Play Piano Blues
Hi blues fans,
Ok, so you finally made it down to the Mississippi Delta and you heard some authentic ‘Delta Blues’ players that could play piano blues and make your eyes water. Whether you heard it at “BB’s” place on Beale Street in Memphis, Morgan Freeman’s club in Clarksdale or on a riverboat cruise down the “Big Muddy” to New Orleans and Bourbon Street the sound is unmistakable. That “cat” playing the piano blues riffs was AWESOME and you want to impress your friends with some of those same sounds.
Well let me help you out. In order to play piano blues you’ll find it is really very simple style. It consists of 3 primary chords based on the I, IV, and V notes of the scale. The harmonic pattern is then played with 4 measures of I, 2 measures of IV, 2 measures of I, 2 measures of V, and 2 measures of I. Pianists often add a note to the basic chord; a 6th or flatted 7th. Example, an A or B-flat if you’re playing in the key of “C” or if you’re playing an “F” chord add either a “D” or and “E-flat.”
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Now, there you have the secret to blues and how to play piano blues, now go down to the local blues club and sit in on a set with the band and knock em in the aisles!
WHAT? Easier said than done you say. A mere description isn’t nearly enough to help you even begin to know how to start such an undertaking. You don’t know what to do first or even what the ‘pattern’ should sound like. Well, as one of my favorite cartoon characters, and some say I’m named after him, would say…..”GORSCH…A-huh…A-huh!”
Been there…felt that way…so don’t feel all alone in your feeling of being lost. But we’re going to try to help share some of what we’ve learned about the art form known as the blues.
Actually that’s why we took the time to review several programs that will lead you by the hand and step-by-step through the blues learning experience. In order to find course that can teach a person to play piano blues we searched using criteria that would encompass both the complete beginner and the experienced player. Courses that can do both are not that common but we have managed to find what we think are the ‘best of the best.’
For example we gave our highest rating to the Piano For All Course. In particular for blues players we refer to their Book 7 – Advanced Blues Piano & Fake Stride.
This play piano blues segment is part of their overall course and comes with 10 other books, 500 AUDIO /200 Video segments that, when combined, give you what you need to play in several styles. They give you options on which styles you can focus on.
In book 7, for example, you’ll learn lots of ways to spice up your playing, and how to improvise blues piano. To top it off you will be taught ‘fake stride’ and a terrific version of “The Entertainer!” This book is complimented by 26 VIDEOS / 89 AUDIOS.
Hand in glove with the Blues Book is Book 6 – Jazz Piano Made Easy.
Picture the cool jazz piano player in the smokey bar – now it’s your turn. Amazingly easy techniques which you can apply to any tune – Standards, Traditional Jazz piano, Modern Jazz piano improvisation, flashy “runs”, cool riffs, chords, patterns, blues scales, etc. (45 VIDEOS / 117 AUDIOS)
But I digress in the discussion on play piano blues. Let’s look at just how far and wide the blues is engrained in the music world.
The “Mississippi Delta” is not the only home of the blues influence. George Gershwin’s Piano Prelude Number 2 and his even more famous An American In Paris are well known pieces using the blues as their basis. So for the more ‘serious’ or ‘classical’ pianist there are abundant examples of blues style music to enable them play piano blues too.
If you’re like me ‘I like me’ some blues mixed in with my rock. Some of my favorite music growing up was by Eric Clapton who relies heavily on blues to spice up his rock guitar. Jimi Hendrix is an example of another rock guitarist who was grounded in blues playing as was Stevie Ray Vaughn. The sound is unmistakable and many of the ‘licks’ are classics. All it takes is a little help to learn them.
For those of you who currently play in a band and would simple like to incorporate more blues into your rock tunes check out Book number 2 from Piano For All. This where not only do you learn to play piano blues but you also learn to roll several styles into one and learn a bluesy/rock/jazzy style…. For VERY distinctive styles and sounds!
Book 2 - Shake.. Rattle ‘n’ Roll..
Now you can play some great Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll Piano by incorporating those classic rhythms into hundreds of songs!
Amaze your friends with the sounds of Fat’s Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and a host of others. It’s easy when you know how! (7 VIDEOS / 15 AUDIO).
These 3 books will help you establish a good strong foundation and allow you to for ever more incorporate blues piano into your performances. WOW your audiences and friends as you play piano blues and get help getting started from the folks who’ve already been there and done that thereby helping you with a leg up which will save you countless hours of trying to figure out how it works.
Click here for Piano For All Course