Rsl12's New Orleans Piano Journal

rsl12

For Play 'Beale Street Blues' Your Way, I studied a small portion of a video I've been wanting to study for a long time: Doctor John Teaches New Orleans Piano. I live in Baton Rouge, and I've been wanting to get more of the fabulous, funky, and sweet Louisiana sound in my playing. PIYW is now over and I might as well continue what I started!

In the video, Doctor John goes through a number of songs, with the camera helpfully pointing at his fingers. I used big parts of the first song (Frankie and Johnnie) in my prep of Beale Street Blues, so I now move to the second tune. But here I must confront a major weakness of mine. The tune is "C. C. Rider", a barrelhouse blues that features tenths in the left hand. I've worked on stretching my left hand for 10ths several times in the past, and I usually give up after a few months. But I love the sound of 10ths so much I'm going to try again! Here's me trying a few measures of C. C. Rider:

I know I could roll these 10ths but I'm going to try stretching until I can at least reach the white key tenths with some faculty. But because it's going to take months, I'll probably work on something else in the video at the same time. Maybe go back to Frankie and Johnny and see if I can get comfortable enough to actually improvise in that style. Anyways, here marks the beginning of my New Orleans music project!

pianoloverus

rsl12 I know I could roll these 10ths but I'm going to try stretching until I can at least reach the white key tenths with some faculty. But because it's going to take months, I'll probably work on something else in the video at the same time. Maybe go back to Frankie and Johnny and see if I can get comfortable enough to actually improvise in that style. Anyways, here marks the beginning of my New Orleans music project!

Based on your video I don't think trying to stretch your hands enough to play tenths with any facility could be successful. I think it would be much better to practice learning how to roll tenths quickly enough so they sound OK. I heard one terrific stride pianist with very small hands play, and he could roll the tenths so skillfully it was virtually indistinguishable from playing the two notes at once.

Peyton

Good work. It's very enlightening to see you playing on this from above.

rsl12

pianoloverus Based on your video I don't think trying to stretch your hands enough to play tenths with any facility could be successful.

You're probably right, since every other attempt at stretching has ended in surrender. But at the very least, stretching may help make my rolls a little smoother.

diretonic Damn those LH tenths

I agree! Damn them!

diretonic But, as to the rolling, he more often avoids it and plays them timed.

Yes, I like his ideas for playing tenths in various ways, not just straight on and not just rolling. I'm definitely going to incorporate them more in in my playing.

diretonic I wish you good progress, your thread might tempt me to dig a bit deeper too.

I hope so. It would be nice to have company!

diretonic

I'll be following with interest. Trying to decode Dr John has been a pet project of mine for a number of years, albeit much too far in the background to make enough progress.
Damn those LH tenths - much of that New Orleans sound relies on them, and if you want full-fat I often hear a middle note in there as well (e.g. root+5th+10th). It's a struggle for me too so the usual restrictions apply - the keys C F and G and that's about it with some pain. But, as to the rolling, he more often avoids it and plays them timed. So the version of CC rider I'm looking at on YT, he'll play the [5th + 10th] exactly an 8th triplet before the root which lands dead on the beat. Sometimes, less often I think, he'll reverse it ( root to [5th + 10th] ). In either case the prior note (or notes) is 1/8 triplet before the final note landing on the beat. There's some rolling too but less than one might think. Judicious use of the sustain pedal can help things out. I wish you good progress, your thread might tempt me to dig a bit deeper too.

diretonic

This might amuse you - from my childhood when TV variety shows were plagued by this sort of thing. What fascinates me is that Russ is doing the 5th+10th-to-root thing as a matter of habit. It summed up his 'style'. The context, the pace, most of all the right hand, leaves it sounding nothing like Dr John of course.

rsl12

diretonic What fascinates me is that Russ is doing the 5th+10th-to-root thing as a matter of habit. It summed up his 'style'.

I hear what he's doing.. Similar to Doctor John in the left hand, but a totally different sound. And if you hadn't pointed it out, I don't know if I would have noticed, since he does it so quickly!