Chord progression · major keys

The 12 bar blues progression in all 12 keys

Three dominant seventh chords over twelve bars. Even the tonic is a dominant seventh, so home itself has an edge, and that is the sound of the blues. Also called "twelve bar blues" and "blues progression".

How it moves, in C major

C7I7
C7I7
C7I7
C7I7
F7IV7
F7IV7
C7I7
C7I7
G7V7
F7IV7
C7I7
G7V7

C7 to C7Every voice held.
C7 to F71 voice holds, 3 move, 7 semitones of motion in all.
F7 to F7Every voice held.
F7 to C71 voice holds, 3 move, 7 semitones of motion in all.
C7 to G71 voice holds, 3 move, 7 semitones of motion in all.
G7 to F70 voices hold, 4 move, 7 semitones of motion in all.

It ends on a half cadence.

In every major key

C major
1. C7
2. C7
3. C7
4. C7
5. F7
6. F7
7. C7
8. C7
9. G7
10. F7
11. C7
12. G7
G major
1. G7
2. G7
3. G7
4. G7
5. C7
6. C7
7. G7
8. G7
9. D7
10. C7
11. G7
12. D7
D major
1. D7
2. D7
3. D7
4. D7
5. G7
6. G7
7. D7
8. D7
9. A7
10. G7
11. D7
12. A7
A major
1. A7
2. A7
3. A7
4. A7
5. D7
6. D7
7. A7
8. A7
9. E7
10. D7
11. A7
12. E7
E major
1. E7
2. E7
3. E7
4. E7
5. A7
6. A7
7. E7
8. E7
9. B7
10. A7
11. E7
12. B7
B major
1. B7
2. B7
3. B7
4. B7
5. E7
6. E7
7. B7
8. B7
10. E7
11. B7
5. B7
6. B7
10. B7
9. F7
12. F7
F major
1. F7
2. F7
3. F7
4. F7
7. F7
8. F7
9. C7
11. F7
12. C7

Tonalia for iPhone

Learn this by ear, five minutes a day

Daily lessons where every question plays before you answer it. Section 1 is free forever. Tonalia is in beta; join the waitlist for one email when it is on the App Store.