So what's the difference between a lick and a riff? Christian mentioned something about "some licks can repeat like riffs" but he didn't quite explain anything further. And of course the Big Question is: does it actually matter?
Beginners blues/boogie/rock discussion
A riff is usually a repeated phrase. It's often used as an important theme in a song, possibly the main melody theme or some other signature melody phrase that identifies the song.
Licks are shorter phrases, mainly used in the context of solos.
Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.
Aaah thank you! Short but to the point! Makes sense... this lesson is entirely different with, as you said, a phrase that repeats every two bars and a lick that changes each time. It's strangely satisfying to play too, considering that and the left hand are so repetitive. 
Sophia It is a very good question, because they seem similar.
AFAIK, a riff is a repeating section inside a song, so repeating that it basically can define the song. A lick happens to be in a song occasionally.
E.g. "Smoke on the water" has this very famous riff, repeating all over the song. Actually, this is the essence of the song itself.
"What'd I Say" from Ray Charles has a lick at 0:26 sec, (Youtube). It belongs to the song but does not define the song in a way like the famous "Smoke on the water" riff does.
Oops - cross post with TC3.
Thanks WieWaldi. Yours was longer but just as much to the point. All clear now 
Pfew, lesson 12 is super long! I finally managed to get the licks and riffs of the first part into my active memory. Including the two-octave blues scale with the new riff. Now I'm halfway the lesson, and he is continuing to introduce new patterns and variations! TC I am not sure if I will include one of your lovely endings in this lesson just yet because it's sooo long, but I fully plan on going back to it during a less daunting lesson
At least I'm enjoying this lesson, so it's not a huge strain to play the Dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum for 5 solid minutes just to get through the first part. And still as much to add! 
Sophia your current lesson is the last bloody beginner one. After that, your LH is going for chord progressions. It is then more of a slow blues, easy because it is slow. Not easy, because you probably cannot play LH blind in autopilot that easy.
Anyway, I found your current jamming lesson ultra enjoying. It was the first one, I created my own licks because LH is so soothing and repetitive, that my brain got free capacity to invent something by my own.
- Edited
Haha true! It's so easy to go into full improvisation mode with such a basic left hand. In fact that's what I do sometimes with my keyboard: set some rhythm with auto left hand patterns. Then all I need to do is one finger on CCCCFFCCGFCC and my right hand is free to explore whatever my ears enjoy!
However for this particular lesson I need full brain capacity (all 3 cells) just to remember the licks and riffs and variations... so I'm not deviating from the lesson right now 
- Edited
OMG... you are so right. This is a mistake I shouldn't have made since bloody beginner lesson 1...
Corrected! You're too bloody alert!! WieWaldi: 
Sophia: 🫏
Ah. But YOU saw it. That means you may need to rethink your levels. Add one especially for you:
bloody beginner
lovely beginner <-- I am here
total beginner <-- you just left from here
absolute beginner <-- you almost made it here
early beginner
true beginner
pure beginner
real beginner
late beginner
prolonged beginner
extended beginner
eternal beginner
12-bar-specialist <-- your new rank, well deserved
How is your lesson going?
Sophia No no no. Easy Blues piano has 19 lesson in total and I am at the beginning of lesson 7. This means, there is a long way to absolute beginnerTM.
And I am really in the beginning of lesson 7, not mid, and three times not close to the end. Currently I daddle around with the walking bass line and waste time. And I learn a beginner-friendly blues-piece with the lovely name "Before You Accuse Me". Maybe it get it ready for November recital, then I can post different pieces in both forums. 
WieWaldi Maybe it get it ready for November recital, then I can post different pieces in both forums.
Nice! I already have my November piece recorded, but I'd love to submit a blues lesson too one day... such as one of the earlier lessons with a TC ending 
I think the recital after that will a very difficult choice! I'm still enjoying learning so much from both Alfred and this course. When I first started in January, I wasn't sure in what direction my playing was going to lean. I wasn't even sure if I would stick with it (though my promises to MOYD and PACT helped a lot, as well as these regular fun blues banters).
I love classical, blues, boogie, ragtime, swing... but the further I get, the more inclined I am to say that I enjoy the relaxed style playing of these "Christian type lessons" above all (so far).
Luckily we are not required to choose one style, so we can learn/do it all 
Sophia but I'd love to submit a blues lesson too one day...
Lesson 14. St. Louis Blues! You know it 
And I'd recommend to the Easy Blues Collection from Christian as soon you start with the Easy course as a total beginnerTM. The 1st one is about the level of the St. Louis Blues, maybe even slightly easier. And you have a lot Blues pieces for the recitals, haha
WieWaldi Easy Blues Collection
Is this the one?
I just practised my current lesson on my keyboard with a groovy beat and synth sound. It sounds so interesting that way... I have a good mind to record it like that once I learn the entire lesson. Right now I'm still stuck at the 3 note turn around (right around the halfway mark). I'm not entirely sure how it fits into the piece, but usually these things have a tendency to suddenly make sense all by themselves 