Playin’ the Blues

Blues piano is one of the most enduringly popular styles of piano playing. If you want to learn it, you have to acquire a proper introduction to its art and craft. It is primarily based on the I-IV-V chord progression. This means that, using a major scale, you would be using the 1st, 4th, and 5th intervals. For instance, when playing in the key of C, a I-IV-V progression would consist of a C major chord (I), an F major chord (IV), and a G major chord (V). This fundamental progression is based on a triad a three-note scale tone of chords. To make it “bluesy,” however, you’ll need to add a “lowered” or “flatted” 7th tone to each major chord in effect making them dominant 7th chords. The lowered note is what expert players and other musicians call the “blues.”

Blues Piano Lessons

Back to School

There are several ways to get an introduction to this kind of piano. The most common would be to search out a music school and enroll in a blues piano class. This is a fairly good way to learn, because aspiring students would be taught in person by reliable, accredited teachers. Also, students could learn alongside others, so the class would never be boring. However, to get your money’s worth, make sure you enroll at a music school that is more or less known to provide good tutorials.

Private Lessons

Another avenue would be to learn through private lessons. This could be done by hiring an expert instructor and asking them to teach you privately, whether at your home or an outside agreed-upon venue. This is considered by many to be one of the most effective methods of getting blues piano lessons because students are given sufficient attention by their instructors, thus making it easy to learn. However, just like formal classes, the cost for private lessons can be rather expensive.

Digital Drills

Then there are any number of DVDs out on the market, featuring famous or accomplished pianists, that systematically lead beginner players through all the lessons needed to master the style scales, chord theory, licks, turnarounds, and endings. Most of these require no previous piano experience, which proves a great attraction to novice piano players. The drawback with this type of format is that it is rather impersonal; it eliminates the need altogether for a live teacher’s actual presence and support which can often be crucial.

The Info Age Alternative

With the advent of the Internet, an alternative means to get blues piano lessons is to avail of online tutorials. This method is not only cheap but also quite practical. If you have a PC at home, all you would need to do is surf the Web and look for websites that offer, in particular, blues piano lessons. And there are a number of websites out there who do offer online tutorials, so you would never run out of choices. The important thing to remember, however, is that you should make sure the website you ultimately choose is a reliable and worthwhile one. One of the Internet’s drawbacks is that some websites could be uncertain or inadequate so you just have to be a bit cautious. If you are, though, there is no reason why you should get the blues learning to PLAY the blues.

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