Popular

12 Bar Blues

12 bar blues is one of the most popular chord progressions and is most notably used in blues songs but, since most popular music today came from the blues, is also widely used in other genres of music. The more you get used to the 12 bar blues progression you’ll also find that many other rock and pop progressions have their foundation built on it even though they differ slightly.

The Progression

Here is the 12 bar blues progression.

12 Bar Blues with Numerals

32 Bar Form (AABA)

The AABA form was style-defining for the popular music of the United States. It is the basic form of most of the so-called Tin Pan Alley songs.

Tin Pan Alley was the nickname of the 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan New York. Between ca. 1895 and 1930, a majority of music publishers were settled in this district and responsible for the flourish of the American popular song during that time.

Many songwriters and composers worked for these publishers. The songs were published as sheet music, the base for an essential part of the Jazz standard repertoire.

THEORY OF AABA OR THIRTY-TWO-BAR FORM

Many of the so-called jazz standards (and thousands of more tunes) are written in the AABA form.

The AABA form usually consists of 32 bars.

These 32 bars are divided in four 8 bar sections: Two A sections or verses, a B section or “Bridge” (also: middle eight) and another A section or verse:

A – 8 bars

A – 8 bars

B – 8 bars

A – 8 bars

The first two A sections (A1 and A2) are verses with similar chords and a similar melody, while the lyrics may change.

The following bridge builds a contrast to the A sections using different chords, a different melody and different lyrics, before it is transitioning to another A.

This last A section (A3) repeats the first two A's with similar chords and a similar melody. The lyrics may be different or one verse may be repeated.

Pop Song Structure

Most songs are made up of of three different sections: Verse, Chorus, and Bridge. Many hit songs have the form: Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Chorus.

Here’s how the sections work together:

CHORUS: The chorus has the same melody AND the same lyric each time we hear it. The lyrics sums up the emotional heart of the song. It’s the section that listeners will remember and want to hear again and again. Be sure to include your title in your chorus so listeners know what to call your song. The title is often in the first or last line, sometimes both.

VERSE: The verses all have the same melody but different lyrics. A verse takes us deeper into the feelings or situation that created the feelings in the chorus. Because the chorus is repeated three or more times, you can keep it interesting by giving listeners more information in each verse – something that reveals more about the chorus and deepens our feelings or understanding of it.

BRIDGE: The bridge has a different melody and lyric from any other section. It often provides a peak moment or a turning point in the song. You can use the bridge to reveal something hidden or add a twist or just come right out and say what you feel instead of expressing it in images.

PRE-CHORUS: Sometimes there’s a short section at the end of the verse which creates anticipation going into the chorus.

HOOK: The “hook” is the most memorable line in the song. It’s in the chorus and it’s often the line with the title in it – the first or last line of the chorus.

Verse-Chorus