Jazz lead sheet · Beginner
12-Bar Blues in G
A bright guitar-friendly blues where the V chord pulls strongly back home.
- Composer
- Traditional form
- Form
- 12-bar blues
- Key
- G major
- Style
- Blues
- Length
- 12 bars
BluesG major
I7G Mixolydian
IV7C Mixolydian
I7G Mixolydian
I7G Mixolydian
IV7C Mixolydian
IV7C Mixolydian
I7G Mixolydian
I7G Mixolydian
V7D Mixolydian
IV7C Mixolydian
I7G Mixolydian
V7D Mixolydian
For students
What to notice
- The chords are G7 (I7), C7 (IV7) and D7 (V7).
- C and G are close on the guitar, so the IV chord is easy to reach from the tonic.
- D7 in bar 9 starts the turn home, and the same V7 closes the form.
Practice plan
Three steps to improvising
- Play roots and let each chord ring for a full bar.
- Play the guide tones and notice B (3rd of G7) fall to B♭ (7th of C7).
- Improvise with the G blues scale, then add B natural over G7 for the dominant colour.
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.