How To Play a Blues Scale

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Surfing around the web this week, I was thinking a lot about blues scales and I found an interesting article that talked about how to play a blues scale on the piano. It was rather informative and made me realize that blues scales are important. I've pasted this article below for you to check out yourself. It's a great way to begin moving your right hand with blues scales and playing chords with the left hand.

How to play a blues scale on the piano
By SuzDoyleMusic

http://www.ehow.com/how_4455659_play-blues-scale-piano.html

* PLAY THE REGULAR C Major SCALE.
On the keyboard, play notes 1 through 8, also called the letter names C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C.

* NOW PLAY THE NOTES OF THE C BLUES SCALES
Instead of C scale notes (1,2,3,4,5,6,7, and 8), play notes number 1, b3, 4, #4, 5, b7 and 8 (note names C, Eb, F, F#, G, Bb and C). Use your Thumb on the white notes and the pointer or middle finger on the black notes.

For additional information on the C,D and A Blues Scale visit:

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2008/07/learn-blues-piano.html

* BONUS
Can you figure out the riffs to Smoke on the Water, Iron Man, and Indagadadavida? They all use notes of the C Blues scale (hint: They start on the C note)

* PLAY THE BLUES - C CHORD
Press and hold the C chord with your left hand, and play the C Blues scale with your right hand

* PLAY THE BLUES - F CHORD
Play the F chord in your left hand, and play the C blues scale with your right hand.

* PLAY THE BLUES - G CHORD
Play the G chord in your left hand, and play the C Blues scale with your right hand.

Tips & Warnings

The C blues scale (based on the 1 chord of the scale), also works well with the 4 chord (F), and the 5 chord (G).

Most blues songs are made out of just 3 chords (the 1, 4 and 5 chords). You can improvise and make up melodies using the blues scale built on the 1 chord, which goes nicely with all 3 chords used in the song.

Learn How To Play The Piano>



* Just for fun listen to this 2 min. video
A great old number that always seems to go down well!

Old Piano Roll Blues!



Cheers,
~ LadyD

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Learn To Play The Piano

With modern technology, you can learn how to play piano via YouTube, live chats on numerous online musician forums and now Talk Radio. I have found Willie Myette's music sites, uploaded tutorial videos on YouTube and his websites to be very informative. If you're looking for an online piano teacher, Willie is the one I recommend.


* Learn the piano - Radio show - 4/9/2009 pt1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbSffeMsH

* Learn the piano - Radio show - 4/9/2009 pt2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmCMD7

Part2 is where the meat and potatoes are if you're looking for a recipe to play the blues... Here's some good points to remember form this video:

* Chord Structure

1. A minor
2. D minor7
3. F7 ( F/Eb G )
4. E7
5. A minor7

Willie goes on to explain turnarounds. Like taking the last two measures of the blues form, changing it to other chords that take you back to the beginning. Turnarounds are not just found in blues but in pop songs also called "the hook." Last summer I posted on my other site "Gospel Turnarounds". If interested, you can see it at,

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-are-gospel-turnarounds.html

Stay with the video and you'll learn about Willie's Quartal Groove, natural 6th minor,

G C E
A B F#
B E G

We can stay on this subject of quartal grooves for a long time, but that's another post. In fact, you can browse through this post if interested in quartal voicings.

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2008/10/rich-quartal-chord-voicings.html

Have you heard of ghosting notes? That's where you're playing shorter and softer than other notes, E G# C/ F Bb D

I would like to extend the invitation to come aboard Willie Myette's online site!
JazzPianoLessons.com - Signup for 50 hours of FREE Piano Lessons.

Have you seen chords written out like this? G/B... what is it? Where do my hands go on the piano and how do I play it? We call them slash chords. Maybe I'll do a new post on slash chords because there is lots of information to cover. For now, you would play a G chord (G B D)in the l.h. with the B note in your r.h. Have you heard this fancy word root motion? That means whatever notes the bass player is playing. Well, we don't want to copy him, so lets play a different chord inversion like B D G. Now we've put in alternate bass notes.

If you're playing a G Chord and you want to throw in a transition chord, why not add a G7? Play G B D then play F B D. In fact, you could walk down chromatically in your l.h. (F,E,Eb,D)and that would sound so cool.

P.S. Ever wonder why we say in "music talk", why it wouldn’t be written 3b for i.e. ‘Eb’ instead of b3?” Jermaine Griggs at Hear and Play says "Well, because we say “flat 3″ or the “sharp 5,” instead of “3 flat” or “5 sharp,” it transposes the sign in FRONT of the note rather than after. That’s just how the terminology works.

