12-Bar Blues
I – I – I – I | IV – IV – I – I | V – IV – I – V
The defining 12-bar harmonic form. Foundation of blues, rock & roll, jazz, and most popular music in the 20th century.
Voicings in common keys
C blues:C7F7G7
G blues:G7C7D7
A blues:A7D7E7
E blues:E7A7B7
When you hear this
Every chord is a dominant 7th — that's what gives blues its tension. Examples: "Hound Dog", "Johnny B. Goode", most early rock & roll.
Songs that use this progression
Songs in our catalog whose chord set contains all chords from one of the key realizations above. Sorted by popularity.
YAKETY SAX
Boots Randolph
MediumKey G150 BPM
CANDYMAN
Christina Aguilera
MediumKey E168 BPM
HEAVEN, HEARTACHE AND THE POWER OF LOVE
Trisha Yearwood
MediumKey E100 BPM
ALL JACKED UP
Gretchen Wilson
MediumKey G135 BPM
RESPECT
Aretha Franklin
MediumKey C118 BPM
SON-OF-A-PREACHER MAN
Linda Eder
MediumKey E100 BPM
PICK UP OFF THE FLOOR
Mika
EasyKey A108 BPM
BABY, I LOVE YOU
Aretha Franklin
MediumKey G92 BPM
TINY BUBBLES
Don Ho
BeginnerKey Bb100 BPM
COLD, COLD HEART
Norah Jones
MediumKey A104 BPM
CROSS ROAD BLUES
Robert Johnson
EasyKey C100 BPM
DON'T ROCK THE JUKEBOX
Alan Jackson
EasyKey G126 BPM
FIRECRACKER
Josh Turner
MediumKey C162 BPM
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
Elvis Presley
MediumKey E100 BPM
SWEET HOME CHICAGO
Robert Johnson
MediumKey G90 BPM
GOT TO GIVE IT UP
Marvin Gaye
MediumKey A108 BPM
MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS
Dean Martin
EasyKey Bb160 BPM
YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM
Jim Croce
MediumKey E145 BPM
I SAW HER STANDING THERE
The Beatles
MediumKey E140 BPM
KISS
Prince
MediumKey A130 BPM
BEFORE YOU ACCUSE ME
Eric Clapton
MediumKey E120 BPM
RED HOUSE
Jimi Hendrix
MediumKey A66 BPM
SOME DAYS YOU GOTTA DANCE
The Chicks
MediumKey E150 BPM
THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE
The Casinos
EasyKey Bb72 BPM
Other progressions to learn
I–V–vi–IV ("Axis of Awesome")vi–IV–I–V (Sensitive Female Progression)I–IV–V (Three-Chord Classic)ii–V–I (Jazz Cadence)I–vi–IV–V (Doo-Wop / "50s Progression")Canon Progression (Pachelbel)Andalusian CadenceRoyal Road Progression (IV–V–iii–vi)i–III–IV–VI ("House of the Rising Sun")I–vi–ii–V (Jazz "Rhythm Changes" Turnaround)I–IV–I–V (Country Two-Step)