In case you need help with mastering that most quintessential of jazz tune structures - the Twelve-Bar Blues - here is a tune that uses the chord progression in its least sophisticated form.
This is 'Shake That Thing' - well worth having in your repertoire. It was written by 'Papa' Charlie Jackson in 1926.
 |
| Born in 1885, Jackson was unusual in creating 'blues' that were played faster and were more humorous than most. |
Play 'Shake That Thing' at a moderately fast speed and if possible have someone singing the words. They are good fun.
There are various sets of possible words. In one of them the first two verses can go something like this:
Down in Georgia there's a dance that's new,
Ain't nothin' to it, it's easy to do.
You gotta shake that thing. [Shake that thing.]
You gotta shake that thing. [Shake that thing.]
I'm growin' tired of tellin' ya,
You gotta shake that thing.
The old folks are doin' it, the young folks too,
The old folks tell the young folks what they gotta do.
They gotta shake that thing. [Shake that thing.]
They gotta shake that thing. [Shake that thing.]
Growing' tired of tellin' ya:
You gotta shake that thing.
You can click on this video to see and hear how effective it can be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPhbe6RwABI
And here's a curiosity - the only 13-BAR blues I can think of. It occurs as the Interlude in Blind Boy Fuller's Untrue Blues. This is essentially an eight-bar tune, but he has two guitar links of 13 bars, which seemed to be based on the 12-bar blues, but with Bar 10 repeated. When Tuba Skinny revived this tune in 2014, they scrupulously followed the original and kept the 13-bar section.
And here's a curiosity - the only 13-BAR blues I can think of. It occurs as the Interlude in Blind Boy Fuller's Untrue Blues. This is essentially an eight-bar tune, but he has two guitar links of 13 bars, which seemed to be based on the 12-bar blues, but with Bar 10 repeated. When Tuba Skinny revived this tune in 2014, they scrupulously followed the original and kept the 13-bar section.
