Lesson Goal: To quickly internalize some bread and butter Floyd Cramer Piano Licks… 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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Meet Floyd Cramer
Country piano player Floyd Cramer almost singlehandedly invented what country piano is all about…
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Floyd Cramer Piano Licks: The First Lesson
Cramer’s ideas are based on the Major Pentatonic Modes for the “big 3” chords (I, IV, V).
The driving melodic and harmonic force of each scale-chord relationship is that “the 2” of each scale/chord wants to resolve to “the 3” and “the 6” of each scale/chord wants to resolve to “the 5”.
Here they are for the “big 3” chords (C, F, G) in the key of C Major…
C (I) Chord Resolutions
Showing the chord structure numbers and Solfege…
Listen to the 2-3 resolution for a C chord…
Listen to the 6-5 resolution for a C chord…
F (IV) Chord Resolutions
Showing the chord structure numbers and Solfege…
Listen to the 2-3 resolution for an F chord…
Listen to the 6-5 resolution for an F chord…
G (V) Chord Resolutions
Showing the chord structure numbers and Solfege…
Listen to the 2-3 resolution for a G chord…
Listen to the 6-5 resolution for a G chord…
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Floyd Cramer Piano Licks: 2 to 3 Resolution
A commonly-used Floyd Cramer pattern sustains “the 5” as the top note as “the 2” resolves up to “the 3″…
Here it is applied to the “big 3” chords in an 8-bar form…
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Floyd Cramer Piano Licks: 6 to 5 Resolution
A commonly used Floyd Cramer pattern sustains “the 1” as the top note as “the 6” resolves down to “the 5″…
Here it is applied to the “big 3” chords in an 8-bar form…
[Frank’s not happy with his playing here–needs to record again]
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Floyd Cramer Piano Licks: 2-3-1 Triplet Resolved to 3
This Floyd Cramer lick sustains “the 5” as the top note as you play a “2-3-1” triplet that resolves up to “the 3″…
Here it is applied to the “big 3” chords in an 8-bar form…
This pattern works well as a pickup in a Waltz rhythm. The triplet should be understated and feel unhurried in order to suit the laid back flow of the music.
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Floyd Cramer Piano Licks: 6-5-3 Triplet Resolved to 5
This Floyd Cramer lick sustains “the 1” as the top note as you play a “6-5-3” triplet that resolves to “the 5″…
Here it is applied to the “big 3” chords in an 8-bar form…
This pattern works well as a pickup in a Waltz rhythm. The triplet should be understated and feel unhurried in order to suit the laid back flow of the music.
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learn more… Country Piano Lessons
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