Left Hand Ideas

Course on Playing Slow Blues

Introduction

Cool. How you doing? Paddy Milner here. And welcome to this course on playing a slow blues.

Quick Recap on 12 Bar Blues in the Key of G

Let's kick off with a quick recap of what a 12 bar blues is in the key of G. We'll be staying around this key, which is the key that I played the tune in that I hope you've checked out on the free video.

Chord Structure

In a 12 bar blues in the key of G, we have:

• 1 bar of G
• 1 bar of C
• 2 bars of G
• 2 bars of C
• 2 bars of G
• 1 bar of D
• 1 bar of C
• 1 bar of G
• 1 bar of D

Those last two bars will serve as a turnaround, and we'll explore different things we can play over that turnaround.

Feel of the Tune

Before we dive into the more complicated right hand riffs, let's discuss the feel of the tune:

• Feel: Four to the bar, very slow - almost like a funeral dirge.
• Left Hand: Just pumping away underneath it all, sometimes moving to the five and up to the C.

Anticipations

You'll notice I'm doing those little anticipations:

• Timing: 1, 2, 3, 4 (just to give it movement).
• They always come before the beat to the five and the four.

Initially, it's a very basic left hand, purely meant to add weight and keep the time flowing beneath the right hand.

Importance of Solid Left Hand Technique

As with boogie woogie and other styles, it's crucial to have that left hand totally solid.

Practice Tips:

• Practice while doing other tasks - have a conversation, read a book, etc.
• Use a metronome to maintain a solid tempo.

Variations

There are a couple of variations I use with that left hand:

• Little passing notes that might sound odd on their own but work well in context.
• For example, after moving to the five and back to G, you can incorporate a little bass line.

Exploring More Complex Left Hand Techniques

On the chord four, coming down from the five, I might do something like this:

• Moving to the tenth, which creates a cool sound.

Often, I'll add those little runs, giving it that basic yet flavorful sound.

Additional Left Hand Ideas

Besides the basic bass, let's consider a more complex left hand approach:

• Starting on chord one, moving to the five.
• Getting more interesting on the four while approaching the G7 by a semitone.

You can also incorporate the Stormy Monday chord sequence or use a five chord in second inversion.

Creative Expression

This is where I really encourage you to start getting creative and do your own thing with it.

• Here's an idea for the left hand, try something like this:
  • Introduction of jazz harmony, feel free to experiment!

Alternative Bass Lines

There are many bass lines you can play over a slow blues. For example:

• A simple rhythmic change could lead your entire song.

Triplet Ideas

You might explore triplet fills, inspired by artists like Fats Domino. For instance, something that sounds like this in octaves.

Breakdown Sections

Remember that breakdown section in the tune? The bass line dropped out, marking the bars.

• You could just use a few notes to outline the harmony.

Conclusion

That covers the bass lines generally from that tune. Maybe I'll explore some specific James Booker left hand techniques in a later video.

So, let's move on and look at something else!