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Meaning of 12 Bar Blues & letting the bass walk


ImThatGuyToo

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Something has been plaguing me as I descend deeper and deeper into the world of blues. I have been taking 12 bar blues and walking bass lines for granted, as I'm sure many of you have. I want to know who we can credit for these indespensible attributes to Blues. Who's idea was it to let his bass walk, and who's idea was it that blues was meant to have 12 bars? Please shed some light on this issue for me! Thanks.

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Twelve bar blues only indicates that there are 12 beats to a bar in a very simple chord progression of three chords. It is called a I, IV, V chord progression. For example, Johhny B. Goode is your basic 12 bar blues in the key of A. Crossorads by Cream, however, is the same three chords(A, D, and E) but is considered a 16 bar blues. Listen for the changes...they don't follow the same pattern. As to who invented it...good luck but it seems to me like it is basic music theory.

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