Welcome to A Study in Blues Piano!
Course Description
This is an in-depth study of twelve blues licks, with extensive left-hand support tips. Each lick/riff is explored in detail, including variations, fingering, playing tips, and supporting music theory.
More than just learning the notes by rote, you will get insight into the patterns, scales, chords and intervals involved, including how to transpose each lick.
As a result, each lick will be mastered as RAW MATERIAL for endless variations, with applications in many musical settings (genres).
Lick #10 of this group is actually more than a lick; rather, it gives you a complete two-handed 12-bar opening groove, including a left-hand pattern to support your licks throughout your soloing.
SHEET MUSIC
Students can download and print optional sheet music for several of the licks. There’s also a sample solo piece with a 12-bar introduction, followed by a 12-bar piano solo that features licks from the class.
THE TWELVE LICK STUDIES
Hey!
If you want to get better at your blues piano playing, who better to learn from than Ray Charles? Try playing this video while throwing in your own blues licks on top. Also try to imitate or paraphrase some of Brother Ray’s.
Here’s some insight to help you:
Continue reading “Video: Ray Charles “What I’d Say” — Practice your blues licks with this one!” →
Hi everyone! I recently received a question today (on my YouTube channel), an excellent one, the topic of which is subject to debate. The question is in response to one of my videos about using add9 chords on piano. (A link to the video is included below.)
I thought I would share the thread here:
Welcome Back to a Study in Blues Piano!
Blues Study Lick #6, “Locked Up”
This is a really exciting technique for what I like to call the “Big Blues” sound. By “Big Blues,” I mean dramatic, exciting, full, like you might hear from a jazz big band. This kind of lick also works great for building to a climax in your “blues story” (a good solo usually tells a story).
The name of this lick, “Locked Up,” ain’t necessarily because what you’re saying with your fingers might be a story about going to jail. In this video, “Locked up” actually refers to the core idea of the lesson, something called “locked rhythm.”
Continue reading “Blues Lick #6: “Locked up”” →
Continue reading “Chord Symbols: add2 or add9? (includes my video on using added ninth to chords)” →