12-Bar Minor Blues Chord Progression
The 12-bar minor blues is the chord progression i7 i7 i7 i7 / iv7 iv7 i7 i7 / bVI7 V7 i7 V7. In the key of C minor it is Cm7 Cm7 Cm7 Cm7 / Fm7 Fm7 Cm7 Cm7 / Ab7 G7 Cm7 G7, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1m(7) 1m(7) 1m(7) 1m(7) / 4m(7) 4m(7) 1m(7) 1m(7) / b6(7) 5(7) 1m(7) 5(7).
It is also known as minor blues.
Chords from outside the key of C minor: Ab7, G7.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
The I and IV of the blues become minor sevenths, and bars 9 and 10 use bVI7 sliding down a half step into V7. The root of bVI comes from natural minor, while the leading tone in V7 comes from harmonic minor. It sounds darker and more serious than the major form.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Thrill Is Gone | B.B. King | verse | Bm | Em Bm | Gmaj7 F#7 Bm | B minor |
| Equinox | John Coltrane | head and solos | C#m7 x4 | F#m7 x2 | C#m7 x2 | A7#11 | G#7 | C#m7 x2 | C# minor |
| As the Years Go Passing By | Albert King / Gary Moore | verse | Cm | Fm Cm | Fm | Cm | G | Ab G Cm | B minor |
| Mr. P.C. | John Coltrane | head and solos | Cm7 x4 | Fm7 x2 | Cm7 x2 | Ab7 | G7 | Cm7 x2 | C minor |
12-Bar Minor Blues Chord Progression: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- Bird blues: Cmaj7 Bm7b5 E7 / Am7 D7 / Gm7 C7 / F7 Fm7 Bb7 / Em7 A7 / Ebm7 Ab7 / Dm7 G7 / C A7 Dm7 G7
- 8-bar blues: C G F F / C G C G
- 16-bar blues: C C C C / C C C C / F F C C / G F C C
- 8-bar blues, Worried Life form: C / C / F / F / C / G / C F / C G
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the 12-bar minor blues in each key?
In C minor: Cm7 Cm7 Cm7 Cm7 Fm7 Fm7 Cm7 Cm7 Ab7 G7 Cm7 G7. In G minor: Gm7 Gm7 Gm7 Gm7 Cm7 Cm7 Gm7 Gm7 Eb7 D7 Gm7 D7. In D minor: Dm7 Dm7 Dm7 Dm7 Gm7 Gm7 Dm7 Dm7 Bb7 A7 Dm7 A7. In A minor: Am7 Am7 Am7 Am7 Dm7 Dm7 Am7 Am7 F7 E7 Am7 E7. In E minor: Em7 Em7 Em7 Em7 Am7 Am7 Em7 Em7 C7 B7 Em7 B7.
Which songs use the 12-bar minor blues?
Songs that use it include The Thrill Is Gone by B.B. King, Equinox by John Coltrane, As the Years Go Passing By by Albert King / Gary Moore.
