Le riff d'octaves d'Albert Ammons

Right Hand Language in Boogie Woogie

Let's dive into some more right-hand language used in Boogie Woogie. Here's a little riff that's quite popular, Albert Ammons uses it frequently.

Octave and Fifth Riff

• Description: It essentially consists of an octave, but he adds the fifth.
• Sound: It creates a massive, full sound.

In context, getting it down at tempo can be challenging. However, let's explore how you can use it musically.

Musical Application

• You can play this riff over the whole 12-bar structure.
• There's a nice little melody that he incorporates, which sounds like this:
  "Three. One, two, three, four."

Slide Option

You can choose to do the slide or not. This highlights the A minor tonality over the C, something Ammons utilizes quite frequently.

Chord Progression

When it transitions to the V chord, rather than going to the A, he hits the D. This choice is an integral part of the G7 chord, and then it returns back.

Intensity Build-Up

What I particularly enjoy is taking it up to the next version that works in the key of C. It actually starts on G and outlines the C7, incorporating the F.

As you heard in that example, this alteration increases the intensity and serves as a strong conclusion to a tune, especially since it's played at the top of the piano, creating a pretty intense sound.

Practice Tips

So, yes, try to get that down! Focus on making those tremolos nice and straight and strong, utilizing lots of wrist movement.

• It shouldn't hurt!
• If you experience any pain while practicing, stop and take a break.

That's one little riff idea to consider! Now, let's explore some more.