Jazz lead sheet · Beginner
12-Bar Blues in B♭
The three-chord blues every jam session starts with: I7, IV7 and V7.
- Composer
- Traditional form
- Form
- 12-bar blues
- Key
- B♭ major
- Style
- Blues
- Length
- 12 bars
BluesB♭ major
I7B♭ Mixolydian
IV7E♭ Mixolydian
I7B♭ Mixolydian
I7B♭ Mixolydian
IV7E♭ Mixolydian
IV7E♭ Mixolydian
I7B♭ Mixolydian
I7B♭ Mixolydian
V7F Mixolydian
IV7E♭ Mixolydian
I7B♭ Mixolydian
V7F Mixolydian
For students
What to notice
- Only three chords: B♭7 (I7), E♭7 (IV7) and F7 (V7). All three are dominant 7th chords, which is the sound of the blues.
- The form is three 4-bar phrases: home, move to IV and back, then V–IV–I to finish.
- The guide tones barely move. D (3rd of B♭7) slides down a half step to D♭ (7th of E♭7), and A♭ (7th of B♭7) slides to G (3rd of E♭7).
Practice plan
Three steps to improvising
- Play roots on beat 1 while the backing loops, so you always know where you are in the 12 bars.
- Arpeggiate each chord 1–3–5–7, then 7–5–3–1.
- Improvise with the B♭ blues scale, then aim for the 3rd of each chord as it arrives.
For teachers
Using this chart in class
- Project the chart with Play along running and loop one section while students find the guide tones.
- Choose Practice → Name the numerals for a whole-class quiz: students vote, then reveal the explanation.
- Mixed ensemble? Print the worksheet once per transposition: B♭, E♭, F and bass clef parts all line up bar for bar.
- Share a link: the key, instrument and view you choose are saved in the address bar.
Chord changes are common performance versions written out by Music Theory Lessons. No melodies or lyrics are reproduced. Names of songs and composers are used only to identify each tune.