Definition of twelve-bar in US English:
twelve-bar
adjectiveˈtwelvbärˈtwɛlvbɑr
Denoting or relating to a musical structure based on a sequence lasting twelve bars and typically consisting of three chords, the basic unit of much blues and rock and roll music.
Example sentencesExamples
- Well, it's not exactly easy to keep coming up with novel variations on a form of music whose standard twelve-bar chord change pattern goes I-I-I-I IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-I, is it?
- Despite the blues influences, he avoids traditional twelve-bar blues progressions.
- The twelve-bar format is cleverly sculpted with ensembles preluding the solos.
- Students listen to musical examples and try to write twelve-bar blues lyrics.
- For example, in 13% of the songs we analyzed, the twelve-bar blues form is adopted, and with it one often finds the typical lyrical organization of three-line stanzas in which the first two lines are similar.
nounˈtwelvbärˈtwɛlvbɑr
A song or piece of music having a twelve-bar structure.
Example sentencesExamples
- If you're going to limit it to twelve-bars and variations thereof you'll have to either arbitrarily exclude a lot that's recognizably blues, or else arbitrarily expand your definition.