Yesterday we looked at basic bass patterns and coordination exercises for blues piano. Today we’re moving on to right-hand improvisation.
The Pianoworld chord and scale tool can be found here - although, like I said, their version of the blues scale (you need to scroll down in the scales dialogue box to find it) is perhaps a little misleading. You can go way beyond the simple C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb-C pattern that it (and so many other sources) claim is a blues scale. In fact, as I say, you can use just about anything pretty convincingly except the flat 2nd/9th, flat 6th and major 7th. Where the Pianoworld tool does come in really handy is for working out the ‘blue’ notes in chords other than C, which is the key I’ve focussed on here.
In the first video tutorial I did say I’d include a quick overview of how a 12-bar blues is actually structured. There are a few variations, but below is the most common. Four beats to every bar:
C | C (or F) | C | C |
F | F | C | C |
G | F | C | C (G) |
In the final bar you can either play a C (if it’s the last time through) or a G to lead back into chorus. The blues is very free and easy - all these chords can be played in their sixth, dominant 7th, or even ninth or eleventh forms, and sound dead cool.
Any questions on this tutorial, post them below and I’ll get back to you ASAP. The final video will be posted in the next couple of days.
Update: the final installment is now online.
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