You may not know the 12-bar blues progression by name, but you’ve most certainly heard it in action. The foundation of iconic songs like “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard, “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin and “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry, this all-important blues pattern has cemented itself as one of the most important tropes in music. 

Ready to get down with some blues? We’re calling on all harmonica players to grab their harp and watch ArtistWorks harmonica master Howard Levy’s lesson on this fundamental chord progression.

The 12-bar blues line is made up of 3 chords — the I, the IV and the V — and comes out to 12 bars long. “These are the three basic chords of the blues,” says Howard. “There are an amazing amount of tunes that use this chord progression.” Check out Howard’s video lesson below on this all-important harmonica technique.