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.

    • TC3 likes this.

    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 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

      😃 That's the part I like -- it's way easier for me!

      Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.

        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.

          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 😅

            Sophia CCCCFFCCFGCC

            Ahhhhhh

              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: 🫏

                Sophia Haha, true. I believe it was lesson 1 where Christian said something about we beginners think with our beginners brains we are right, but are actually screwing up something in the 12-bar scheme. He said, he knows us.

                  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. 🧑🏻‍🎓

                        Sophia 12-bar-specialist <-- your new rank, well deserved

                          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 😊

                                      I got it done! Just like that... the second half of the video only took a fraction of the first. Ok, more if I had perfected it ^_^

                                      I absolutely loved everything about it... I could play that for hours on end. And who knew my little keyboard would be so much fun to play... all those voices! The drum beats! Sheer bliss! Of course I still need to learn when that blasted drum FINISHES once you push that button... lol. But this is only a lesson, not a performance. I declare it's "good" enough to move on 😁 Here it is, lesson 12!

                                        Sophia Well, you've certainly got to grips with your new toy, that sounded really funky! 😃 It sounded more like a band playing, rather than a solo performance. I love the fact that you uploaded the video, mistakes and all, and the little speech bubbles add charm to what is a very entertaining performance. Your confidence and sheer enjoyment shine through.

                                        I laughed out loud at the end... when it finally came... in its own good time! 😆 Thanks for brightening up my evening with your one woman band.

                                        "Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)

                                          Kraftwerk lives! 😃

                                          Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.