What is a blues?
BB King defined the blues as "A good man feeln' bad."
Musically, though, what is a blues? I hope some of you will add to this if I miss anything, which I probably will. In order to discuss this, I think it's best we agree on the degrees of the scale. In other words, if we're in C, the "one" (I) is C. The IV is F and the V is G. If you've jammed with blues players, you may have had someone calling the arrival of a chord. (Or is this only an American thing?) So someone calls out the tune, "It's a blues in E." Everyone's playing along, and after a few bars, they call our "four chord!". Why would they do that? Because there are two very common 12-bar blues structures: one is called "quick change":
[ I | IV | I | I |
The other is not, it's just four bars of the tonic (one) chord.
[ I | I | I | I |
So that's already two possible charts in a simple blues blues (as opposed to jazz blues, country blues or blues rock). After those first four bars, the classic blues goes to the four chord for 2 bars, the tonic for another 2, and then a turnaround, usually 4 bars. 4+2+2+4 = 12 or 1+1+2+2+2+1+1
The bare bones version of 12-bar blues is this (with the quick change):
[: I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I :]
From here there are dozens of variations, especially in jazz. Structure wise, 12 bar blues often uses breaks to allow more variety. In jazz many new chords come into play, but the common basic one looks like this:
[: I | IV | I | I7alt | IV | IV7alt | I | VI | V | IV | I VI |II V :]
The altered and sixths may be major or minor. Also, jazz blues is sometimes major seventh, not dominant.
And finally, jazz blues sometimes have a bridge. In conversation, this is called, unsurprisingly, "blues with a bridge") and is often the classic AABA structure, A for the 12 bar blues, B for the bridge. A common bridge used sometimes is a chromatic downward series of chords, or one based on fourths (like rhythm changes).
For example, blues with an 8-bar bridge:
[: I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I ]
[ I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I ]
[ VII | VII | VI | VI | bVI | bVI | V | V ]
[ I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I :]
Here's an example of that:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu8uEkeE3I4
Traneing In is Bb concert, I'll call it out in tenor:
8-bar Intro [: C Bb Ab G :]
A section [: C| C | C | C | F | F | C | C | A | Dm | G |C Am | Dm G :] with many variations in each chorus.
The bridge: [ Bb Bb A A Ab Ab G G ]
And a final A section.
Regardless of all these different ways to play the blues, major, major seventh, minor and substitutions, there is one principle that is pretty much universal: the structure of the main voice, whether the singer or the soloist. From the most basic 12-bar blues to complex jazz versions, it isn't a bunch of random licks strung together, but a coherent series of "statements", which refer to each other. Question and answer, theme and variation, repetition are all tools to make this happen.
There are dozens of possible turnarounds that also add spice to the mix. Some books about jazz blues will furnish the examples past the standard I vi ii V variety.
What else is there to say about blues?
BB King defined the blues as "A good man feeln' bad."
Musically, though, what is a blues? I hope some of you will add to this if I miss anything, which I probably will. In order to discuss this, I think it's best we agree on the degrees of the scale. In other words, if we're in C, the "one" (I) is C. The IV is F and the V is G. If you've jammed with blues players, you may have had someone calling the arrival of a chord. (Or is this only an American thing?) So someone calls out the tune, "It's a blues in E." Everyone's playing along, and after a few bars, they call our "four chord!". Why would they do that? Because there are two very common 12-bar blues structures: one is called "quick change":
[ I | IV | I | I |
The other is not, it's just four bars of the tonic (one) chord.
[ I | I | I | I |
So that's already two possible charts in a simple blues blues (as opposed to jazz blues, country blues or blues rock). After those first four bars, the classic blues goes to the four chord for 2 bars, the tonic for another 2, and then a turnaround, usually 4 bars. 4+2+2+4 = 12 or 1+1+2+2+2+1+1
The bare bones version of 12-bar blues is this (with the quick change):
[: I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I :]
From here there are dozens of variations, especially in jazz. Structure wise, 12 bar blues often uses breaks to allow more variety. In jazz many new chords come into play, but the common basic one looks like this:
[: I | IV | I | I7alt | IV | IV7alt | I | VI | V | IV | I VI |II V :]
The altered and sixths may be major or minor. Also, jazz blues is sometimes major seventh, not dominant.
And finally, jazz blues sometimes have a bridge. In conversation, this is called, unsurprisingly, "blues with a bridge") and is often the classic AABA structure, A for the 12 bar blues, B for the bridge. A common bridge used sometimes is a chromatic downward series of chords, or one based on fourths (like rhythm changes).
For example, blues with an 8-bar bridge:
[: I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I ]
[ I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I ]
[ VII | VII | VI | VI | bVI | bVI | V | V ]
[ I | IV | I | I | IV | IV | I | I | V | IV | I | I :]
Here's an example of that:
Traneing In is Bb concert, I'll call it out in tenor:
8-bar Intro [: C Bb Ab G :]
A section [: C| C | C | C | F | F | C | C | A | Dm | G |C Am | Dm G :] with many variations in each chorus.
The bridge: [ Bb Bb A A Ab Ab G G ]
And a final A section.
Regardless of all these different ways to play the blues, major, major seventh, minor and substitutions, there is one principle that is pretty much universal: the structure of the main voice, whether the singer or the soloist. From the most basic 12-bar blues to complex jazz versions, it isn't a bunch of random licks strung together, but a coherent series of "statements", which refer to each other. Question and answer, theme and variation, repetition are all tools to make this happen.
There are dozens of possible turnarounds that also add spice to the mix. Some books about jazz blues will furnish the examples past the standard I vi ii V variety.
What else is there to say about blues?
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. The beat in a blues song can be different. Surf beat, rock beat (straight) , shuffle (swing).... . You find the "quick change" or "qiuck four" from the first verse or maybe just to be in the second or third .. verse to create some interest? The turn arounds can also change ???
Keep watching.... hubby goes walk about to test his new wireless system but what people don't know is he said he nearly tripped over in the car park lol! 
