A blues chorus

The plan for the chorus

Twelve bars, four phrases, like the four lines of a verse:

Write your chorus

Grab a sheet of paper, or the tab from this step’s demos: for each line of the plan, pick a specific phrase. You can reuse the phrases from the lessons as they are:

e|-----------|
B|-------5---|
G|---5h6---6-|
D|-7---------|
A|-----------|
E|-----------|

e|-----------|
B|-----5/7---|
G|---7-----7-|
D|-7---------|
A|-----------|
E|-----------|

e|--------------|
B|--------------|
G|-5-7-8-7-5----|
D|-----------7~-|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

e|---------|
B|-5-------|
G|---7-4---|
D|-------6-|
A|---------|
E|---------|

e|-5-5-5-5---0-|
B|-----------0-|
G|-8-7-6-5---1-|
D|-----------0-|
A|---------0-2-|
E|-----------0-|

Then change them: alter a rhythm, add a bend, move a phrase to position 2. This chorus becomes yours. Play it until you know it by heart.

Play it over the progression

Start at 70. Let every phrase breathe: there’s more room in twelve bars than it seems.

Then improvise on the same plan

1. Chorus 1: your written chorus, exactly as is.
2. Chorus 2: the same plan, different phrases. Keep only the target notes and the turnaround.
3. Chorus 3: move up to position 2 or 3 for intensity, and end on a held A, with vibrato, in bar 11.

To end the tune, replace the turnaround in the last chorus with a long A: the progression stops on A7.

You’ve got it when…

• You can play your written 12-bar chorus by heart, at 70
• You improvise three choruses following the plan, without stopping
• You end the last chorus on the tonic