a section of music where the melodic ideas are made up on the spot

the different sections within a piece of music or how these sections are organised into phrases

a short musical idea that recurs throughout a piece of music

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Went Out for Tea Audio

My Kettle Climbed the Three Peaks Audio

British English CC

This is How We Play the 12-Bar Blues Audio

'Try' Backing Track

This is How We Play the 12-Bar Blues Over the 12-Bar Blues Audio

Improvisation Audio

Blues Scale Example 1 Video

Blues Scale Example 2 Video

Blues Scale Example 3 Video

Motif Improvisation Audio

Start With the Motif Video

Notes in a Sequence Video

Make the Motif More Complex Video

Semibreve Chords Improvisation Video

Boogie-Woogie Pattern Improvisation Video

Building an improvisation

Music

Blues music and the 12-bar blues

The role of the instruments and the bass pattern

Boogie-woogie

The blues scale

Creating an idiomatic blues performance

In this unit, pupils learn about the 12-bar blues, the stylistic and musical features of blues music and the role of the instruments in a blues ensemble. They develop an extended improvisation and build a stylistic blues performance.

The 12-bar blues

A {{}} is a short musical idea that often recurs throughout a piece of music.

Improvisation in blues music uses the {{}} scale.

How many bars is a typical blues improvisation structured around?

In most blues improvisations on the keyboard, which hand plays the improvisation?

Which of these notes is the odd one out? C Eb F Gb G A Bb

What musical symbol means the note is lowered by a semitone?

What name is given to the set of notes that gives blues its unique sound?

Which of these notes are in the C blues scale?

Which part of the hand should play the root note of the scale?

Which word means to create music or a musical idea in the moment?

Building an improvisation

Lesson outcome