Some new left-hand boogie patterns
With
Tim RichardsTim reviews the ‘Rocks’ family of left-hand patterns and introduces a new iconic bass line
What's in the course
15 lessons (0h 43m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Lesson Overview: Uptempo Boogie Woogie
In this last lesson, we're going to look at a kind of party piece: an uptempo boogie woogie number in the style of Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, or any of the great boogie players.
Left Hand Patterns
Like many of the left hand patterns they used, this is an eight to the bar style. We've looked at a few of these already:
- On Off Boogie with this left hand
- Blue Fifth Boogie with this one
All of these are in the same style, which I call "the rocks."
Iconic Patterns
This lesson features a pattern particularly associated with the great Pete Johnson.
First Half: Left Hand Pattern
For the first half of the piece, we'll use the left hand pattern mentioned earlier.
Second Half: Distinctive Left Hand Pattern
For the second half, we'll use another iconic boogie woogie left hand pattern, which has been much imitated:
- The distinctive aspects of this left hand pattern are:
- The octave at the beginning
- The octave at the end (on C and G)
To make this work, you need to finger the run up from E to G with the fourth finger on E.
Speed Considerations
The problem with this pattern is that it's usually played very fast, sometimes ridiculously so. I won't be demonstrating it like that, but it will still be an uptempo number.
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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
