Classic blues ending #1
With
Tim Richards
What's in the course
19 lessons (0h 29m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Blues Ending Lesson
Did you notice that ending? This is our first proper blues ending.
Breakdown of Bar 11
-
Left Hand:
- Going chromatically down from the seventh to the fifth.
-
Right Hand:
- Following that, but from the third to the fifth, almost chromatically as well.
Important Timing
Remember that the first beat is still F, so your starting point for the chromatic descent starts on the second beat.
- Count: 2, 3, 4, 1.
Final Chords
Then, two chords to finish:
- C7
- F7
It's important to get the timing of those right.
Practice in Different Keys
Although "Smooth Blues" is quite an easy piece, I would recommend that you really learn that in:
- F (as we've just played it)
- C
- G
And not only that, but the ending is really important to internalize. You hear it all over the place in blues piano. So, learn that ending in C and G as well as in F, and start putting it in.
Reflection on Endings
We haven't done much in the way of endings so far. You could go back and add that ending to a lot of the pieces we've done already.
19 lessons
0h 29m of structured video lessons
Advanced video features
Slow down, loop a passage, follow along
Mobile, tablet & desktop
Practise wherever you are
100% satisfaction guarantee
30-day money-back guarantee
Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards is one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, teaching piano privately for over 30 years, as well as at Morley College, Goldsmiths College, the University of Surrey, Premises Studios and other venues in the UK and abroad. He has produced numerous titles for Schott Music, including the best-selling two-volume Exploring Jazz Piano, Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection and the acclaimed Improvising Blues Piano. He is also co-author, with John Crawford, of Exploring Latin Piano and Brazilian Piano Collection.
More recently Schott have published Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection (15 pieces for solo piano), comprising Tim Richards originals alongside pieces by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and the two volume set Beginning Jazz Piano (now a two-part MusicGurus course).
“The real joy of Tim’s music… is that it is both hugely educational but also such great fun to play. Anyone with the slightest interest in learning to play or teach jazz piano should really acquire a set of Tim’s books.” PianoDao
As a performer Tim has been a presence on the UK jazz scene since the 1980s, also playing the blues with UK and US legends such as Otis Grand, Earl Green, Dana Gillespie, Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and Mojo Buford. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader (featuring many of London’s best jazz musicians including Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Seb Rochford, Ed Jones, Dick Pearce and many others), and toured all over Europe with line-ups ranging from duo to nine-piece. His latest recording, the album ‘Telegraph Hill’ by the six-piece Hextet, was described in The Observer as "A true joy from beginning to end".
More info can be found on his website www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
