Pieces › Playing pop

The 12-bar blues

A boogie bass in the left hand

The blues fits into 12 measures and three chords: C (4 measures), F (2), C (2), then G, F, C, G. This chord chart is the foundation of rock ’n’ roll.

The left hand plays a climbing “boogie” bass: root, third, fifth, sixth. The computer answers with chords on beats 2 and 4.

Heard in: Johnny B. Goode, Hound Dog, Rock Around the Clock

Tips

• The pattern is the same on every chord: only the starting note changes.
• Play the quarter notes slightly detached.

The boogie pattern

C-E-G-A in quarter notes, fingers 5-3-2-1, then the same pattern on F.

The full chart

12 measures: C C C C | F F C C | G F C G.