Hi, my name is Davell Crawford and I'm here for Sonic Junction. Over the course of the year I will be teaching you different piano styles ranging from Blues, Gospel, New Orleans and Jazz improvisation. Today we will start this first lesson off with the blues. It's a shuffle pattern that will start forming a strong foundation of your left hand and your right hand rhythm technique, which is a very important factor in learning the blues and roots music as a whole. We will learn the shuffle with the great Jimmy Reed tune Baby, What You Want Me To Do.
After you learn the left hand pattern, please practice it with my run-through of Baby, What You Want Me To Do until you can play it without looking at the keyboard. A strong left hand is the hallmark of all the great New Orleans and Chicago blues piano players and we want you to start building your foundation.
Oh, and please invest in a little metronome!!!
Et ils sont partis!
Davell
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
Blues
Jimmy Reed
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Davell Crawford
Blues Shuffle
Print Chords & Tab
Loop 0:32 Run-Through of Baby What You Want Me To Do
Got me runnin'
Got me hidin'
Got me run hide hide runnin'
Anyway you want to let it roll
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Got me doin' what you want me
Baby what you want me to do
Goin' up
Goin' down
Goin' up down down up
Anyway you want to let it roll
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Got me doin' what you want me
Baby what you want me to do
Got me peepin'
Got me hidin'
Got me peep hide hide peepin'
Anyway you want to let it roll
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Got me doin' what you want me
Baby what you want me to do
Loop 4:02 Breakdown of Left Hand Shuffle
Loop 5:04 Practice Loop of Left Hand Shuffle
Loop 5:35 Lick of the Song and Shuffle Variations
Loop 7:08 Closing Thoughts
Comments
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Hi, Davell:
When you move from the I chord to the IV chord, does it matter which direction you move? It seems that when you played the song, you moved your left hand down for the Bb, but there were other times when you moved up for the IV chord. Does it matter?
Hi, Davell! This is a great song and a great lesson. Your voice is golden.
I've only been playing piano consistently for about six months now. I've been playing blues harp much longer than that, so I'm familiar with this song and the blues genre, and that was my primary reason for joining Sonic Junction. Your playing is WAAAAY beyond my abilities currently(and for the foreseeable future).
I think that my immediate goal, the takeaway from this lesson, would be the left hand blues shuffle, right? Is there any advice that you would give a beginner, or is there any "bridge" course or material out there you would recommend?
Thank you.
Hi Marc!
Great to know you are progressing as a musician. This lesson, if you follow it closely and practice, it is a geared towards the beginner of the blues for the left hand. Study it closely and upload a video For me to see your progress. I can guide you better from learning where you are now.
Good luck and keep playing!!
Davell
Thanks, Davell! I'll take some time to work through this lesson and I'll try to watch your hands carefully. The left hand shuffle pattern is explained well, but I'll try to figure out that melody over the V, and the introduction. Man, you are good!
When I feel like I have something, I'll try to record a video.
It's not that often when someone has the ability to teach as well as they play. Thanks Davell for this lesson. As a piano player, it has inspired me to expand. I look forward to continuing with the lessons.
Hi Rob!
Thanks for the compliment! I hope that you hang around throughout the year. I've got some really interesting things in store this year! lets stay in touch!
Davell
Hey Davell,
thanks for the lesson! here's my first shot at it; i tried throwing in some right hand comping with the left hand.
Hi Matthew,
Great job! I certainly heard your added improvisation around marker time 1:45, loud and clear. That's what the blues is all about! In the begginning on the Fmaj. chord, the left hand didn't reach up to the Dominant 7th, but once you changed to the Bb, your thumb reached up to the Dominant 7th. Really good that you played both the basic and variated lines as the lesson does, it helps me to know just where you are in your interpretation of this music and just where you will need some pointers. In future lessons, we will explore attack and feeling, I'll be excited for you when we get to that stuff! Keep up the really good work!!!
Davell
nice tune it would be great if you could do something for a beginner
Hi Boyd R. While these lessons are a bit advanced, the beginner can still learn greatly. They are geared to get you playing some of these songs fastly no matter if you're a beginner or more advanced player. Give it a try and take your time...use the loops to repeat routines, and should you have any questions feel free to send me a message!
Excellent lesson, very nicely presented! And lovely playing! :-) Looking forward to more, thanks much!
Thanks Bruce! I am preparing some wonderful videos for you full of technics of the Blues, New Orleans Piano, R&B, Funk, grooving, etc. Hope you'll find your way on board!
Davie