Dirty Dozen - The Twelve Bar Blues Challenge
Paddy Milner's challenge to record yourself improvising over a twelve-bar blues using ideas from the course - and to try it in an unusual key like F# if you're feeling adventurous.
What's in the course
10 lessons (1h 49m) · 1 free
01. Getting Started: The 12 Bar Blues
12:20
02. The Engine Room: Left Hand Bass
9:31
03. Adding the right hand/comping
Free lesson11:47
04. Developing Harmony: 7th Chords & Inversions
15:27
05. Right-hand Riff #1 and variations
13:20
06. Right Hand Riff #1 Further Variations
14:39
07. The 'Blues Scale' & Uses
10:41
08. Ending #1 & Variations
9:26
09. Putting it all together
10:34
10. Dirty Dozen - The Twelve Bar Blues Challenge
You are here1:59
Lesson transcript
Challenge for Your 12 Bar Blues
So here's a little challenge for you!
Your Task:
I'd love to hear your playing over a 12 bar blues incorporating some of the ideas that we've looked at in this course. I'm excited to see how creative you get with those ideas too.
How to Share:
- Share your video online
- Tag me, or even better, upload it to the Music Guru's tutoring system.
I'd love to take a look and offer you some specific advice on your playing.
Feeling Adventurous?
If you're feeling adventurous, how about trying it in a key that we haven't explored so far? Hey, go crazy! Try it in F sharp.
Example Structure:
We might play something like:
- One bar each
- Two bars
- One bar again
- Two bars
- Four bars
Final Thoughts:
It can be quite effective to just stay on the same riff, then release the tension at the ending.
So there are a couple more ideas you can try!
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Paddy Milner is recognised as one of the leading blues piano players in the world - he is currently keyboard player of choice for Sir Tom Jones, following several years with the late, great Jack Bruce - but he is also a superb original songwriter and a distinctive singer. Just read the praise from the likes of Dave Brubeck below! His playing was featured on the soundtrack for the hit 2019 film 'Rocketman'.
He has twice won the award for Best Keyboard Player in the British Blues Awards, and he holds a long-standing residency as a founder member of the Ronnie Scott's Blues Explosion at the world-renowned Ronnie Scott's club.
His current group LONDONOLA plays homegrown British music with a strong dose of New Orleans spirit, and his collaborative group JAWBONE goes from strength to strength following the release of their self-titled debut album.
- "I love it... there's a guy who can really play the piano" - Dave Brubeck
- "I highly recommend it. Somehow things start to feel much better!" - Jack Bruce
- "The best blues piano player in Europe..." - Blues Access, USA
- "Impressive & original" - The Times
- "Dazzling" - The Independent
Across his courses, Paddy breaks down authentic blues shuffle, slow blues, boogie-woogie, rock 'n' roll and New Orleans piano - right down to three classic boogie-woogie songs - so you can learn these styles from one of the very best in the business.
