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E A D G B E
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Progression

The 12-bar blues in F major

12-bar blues in F major plays F7, Bb7 and C7 — 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 1F7I
Bar 2Bb7IV
Bar 3F7I
Bar 4F7I
Bar 5Bb7IV
Bar 6Bb7IV
Bar 7F7I
Bar 8F7I
Bar 9C7V
Bar 10Bb7IV
Bar 11F7I
Bar 12C7V

The shapes

IF7
F dominant seventh, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 1, fret 3, fret 1, fret 2, fret 1, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 1, strings 1 to 6.
131211IVBb7
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.
x13131VC7
C dominant seventh, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: open, fret 1, fret 2, open, fret 1, open. Frets are relative to the capo.
012010

The same progression in a nearby key

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