Breaking The 12 Bar Blues Rules

For a band that played such a large amount of 12 bar blues songs in their early days, The Beatles wrote and recorded relatively few of their own. Often when they did they they departed in some small, but significant way from the standard pattern.

Here's a stock 12 Bar Progression

I  I  I  I

IV IV I  I

V IV  I  V

Which, in the key of C, would look like this -

C C C C

F F C C

G F C G

Compare that to the verse of Can't Buy Me Love

C C C C

F F C C

G F F C

Instead of V IV I V in the last four bars we have V IV IV I.

Subtle.

Delaying the root chord (C) keeps you hanging on and creates a bit of extra interest (because you weren't expecting it) and means the chords resolve on the word love rather than money.

Chuck Berry was a massive influence on the group, and Roll Over Beethoven (covered on With The Beatles) also adapts the 12 bar formula.

I     IV  I  I

IV  IV  I  I

IV  V   I  I

As well the IV substitution in bar 2 which is pretty common, he switches IV and V chords around in the 9th and 10th bar.

There's more where that came from, but for now try a 12 bar pattern with one bar altered in some way.

Thanks to 'Old Man' Taylor for corrections