Basic Patterns
As a competent rhythm guitarist you will need to be able to play the 12 Bar Blues progression in any key. From the last lesson, the chords to be used for 12 bar are the I, IV and V. As bar chords, these chords form definite patterns on the fretboard, which can be moved up and down, enabling you to play in any key. (This process of changing keys is called transposition*).
Consider a blues in G, using all root 6 bar chords. The three chords, G, C and D (I, IV, and V) are found at the 3rd, 8th and 10th frets respectively. The pattern formed by these chords can be summarized thus:
Blues Pattern No. 1
This pattern is most convenient for the keys of E, F, Gb , G, Ab and A.
Another basic pattern involves the use of both root 6 and root 5 bar chords. Using the key of G as an example once again, the three chords, G, C and D are located at the 3rd, 3rd and 5th frets respectively (see last lesson’s blues). The basic pattern for these chords is illustrated in Blues Pattern No. 2.
* See Appendix 3.
Blues Pattern No. 2 (using root 6 and root 5 bar chords)
This pattern is most convenient for the keys between F and C.
By using basic patterns such as these, you will only need to locate the root 6 position of the I chord in order to play the whole 12 bar progression.
Practice playing 12 bar as much as possible, using the 2 patterns so far described (you will be working in the keys of E to C). This is an ideal opportunity to revise all rhythms studied to date.
