Major 12 Bar Jazz Blues Harmony

Lesson Goal: To quickly internalize common practice Major 12 Bar Jazz Blues Harmony… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…

Prerequisites

Basic music reading skills… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.

back to… Table of Contents

Why Study Major 12 Bar Jazz Blues Harmony?

You will develop the ability to recognize commonly used Major 12 Bar Jazz Blues Harmonies by ear.
You will develop the ability to recognize a major 2 5 1 when you see the chord symbols in a chart.
You will see how scales and chords are inseparable, interrelated views of the same musical stuff.
You will begin to really “know your way around the piano”.
You will develop the skill to play a variety of major 2 5 1 chord voicings and rhythms (comping).
You will develop the skill to improvise melodic lines over a major 2 5 1 in a variety of styles and rhythms (soloing).
You will build a huge chord and scale vocabulary that enables you to “speak” the major 2 5 1 chord progression in a wide variety of contexts.

back to… Table of Contents

Major 12 Bar Blues Harmony

Let’s begin our exploration of Jazz Blues Piano with a review of the Major 12 Bar Blues in its most basic form…

Within each 12 bar chorus, there are three distinct 4 bar phrases…

music notation showing major 12 bar jazz blues harmony

The deep appreciation of this three-phase structure is absolutely essential for playing 12-bar blues in authentic style.

Phrase #1

The first phrase presents the main rhythmic/melodic theme and establishes a clear sense of tonic harmony (I)…

Phrase #2

The second phrase is typically a variation of or complement to the main theme. It is played over a temporary IV harmony, with a return back to the tonic I…

Phrase #3

The third phrase typically complements or answers the first two phrases and leads the listener back to the top of the next chorus. It is played over a temporary V harmony with a return to the tonic I…

Now let’s combine all three phrases into a 12-bar chorus…

Chart showing major blues 12 bar form and harmony

Think of these three phrases as interrelated musical sentences that tell a story. In order to sound/feel “right”, each chorus should be rhythmically and melodically coherent, say something that moves the listener, and lead back to the top of the next chorus or to a logical ending. With some rhythmic comping patterns and tasty licks in your bag and a commitment to this basic formula, your blues playing is guaranteed to blossom!