Rocking Octaves in the left hand are a simple, but effective way to establish a deep groove in Gospel Piano…
Here’s a medium tempo variation with a swing feel…
Study-Practice Notes
- Form: Think and feel this as a 4-bar phrase with two two-bar sub-phrases.
- Interpretation: Play all the downbeats with a full sound, but play all the upbeats a bit more subdued. Also, allow the chromatic pickup to build momentum into the top of the next repeat.
- Technique: Never allow your hands and wrists to become rigid. Play with “sticky pinkies”, full arm rotation, and keep your hand and wrist moving in a continuous circle from left to right and in and out an low to high and back again.