How is blues music structure

Experiment with different key signatures until you find one that fits. For example, in the key of C major, you only need to use chords C, F, and G. A common bar blues song will use chords 1, 4, 5, and 1 again for each line of the verse. For more tips, including how to record and share your blues song, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.

Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Familiarize yourself with iconic blues music. The best way to understand the blues is to listen to it and absorb yourself in it.

Simply listening gives you a basic understanding of the structure, emotion, and overall sound. Take some time to relax and listen to a handful of different artists, jotting down notes when you hear something you feel inspired by. Get a pen and paper and start making a list of every concept, perspective, or potential lyric that pops into your head. Remember that blues music is raw and full of emotion, so let yourself feel every thought that comes to mind.

The key here is not getting tied up in perfection. This is just creative brainstorming meant to get ideas flowing that will later lead to your perfect song.

Let ideas brew for a while. Choose your topic. It should be something you feel passionate about and can relate to in some way or another. You want your music to feel and sound believable. Establish your meter. Blues music has a three-line verse structure where the second line repeats the first - A A B.

In the first line state the problem. Table of Contents. Written by Dan Farrant. Dan Farrant, the founder of Hello Music Theory, has been teaching music for over 10 years helping thousands of students unlock the joy of music. Since then he's been working to make music theory easy for over 1 million students in over 80 countries around the world.

Sign up for our Newsletter. Popular Pages. You need to memorize and completely internalize this sequence of chords. In the beginning you may have to really concentrate on the changes. You should be able to do this by yourself with a metronome and never miss a chord. To use the many interactive features of StudyBass, please enable javascript. The Bar Blues Form.

What is the Blues Form? The Bar Blues Form The most common form of the blues is a bar pattern of chord changes. The bar blues sequence is the most used chord progression in blues music. The sequence orientates around the tonic, subdominant and dominant chords of the key signature. It is also common practice to fit riffs around the chord changes.