- What exactly is the twelve-bar form?
- Twelve bars per cycle: four bars of I, two of IV, two of I, one of V, one of IV, then two of I. The lyric follows an AAB shape — a statement, its repetition, then a resolving third line. That framework is the foundation improvisation is built on.
- How does the blues scale differ from major or minor?
- It flattens the third, fifth and seventh degrees, and those blue notes sit between standard pitches, only truly achievable through bends and slides. This is the core of the sound, so prompt "blues scale, blue notes shaped with bends and slides."
- How do I stop generated blues turning into plain rock?
- Insist on space and response. Prompt "voice sings a line, guitar answers, gaps left between phrases," and ask for "triplet shuffle feel, twelve-bar cycle." The breathing of blues comes from that conversation; fill the gaps and it becomes rock.