Tenth in Frank’s HUGE collection of killer blues piano licks to add to your bag… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…
Blues Piano Lick 010 (in the Key of C)
Repeated notes are a great way to keep the time moving, build excitement, and compensate for the intrinsic lack of sustain on the piano. A staple of blues playing is to put Do on top with your pinky while coming off the Fi/Se onto So in relentless and percussive triplets. Here’s one way to do it as a complete four-bar idea…
Listen to Frank demonstrate one way to play this (with a double chop left hand at 75 beats per minute)…
Technique Tips: 1. Don’t attack the keys like you’re hammering nails, 2. Each impulse should start on, not above, the key surface, 3. Brush off the keys using “wrist hinge” choreography, 4. Allow gravity to do the work of getting your flowing arm, hand, and fingers back into position to play the next chord.
Special Note from Frank: If you’re having difficulty playing this or making it sound and feel right, it’s not because you’re untalented or haven’t built strength and endurance. It’s because the way you’re thinking about it or the way you’re moving your body is flawed. (Arrange a zoom lesson with Frank and he’ll diagnose the problem and teach you the choreography that will enable you to play this with perfect control, timing, and without ever getting tired).
Blues Piano Lick 010, Variation
For an blues-ier sound, try playing the Te as the top note instead…
Listen to Frank demonstrate one way to play this (with a double chop left hand at 75 beats per minute)…
Interpretation Suggestion: Don’t just play this with robotic timing and “flat” dynamics. Shape each phrase with slight variations in loudness and accents that suit the flow and mood you want to create!
more like this… Blues Piano Licks