Lesson Goal: To quickly add some bread and butter blues swing piano comping patterns to your bag… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
Basic music reading skills… basic scale, chord, and chord progression theory… basic technique… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.
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Study, Practice, & Performance Tips
- All of this might sound like a lot of work, but it’s not nearly as much as you think. Because even though it takes time to talk about all these things, in practice they can all be done simultaneously!
- Your goal is not to merely memorize this, but to study and practice it until you internalize it using all four musical intelligences: ears, intellect, eyes, and muscles.
- Every time you practice something, you are programming your brain. So always play accurately.
- Practice with a Click Track or a Rhythm Track. Doing so will give you immediate feedback on any rhythmic misconceptions or places where your timing gets sloppy.
- Record Yourself. Always. Listen to the playback immediately. And ask yourself: Is that what you intended to play?”
- If anything feels tense or awkward, stop immediately and experiment with alternative fingerings or choreography.
- Play this in other keys you expect to play in. By the way, once you see the patterns (which is guaranteed if you know your scales and chords) finding the notes in other keys will be a piece of cake!
- If you feel stuck or overwhelmed, realize that anything can and will be mastered if you slow things down or break things down to small enough pieces.
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What is a Walking Bass Line?
Walking Bass Lines are defining feature of swing music in blues, jazz, and other genres. The three essential aspects of a walking bass are: (1) A line that clearly outlines the harmony, typically by playing chord tones on strong beats, (2) A relentless stream of quarter notes that keep the time moving, and (3) A line that “walks” between chord tones, typically using a mix of scale-wise and chromatic passing tones.
Blues Swing Piano Comping Pattern #1
Here’s a typical example that incorporates a walking bass and two-bar long syncopated chord figures in the right hand. Notice how the bass line simultaneously outlines the harmony and builds both melodic and rhythmic momentum into each chord change…
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Blues Swing Piano Comping Pattern #2
Here’s another typical example to add to your bag. Again, notice how the bass line simultaneously outlines the harmony and builds both melodic and rhythmic momentum into each chord change…
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learn more… Blues Piano Lessons