Next riff

Lesson on Pine Top Riffing

So, let's look at this next riff, which Pine Top plays over most of the 12-bar structure. We've got this:

• Sliding Technique: I'm playing it sliding off that B flat to the B. But you might want to play it differently, which I find a bit awkward because of the transition. So, I prefer my method. However, you may find your own way of fingering it.

Dissonance and Harmony

This is an interesting one because he's not worried about that kind of harmonic clash there. So, there is a dissonance on the F, but it doesn't matter at all, does it?

• Major/Minor Clash: That sort of major minor interplay is something so important to blues music, gospel, and a lot of American music.

When you play it at tempo, it just flows nicely.

Adding Complexity

Now, there are some little things you could do with this:

• Add a Third or Sixth: Why not add a third on top or even below? You could add the sixth below and do that sort of thing.
• Extending the Phrase: You could extend the phrase a bit. Using that as the basic idea, you might come up with something like this:

(Play example)

Again, you could repeat the phrase a little bit earlier at a different point in the bar. Why not try that?

Creative Exploration

There's all sorts of things you could do with that idea. I'll leave that up to your imagination.

Conclusion of the Chorus

He finishes that chorus with a little something, recalling the idea from the very first introduction chorus.

• The G Chord: On the G chord (the V chord), he kind of rolls down the sixth, which outlines that G. There's that riff again!

You know, those rolls down sixth chords can be used in all sorts of ways.

Changing Chords

For example, when you go to the four chord:

• C6 to Minor Six: You could change it from a C6 (which is the sixth on chord one of the key you're in) to a minor sixth of chord one, which, when you play it over an F (or chord four), transforms it into a ninth chord.

• Warm Sound: This ninth chord has that nice, warm quality, which wouldn't be out of place in the works of composers like Debussy.

In fact, he uses it a lot in pieces like "R?verie" and "Clair de Lune."

Final Thoughts

All these riffs are built on ornamenting a basic chord. It's all about ornamenting that F9.