What chords are in the Minor 12-bar blues in A minor?

In A minor the Minor 12-bar blues is Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Dm7 – Dm7 – Am7 – Am7 – E7 – Dm7 – Am7 – E7. The same numerals give Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Am7 – Am7 – Em7 – Em7 – B7 – Am7 – Em7 – B7 in E minor; the table above lists all twelve keys.

What songs use the Minor 12-bar blues?

"The Thrill Is Gone" by B.B. King and "Equinox" by John Coltrane are built on it, at least in the section each is known for.

Minor 12-bar blues — Chords in Every Key, Songs & How It Works

StyleKeyInstrumentTempo100 BPMLoop

Minor 12-bar blues
i7 – i7 – i7 – i7 – iv7 – iv7 – i7 – i7 – V7 – iv7 – i7 – V7
1. Cm7
2. Cm7
3. Cm7
4. Cm7
5. Fm7
6. Fm7
7. Cm7
8. Cm7
9. G7
10. Fm7
11. Cm7
12. G7
in C minor · 4 beats per chord
Used in: The Thrill Is Gone (B.B. King) · Equinox (John Coltrane)
12-bar blues
I7 – I7 – I7 – I7 – IV7 – IV7 – I7 – I7 – V7 – IV7 – I7 – V7
1. C7
2. C7
3. C7
4. C7
5. F7
6. F7
7. C7
8. C7
9. G7
10. F7
11. C7
12. G7
in C major · 4 beats per chord
Used in: Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry) · Hound Dog (Elvis Presley) · Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson)
Chords in every key →
8-bar blues
I7 – V7 – IV7 – IV7 – I7 – V7 – I7 – V7
1. C7
2. G7
3. F7
4. F7
5. C7
6. G7
7. C7
8. G7
in C major · 4 beats per chord
Used in: Key to the Highway (Big Bill Broonzy)
Chords in every key →

Samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)

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Minor 12-bar blues — how it works

The Minor 12-bar blues keeps the twelve-bar form but puts the tonic and subdominant in minor, leaving only the V as a dominant seventh, which makes it brooding and soulful rather than rowdy.

Each chord lasts 4 beats, so one pass of the 12 chords is 12 bars of 4/4.

In A minor the chords are Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Dm7 – Dm7 – Am7 – Am7 – E7 – Dm7 – Am7 – E7; in E minor they are Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Am7 – Am7 – Em7 – Em7 – B7 – Am7 – Em7 – B7. Press play above to hear the progression, then pick the key that fits your voice or your song and set the tempo you want to practise at.

The Minor 12-bar blues in every key

The numerals stay the same; only the chords change. Find your key below, or pick it in the player above to hear it.

Key	Chords
C minor	Cm7 – Cm7 – Cm7 – Cm7 – Fm7 – Fm7 – Cm7 – Cm7 – G7 – Fm7 – Cm7 – G7
C♯ minor	C♯m7 – C♯m7 – C♯m7 – C♯m7 – F♯m7 – F♯m7 – C♯m7 – C♯m7 – G♯7 – F♯m7 – C♯m7 – G♯7
D minor	Dm7 – Dm7 – Dm7 – Dm7 – Gm7 – Gm7 – Dm7 – Dm7 – A7 – Gm7 – Dm7 – A7
D♯ minor	D♯m7 – D♯m7 – D♯m7 – D♯m7 – G♯m7 – G♯m7 – D♯m7 – D♯m7 – A♯7 – G♯m7 – D♯m7 – A♯7
E minor	Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Am7 – Am7 – Em7 – Em7 – B7 – Am7 – Em7 – B7
F minor	Fm7 – Fm7 – Fm7 – Fm7 – B♭m7 – B♭m7 – Fm7 – Fm7 – C7 – B♭m7 – Fm7 – C7
F♯ minor	F♯m7 – F♯m7 – F♯m7 – F♯m7 – Bm7 – Bm7 – F♯m7 – F♯m7 – C♯7 – Bm7 – F♯m7 – C♯7
G minor	Gm7 – Gm7 – Gm7 – Gm7 – Cm7 – Cm7 – Gm7 – Gm7 – D7 – Cm7 – Gm7 – D7
G♯ minor	G♯m7 – G♯m7 – G♯m7 – G♯m7 – C♯m7 – C♯m7 – G♯m7 – G♯m7 – D♯7 – C♯m7 – G♯m7 – D♯7
A minor	Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Dm7 – Dm7 – Am7 – Am7 – E7 – Dm7 – Am7 – E7
B♭ minor	B♭m7 – B♭m7 – B♭m7 – B♭m7 – E♭m7 – E♭m7 – B♭m7 – B♭m7 – F7 – E♭m7 – B♭m7 – F7
B minor	Bm7 – Bm7 – Bm7 – Bm7 – Em7 – Em7 – Bm7 – Bm7 – F♯7 – Em7 – Bm7 – F♯7

Songs that use it

Well-known songs built on this progression, at least in the section each is known for:

The Thrill Is Gone — B.B. King
Equinox — John Coltrane

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the Minor 12-bar blues in A minor?: In A minor the Minor 12-bar blues is Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Am7 – Dm7 – Dm7 – Am7 – Am7 – E7 – Dm7 – Am7 – E7. The same numerals give Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Em7 – Am7 – Am7 – Em7 – Em7 – B7 – Am7 – Em7 – B7 in E minor; the table above lists all twelve keys.
What are the roman numerals for the Minor 12-bar blues?: The Minor 12-bar blues is i7–i7–i7–i7–iv7–iv7–i7–i7–V7–iv7–i7–V7 — also called the minor blues progression. The Minor 12-bar blues keeps the twelve-bar form but puts the tonic and subdominant in minor, leaving only the V as a dominant seventh, which makes it brooding and soulful rather than rowdy.
How long is the Minor 12-bar blues?: Each chord lasts 4 beats, so one pass of the 12 chords is 12 bars of 4/4.
What songs use the Minor 12-bar blues?: "The Thrill Is Gone" by B.B. King and "Equinox" by John Coltrane are built on it, at least in the section each is known for.