Blues Progression Chart

The basic 12 bar Blues Progression is:

4 measures of the I chord

2 measures of the IV chord

2 measures of the I chord

1 measure of the V chord

1 measure of the IV chord

2 measures of the I chord

It is very common to replace the last measure of the I chord with a V chord if the progression is going to be repeated. This last measure is called a turnaround.

The advantage of knowing the Roman Numerals is that you can apply the blues to any key.