How to improvise melody in 12 bars blues form

The 12 bar blues is no doubt one of teacher ’s favourite for teaching improvisation to the student. When the students are familiar with the 12 bar bar blues chord progression, we can start to teach them to improvise tune in 12 bar blues form. In my experience it much better the students to give them a direction first on how you approach improvisation then start from blanco.

You can use a framework which i called myself Melody & Rest Techniques. Here is steps I use:

1. Start with teaching the minor pentatonic scale.

The pentatonic scale is a great scale to use for improvise with the blues. The notes in the scale will always sounds good together with the chord in the blues form

The structure of the pentatonic scale is: 1 -3b-4-5-7b-1

The notes in pentatonic scale in C will be : C – Eb – F – G – Bb – C

2. Do a little rhythm clapping games

Before jump to to create the melody. Do some rhythmic imitating games with the students. You can do:

• Clap a rhythmic pattern and ask the student to imitate
• Use one note from the C minor pentatonic scale and play a rhythmic pattern. Then ask them to imitate
• Gradually increase using with some more notes
• Use the left hand too!

3. The framework: Melody and Rest Technique

Introduce the students this framework of creating melody.

1. Bar 1-2: create a melody for two bars
2. Bar 3-4: rest
3. Bar 5-6: play the same melody from the bar 1-2 one more time.
4. Bar 7-8 : rest
5. Bar 9-10 : varies the melody, for ex: adding more notes or rhythm
6. Bar 11-12: rest

Look at the example below:

Start simple with using just 2 or three notes only.

Here is an example:

Here example with using more notes:

More ideas:

1. Transpose & Improvise in other minor pentonic scale. For example in F or G minor pentatonic scale.
2. Students plays the melody and teacher play in the rest bars.. For example: Question – Answer pattern,  Imitation – echoing what the students just created.
3. Play both hands together. Melody in RH en Chord in LH
4. Make a backing track for students to practice at home. I use an app called: IReal Pro to make a backing track.  Garageband and Logic Pro is also a possibility if you are familiar with these software programs.

Have fun improvising!