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12 Bar Blues For Uke
12 Bar Blues For Uke
IN THE KEY OF A
The basic structure of the blues uses 3 chords, in 12 bars, then repeats.
The 3 chords are those based on the 1st, 4th & 5th notes in the scale of the key
you are playing in.
In practice, the 1st chord is usually played as a standard major chord and as a
seventh chord. The 4th and 5th chords are usually just played as seventh
chords. This gives us four chords:
3 bars of [A]
1 bar of [A7]
2 bars of [D7]
2 bars of [A]
1 bar of [E7]
1 bar of [D7]
1 bar of [A]
or
Easy progression
A / / / A / / / A / / / A7 / / /
D7 / / / D7 / / / A / / / A / / /
E7 / / / D7 / / / A / / / E7 / / /
The more advanced version of this progression uses some new chords:
A6, A7, D6 and D7
Add finger 3 (on the O in the diagram above) to get A6, then add finger 4 (on the square
in the diagram above) to get A7.
Add finger 4 (on the O in the diagram above) to get D6, and then slide into fret 3 (on the
square in the diagram above) to get D7.
A / A6 / A7 / A6 /
A / A6 / A7 / A6 /
D / D6 / D7 / D6 /
A / A6 / A7 / A6 /
E7 / / / D7 / / /
A / / / E7 / / /
The diagram below shows the notes of the blues scale in A, in the first position:
You can play any of these notes, in any order, to create a blues solo in the key of A:
To extend your soloing, you can play the scale higher up the neck. Here (thanks to
UkuTabs.com) are the notes of the blues scale in A all the way up the neck of the Uke:
A turnaround is a small riff that replaces all or part of the 11th and/or 12th bar (the last A bar
and E7 bar) of the 12 bar blues.
Turnaround in A No. 1:
E7
-------------------------------------------------------------------------2-----------------------
T
--------3-----3-----2-----2--------1-----1--------0-----------------0------------------------
A
-------------------------------------------------------------------------2-----------------------
B
-------------------------------------------------------------------------1-----------------------
Turnaround in A No. 2: E7
---------------0-----------0----------- ---0---------------------------2-------------------------
T
--------3------------2---------------1--------------0-----------------0------------------------
A
-------------------------------------------------------------------------2------------------------
B
-------------------------------------------------------------------------1-----------------------
---------------0-------------------0----------------0-----------------------------------2-------
T
--------3-----------3------2------------2---1------------1------0--------------------0-------
A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2-------
B
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1------
The first thing to learn in fingerpicking, is a pattern to play, instead of just strumming the
chords.
You can repeat the simple pattern below instead of strumming any chord. Here it is for the
chord of A:
A --------0--------------|--------0--------------|
E ------------------0----|------------------0----|
C -------------1---------|-------------1---------|
G ---2-------------------|---2-------------------|
T M T I T M T I
Practice this until you can play it smoothly and quickly, while changing chords with your left
hand.
Once you can play the 12 bar blues in A all the way through, picking with the occasional
strum, then you can start to mix it up:
We learnt the blues scale in A earlier. You can replace any of the chord notes you pick,
with the blues scale notes (including all the open strings), from time to time.
Or, you can play a solo, as part of your picking.
