Guitar · tunes # Blues in F changes on guitar Blues in F through its whole 12-bar form, comped in drop 2, drop 3, shell and rootless voicings. ## The form | Bars | Chords | Key center | | --- | --- | --- | | 1–4 | F7 \| B♭7 \| F7 \| F7 | F major | | 5–8 | B♭7 \| B♭7 \| F7 \| F7 | F major | | 9–12 | C7 \| B♭7 \| F7 \| C7 | F major | ### Drop 2 voicings Four notes on four neighboring strings, the second voice from the top dropped an octave. The voices move 30 semitones through the form; the largest single step is 4. [Practice Blues in F in drop 2 voicings](https://practice.graph.audio/#progression=blues-in-f:5:drop2:4:jazz) Top line: 1–4 A – A♭ – A – A 5–8 A♭ – G – G – G 9–12 G – A♭ – A – B♭ **F7 (bar 1)** Grip x-x-3-5-4-5 · frets 3–5 **B♭9 (bar 2)** Grip x-x-3-5-3-4 · frets 3–5 Voiced: 5 9 3 ♭7 **F7 (bar 3)** Grip x-x-3-5-4-5 · frets 3–5 #### Bars 1–4 **F7 (bar 4)** Grip x-x-3-5-4-5 · frets 3–5 #### Bars 5–8 **B♭9 (bar 5)** Grip x-x-3-5-3-4 · frets 3–5 Voiced: 5 9 3 ♭7 **B♭7(13) (bar 6)** Grip x-x-3-1-3-3 · frets 1–3 Voiced: 5 ♭7 3 13 **F13 (bar 7)** Grip x-x-1-2-3-3 · frets 1–3 Voiced: ♭7 3 13 9 **F9 (bar 8)** Grip x-x-1-2-1-3 · frets 1–3 Voiced: ♭7 3 5 9 #### Bars 9–12 **C9 (bar 9)** Grip x-x-2-3-3-3 · frets 2–3 Voiced: 3 ♭7 9 5 **B♭9 (bar 10)** Grip x-x-3-5-3-4 · frets 3–5 Voiced: 5 9 3 ♭7 **F7 (bar 11)** Grip x-x-3-5-4-5 · frets 3–5 **C7 (bar 12)** Grip x-x-5-5-5-6 · frets 5–6 ### Drop 3 voicings Four notes with a string skipped above the bass, the third voice from the top dropped an octave. The voices move 36 semitones through the form; the largest single step is 3. [Practice Blues in F in drop 3 voicings](https://practice.graph.audio/#progression=blues-in-f:5:drop3:4:jazz) Top line: 1–4 A – A♭ – A – A 5–8 A♭ – A♭ – A – A 9–12 A – A♭ – A – B♭ **F9 (bar 1)** Grip 11-x-10-12-10-x · frets 10–12 Voiced: ♭7 5 9 3 **B♭9 (bar 2)** Grip 10-x-10-10-9-x · frets 9–10 Voiced: 3 9 5 ♭7 **F7 (bar 3)** Grip 11-x-10-10-10-x · frets 10–11 #### Bars 1–4 **F9 (bar 4)** Grip 11-x-10-12-10-x · frets 10–12 Voiced: ♭7 5 9 3 #### Bars 5–8 **B♭9 (bar 5)** Grip 10-x-10-10-9-x · frets 9–10 Voiced: 3 9 5 ♭7 **B♭9 (bar 6)** Grip 10-x-10-10-9-x · frets 9–10 Voiced: 3 9 5 ♭7 **F7 (bar 7)** Grip 11-x-10-10-10-x · frets 10–11 **F9 (bar 8)** Grip 11-x-10-12-10-x · frets 10–12 Voiced: ♭7 5 9 3 #### Bars 9–12 **C7(13) (bar 9)** Grip 8-x-8-9-10-x · frets 8–10 Voiced: 1 ♭7 3 13 **B♭7 (bar 10)** Grip 10-x-8-10-9-x · frets 8–10 **F7 (bar 11)** Grip 11-x-10-10-10-x · frets 10–11 **C7 (bar 12)** Grip 12-x-10-12-11-x · frets 10–12 ### Shell voicings Three notes: the root in the bass with the 3rd and 7th, the notes that name the chord. The voices move 65 semitones through the form; the largest single step is 