tookatooka
3627 posts
Feb 18, 2014
11:16 AM
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It was on today at 11:30 and featured interviews with our very own Adam Gussow.
Click here to go to the BBC iPlayer.
"You've heard of the twelve bar - it's time to learn what exactly it is.
It is the DNA of popular music. Three chords played in a set sequence over twelve bars.
The twelve bar is an American invention. It was originally taken up by rural blues musicians. The first commercial example was W.C. Handy's 'St Louis Blues'. Then it became the staple of the New Orleans jazz repertoire, the big bands, Chicago blues . And in the fifties, just about every other pop song was written around the twelve bar chord sequence.
It is also the common ground for musicians who want to get to know each other. You might not know the same songs, but you know a twelve bar, and you jam. It's a musical level playing field.
You might not know it but a lot of very familiar songs are twelve bars. Here are twelve:
Hound Dog
Mustang Sally
Can't Buy Me Love
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Green Onions
Making Your Mind Up
Folsom Prison Blues
Mercy (Duffy)
Stormy Monday
Money
In The Mood
Sweet Home Chicago
Nick Barraclough has played a few twelve bars in his time. In this programme he talks to bluesologists, a couple of jazzers and a banjo player about why the twelve bar works so well. They illustrate what can be done with this simple sequence and how much fun it can be to mess with it.
Producer: John Leonard
A Smooth Operation production for BBC Radio 4." Courtesy of BBC RAdio 4.
Last Edited by tookatooka on Feb 18, 2014 11:17 AM
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Oisin
1075 posts
Feb 19, 2014
12:49 AM
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Just listened to it Tooka...its excellent. Lot of Adam in it and some great playing from him. I especially liked the selection of turnarounds he played, great stuff.
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Oisin
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MindTheGap
281 posts
Feb 19, 2014
12:58 AM
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tookatooka - thanks for this, great to hear it. Just to say that Shaneboylan posted the same thing too! Thanks both.
Once the BBC has identified someone as the go-to guy for some subject or other, they seem to get asked to contribute to many programmes - so please keep the radar on.
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MTG
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SuperBee
1686 posts
Feb 19, 2014
1:22 AM
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I enjoyed the show. i "have to" point out that "folsom" is an 11 bar variation of a 12 bar though...although a lot of people do play it with the extra measure too so it probably doesn't matter...too much..except that i have to mention it it...help...
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