To play a c major scale you just have to hit the notes c, d, e, f. How to play piano blues the complete guide for beginners. The scale is made up of the notes a, c, d, e sharp, e, g, and a. These charts highlight the notes and chords of c blues scale.
I got up to grade 45 and this is where my problem beings. Its just a sheet with all the 12 blues scales on it. Then begin improvising on a major or minor blues structure, just using blues scale notes. Even more advanced piano students can get into the lesserknown scales. How do you apply the blues to the piano or keyboard. Jan 31, 2014 free minor pentatonic blues scale chart. Blues scales for piano adding a blue note to the regular pentatonic scale result in the pentatonic blues scale. The only book ever published showing the beginning jazz soloist how to improvise a real solo using only scales, the major and minor blues scales. Pentatonic and blues scales covers the essential guitar theory for the minor pentatonic scale, major pentatonic scale and the blues scale and highlights the characteristics of each scale with useful licks and exercises. Download our free pdf versions of each scale with fingering. I found this book very interesting the information is well presented and right on the money. Firstly a clear and precise representation of the two basic blues scales major and minor. Every scale determines a key,that is an harmonic combunation of tones based on that scale. What is the best piano scale book from beginner to.
The descending form of a melodic minor scale involves lowering the sixth and seventh scale degrees a half step to their original pitches i. Each of the 20 grooves in this book contains over 150 patterns in total, using notes solely from the blues scale. All the scales here are in one octave, but you can of course practice each piano scale in as many octaves and in any tempo you like. The scales are used often for composing melodies and for improvisation. How to play your piano piece with metronome in the right rhythm. This video illustrates a blues scale box pattern a fingerboard pattern and shows how you can move box patterns around the neck of the guitar. All blues scale for jazz guitar book and cd set only 1 left in stock order soon. Knowing the piano blues scale backward and forward will make you more comfortable soloing. After the pentatonic minor scale and major scale, the blues scale is probably the most widelyused scale in guitar improvisation.
Heres a free sheet i give to all my students after they learn their major scales. The only difference is one extra note, this can be compared with the blue note added to a pentatonic to get a blues scale. The blues scale is arguably the most essential touchstone of popular music. If you want to play jazz or blues on the guitar, you need to learn how to play the 6note blues scale.
Guitar pentatonic and blues scales fundamental changes. I have quite a few students who are fans of playing the blues. These make great handouts for piano teachers to use with students. A compilation of scales for viola in three octaves. Move up the scale finger by finger until you hit the e sharp with your fourth finger. Watch this free video piano lesson and youll learn how to play the blues scale easily in any key. The musical genre has its roots in african and africanamerican musical traditions, as characterized by work songs, folk music, and. Easy way to learn to play e blues scale on a piano using our notes and chords charts. Feb 22, 2019 the 12 bar blues is one of the most iconic song forms ever.
The only 3 chords you need to master the blues on piano. Each scale is provided as a separate pdf download with finger numbers above each note. The solution below shows the e blues scale, on the piano, treble clef and bass clef. The blues chord progression lasts 12 bars thus the phrase 12bar blues that move in a familiar pattern using those three chords.
We provide downloads for common scales including major, the three minor scales natural, harmonic, and melodic, the blues scale, and others. The major blues scale for jazz piano georgia on my mind. Starting with your right thumb, hit the c and continue up the scale until your fourth finger hits the g flat. The major blues scale is some less common than the minor blues scale, and therefore we start with minor and you will find the major by scrolling down. Blues scale in general it can be used on every chord but above all on min7 th and. Both the blues scale and relative minor blues scale are explained in detail and how they are used either separately or together in the patterns for each style, the relative minor blues scale is generally not used in minor keys. Although in boogiewoogie, the pentatonic scale more is more widely used.
Oct 07, 2019 the blues scale is a popular scale based on various scales and numbers of pitches. Many feel that people who improvise or play jazz are special. B minor blues scale positions along the fretboard online. The notes of the scale are c, e flat, f, g flat, g, b flat, and back to c. Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz. Browse alfred music from alfred music at sheet music plus.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. This genre is a ton of fun to play, and a great way to diverge from the classical piano you might be used to playing. For the sake of brevity, ill only look at playing blues in the key of c. The 1st construction, using the major scale, starts at lesson 3. Nov 06, 20 both the blues scale and relative minor blues scale are explained in detail and how they are used either separately or together in the patterns for each style, the relative minor blues scale is generally not used in minor keys. How to improvise using piano blues scale making music magazine. Print and learn to play piano scales in major and minor as well as in other interesting modes, in the lessons below. Free minor pentatonic blues scale chart saras music studio. You can play fast blues, slow blues, happy blues, and sad blues. Blues music originated in the american deep south during the 1870s. The b minor blues scale contains the following notes.
They think that learning the blues scale will help them to write and perform blues style music and they are correct. The exercises in this book use the major scale, pentatonic scale, blues scale, and chromatic scale. Blues scales a topic that usually takes a maximum of 2 pages a regular book of jazz theory, here extends to 80 pages. Were going to introduce the first four notes of it now, played in the right hand. Well if you listen to any bluesy soloists oscar peterson or gene harris are two great example for piano you will hear that they use a lot of major blues scale which unlocks these other important notes. The homeprintable wall chart and book of scales free sponsored version by wayne chase for complete information on scales and modes, see the essential handbook for songwriters, performers, and music students, 2nd edition. As a jazz educator with a large experience i am constantly looking for educational material on jazz harmony, theory, improvisation and composition, and also on specific topics like this book of dan greenblatt. Send me a mail if you want a slow version of a piano piece.
