Blues info

[dazzzer]

I have been learning a blues rock shuffle 1-3-5-6 ( 8 bar with my left hand It sounds really rock & roll and doing a 1- 4 -5-1 chords progression in the key of C ,  Its sounds nice  but i still find it hard to really using both hands doing different things when I try to improvise  with my right hand It all falls apart.  I have also only just started to learn the C blues  scale , I am just wondering for every chord your play in the progression do you have to use that scale key  in the blues scale  to improvise ,   I would like to do more improvising and use the blues scales to play some riffs

[nystul]

To an extent, you can use the same scale over all of the chords.  But you cannot do it mindlessly. This is really the same concept whether it is a blues harmony or a classical diatonic harmony.  At certain points in your melody you have important target notes that cannot clash with the harmony.  Some examples would be the last note of a phrase, or a long note right at the chord change.  For instance, if you have a C7 chord or a C major chord, your target note to end the phrase probably shouldn't be F because it doesn't sit with the chord.  You can play F as part of the phrase, but it can't be the critical note (unless you really want that tension to be there).  Now on the other hand when the harmony is F7 then Bb is causing the same problem.  Especially any note that is going to be a half step above one of the chord tones has to be used with care.

The easy way to avoid this when you are starting is just have your melodic ideas lead towards one of the main chord tones.  At first you are going to want to really focus on your right hand, so your left hand has to stick with something really simple that you have completely down pat.

[pianoplunker]

I have been learning a blues rock shuffle 1-3-5-6 ( 8 bar with my left hand It sounds really rock & roll and doing a 1- 4 -5-1 chords progression in the key of C ,  Its sounds nice  but i still find it hard to really using both hands doing different things when I try to improvise  with my right hand It all falls apart.  I have also only just started to learn the C blues  scale , I am just wondering for every chord your play in the progression do you have to use that scale key  in the blues scale  to improvise ,   I would like to do more improvising and use the blues scales to play some riffs

You can use the notes of same root ( in this case C ) blues scale to to play the roots of the I, IV and V. Example :

Right hand :  C-G-Bb    F-C-Eb    G-D-F
Left Hand :   C-E-G-A   F-A-C-D  G-B-D-E

Those notes in the right hand are also notes found in the blues scales of they keys of I IV V
Just keep everything as simple and square on the beat for now. Then later try doing a tremelo with the notes or add some passing notes - Once you get the rhythm and groove down and feel confidence about doing riffs , then you may want to focus on not playing too many notes.  One more thing dont forget that I7, IV7, and V7 can enhance the sound of the blues scale. 
I dont know if that is what you are asking for but I've typed it just in case.

[papojims]

This is something I like to do as warm up or scale practice:

Try working the 7th arpeggio(no3) with your left hand ...just like a bass guitar player would do. Work all the patterns. There are 6 patterns ( 1, 5 ,b7,1). You can make some pretty good blues shuffles just from this.

Then add the chord with your right hand.

Then hold the minor 7th with your left hand and work both the major scale and blues scale with the right hand.

Then flip it.. work the arpeggio with your right hand and make the chord with your left.

If you do this you will have:

1. Good balance with both hands
2. The 7th arpeggio(no3) implies neither maj or min
3. So when you practice the major scale(Ionian) and the blues scale your ear starts to pick up the 3rd, 5th, and b7th sounds.

PS... I'm a guitar player primarily ...I take it as a compliment when people say I play guitar like a piano player and vice verse.. It is a good thing having "big ears"

[oxy60]

Who would have guessed that an intelligent discussion of the blues would take place on a classical piano board. My perspective is from a bass player's point of view and I would love to transfer some knowledge to the keyboard just for myself. I'm all ears.

The keyboard players I know have been at it for 40 years.  They have long forgotten their first steps. After over a thousand gigs it has all become a blur.

[pianoplunker]

This is something I like to do as warm up or scale practice:

Try working the 7th arpeggio(no3) with your left hand ...just like a bass guitar player would do. Work all the patterns. There are 6 patterns ( 1, 5 ,b7,1). You can make some pretty good blues shuffles just from this.

Then add the chord with your right hand.

Then hold the minor 7th with your left hand and work both the major scale and blues scale with the right hand.

Then flip it.. work the arpeggio with your right hand and make the chord with your left.

If you do this you will have:

1. Good balance with both hands
2. The 7th arpeggio(no3) implies neither maj or min
3. So when you practice the major scale(Ionian) and the blues scale your ear starts to pick up the 3rd, 5th, and b7th sounds.

PS... I'm a guitar player primarily ...I take it as a compliment when people say I play guitar like a piano player and vice verse.. It is a good thing having "big ears"

Interestingly enough for me, I first learned about the blues scale from a guitar player. It was the only thing he could do on a keyboard. changed my life. for the rest of the post all I hear is "Hey Hey, that's what I'd say"  - Ray Charles

[pianoplunker]

Who would have guessed that an intelligent discussion of the blues would take place on a classical piano board. My perspective is from a bass player's point of view and I would love to transfer some knowledge to the keyboard just for myself. I'm all ears.

The keyboard players I know have been at it for 40 years.  They have long forgotten their first steps. After over a thousand gigs it has all become a blur.

 I must be a keyboard player you know, 40 years and a thousand gigs. Almost could be lyrics for a blues song

[oxy60]

I must be a keyboard player you know, 40 years and a thousand gigs. Almost could be lyrics for a blues song

East Coast, West Coast? Union, non-union?

I see you guys working your magic over there and always wonder how you choose what to fit in.  After 50 years playing the classics I want to try something different on the piano.

[pianoplunker]

East Coast, West Coast? Union, non-union?

I see you guys working your magic over there and always wonder how you choose what to fit in.  After 50 years playing the classics I want to try something different on the piano.

West Coast USA SF Bay Area East Bay. Non-Union-Non-Pro. Mainly small local night-club type of venues with a few weddings or day-time events in between. I get gigs more because of availability with equipment rather than musicianship although I am accomplished in some aspects  Certainly not a pioneer or master. As far as what to fill in, sometimes I feel like a genius and sometimes not so much. The past year I have become very interested in classical music again so I am working on some pieces and hopefully development of technique.

[oxy60]

West Coast USA SF Bay Area East Bay. Non-Union-Non-Pro. Mainly small local night-club type of venues with a few weddings or day-time events in between. I get gigs more because of availability with equipment rather than musicianship although I am accomplished in some aspects  Certainly not a pioneer or master. As far as what to fill in, sometimes I feel like a genius and sometimes not so much. The past year I have become very interested in classical music again so I am working on some pieces and hopefully development of technique.

Don't sell yourself short. From what you have written above as help for the original poster indicates some real depth of knowledge.  That tasteful single note in the correct harmony at the right moment can make all the difference.

I too am non-union non-pro in pop music, but did a ton of paid church gigs when I was young. I'm located a long days drive South of you on the same coast and my moniker here tells where I went to college (same as BHO) and the year I got my BA in music.

At the moment I'm putting real bass tracks on some tunes where the bass player thinks he is a guitar and missed all the changes. In one case he played only 3rds, 6ths and 7ths. Either he didn't know which key they were in or felt he "had to say something important" with his expensive SIX string bass...