Beginners blues/boogie/rock discussion

Sophia · 2024-05-29T17:17:55+00:00

I have always been fascinated by boogie woogie, but of course I am limited by my very limited piano skills 😃 However now that I'm in the second Alfred book,...

Sophia

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! 😬

TC3

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!

WieWaldi

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.

Sophia

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 😅

WieWaldi

Sophia CCCCFFCCFGCC

Ahhhhhh

Sophia

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: 🫏

WieWaldi

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.

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?

WieWaldi

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 beginner^TM.

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

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

Sophia

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 🤩

WieWaldi

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 beginner^TM. 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

Sophia

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 😊

WieWaldi

Sophia yes - exactly

Sophia

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!

Nightowl

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.

TC3

Kraftwerk lives! 😃

Sophia

Haha yeah sorry TC, no C7 or C9 ending this round - but I watched your video again and WILL try it (some) next time 🙂

Nightowl, yes I really love that little keyboard. For one thing the touch is ENTIRELY different from an "actual" (ok, digital, but, proper) piano. Well you probably can relate because you started on a Casio keyboard. I really love playing both but there is something really magical about adding a funky voice and groovy drumbeat. Lessons like these make learning piano worthwhile. I almost felt worthy of the craved fedora hat! 🤠

TC3

Sophia No hurry on my account, it'll be there when you need it.

WieWaldi

Someone is really having fun! And I totally understand, I spent almost 2 months on this lesson. Didn't want to go away. Only thing you need to learn is how to press that spring-loaded keys, some notes were very silent, but others were at high volume and had this barking sound (Wurlitzer E piano?).

I am always thinking of getting a proper 2nd E-piano, a slab, something portable. Not so portable like my Casio, but a "real" piano. And after this, the Roland FP-E50 gained a lot of interest. This is maybe something I will treat on myself, when I become advanced.

btw, what happened at 2:21?

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