Like the chord “C7 #9#5″

Pronounced: “C Seventh Sharp 9, Sharp 5″ or “C Seventh Sharped 9, Sharped 5″

http://www.hearandplay.com/main/what-does-all-this-flatted-3-and-sharped-5-stuff-mean"

The Blues and Its Heirs

"It has been said that the Blues is the easiest thing to learn and the hardest thing to master. It is easy because it consists of a simple form of chord progression and verses. It is hard to master because it requires a deep-felt connection between the soul and the instrument or voice in order to express the emotion. More than anything else, it is this feeling which is the essence of the Blues." K.Christian Mc Guire

* The Origins of the Blues
* The Emergence of the Blues
* Textual Elements of the Blues
* Musical Elements of the Blues
* Harmonic and Rhythmic Elements of the Blues

Any of the above topics interest you? Read more and study this wonderful document by
K.Christian Mc Guire:

http://grianela.com/adhoc/Blues.doc.

My favorite all time video presentation of Piano Blues by Clint Eastwood:


Tommaso piano blues- this 'lil guy rocks!



A friend, bbbenito, can play some pretty cool jazz licks!



bbbenito has a cool blues style!



Another friend in the zone,KiddogX, hear him play The Nightime Blues:


Download this file (right click and "save target as")

More files like this @ HearandPlayZone.com!

Here's some chords that were shared w/ me in the Key of F:

FE/AEA 4 beats

ED/GDG 2 beats

AC#/GC#G 2 beats

D/FGCE 2 beats

Db/FAbBEb 2 beats

C/BbDEbG 2 beats

B/ADbEbA 2 beats

BbG/ADG 2 beats

BbF/ACF 2 beats

BbEb/AbDbFBb 2 beats

BEb/GDbG 2 beats

AG/BCEG 4 beats

DF#/BbCEAb 4 beats

GDA/BbFAC 2 beats

ACB/GBD 2 beats

DbF/BEA 2 beats

CE/BbEbAb 2 beats

FC/ADG/ 2 beats

EbBb/GCF 2 beats

AbEb/GCG 2 beats then, Db Eb/ F Bb Eb

Jesus on the MainLine:

F/ACF Je--
F/ACF --sus
F/BbDF On
F/BbDF the
F/ACF Main
F/BbDF Line
F/CFA Tell
F/CFA Him
C/CFA What
/G You
F/ACF Want
A/ACEbF (filler)
Bb/BbDF Jesus
Bb/BbDF On
Bb/BbDF The
Bb/BbDF Main
Bb/BbDF Line
Bb/BbDF (Filler)
Bb/BbDF Tell Him
B/AbBDF What You
C/ACF Want
C/BbDF Oh
F/ACF Je----
F/ACF ---sus
F/BbDF On
F/BbDF The
F/ACF Main
F/BbDF Line
F/CFA Tell Him
E/C#EG What you
D/ADF Want
Bb/BbDF Oh
C/CFA Call him
D/DFA Up and
G/BDF Tell Him
C/CEG What You
F/ACF Want
F/BbDF (filler)
F/ACF (filler)


http://www.LadyDpiano.com

Learn 12 Bar Blues!

“The Blues is the most important musical form in Jazz and Jazz-related music,” says Michael Furstner of Jazclas , a leader in music education.

http://www.jazclass.aust.com
It is on his site that you will learn:
* Blues Origin
* Twelve Bar Blues Form
* Basic Blues Harmony
* Blues Chord Voicings for Keyboard
Here I am playing the 12 Bar Blues with Walking Bass!
Don’t you just love my abrupt ending… lol

Download this file (right click and "save target as")
More files like this @ HearandPlayZone.com!
For those who would like the sheet music:

http://www.jamesstevens.com/12barblueswalkingbass.html
C Blues scale and G Blues scale share similar notes:
C Blues scale: C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb-C
G Blues scale: G-Bb-C-C#-D-F-G
Common notes: C-G-Bb
In the key of C major you can play the C blues scale over a C7, F7, G7
Now, the other notes in the G Blues scale: C#-D-F are "pretty good" tensions on the chords of the Blues.
The A Blues scale also works really nice. Those notes are: A-C-D-D#-E-G-A
This is a great video from LearnPiano123 demonstrating those r.h. Blues Scales in the Key of C. Plus, I learned this cool chord: G F/ B Eb Bb

A dominant 7th chord is made up of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees of the dominant 7th scale. (The dominant scale is the major scale with a lowered 7th.)
In reality, however, the four notes of a 7th chord are not all equally important. The 3rd and 7th are the most important because the basic types of 7th chords (dominant, major, minor, etc.) are distinguished by their 3rd and 7th notes alone. In other words, given only the root note, 3rd, and 7th, we can understand what type of 7th chord is being played.
The simplest blues is a 12-bar cycle of dominant 7th chords.
I IV7 I I7 IV7 IV7 I I V7 (IV7) I I
A simple jazz blues sequence usually changes to chord IV at bar 2 and back to chord I at bar 3
Early 12 bar jazz blues sequence (Typical of swing or jump blues)
C 7 F7 C 7 C7
F7 F7 C 7 C7
G7 F7 C 7 C7
C7 = E Bb
F7 = A Eb
G7 = B F
Here’s a Beginner Blues Course:

When you want to mix blues scales in I IV V chord progressions, the most common technique is to use the minor pentatonic scales in the 4th and 5th degree of the scale. So in C you would play the C blues scale, and then you have the option of using the F minor pentatonic or G minor pentatonic. It kind of gives a funky far out sound but can work pretty nicely if you smooth it out.
MusicGuru12 plays the 12 Bar Blues in every key!

