Thirteenth in Frank’s HUGE collection of killer blues piano licks to add to your bag… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…
Blues Piano Lick 013 (in the Key of C)
This two-bar blues piano run is simply the C Minor Blues Scale played in descending triplets over two octaves. Notice how this hexatonic (6 note) scale naturally suits two sets of triplets and allows Do to fall on the strong beats (1 & 3) while the most harmonically active note (Fi/Se) falls on the back beats (2 & 4)…
Listen to Frank demonstrate one way to play this (using a double-pump walking left hand at 108 bpm)…
Fingering Suggestion: C = 3, Bb = 2, G = 1, Gb(F#) = 4, F = 3, Eb = 2, C = 1, etc…
Interpretation & Technique Tips: Play each triplet as single musical word, hitting the first note in each triplet crisply on the downbeat with no flams with your left hand. Combine the two triplets into a complete idea within each octave, then combine everything into a two-octave line as if you are speaking a complete musical sentence, both mentally and physically.
Random Reminder: Record yourself, listen to the playback immediately, and ask: “Is THAT what I intended to play?”. (While it can be a humbling experience, this easy to do practice habit will absolutely transform your playing, guaranteed!)
more like this… Blues Piano Licks