Many of them (but not all) following the strict 12 bar blues pattern
[A] Stand and watch the towers burning at the break of day
Steadily slowing down, been on my feet since yesterday
Gotta get a move on tryin to find a man I know
Money in my pocket, looking for a place to go
[A] Standin' at the crossroad, baby, risin' sun goin' down [A7]
[D7] Standin' at the crossroad, baby, risin' sun goin' [A] down
I [E7] believe to my soul, [D7] now, poor Bob is sinkin' [A] down [E7]
You can [A] run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown [A7]
You can [D7] run, you can run, tell my friend [A] Willie Brown
That I got the [E7] crossroad blues this mornin', [D7] Lord, babe, I'm sinkin' [A] down
[E7]
And I [A] went to the crossroad, mama, I looked east and west [A7]
I [D7] went to the crossroad, baby, I looked east and [A] west
Lord, I [E7] didn't have no sweet woman, [D7] ooh well, babe, in my [A] distress [E7]
[A]
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale
Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she got em for [G7] sale
[C] I got a girl, say she [C7] long and tall
She [F] sleeps in the kitchen with her [D7] feets in the hall
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale, I [A7] mean
[D7] Yes, she [G7] got em for [C] sale, yeah
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale
Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she got em for [G7] sale
She got [C] two for a nickel, [C7] got four for a dime
Would [F] sell you more, but they [D7] ain't none of mine
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale, I [A7] mean
[D7] Yes, she [G7] got em for [C] sale, yeah
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale
Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she got em for [G7] sale
(spoken: They're too hot boy!)
[C] The billy got back in a [C7] bumble bee nest
Ever [F] since that he can't [D7] take his rest, yeah
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale, I [A7] mean
[D7] Yes, she [G7] got em for [C] sale, yeah
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale
Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she got em for [G7] sale
[C] You know grandma loves them and [C7] grandpa too
Well I [F] wonder what in the world we [D7] children gonna do, now
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale, I [A7] mean
[D7] Yes, she [G7] got em for [C] sale, yeah
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale
(spoken: They're too hot boy!)
Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she got em for [G7] sale
[C] You know the monkey, the baboon [C7] playin' in the grass
Well the [F] monkey stuck his finger in that [D7] old 'Good Gulf Gas', now
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale, I [A7] mean
[D7] Yes, she [G7] got em for [C] sale, yeah
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale
Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she got em for [G7] sale
[C] I got a girl, say she [C7] long and tall
She [F] sleeps in the kitchen with her [D7] feets in the hall
[C] Hot Ta-[E7]-males and they're [A7] red hot, [D7] yes she [G7] got em for [C] sale, I [A7] mean
[D7] Yes, she [G7] got em for [C] sale, yeah
I'm goin' [A] get up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom [A7]
I'm goin' [D7] get up in the morning, I believe I'll [A] dust my broom
Girl friend, the [E7] man you been lovin', girl [D7] friend, can get my [A] room [E7]
I'm gonna [A] write a letter, telephone every town I know [A7]
I'm gonna [D7] write a letter, telephone every town I [A] know
If I can't [E7] find her in West Helena, she [D7] must be in East Munroe I [A] know
[E7]
I don't [A] want no woman, wants every down town man she meets [A7]
I don't [D7] want no woman, wants every down town man she [A] meets
She's a [E7] no good dony, they shouldn't [D7] 'llow her on the [A] streets [E7]
And I'm [A] gettin' up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom [A7]
And I'm [D7] gettin' up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my [A] broom
Girl friend, the [E7] man you been lovin', girl [D7] friend, can get my [A] room [E7]
[A]
Would [A] you get [D] hip to this kindly [A] tip
And go [D] take that California [A] trip
Get your [E7] kicks on [D] Route [A] 66 [E7]
Would [A] you get [D] hip to this kindly [A] tip
And go [D] take that California [A] trip
Get your [E7] kicks on [D] Route [A] 66
Get your [E7] kicks on [D] Route [A] 66 [E7] [A]
Well, I [A] give you all my money, girl and everything I own
Well, I [D7] give you all my money, girl and everything I [A] own
Well, [E7] some day I'm gonna get lucky,
And [D7] down the road you know I'm [A] goin' [E7]
Well, I [A] give you all my money, pretty girl and everything I own
Well, I [D7] give you all my money, pretty girl and everything I [A] own
Well, [E7] today I'm gonna get lucky,
And [D7] down the road you know I'm [A] goin' [E7]
[A]
[Dm] Let her go, let her [A] go, god [Dm] bless her
Wherever [Bb] she may [A] be, [A7]
She may [Dm] search this [A] wide world [Dm] over,
She'll [Bb] never find a [A] sweet man like [Dm] me.