Blues Piano

pclancy

Hi all,

Ive been playing keyboard and some piano for about 5 years now, nearly always with live rock and soul cover bands. I never did any grades though I played two grade 5 piano pieces for leaving cert music with the help of my music teacher. I mostly learnt myself by copying riffs and stuff from recordings or working out my own arrangements once i knew the keys/chords. Im at the stage now where I want to get back into reading music and get some lessons in blues and eventually jazz. Ive been listening to a lot of herbie and jimmy smith type keyboards and think thats what i want to do. Could anyone suggest any good teachers or courses I could do to get back on a learning track? Im 24 and happy to put in at least an hour a day practice. I dont want to sit and learn grade classical pieces or that kind of stuff, I want to learn blues/jazz styles that are usefull live. I seen waltons offer a blues keyboard course, anyone any thoughts on this? Are there any other schools that do night or weekend/distance courses in blues/jazz keyboards?

Are there even any keyboard players on boards????

swingking

MY best advice is to get the Associated Board Jazz Piano book; it takes you through the chords and inversions in order to help you to play jazz pieces

You say that you learned some of the chords needed. Find a piece of music that you like and play it; but to give a more jazzy feel, add flattened 7ths and 6ths to help the jazz effect in the piece

The main chords needed to play jazz music is

I-V7-VI-Vii

pclancy

Yeah I like my sixths and sevenths allright. What way do u work out what the I-II-III-IV-V-VI-VII chords are again? must get leaving cert music theory book again its all gone out of my brain.

swingking

Its very simple

Say for instance you wanted to play the chord of II

Count up 2 notes from the key; say for instance D

Play a chord on the note which in this case would be E

The chord of II of D is E,G,B

There you go:)

pclancy

ah yeah i remember now. Should have paid attention in music not chased skirts! Just bought a hammond XB-2 on ebay. Cant wait to get my hands on it