The blues is more than a blues scale. You need to play this...

Reader,

When it comes to playing the blues, we all start in the same place. Every book, every video teaches the 12 bar blues form and the blues scale. *yawn* There's so much more to the blues than that!

So last week I made a video for all my "advanced beginner" friends, to show you what to play beyond the basics.

Advanced Beginner's Guide to Playing Blues Piano

​

​

Have you watched it yet? It's one of my favorite recent videos, and I'd really love for you to see it.

Here's what we cover:

• Explains the essential call-and-response phrasing pattern and the importance of “blue notes” in melody and chords
• Shows how to apply "AAB" melodic phrases to the blues form
• Where the blues scale comes from, and how that scale adapts differently over the changes.
• Covers common blues grooves including shuffle, boogie woogie, New Orleans, jazz swing with a walking bass, and slow blues
• How the great blues players expand the blues form using advanced changes and substitutions (examples: Sandu, Blues for Alice)
• Go beyond the basic blues scale by adding additional notes, scales, and even blues in other keys
• Signature blues piano moves: double stops, side slips, and idiomatic licks
• The use and sound of the #9 chord and its role in creating blues tension
• And some brief discussion about applying blues concepts and licks to any jazz standard, not just blues tunes

YouTube has me in the doghouse lately. I'd appreciate it so much if you watched the video all the way through, hit the "Like" button, and left a comment. Would REALLY help me out right now.

No Workshop This Week

I am on the road this week taking my piano to Texas. As a result, our normal transcription and workshop are canceled this week.

We will be back next week, June 20th. And June 27th, Charles Cornell is joining us!