Blues — Cavaquinho

In pop, rock or blues the cavaquinho is an unusual guest; it adds a bright, chopping rhythm layer, but it can't cover the low end a band expects. The sound of the blues comes from mixing pain and relief: three chords, notes that seem to cry, and a sway that talks straight to the listener. Here you'll study the twelve-bar — the twelve-measure cycle behind almost every blues — and the quick-change, the variation that switches chords as early as the second measure.

Progressions

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Updated July 9, 2026