Recommended Fingering for Blues Scale

Recommended Fingering for Blues Scale

Right hand        C (1)    Eb(2)   F(3)    Gb(4)     G(1)    Bb(3)    C(4)

For 2 or more octaves use the following fingering:

up = 123413 123413 123413 

down = 431432 131432 131432 

These three piano styles (rock, blues, and boogies) have a few common characteristics. We will cover one feature this time.

They all use the blues scale.

What exactly is the blues scale?

We all know there are 12 major and 12 minor scales. The way to form them is by using the formula:

whole    whole    half    whole   whole   whole   half steps

The blues scale is different from the traditional scale.

Blocked 5ths and 6ths Bass Patterns

C

CG / CA / CG / CA

F

FC / FD / FC / FD

G

GD / GE / GD / GE

Here I am playing Beach Buggy Blues from a very long time ago!

Walking Bass Line

C

C, E, G, A (single bass notes)

F

F, A, C, D

G

G, B, D, E

Extended Walking Bass Line

C

C, E, G, A (ascending) Bb, A, G, E (descending)

F

F, A, C, D (ascending) Eb, D, C, A (descending)

G

G, B, D, E (ascending) F, E, D, B (descending)

A former piano student playing the acoustic piano.

Previous Posts on the Blues:

Beach Buggy Blues

Bittersweet Blues

Don't Want To Leave You Blues

How To Play Clarinet Blues

out-with-blues-scale-in-with-mixolydian

Surfin' for Dem Blues

Trems and Fills

Another great resource to add to your library, Salsa101 Do you like to play Salsa music?

All the best,

-- LadyD



"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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• Creating An Intro by Champ Champagne (ladydpiano.blogspot.com)
• I'm Just A Lucky So And So by Duke Ellington (pianodiana.blogspot.com)

Blues Monday: How To Play Clarinet Blues

Photo Credit: ronnieb

 Martha Mier wrote Clarinet Blues; soulfully with slow blues swing.

The bass runs are pretty much AE, played together, then single notes F, Gb, F.

The right hand run starts on G#, A, C, D, Eb, D, C, A. Then you'll hear a
descending run with single notes; A, Ab, G, E, Eb, D, C, C, A.

The triplet in the right hand is C#, D, F that is played 3 times.

That cool ending chord is AE/CGB.

Syncopation

Ragtime is the music most commonly thought of when you talk about syncopation. Another way to put it is "ragged rhythm". I am finding that pop music is filled with syncopation quite a bit also. An oldie song "The Best Is Yet To Come" by Mr. Coleman has many syncopated beats and you can feel the syncopation, especially if you know the song just by saying the words, Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum.

There seems to be two problems musicians face when confronted with this kind of syncopated pattern. The first is how to read the rhythm patterns correctly. Perhaps you can use this tip to help you if you find playing syncopated notes is somewhat challenging. First you need to change each of the oddly placed quarter notes to two eighth notes and then turn them into tied notes. Now you can count the rhythm.

So before we had eighth note, quarter note, eighth note, quarter note, eighth note, tied eighth note in one measure. Now we can count easily, 1 &, 2 &, 3, 4 & because we have three sets of eighth notes and one quarter note. The second problem is in playing the melody with a real rhythmic feel. To make this happen, place accents on the notes that occur on the normally weak beats. Any music dictionary will tell you to shift the accent of a note or chord to a weak beat or the weak part of a beat.

Back to our original song, the accent would would look like this:

Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum. Anticipating and feeling the beat are common words applied to Cuban music. These irregular patterns are so very necessary to play in your piano practice no matter what genre of playing. So, spice up your playing with more syncopation!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3624661

This is a great tool to have as a musician, Song Robot Software

Happy Blues Monday!

"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Friday Freebie: Homemade Muscial Instruments

Photo Credit: Hot Black

Daria provides a video of a song from Africa, Here Come Our Mothers

Thank you for the times you listened
Thank you for the times you heard
You made me feel like I could soar
And sing just like a bird...thanks to you
Now I can stand tall
And I can stand true
You know it is
Thanks to you! 

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Photo Credit: Tip Junkie

 

I got to thinking about drums from Africa and reflecting on some of my own handmade
music instruments I made for the kindergarten class.

Music Mouse

Safari Shakers

I wanted to share a list with you
of other cool bloggers who have enjoyed creating sounds from cool resources.

Homemade Bongo Drums

Washboards and Rattles

Homemade Musical Instruments

Rainsticks and Tambourines

Homemade Guitars and Harps

Banjo and Xylophone

Making Music-Martha Stewart

Musical Shaker Eggs

"The rhythm section is the foundation for good improv experiences." 
-- John Kuzmich, Jr.

Here's a more complex blues riff.

L.H.  Chord  - R.H. Single Notes

C7 - C, C, Bb, C

F7 - F, F, Eb, F

G7 - G, G, F, G

C7 - C, C, Bb, C, Eb

F7 - F, F, Eb, F, A

G7 - G, G, F, G, Bb

C7 - C, C, Bb, G, Bb, C

F7 - F, F, Eb, C, Eb, F

G7 - G, G, B, D

C7 - C, E, G, C, Bb

F7 - F, A, C, F, Eb

G7 - G, B, D, G, F

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Blessings,






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King