Blues in A — quick change
The "quick change" variant of the blues in A: the second bar moves briefly to D7 before returning to A7, while the standard grid stays four full bars on the I. This extra bar of movement is one of the most common changes in the blues repertoire, used in countless songs without the listener noticing, precisely because it's brief and expected. The difficulty isn't the change itself but its speed: a single bar to reach D7 and come back.
Tips
Loop the first two bars in isolation (A7 one bar, D7 one bar, back to A7) until the back-and-forth is automatic.
Compare with blues-la-changement-accords: the rest of the grid is identical, only bar 2 moves — listen for the difference rather than guessing it.
Once it's solid, play both versions back to back: it's the best way to hear what the quick change actually adds.
Chord progression — A
Chords
Suggested next step: Blues in E — double-time shuffle
Related sheets
- String-skip zigzag riff — D# minor (Level 5)
- Blues in G — alternating bass fingerstyle (Level 5)
- Blues in E — alternating bass fingerstyle (Level 5)