats and the results of that return to the "home" chord (the 1 chord) brings a momentary satisfaction to the ear. Each new variation among the many that you will find are used is a potpourri of mixing and matching  the chords within this sequence and even to extend or shrink the "template" to create even more possibilities.


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