Free Resources for Learning To Play The Blues:

http://www.keyboardblues.com

http://www.playpiano.com/101-tips/FreeLessonstest.htm

http://www.free-online-piano-lessons.com

http://www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk/bluespianobook.html

http://www.jazzwise.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=911

http://users.owt.com/rpeto/ssb/bluesites/index.html

http://www.LadyDpiano.com

Learn Blues Piano

I love the Blues! When I first started learning how to play the Blues, this is what I found out:
C Blues scale and G Blues scale share similar notes:
C Blues scale: C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb-C
G Blues scale: G-Bb-C-C#-D-F-G
The A Blues scale also works really nice. Those notes are: A-C-D-D#-E-G-A
Common notes: C-G-Bb Now, the other notes in the G Blues scale: C#-D-F are "pretty good" tensions on the chords of the Blues.
There are many different ways for fingering Blues Scales. I will show fingering I use and a lot of professional musicians: 1 (C) 2 (D#) 3 (F) 4 (F#) 1 (G) 2 (A#) 3 (C) and I'm going to explain why. When your 5th finger is on C (2nd C) you can't continue to walk up.When 3rd finger is on C you can go down but you can go up as well. Also I don't think the fingering of D# F F# is comfortable enough for a maximum speed of the riffs and licks.
Here's a good website for understanding the Blues,Jazz and Latin Styles
http://www.playpianotoday.com/blues/index.html
I know that the Blues Scale has 6 notes:
C Eb F F# G Bb C
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 ( use thumb if going up an octave)
And a good vid I found for Blues Scales:

But the guy who has helped me to play the Blues is Willie Myette! I have purchased his Blues n' Boogie dvds and have learned so much with what to do with my l.h. and how to play cool riffs in my r.h. Willie is a great teacher. I highly recommend this resource. Get yours today!

Learn Blues Piano! Love Blues Piano? So Do I. With My Program, You'll Be Playing Blues That Amazes Even You. "I Can Prove It." Up till now learning how to play the Blues like a real pro took hours of "hunting and pecking" at the piano to get the right combination of notes. Maybe you have looked over the shoulder of a pianist by the bar or listened to recordings till they wore out just trying to replicate that incredible Blues piano sound! You know the sound I am talking about. I mean that "meaty", "fat" Blues sound that hits you in your soul. It's the sound of a Pro and you know it when you hear it. If you're like most people, you sit there in awe marveling at their command of the instrument and ability to captivate an audience with just three simple chords. But, you know better. You know that it is not just three chords that they are playing. (You know because you can already play those chords, but not like that!) Are you like me? A Quick story... When I was a beginner, there was pianist who I hung around with. Now, Damien knew all of those cool Blues licks. But, when I asked him to show them to me, he would play something really fast and say "Did you get that?" Of course I didn't! But, he wouldn't slow it down and I had to walk away with the "scraps" that I could pick up. I read books and listened to CDs, but I wanted to get into this Blues piano sound fast. Years later, I now know that Blues sound. I eventually learned by a lot of time, practice and patience! However, I've made it easier for you to learn how to play drop down, no holds barred, kickin' Blues piano without reading a lick of music. It's time to take your Blues playing to the "Pro" Level. JazzPianoLessons.com has been teaching thousands pianists (just like you) how to take their playing to the next level. This is what I like to call the "Pro" level. No matter where your current level of playing is at, I'm going to show you techniques that you simply will not find anywhere else. You'll learn, step-by-step, techniques like turnarounds, endings, grace notes and neighbor chords for a Gospel sound. I'm also going to teach you styles like Boogie Woogie, New Orleans, Shuffles, Choo Choo Cha Boogie and more. Now, I'm not talking about boring lessons here. I hate those lessons where you need to do this, then this, then this (I'm sure you know the ones I'm talking about) only to find out that you are still not playing after a month! I want you to be able to apply these techniques the day you start, so I've designed my lessons to be easy to get into right away. I'm going to teach you so many tricks, you will be igniting those keys! -Willie Learn more about the Blues Piano Package.

http://www.LadyDpiano.com