Blues

Showing 11 - 20 of 37 results in Blues

Blues Scale Fingering

Is there anywhere in the program that explains how to count and play triplets? (of quarter, eighth or 16th notes)? When doing the blues improv in some keys, like Eb, the blues scale notes don’t seem to fit with I, IV, V. In other keys…

Struggles with Alma Mater Blues

I need suggestions about an 11-year-old girl in a shared lesson with another 11-year-old. They both benefit from the shared setting (both were private until 2 months ago). She practices more since being in the shared situation, and the other student (a boy) is learning…

Bishop Street chords: identifying and playing with small hands

I’m trying to figure out the I, IV, V chords in Bishop Street Blues. I know how to play it, but what are these chords? What makes it a I, IV, and V? Are the inverted/suspended/diminished chords? I wouldn’t explain it to my students at…

Webinar Series: 04/19/2018 – Piano – Ask Neil Anything

This webinar is driven by teacher questions. Topics range from the rationale behind some of the curriculum to supporting coaches to the future of Simply Music. Enjoy! Topics include: Intro: Funny Story About Neil (00:05) Helping Parents be ‘Requirement-Based’ (2:06) How Teachers Can Improve Their…

Blues & Improv question

In project 7C of Blues & Improv, students work towards inventing phrases spontaneously. With the invention part (when students start to vary the rhythm in each measure), is it expected that students play the 4 notes in the same order each measure and only vary…

CAGE chord question

I have a student who is asking regarding the CAGE chord: why is it called a IV and V chord when it’s not really in the position of IV and V? Maybe say they’re extensions of IV and V., Different shapes for the RH, but…

Hand position on blues chords

A student asked me if it is okay for her to pull her hand back a bit when switching between chords. She’s learning Alma Mater Blues. Is this a technique no-no, or is it okay? This is on CAGE chords and also on the shift…

Playing LH finger 5 in blues

In the 12 bar blues pieces (starting with Jackson Blues), I have several students who hold down finger 5 in the LH and just move the thumb up and down. Even after I’ve shown them the correction, they are not repeating the finger 5 on…

Mashing up blues songs

I did an activity with one of my teenage students today that was really great. I was encouraging him to use the different blues songs to get ideas, mash them up, etc. Then we jammed. I was on guitar and I gave him a few…

Scale fingering – blues and diatonic

I’m wondering if someone can help me figure out scale fingerings, both with the scales for Blues and Improv (specifically Eb), and traditional v. SM fingering for the diatonic scales. I understand the concept of NO34 (naturally occurring 3s and 4s), but it doesn’t always…