Music Theory Monday | 12: Blues Tonality
Added 2020-09-07 13:01:01 +0000 UTCWhere to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private Lesson
Hi Everyone!
In this lesson I dig into the essence of what makes the 12 bar blues so bluesy: using dominant chords for the I - IV and V chord instead of just for the V chord as in traditional music theory. This is the first time I’ve dug into the blues on Patreon so I spend a bit of time talking about the tonality of the turn around, how the 12 bars typically lay out, and how to think about soloing over the progression depending if you want to sound like a traditional bendy blues player as well as some other ways to approach the chord progression. We also talk about a #9 chord, which makes me think it’s about time to start on a Rubik’s cube series for 9 chords.
If you're reading this around September 7th, I'll be driving across the country back to Seattle. So if you're posting questions here or on the community forum, I may be a little slow to respond.
Check out the jam tracks attached below!
"A Major 12 Bar Blues Jam Track" is for practicing soloing over the whole 12 Bars.
"Turn around practice" is for working on JUST the last two measures of the jam track.
"I - IV practice" is just two measures of I and two measures of IV over and over.
Click here for the community forum post about this specific lesson to ask questions, post pictures or audio, or to see what other people are saying about this lesson.
More from this series:
Other helpful links:
Scott's Recommended Lesson Plan
Searchable Lesson Archive
How to Join the Community Forum
Scott's Jam Tracks
SPJ Live YouTube Channel
Scott's Main YouTube Channel
Comments
This comment is strange but I like it. It would be nice to be so valuable strangers send me unsolicited dinero.. maybe one day I’ll reach that level. Im glad you didnt 🔪
Erin
2025-07-23 17:21:01 +0000 UTCI'm only at 11 mins and I have to stop for now... But I love it! So much content and so well explained! Another great work! Thanks.
Kylir
2021-11-11 09:58:52 +0000 UTCTook me a while to accept the sound of Dom Chords, I started to like it because I learnt how to resolve it. Now old Paul Scott tell me to stop resolving it. How should I trust you? I wanna kill you! 🔪 Scott, amazing lesson. Thanks for the tracks and the muting beeding trick! It will be a game change in my solos. No more coughs! Yeah! Blues is the way! Ps. The monthly caffe ☕️ "donation" is there. You know, not for you! 🐶 You drink too much coffee already...!
DeDé
2021-03-08 21:35:54 +0000 UTCThe approach would definitely be different - this approach is just the initial Major Blues concept. I'm not sure about the blues where i is minor and IV and V are major chords. But I know thats a common melodic minor thing in general! Songs like "Paint it Black" or "House of the Rising Sun" are good examples of this, but I'd love some examples of what you're talking about!
Scott Paul Johnson
2021-02-21 02:38:38 +0000 UTCLove the lesson. The blues is my favorite genre. I have one question. I feel like there are many blues songs that have a minor I chord and then dominant IV and V (I guess that would be a melodic minor scale). Are my ears tricking me or is that actually the case? Lightnin Hopkins is a good example. Do you think the approach to soloing over a more minor sounding blues song should be different?
Ahmad Alamad
2021-02-20 00:51:08 +0000 UTCFantastic lesson! Really looking forward to spending some time with the jam tracks.
Tim Rowley
2021-02-07 18:57:35 +0000 UTCGreat lesson. Thanks
Jacob Barling
2020-10-10 06:33:03 +0000 UTCFinally!!! Been waiting for this since you started patreon! Love it mate ❤️
Phil
2020-09-23 21:27:55 +0000 UTCI must have watched a hundred videos teaching how to play the blues and this is the first time I've really learnt something apart from "just play the pentatonic plus the flat 5, good luck"... Thanks Scott, can't wait for the second part!
guille
2020-09-20 21:25:33 +0000 UTCI've been a bum and not practicing like I should - I saw this blues music theory and I was so intrigued!!!! You da bomb - some of this I learned a little bit of but didn't understand why I was doing it or why it was working - NOW I UNDERSTAND! Hope you do more!!!!
Ann-Marie Daniels
2020-09-14 01:20:16 +0000 UTCI can’t wait for your next blues lesson! Some things I am curious about: 1. Why the A maj uses the “blues scale” (more or less minor pentatonic), while the D and E employ a major 7 pentatonic scale. 2. The thumb over the top of the guitar when string bending (it makes sense, but I still find it awkward). Thx!!
Tasha McManus
2020-09-13 23:58:16 +0000 UTCGreat lesson as always! You're a great (The Greatest) teacher... and even if I'm not a great student, i'm improving a lot. ;) Ciao From Florence
Andrea Picchi
2020-09-13 21:28:11 +0000 UTCI’ll be back to live next week! Just had to drive across the country
Scott Paul Johnson
2020-09-12 17:33:50 +0000 UTCI wasn’t doing that specific bend on IV and V but I think I should do a general lesson on bending. You can bend notes just differently
Scott Paul Johnson
2020-09-12 17:31:48 +0000 UTCScott I miss your live broadcasts. The entertainment value alone is worth it! and I mean that in a good way.Too bad my brain is not a sponge to absorb your extensive knowledge. Your teaching Style is the best i have come across in 40 yeas! Keep Groov'in
Tim Leslie
2020-09-12 16:58:29 +0000 UTCI really enjoyed this lesson and I can't wait for more on Blues and Bluesiness . Thanks.
Andrew Scott
2020-09-11 20:25:09 +0000 UTCGreat work Paul, I love your lesson simple,accurate to the point. Mr T.
Dave Tomasso
2020-09-10 19:52:48 +0000 UTCLoved the blues lesson, Scott! Nice work! Really looking forward to more blues stuff. Did I get it right that you were not bending any strings on IV and V?
Maxim K
2020-09-09 19:08:21 +0000 UTCI'm with Tasha and Robbie, lots of material to work on and great information to work with.
Marcel
2020-09-09 01:23:05 +0000 UTCHeck yeah, play them blues. The amount of material you’ve put out over the last 10 days or so should keep me busy for the rest of the year. LOL
Tasha McManus
2020-09-08 23:35:37 +0000 UTCReally good lesson!👍
RobbieD
2020-09-08 00:10:51 +0000 UTC
