blues songs

Subsequent to Unmani M.’s post regarding “Shoo-fly” arrangement from Arrangements 3 (originally taught in Level 5), I thought I’d take a moment to revive a discussion from more than a DECADE ago about the fact that Shoo-fly is a BLUES piece 😎. For reference you…

• Last updated 6 months ago
• 12 Bar blues, alternate ending, arr, arrangement, arrangement names, arrangements, arrangements 3, blues, blues chords, blues harmony, blues songs, blues turnaround, ending, FL5, Foundation 5, foundation level 5, Foundation levels, foundation pieces, Foundation sheet music, Foundation songs, learning arrangements, reading arrangements, remembering arrangements, retaining arrangements, shoo-fly, structure, teacher preparation for arrangements, Teaching Arrangements, tips on remembering arrangements, unfolding arrangements in class, using music in learning arrangements

I have a student in her 70’s who is working on Walk at Eleven. We have been over all the clues many times (C to A to D to G, focusing on the notes a half step above or a half step below, etc.); despite…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• adult, adult lessons, adult student, adult students, adults, adults with memory problems, blues, blues songs, coaching adults, FL9, Foundation 9, foundation level 9, half steps, improvisation, improvising, it takes as long as it takes, Level 9, older student, older students, remember, remembering, remembering patterns, Robin Keehn, target notes, teaching adults, teaching half steps, Walk at 11, Walk at Eleven, walking bass

I recently put together this Spotify playlist of songs that many people may be surprised to find out use the 12-bar blues structure (or fairly minor variations of it). I left out lots of the early rock era (1950s-1960s) songs that use 12-bar structure, since…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• 12 Bar blues, blues, blues & improv, blues & improvisation, Blues and improv, blues and improv program, blues and jazz, blues chords, blues harmony, blues recordings to play along with, blues rhythm, blues riff, blues scale, blues scales, blues songs, blues variation, don’t like blues, ear training, outside materials, outside music, outside pieces, pieces outside the program, songs outside the repertoire, Spotify, Spotify playlist, variation, variations

Why do we teach the 12-bar blues with CFCC as the first 4 instead of the standard CCCC that is everywhere else? Personally I like the F added in as it makes it more interesting. But does SM have a reason? I’m guessing congruency, so…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• 12 Bar blues, blues, blues & improv, blues & improvisation, Blues and improv, blues and improv program, blues chords, blues songs, blues variation, chord, chord charts, chord progression, chord progressions, chords, finding blues chords, I-IV-V chords, identifying patterns, Jackson Blues, patterns, remembering patterns