I am always getting asked by piano players, guitarists and solo instrumentalists to show them the blues scale. As i dive further and further into lead guitar techniques and concepts in this book, keep in mind that these very systematic and methodical techniques will seem a bit daunting at first. There are a total of 430 finger exercises in this book. As one of the most widelyplayed scales in music, the blues scale has evolved to include multiple expressions. Adding a blue note to the regular pentatonic scale result in the pentatonic blues scale. For instance, in the c blues scale the notes are c eb f gb g bb c. General information this booklet is designed to give you the basics which you will need in order to learn the art of improvising in music. If you have tried transcribing blues in the past you may have found it difficult because you were only aware of the minor blues scale.
Lets learn the blues scales on piano and keyboard in every key. Some players and musicologists argue that the blues scale has 6 notes. My first book and my website have many examples of blues patterns to practice. Even if youre a complete beginner and have never played the piano in your life, i am going to show you how to play the blues.
Essentially, the blues is a specific progression that uses the c7, f7, and g7 chords. It has the theory on how to get to the blues scales and chords. You will probably notice the close relationship between the bebop scale and the major scale. It is built of only 3 chords making it really easy to play and a perfect skill to learn as a beginner piano player. If it is for technique, you dont need a book, you need a knowledgeable teacher to show you how to move properly. When you have the chord progression memorized, try playing the chords with the left hand while your right hand plays a simple melody, riff, or blues scale. The 4 note blues learn the blues scale and youre half way to playing the blues. Learn about some of the essential scales to learn in this guest post by augustine, fl piano teacher heather l. Since our weather has been so blue up here, i thought it might be fun to work on our improv skills with minor pentatonic blues scales. Music educational books and sheet music downloads for blues, jazz, funk, latin, gospel, rock, celtic styles for instruments including piano, keyboards, sax. Learn how to play the a blues scale on piano free video.
Although we dont call it a blue note in this case, but a passing tone. Printable piano music scales in all major and harmonic minor keys. Tim wrote the well known exploring jazz piano and improvising blues piano books and has several others to his name. The secret piano blues scale the professionals dont tell you about. If youre at the point in your playing that you are ready to learn a new style of music like the blues, then you are already familiar with major scales, the notes in at. Scala blues piano piano lessons book 1 hal leonard student piano library blues trinity piano grade 4 piano beach blues blues guitar sugar blues clarinet blues sugar blues pdf scala web scala scala 100 things blues fans should know fender blues deville sugar blues ebflish sugar blues by dufty king of the delta blues spark scala scala. These scales are for obvious reasons perfect when playing blues on the piano. What is the best piano scale book from beginner to advanced. For right hand fingering, start on the a with your thumb. Often times, we find ourselves playing blues or pentatonicbased scales and licks in situations that really call for jazz tonalities. This division is clearly and systematically preserved in all musical examples till the end of the book. Despite its name, the blues scale is not only used in blues music. The 12 bar blues is one of the most iconic song forms ever. E major blues scale charts for piano music motivated.
Easy way to learn to play c major blues a minor blues scale on a piano using our notes and chords charts. This book of written lessons is an excellent tool and reference manual to develop and enhance your guitar skills. A blues scale consists of 6 different notes, namely the root, flat 3rd, 4th, flat 5th, 5th and flat 7th of the major scale. Since the key of e appears on the circle of fifths diagram as both a major and minor key, the lesson steps explain both ways of constructing this blues scale for this key. Heres a little something that ive been working with in the studio this week. Read on for our favorite famous blues piano songs for beginners to check out, as well as some tips to help you play the blues. Jazz music has been called the only truly american art form, born and raised on this very soil. Besides the standard major and minor scales, there are two scales that are more common to playing blues and boogiewoogie. For instance, in the c blues scale the notes are c. Piano pentatonic blues scales overview with pictures. The blues scale is so important for anyone who wants to. Pentatonic and blues scales fundamental changes music book. This is a resource with free piano lessons and printable scale charts for beginners. How to play the blues on the piano or keyboard dummies.
These are the four most common scales in pop and rock music. Aug 26, 2018 even if youre a complete beginner and have never played the piano in your life, i am going to show you how to play the blues. Just the blues scale can be considered a basis for a particular key blues. Here you can see an overhead view of some of the keys on a piano or keyboard. These charts highlight the notes and chords of e blues scale. Learning the blues is the essencial base for any rock, pop, jazz and of course blues. The major blues scale is some less common than the minor blues scale, and therefore we start. Within a particular boogiewoogie piano piece, you will find yourself using elements from both of these scales. Essential tools for jazz improvising i learned quite by accident from the forum all about jazz. Isbn 18973111 this electronic edition, isbn 18973111, may be copied and distributed without prior written permission of the publisher provided that this edition is not altered in any way, shape, or form, and that it is distributed for free. If you already know about the minor blues scale and would just like to know how to play it in five positions as well. Aug 22, 20 play and learn by ear all 12 blues scales. Piano lessons david bruce beginner blues for piano part 1. The blues has been such a huge influence over popular music in this country, we all know most of these things in our heads already because weve heard them a gazillion times in music weve listened to over the years.
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