12-Bar Blues: Bringing It All Together

Welcome back! In this lesson, we will:

• Bring the two hands together
• Elevate the 12-bar blues
• Make it more interesting

Getting Started

First, I'm assuming that you've got the left hand down pretty fluently and you can play this pattern throughout the whole 12-bar blues. You really need to master that before we can explore the more fun stuff in the right hand.

Putting It All Together

When we first looked at the 12-bar blues, we played it like this. Now, let's try combining the right hand with the left hand. It should sound something like this:

• Chord of C
• Right hand playing crotchet (quarter note) beats
• Left hand playing the bass pattern

The right hand will play on every other note that the left hand plays. If we play this over the whole 12-bar, it will sound like this:

• Bars 2-5:
  Moving from C up to F (with a little variation in the left hand), then to G, back to F, and finishing on G before returning to C to start the whole sequence again.

Practice Tips

The aim is to get this as fluent and automatic as possible. Here are some tips:

1. Start Slow:
   Begin at the slowest tempo that feels comfortable.

2. Coordinate the Hands:
   Ensure you are playing the right hand on every other note of the left hand.

3. Smooth Transitions:
   Practice changing between chords without breaks.

Specific Chord Changes

You can practice transitions between chords like we did in the previous lesson. For instance:

• C to F
• C to G
• G to F

Break it down to two beats each to improve your flow:

• One measure per chord: e.g., C to F, then back to C.

Feel free to develop your own practice routines.

Creative Practice Techniques

I encourage you not just to learn what I'm teaching, but to come up with your own creative ways to make music. Here are some additional practice tips:

• Vary Volume:
  Play at different volumes. This helps develop muscle memory and a deeper understanding of the music.

  • Practice quietly and then as loudly as you can.

• Hands Independence:
  Practice each hand at different volumes.

  • For example, play the left hand loudly and the right hand softly.

Exploring Rhythmic Variations

Once you've got the rhythm down fluently, let's explore playing the right hand on the offbeat. This creates a more authentic blues sound.

• Offbeat Playing:
  Rather than playing on the beat, target the second and fourth notes of the left hand.

As you practice the 12-bar progression, it will instantly sound more blues-like. You can hear this style in many songs, especially in jump swing blues records by artists like Louis Prima and Louis Jordan.

Final Rhythmic Variation

Before we finish this lesson, let's look at one more rhythmic variation in the right hand.

• Two-Bar Cycle:
  It starts off and smoothly continues with the corresponding chords.

Try to master this rhythm over the 12-bar blues. Remember, you can always rewind and watch it again; feel free to play along with me!

Get Creative

Experiment with your own rhythms. Keep these tips in mind:

• Driving Forward:
  Ensure the music maintains momentum.

• Improvise:
  Reverse elements, double them up, or mix them.

This is all about improvisation and bringing your unique style to the music.

Looking Ahead

In the next lesson, we will explore some simple right-hand riffs to show you various techniques for developing and varying them. This will be a great addition to your left-hand patterns!