7. [Practice Blues in F in shell voicings](https://practice.graph.audio/#progression=blues-in-f:5:shell:jazz) Top line: 1–4 E♭ – D – E♭ – E♭ 5–8 D – D – E♭ – E♭ 9–12 E – D – E♭ – E **F7 (bar 1)** Grip x-8-7-8-x-x · frets 7–8 **B♭7 (bar 2)** Grip 6-x-6-7-x-x · frets 6–7 **F7 (bar 3)** Grip x-8-7-8-x-x · frets 7–8 #### Bars 1–4 **F7 (bar 4)** Grip x-8-7-8-x-x · frets 7–8 #### Bars 5–8 **B♭7 (bar 5)** Grip 6-x-6-7-x-x · frets 6–7 **B♭7 (bar 6)** Grip 6-x-6-7-x-x · frets 6–7 **F7 (bar 7)** Grip x-8-7-8-x-x · frets 7–8 **F7 (bar 8)** Grip x-8-7-8-x-x · frets 7–8 #### Bars 9–12 **C7 (bar 9)** Grip 8-x-8-9-x-x · frets 8–9 **B♭7 (bar 10)** Grip 6-x-6-7-x-x · frets 6–7 **F7 (bar 11)** Grip x-8-7-8-x-x · frets 7–8 **C7 (bar 12)** Grip 8-x-8-9-x-x · frets 8–9 ### Rootless voicings Four notes without the root, with a 9th or 13th in its place: the bass player plays the root. The voices move 34 semitones through the form; the largest single step is 4. [Practice Blues in F in rootless voicings](https://practice.graph.audio/#progression=blues-in-f:5:rootless:4:jazz) Top line: 1–4 C – C – C – E♭ 5–8 D – D – E♭ – E♭ 9–12 D – D – E♭ – D **F9 (bar 1)** Grip x-x-7-8-8-8 · frets 7–8 Rootless: 3 ♭7 9 5 **B♭13 (bar 2)** Grip x-x-6-7-8-8 · frets 6–8 Rootless: ♭7 3 13 9 **F9 (bar 3)** Grip x-x-7-8-8-8 · frets 7–8 Rootless: 3 ♭7 9 5 #### Bars 1–4 **F9 (bar 4)** Grip x-12-10-12-x-11 · frets 10–12 Rootless: 3 5 9 ♭7 #### Bars 5–8 **B♭13 (bar 5)** Grip x-11-10-12-x-10 · frets 10–12 Rootless: ♭7 9 13 3 **B♭13 (bar 6)** Grip x-11-10-12-x-10 · frets 10–12 Rootless: ♭7 9 13 3 **F9 (bar 7)** Grip x-12-10-12-x-11 · frets 10–12 Rootless: 3 5 9 ♭7 **F9 (bar 8)** Grip x-12-10-12-x-11 · frets 10–12 Rootless: 3 5 9 ♭7 #### Bars 9–12 **C9 (bar 9)** Grip x-x-8-9-8-10 · frets 8–10 Rootless: ♭7 3 5 9 **B♭13 (bar 10)** Grip x-11-10-12-x-10 · frets 10–12 Rootless: ♭7 9 13 3 **F9 (bar 11)** Grip x-12-10-12-x-11 · frets 10–12 Rootless: 3 5 9 ♭7 **C9 (bar 12)** Grip x-x-8-9-8-10 · frets 8–10 Rootless: ♭7 3 5 9 ## Its chords - [F7 drop 2 voicings](https://practice.graph.audio/guitar/chords/f7-drop-2) - [F7 arpeggio](https://practice.graph.audio/guitar/arpeggios/f7) - [B♭7 drop 2 voicings](https://practice.graph.audio/guitar/chords/bb7-drop-2) - [B♭7 arpeggio](https://practice.graph.audio/guitar/arpeggios/bb7) - [C7 drop 2 voicings](https://practice.graph.audio/guitar/chords/c7-drop-2) - [C7 arpeggio](https://practice.graph.audio/guitar/arpeggios/c7) ## Practice it in Practice Lab Comp Blues in F in Practice Lab: the same voicings, chord by chord, at your tempo, with the voices that move marked. Free, in your browser, no account. [Open it in Practice Lab](https://practice.graph.audio/#progression=blues-in-f:5:drop2:4:jazz)