need HELP with Blues progressions, 12 bar blues

[Yazzman]

I got a simple question which I have difficulty finding an answer for. The question is easy, just takes a while to explain. I know 12 bar blues, now lets take a common example:

I-I-I-I
IV-IV-I-I
V-IV-I-I

when it says 12 bar blues in C, is that the major scale? I have seen plenty of sites that show the I-IV-V progressions as C F and G, but thats major right? Do they mean take the root, third and fifth from the BLUES SCALE, or major scale??

Basically I know all the blues scales, BUT WEBSITES MAKE NO MENTION OF USING THE ACTUAL BLUES SCALES FOR 12 BAR BLUES, it just says the chords as A B C D E etc, no mention of blues!!

SO CAN I DO 12 BAR BLUES WITHOUT ACTUALLY USING A SINGLE BLUES SCALE?? When do I actually use a blues scale? And Hwow would I incorporate a blues scale if I wanted to, just take the root,3rd,5th from the scale? What is the common approach?

THANKS and sorry for the lengthy question!!

[warnergt]

12-bar blues in C means the root of the I chord is C.

12-bar blues is not in any particular scale. It disposes the principle of playing notes within a scale (diatonic harmony). Instead, it plays similar chords (e.g. dominant 7's) at all the chord progressions (I-IV-V). This causes the notes to go outside of any particular scale (except chromatic scale, of course).

[Yazzman]

So can I have a keyboardist lay down I-IV-V in C major scale, and then I play say saxophone or bass with the C blues scale and not the C major scale, will that sound right. It seems that according to my keyboard book, I can do this...?

[69nites]

The I IV V intervals are relative to the major scale.

the fact that the romannumerals are capital means that the chord to be played is major. just in case you wanted to stray away from roots

I generally use scale tones in passing between chords.

the blues note is a flat 5th and basically creates the blues feel. I highly suggest using it.

as far as your second post doing this will help you starting to hear how to use the scale.

if you were doing scale based writing you would play lines based on major blues scales of the I IV V root notes.

[Yazzman]

How do I play blues on keyboard, lets say I use C blues...C - Eb - F - Gb - G - Bb - C, if the 'IV' chord for C major(CdeFgAb) is F A C, would the 'IV' chord for C blues be Gb-Bb-C?

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Yazzman

would the 'IV' chord for C blues be Gb-Bb-C?

No...CDEFGABC. 1-4-5
Think about it...C to Gb = a Flat 5. Count on your fingers from C to G...it's all 5 fingers, right?


What warnergt said-
"12-bar blues is not in any particular scale. It disposes the principle of playing notes within a scale (diatonic harmony). Instead, it plays similar chords (e.g. dominant 7's) at all the chord progressions (I-IV-V). This causes the notes to go outside of any particular scale (except chromatic scale, of course)".

...and 69er-
"The I IV V intervals are relative to the major scale".

Originally Posted by Yazzman

So can I have a keyboardist lay down I-IV-V in C major scale, and then I play say saxophone or bass with the C blues scale and not the C major scale, will that sound right.

Maybe...that part of what makes a Blues sound like a Blues.
You will hear Blues/Rock bass figures use the Root, b3, & b7 while the guitarist uses Dominant 7th or 9th chords.
Sometimes, if the guitarist is really 'cool'...he will be ambiguous with his voicings so you can't tell what's really goin' on.

[bigthemat]

stop trusting websites. get a good teacher.