Blues in D — chord change
The 12-bar blues grid in D (D7-G7-A7, structure I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-V): the same shape as the catalogue's very first blues in E, transposed to D. The three chords remain open dominant sevenths, but their shapes on the neck differ from those in E — the point of this sheet is precisely to check that the grid is understood as a structure of degrees, not as a sequence of shapes memorised in a single key.
Tips
Count the twelve bars out loud before playing, spotting where the changes fall (bars 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12): the structure should be known by heart before adding the chords to it.
If you already know the grid in E, compare the two: the reference pattern is the same (I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-V), only the chords themselves change.
Move from one chord to the next keeping a slow but steady tempo: on a blues grid, a hesitant tempo stands out more than a slightly imprecise chord.
Chord progression — D
Chords
Related sheets
- Blues in E — arpeggios (Level 3)
- Blues in A — chord changes (Level 3)
- Full round trip riff — A minor (Level 3)