Tuesday, August 28, 2007

How to Play Blues Piano Music

It may surprise you but, few pianists know how to successfully execute a simple blues on the piano. Given the hundreds of different chord variations in a 12-bar blues it's no wonder that many don't know which to choose so they simply avoid the whole process altogether.

Here are a few simple rules to follow when learning to play blues on the piano.
Most music that you hear is based on chord progressions and the blues is no different. So let's start with a basic 12-bar blues chord progression which would look like this in the key of F;
| F7 | | | | Bb7 | | F7 | | C7 | Bb7 | F7 | |
Now, I've already mentioned that there are hundreds of different variations of the blues so let's now show you the most common jazz blues progression. Overall it's the same progression with a few extra chords thrown in to make it sound more interesting;
| F7 | Bb7 | F7 | | Bb7 | Bo7 | F7 | A-7b5 D7b9 | G-7 | C7 | F7 | G-7 C7|
You will notice a couple of things about this progression. First is the A-7b5 D7b9 in the 8th bar before the G minor seventh chord. This is simple a minor II V put in front of the G minor chord to give it forward movement. Then you will see another II V at the end which takes us back to the top of the piece, again giving it that forward movement.
This jazz blues progression is the most common progression you will see and will serve you well in any music jam situation.
So, once you've mastered this progression it would be nice to learn how to solo over top. That's where things get a bit tricky. If you're just learning, my advice is to learn a simple blues scale which can be played over the entire progression.
A blues scale is made up of only 6 notes and here it is in the key of F;
F Ab Bb B C Eb and back to F.
Now, the fingering for this scale from bottom to top would be 1 3 4 1 2 4 5. And, of course if you kept going up to the next octave you would need to substitute 5th finger with 1.
This scale works so well on a blues progression it can become a bit monotonous. Therefore, I suggest you learn how to play some other types of scales during the II V's such as a dorian and mixolydian.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

How to Play Baba O'Riley on Piano

There's a great way to play it that mimics the synth sound and all the accompanying chords as well. Not really for beginner pianists, though.  Check out thisvideo for how it sounds, it will help while you're trying to play it. That version is in G, not in F, as the following directions will be. It's probably a little easier to play in G, but either can be done.

Start with your left thumb and your right thumb on the F below middle C. You'll be playing 16th notes and alternating between this F in your left hand and each other note of the synth sound. So (in 16th notes, with the lowercase noting your left hand and uppercase noting right hand) you'd play FfCfFfCf over and over). This reproduces the synth sound pretty well and sounds like the first 45 seconds on the video.

Play the chords over that riff. F--C--Bb. Use the pedal to sustain the sound of the chord. Basically, as you play the riff you're playing the chord as the first 16th note rather than just the "F" note in the right hand. It takes some work to get used to.

Add the left hand an octave lower if you want to mimic the sound of the guitar coming in and emphasize the chords. You'd play octaves of F, C and Bb with your left hand on that same first 16th note when you're playing the chord in your right hand.
If you listen to the video track it helps get a sense of how it will sound. This makes it a lot easier to figure out how to play it.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Learn to Play the Organ. How?

One of the most interesting and fascinating instruments to play, is the organ. There are many variations of this instrument, from the standard electronic, as seen in the picture, to the more refined Church Organ, Orchestral Organ or the Theatre Pipe Organ as they are called. They can have as few as two keyboards (manuals) to as many as six. Learning the organ can seem difficult but also extremely rewarding, as the musical variety they are capable of is astounding.

The organ is a challenging instrument to play correctly, and there are many ways to play it correctly, both in popular and classical repertoire. However, if you have a good keyboard technique to begin with, you can move to the multiple keyboards and pedals with more ease. The organ, or at least the pipe organ, is not really the place to learn to read music or play a keyboard. You should get this knowledge on a piano, or home electronic organ first.
Find an organ teacher. Ask around at local churches or colleges. Many colleges have undergraduate programs in applied organ, and music theory in general. You can also check organ-related periodicals for teachers. But, the best way is to contact your local chapter of The American Theatre Organ Society (www.atos.org), or The American Guild of Organists (www.ago.org) and research getting a teacher recommendation through them.
There are some great books which can help you get up to speed quickly, in terms of keyboard playing. One of the best is called "How to Play the Piano, Despite Years of Lessons". It helps you get up to speed with simple keyboard playing.
Buy a pair of organ master's shoes. You can purchase them online for around fifty dollars. Pedals are a unique aspect of organ-playing, and having good footwear will help you develop efficient technique.
Purchase an introductory level organ book. There are many on the market, so be sure to get suggestions from your teacher or another organist.
Practice! There is only one way to learn any instrument. The more practice you can put in, the more you will get out of it.

Almost all organists have previous training on piano. If you don't have experience, take a few years of piano first.
Get to know other organists in your area. It is a relatively small group of people, and tends to be highly interconnected. Knowing your peers will provide advice and support. Be careful, though. Organ groups, particularly pipe organ groups and clubs, tend to be very cliquish. You need to be able to stand your ground without ticking off the wrong person.
Listen to good organ music. There are many opportunities to hear excellent performances, especially in metropolitan areas. Also, you can get on websites, such as www.ohscatalog.org, and find a huge selection of organ CD's, both Classical, Orchestral and Theatre Organ.

Do not expect to learn all there is to about this instrument quickly. Start with the smaller one, learn the piano, and gradually graduate up to the Pipe Organ. This is a musical experience well worth the effort.
Each organ is different, especially if you are playing the pipe organ. Before playing an organ you are not used to properly, get used to its stops, tone and sensitivity.