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E A D G B E
Capo

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Fret numbers counted
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Progression

The 12-bar blues in Eb major

12-bar blues in Eb major plays Eb7, Ab7 and Bb7 — I, IV and V — across 12 chords. The foundation of blues, rock and roll, and a huge share of popular music since the 1950s: three dominant seventh chords, one per scale degree, played in a fixed twelve-bar form.

The chords, in order

Bar 1Eb7I
Bar 2Ab7IV
Bar 3Eb7I
Bar 4Eb7I
Bar 5Ab7IV
Bar 6Ab7IV
Bar 7Eb7I
Bar 8Eb7I
Bar 9Bb7V
Bar 10Ab7IV
Bar 11Eb7I
Bar 12Bb7V

The shapes

IEb7
Eb dominant seventh, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, muted, fret 1, fret 3, fret 2, fret 3. Frets are relative to the capo.
xx1323IVAb7
Ab dominant seventh, position 4, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 4, fret 6, fret 4, fret 5, fret 4, fret 4. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 4, strings 1 to 6.4fr
464544VBb7
Bb dominant seventh, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 1, fret 3, fret 1, fret 3, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 1, strings 2 to 6.
x13131

The same progression in a nearby key

Open 12-bar blues in Eb major in the explorer →All seven chords in Eb major →