The 12-bar blues is a chord progression every musician knows. Bass players have a stock walking line that fits over it, played for the last hundred years in every blues song.
The progression in A
| A | A | A | A |
| D | D | A | A |
| E | D | A | E |
Twelve bars. A for four, D for two, A for two, E for one, D for one, A for one, E for one (the turnaround back to the top).
The walking line: 1-3-5-6 (and back down)
For each chord, walk up: root, 3rd, 5th, 6th, then back down: 6, 5, 3, 1.
For A (the I chord):
- A (A string, fret 0)
- C# (A string, fret 4)
- E (D string, fret 2)
- F# (D string, fret 4)
- E (D string, fret 2)
- C# (A string, fret 4)
- A (A string, fret 0)
For D (the IV chord), same pattern starting on D:
- D (D string, fret 0)
- F# (D string, fret 4)
- A (G string, fret 2)
- B (G string, fret 4)
- A (G string, fret 2)
- F# (D string, fret 4)
- D (D string, fret 0)
For E (the V chord), starting on E:
- E (E string, fret 0)
- G# (E string, fret 4)
- B (A string, fret 2)
- C# (A string, fret 4)
- B (A string, fret 2)
- G# (E string, fret 4)
- E (E string, fret 0)
Drill the I chord first
90 BPM. Loop just the A chord walking line for two minutes. Then add D for two minutes. Then E. Once each chord feels natural, play all 12 bars.
The eighth-note version
The basic version plays one note per beat. The classic blues version doubles up to eighth notes:
beat: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
note: A A C# C# E E F# F#
This is the swung "boom-boom-boom-boom" walking line that every blues bassist plays in their sleep.
In other keys
The progression and the walking line move together. In G blues: G/G/G/G | C/C/G/G | D/C/G/D. Walking line uses the same 1-3-5-6 from each chord's root.
Next: modal bass. Playing in Dorian mode for funk and fusion.