Timeline for 12 bar blues notation

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Jun 5, 2020 at 21:16	comment	added	John Belzaguy		@AdamChalcraft I completely see the logic in what you’re saying and there’s nothing to prevent someone from writing in a modal key signature. I’m sure it has been done. Because it isn’t commonly done especially in a genre like blues I suggested calling it a major key in C with Bb accidentals. I know if someone put this chart in front of me with one flat my first thought would be “Oh, it starts on the V chord.” Maybe using modal key signatures but identifying them as such at the top would be a good way to do it.
Jun 5, 2020 at 20:31	comment	added	Adam Chalcraft		It's an interesting question why we use key signatures for major and minor but not the other modes. Blues is typically mixolydian, and C mixolydian has a B♭. One could imagine a world where the key signature for C mixolydian has 1 flat, for E phrygian has no sharps or flats (lots of Spanish guitar music) and so on. It's just not the world we live in.
Jun 5, 2020 at 1:29	history	edited	John Belzaguy	CC BY-SA 4.0	added 112 characters in body
Jun 5, 2020 at 1:17	history	edited	John Belzaguy	CC BY-SA 4.0	added 112 characters in body
Jun 5, 2020 at 1:09	history	answered	John Belzaguy	CC BY-SA 4.0