How to Play. Blues & Boogie Piano Styles PDF
Preview How to Play. Blues & Boogie Piano Styles
HOW TO PLAY BLUES AND BOOGIE PIANO STYLES BY Aaron Blumenfeld O 1995 Ekay Music, Inc. 223 Katonah Ave., Katonah, NY 10536 THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY WIFE BARBARA A cassette tape of the twelve blues piano improvisations in this book is available. Send $5.95 to: Aaron Blumenfeld, 2887 Tulare Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 TABLE OF a-S ..................................... Introduction vi ............................... About The Author viii . I . ST LOUIS BLUES .................................... .Lesson 2 ..................................... Music 6 . 11 SQUARE MNCE BLWS ................................... Lesson 15 .................................... Music 18 . I11 BACKWATER BOOGIE ................................... Lesson 24 .................................... Music 29 . IV SEE SEE RIDER .................................... Lesson 41 ................................... Music ..48 . V TROWLED IN MIND BOOQIE ................................... Lesson 59 .................................... Music 63 . VI SHAKINn LOOSE ................................... Lesson 72 .................................... Music 76 . VII BACKWATER BLWS ................................... Lesson 81 .................................... Music 86 . VIII RIFF BOOaIE ................................... Lesson 98 ................................... Music 103 . . IX ST LOUIS BLUES STOMP .................................. Lesson 114 ................................... Music 119 . X TRomLgD IN MIND BLUES .................................. Lesson 127 ................................... Music 130 . XI FOUR O'CLOCK BLWS .................................. Lesson 139 ................................... Music 147 XI1 . CALIFORNIA .................................. Lesson 159 ................................... Music 163 ...................................... Conclusion 170 ........................................... Index 171 INTRODUCTION This collection of blues piano improvisations came about gradually during a thirteen year period of teaching the art of piano improvisation at the University of California, Berkeley Extension. Occasionally, either at private lessons or in the classroomr improvisations such as these were performed for the purpose of demonstrating how to put together a complete blues piano solo. They were played in as clear and uncomplicated a manner as possible, following a predetermined, well prepared outline. Every blues piano technique that had been studied in class was represented in this outline and was demonstrated in a basic, almost elementary way so that it would be immediately recognizable and easily understood in this new context. Except for SQUARE DANCE BLUES and CALIFORNIA BREAKDOWN (which were taped for a recording produced in 1980) these improvisations were taped during these lessons and after a period of years enough suitable examples had accumulated to create this pedagogical work. The outline used as the basis of most of these improvisations follows a specific musical form known as "theme and variations." This is appropriate for a vocal art such as the blues wherein the vocalist repeats a basic chantlike melody many times, using a new set of words for each repetition. In instrumental music such as solo blues piano, lacking a text to provide new impetus from chorus to chorus, it is up to the pianist to create something captivating enough to maintain interest. To this end the blues pianist generally develops a collection of techniques which are featured one by one during each song. The secret of blues and jazz piano improvisation is that a performer acquires a body of right hand techniques which are available to be employed for each and every piece performed, with the left hand providing changes in bass patterns, tempos and keys from song to song. Since the rule is, a change of bass pattern equals a change in style, it is fascinating to observe how completely fresh a particular tune will sound when the left hand introduces new bass patterns from piece to piece while the right hand retains the same music. This impression of freshness is especially enhanced when each piece is,played in a new key at a different tempo. To summarize, because the right hand techniques remain constant and since a great number of blues songs have their origins in just a handful of prototypical blues songs (1) it could almost be said that the blues artist knows only one blues piece (so to speak) which is playe'd at fast, medium and slow tempos, in various keys over many kinds of bass patterns. (1) Book I:."Prototypical Blues Songs," P. 220-223 The general outline used as the basis of most of the improvisations in this collection is presented here, while a more specific outline, usually varying somewhat from this general outline accompanies' each piece. FORM OUTLINE FOR SOLO BLUES PIANO IMPROVISATION I. THEME 1. Variation #1: Tremolos 2. Variation #2: Glissandos 3. Variation #3: Melodic Variation 4. Variation #4: Repeated ~otes/ Chords 11. BREAK; theme resumed on line 2 of harmony chart 5. Variation #5: Grace Notes 6. Variation #6: Melodic Variation (Thumb-Pinky ~echnique) 7. Variation #7: Rocking Motion 111. THEME: FINAL STATEMENT, CADENCE & "TAG" Since the "theme and variations" form in the blues consists of repeating a blues song over and over following a particular harmonic progression as outlined by a "harmony chart," (1) an appropriate harmony chart is presented before each piece. In most of these pieces the featured variation technique takes place during the first two lines of each turn around the chart, followed by a return to the theme on the third line. Most of the "introductions" (2) follow a commonly used formula consisting of a simple statement of the final four measures of the theme leading directly to the beginning of the song. Note: In the footnotes throughout this book repeated reference is made to "Book I", i.e. the previous book in this series, THE ART OF BLUES AND BARRELHOUSE PIANO IMPROVISATION ( first published in 1980 and republished as THE BLUES, BOOGIE AND BARRELHOUSE PIANO WORKSHOP in 1992 by Ekay Publishers (3) ). (1) Book I; Harmony Chart, p. 24-25 (2) Book I: Introductions, p. 204-208 (3) Available from Songbooks Unlimited, P.O. Box 1950, Ridgely MD 21681 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mr. Blumenfeld is a composer who received his M.A. degree from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. in music theory and composition. His undergraduate work includes two and one-half years at the N.Y.U. School of Music Education and two years at the Juilliard School of Music. His graduate work at Rutgers included intensive research into blues, barrelhouse and ragtime piano music, resulting in his first book, THE ART OF BLUES & BARRELHOUSE PIANO IMPROVISATION ( renamed THE BLUES, BOOGIE-WOOGIE & BARRELHOUSE PIANO WORKBOOK when republished by Ekay Publishers in 1992.) Mr. Blumenfeld has composed eight piano concertos, almost all containing extensive passages and/or complete movements of blues and barrelhouse music. Among those concertos already performed is his monumental BARRELHOUSE PIANO CONCERTO (Piano Con'certo #1), composed on a grant from the New Jersey Council on the Arts, completed in 1980 and performed with great success in the California bay area the same year. He has taught and given lecture-concerts on the subject of blues piano extensively in the U.S. and abroad at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, Israel. Mr. Blumenfeld is presently conducting a blues, boogie-woogie and barrelhouse piano workshop as part of a very popular, accredited course called FREE IMPROVISATION AT THE PIANO (recently renamed BLUES, JAZZ & MODERN PIANO IMPROVISATION) which he has been teaching at the Extension Division of the University of California, Berkeley since 1980. His significant contribution to the school was acknowledged in a concert of his compositions presented at the U.C.B. ~xtension's Centennial Celebration in 1991. The author is also the originator of a new and unique perspective on twelve tone harmony. His research into blues music grew out of his desire to use jazz-influenced material authoritatively in his original music. In combining the techniques of blues piano music with the most original of twelve tone musical systems, he has succeeded in creating a style of avant garde piano improvisation of unique, colorful and highly intrig~ing~qualitiesT.h is perspective, constituting a new approach to modern jazz improvisation is presented in his book, AVANT GARDE PIANO IMPROVISATION: A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON TWELVE TONE HARMONY which he uses as a classroom manual at U.C.B. Extension.
Description:The list of books you might like
