Founder and Piano teacher
The blues has a magnetic pull. That cool, driving sound that’s both melancholic and full of energy – who wouldn’t want to play that on the piano? But where do you start? Don’t worry, getting started is easier than you think.
Every great blues song follows a brilliant secret: the 12‑bar blues pattern. It’s a simple yet incredibly powerful formula that sits at the heart of the genre. We’ll decode this formula for you, show you the 3 most important chords, and how to get going straight away with simple figures for the left and right hands. Let’s go.
Table of contents
In general: Classic blues is built on just three simple chords and a recurring 12‑bar form, which makes it ideal for beginners.
Important: The typical blues sound comes from the groovy interplay of a rhythmic bass figure in the left hand and melodic elements in the right.
Tip: Memorise the form and the chords first. Once the sequence is solid, you can focus entirely on the groove and the feel when you play.
When you think of blues, you might picture slow, sad music. But that’s only one side. Jimi Hendrix said it best: “Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel.” The structure is easy to learn, but the real magic lies in the feel, the groove and the freedom to improvise. Once you’ve mastered the basics of learning the piano, the blues opens up a whole new world of creative playing.
Imagine sitting at the piano, your fingers gliding effortlessly across the keys as you play melodies that move your heart. With music2me, you can learn piano at your own pace – step by step with a system that truly helps you progress, whether you’re a beginner or already advanced.
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To accompany 99% of all blues songs, you only need 3 blues chords (basic harmonic function). In blues we use so‑called dominant seventh chords, which create that typically “gritty” and tense sound. For a simple blues in C major, these are:
C7 (degree I – the tonic): C – E – G – B♭
F7 (degree IV – the subdominant): F – A – C – E♭
G7 (degree V – the dominant): G – B – D – F
Tip: To begin with, it’s often enough to play just the root, the third and the minor seventh (e.g. C – E – B♭ for C7). It’s easier to play and already sounds very authentic.
The 12‑bar blues form is the structure into which we place our three chords. It’s a set sequence spanning 12 bars that then simply starts again from the top.
The most common form looks like this (each cell is one bar):
C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 | ||||
G7 | F7 | C7 | G7 |
First, play these chords as semibreves to get a feel for the flow and the changes in sound.
Let’s start with a simple, driving left‑hand pattern to keep the pulse steady, then layer in right‑hand chords and call‑and‑response licks. Step by step you’ll hear how both hands lock into the classic 12‑bar feel.
Now let’s bring it to life. In blues, the left hand is responsible for rhythm and the foundation. One of the best‑known and simplest patterns is the boogie‑woogie bass line.
How to play it for the C7 chord:
Play the root C together with the fifth G.
Then play the root C together with the sixth A.
Switch rhythmically back and forth between these two shapes.
Apply the same pattern to the other chords:
For F7: Alternate between (F+C) and (F+D).
For G7: Alternate between (G+D) and (G+E).
Practise this figure for each chord on its own until it feels relaxed and smooth. Then play the bass figures along the 12‑bar form. That’s your foundation.
While the left hand holds the groove, the right hand can play melodies and accents. To start, you don’t need complicated solos. Simple two-note chords (thirds) already sound great.
Simple option: Play the full chords (C7, F7, G7) rhythmically with it. For example, as simple crotchets on each beat.
Bluesy option: Play simple licks (short melodic phrases). A classic C‑blues lick alternates between the notes G, B♭ and C. Try playing these over your bass figure.
When you feel more confident, you can use the blues scale to invent short melodies. The C blues scale consists of the notes: C – E♭ – F – F# – G – B♭. Just experiment with what sounds good.
As you can see, getting started with blues on piano isn’t rocket science. With the three basic chords, the 12‑bar form and a simple bass pattern, you already have everything you need for countless hours of music and creativity.
The most important tip is: have fun and don’t be afraid to experiment. Blues thrives on personality and feel. Play with the rhythm, try notes from the blues scale and find your own sound. With our courses at music2me, we’ll support you every step of the way.
Yes, absolutely. That’s the brilliant thing about the I–IV–V formula. You just need to find the corresponding chords for the key you’re in. In G major, the I, IV and V would be G7, C7 and D7, for example.
Definitely. The form is the basis of early rock ’n’ roll (e.g. Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley) and appears in adapted form in countless pop, country and jazz songs.
A quick change (or quick‑to‑four) is a popular variation where the second bar already moves to degree IV (the subdominant) before returning to degree I in bar 3. It adds more movement to the first four bars.
The turnaround refers to the last two (or sometimes four) bars of the form. It usually includes the dominant (V) and creates a tension that resolves back to the tonic (I) at the start of the next chorus. It signals: “Heads up, we’re back to the beginning.”
The 12‑bar blues is the best‑known form, but there are also many blues songs that use an 8‑bar pattern. The basic principle with the three primary chords often stays the same.
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