(Objective 5- Production of Guide) 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression

The 12 bar Blues chord progression has been included as it is an intregral part of the Blues. 'The blues is traditionally based on a twelve-bar sequence'. (Alldis 2003 P27) This part of the chapter has two aims: The user should be able to apply a rudimentary left-hand accompaniment, The 12 bar sequence is extending the length of the improvisation. Prior to this it has been 8 bars. Furthermore, because of the different chords used there is greater compositional quality. ' In the last example we can hear that through using chords IV and V momentum is created. It also comes to an effective conclusion by using the tonic chord for the last two bars. This is reflected by the increasingly lower notes and the diminuendo.' (From my resource)

I begin by notating the left-hand accompaniment in isolation. From researching classical piano literature, it was shown that classical pianists would likely be familiar with dominant 7th chords. I have therefore taken this familiar concept and adapted it so that, in each chord, the fifth has been omitted. This is becuase it is common practice to omit certain notes from chords. The analysis of transcriptions revealed this. Following this, what the user has just learnt is presented again with a C blues improvisation in the right hand. This builds on the sense of contour which has already been included prior to this. After this, the user is then asked to improvise. The first two bars have been notated and the dynamics kept the same as the last example. This is intended to aid the development of contour. For example, in the previous example, as the notes acsended and descended, the dynamics followed this.

Finally, grace notes are included. This is a typical characteristic of blues improvisation. (For example see Alldis 2003 P35) It is again a concept that classical pianists would likely be highly familiar with. I have stated that 'Grace notes can be used effectively when using the blues scale to improvise. The sound they produce is a key characteristic of Blues Improvisation. These can work particularly well when the grace note precedes a note a semi-tone higher.
The next example uses the G blues scale. There are two examples of a Db, (The bV note of the scale) preceding a D natural. (The V note of the scale)'