Write The Next Chart Topper - Start With Blues Piano
I watched a TV programme about John Peel and how he listened to any music sent to him. He gave so many pop stars their first airplay who then went on to huge success. There are many more who deserved that success but never had the luck. Then there are people like yourself who have never taken the first step but who may be lucky.
But songwriting is difficult!
Songwriting is not difficult. Most songs are composed on a piano. This is because it is the only instrument that you can play more than one note at a time, unless you are a drummer, but they are all mad. Pop music composers who are wizard guitarists often compose hits on the keyboard.
...based on the E flat minor pentatonic scale. Now, when most people hear the term "black key improvisation" they think of children banging on the piano creating some kind of noise. And while this has its place, the adult can ...
Many popular songs are based on blues music. Elvis and The Stones began their careers singing the blues. They listened to recordings of blues artists in the 1950’s and learnt the songs by trial and error. The Stones went on to write their own songs whereas the King never had to. The simplicity of the blues is its great strength. It has captivated listeners for decades and has formed the basis for every type of popular
...to finish this song:its fleece was white as snow3 2 2 3 2 1How can you use your left hand? Well, you can make this piece a little bit more difficult and also more rewarding to play by using your ...
Blues history
The blues developed in the beginning of the 20th century in the rural south of the U.S.A. Originally there was country blues played by the travelling musicians. The famous Robert Johnson was reputed to have sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in exchange for his talent. Urban blues emerged in the 1920’s as a more professionally presented entertainment form, played in the jukejoints located on the wrong side of the tracks. The blues has survived to the present day because it allows self expression and interpretation, and is simple to learn.
Piano keyboard - simplified
The beauty of the piano keyboard is that all the notes are available all the time, unlike stringed or woodwind instruments.
...repeating bass note you've created an ostinato pattern. The lesson "Winter Scene" uses suspended chords that are broken up. Winston's piece Rain actually uses a left-hand arpeggio pattern - yes, an arpeggio can be turned into an ostinato too!Once we ...
The 3 major chords begin with notes 1, 4 and 5 on the scale, the 3 minor chords with notes 2, 3 and 6, leaving the diminished chord 7. Most blues
...7, G 7, A minor 7, and B half-diminished 7. This last chord is almost the same as G 7 and is rarely used in most music today.We take this 6 note chord structure beginning with C Major 7 and ...
Roan Taylor is the author of How To Play Blues Piano, an easy to follow guide to playing the blues. You may use and redistribute this article on the condition that this paragraph remains intact and the link active.