GovernorSilver Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I've found that soloing in freaky/unusual keys DOES get better with practice. It's strange that way. The feeling is similar to when you learn a new technical concept in classical music. There are times when I've been made to tackle a new piece or etude and what's being asked of my fingers feels totally foreign or strange. I've never played legato thirds like this or this intervalic combination on those black notes before. It feels weird and strange every time you do it. And as your practice it, you can do it more quickly and with greater familiarity though it continues to feel weird and strange. Then the weird and strange feeling diminishes, because you are so used to doing it. That's what happens with blues licks in unnatural keys. It's what happens with ALL licks in unnatural keys actually. Practice makes it better / easier. The closed hand-to-open hand exercise you recommended has given me more confidence playing the Db major scale. For the OP, the fingering is very simple - 12345 for the right hand, 54321 for the left; and alternate between playing scalar tones and 9th chord arpeggios based on the scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I've found that soloing in freaky/unusual keys DOES get better with practice. It's strange that way. The feeling is similar to when you learn a new technical concept in classical music. There are times when I've been made to tackle a new piece or etude and what's being asked of my fingers feels totally foreign or strange. I've never played legato thirds like this or this intervalic combination on those black notes before. It feels weird and strange every time you do it. And as your practice it, you can do it more quickly and with greater familiarity though it continues to feel weird and strange. Then the weird and strange feeling diminishes, because you are so used to doing it. That's what happens with blues licks in unnatural keys. It's what happens with ALL licks in unnatural keys actually. Practice makes it better / easier. The closed hand-to-open hand exercise you recommended has given me more confidence playing the Db major scale. For the OP, the fingering is very simple - 12345 for the right hand, 54321 for the left. Funny, no BS, I was practicing that exercise 30 seconds ago. Yep, 'tis a good one. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_tour Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I'm maligning the notion that blues in Eb is as simple as the Eb blues scale and nothing more. Well duh...I was talking about fucking -- and now you bring in music theory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B3bluesman59 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I think F is a great blues key.....songs like the original Honky Tonk by Bill Doggett and Green Onions by Booker T don't sound as good (at least to me) in any other key. And besides, the guitar players don't like to play in F!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 I'm maligning the notion that blues in Eb is as simple as the Eb blues scale and nothing more. Well duh...I was talking about fucking -- and now you bring in music theory? You are the man! A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaj58 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 As already mentioned i do agree that using the relative minor key is a great way to get interesting melodic phrases going. Combining the straight up blues scale of lets say Eb with its relative minor C-(or c blues scale) creates a nice tension and release between the melody being major and minor sounding. just staying stuck on the Eb blues scale thru it all can get trying on the ear. A little modal work thrown in will also splash in some color. I find the key of B major to be the tuffest key to feel comfortable with for blues/jazz. My hands just never seem comfortable in that damm key.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I use a similar device a lot especially during guitar solos or during vamps or I will use relative organ voicings while I solo on piano. In one case we do a tune in G minor where the band vamps on a Gm7 while in the background I play Bb on the Hammond where I start on a low triad and play the next inversion at the start of the next measure. By the end of the vamp I at the top of the manual with the pedal down with the leslie on tremolo. I like using relative chords voicings but it doesn't have much to do with playing blues I guess. It seems to add a lot of flavor during solos "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tweed Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Having spent roughly equal time working with guitars and horns, I like to think I can get around the blues ok in most keys, except for C# and F# which i don't find comfortable. I used to think guitarists had it the best because you can change keys so easily. However it is altogether too easy to end up in the wrong key on the guitar, whereas you always know where you are on the keyboard. And even though you might be nominally trying to play the same thing regardless of key, the small or larger adaptions you inevitably have to make enhance the differences between tunes. John Legend Soul 261, Leslie 251, Yamaha UX1, CP4, CK61, Hammond SK1, Ventilator, Privia PX3, Behringer 2600, Korg Triton LE, various guitars and woodwinds, drum kits … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasGT3 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I like to play different style songs in different keys, so I play through all the keys. For example, country tunes sound great in D, and B. I used to hate B, but after playing a bunch of stuff in it, I love it now. Gospel is Ab or Eb. New Orleans in F, Eb, Bb, or Ab. Blues is just about any key. I love jazz in Db. I think the way the keys lay out dictate how you play and what you play. That is why some styles just feel better in certain keys. Transposing keys for singers that have different ranges tend to make you very flexible too! Kurzweil PC3x, Nord Electro 3, Nord C-1, Casio Privia PX-3, Yamaha DX-7, Korg Polysix, Moog Taurus 3, Yamaha Motif XS (rack),Ventilator, QSC K12, K10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djrmusicdude Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Complete Scales and arpeggios for piano published by Faber Music in association with Trinity College London (ISBN 0-571-52192-4) includes pentatonic and Blues scales with fingering. If you're ok with usual scales (ie major & minor) there's the Hal Leonard keyboard Style Series the 'Blues Piano' (ISBN 0-634-06169-0)have Mixolydian (easy; just play the major scale but flatten the seventh) and Blues Scales. The only problem with Hal's book is that it doesn't include fingering. Even in the UK it's hard to find a retailer that stocks the first book which is the one I'd recommed if you just want a book that deals with scales; one retailer is www.earlymusicshop.com. If you're in the US, Canada or Oz (or somewhere else!) you could always email them sales@earlymusicshop.com to see if they ship overseas. Fingering: pentatonic on C RH: 12313123135 LH: 32131321321 Blues on C RH: 1234131234135 LH: 5314321314321 Blues scales staring on black notes Blues on E flat RH: 1231231231235 LH: 4321321321321 Blues on A flat RH: 3131234131234 LH: 5321321321321 This fingering is designed to give fluency over 2 octaves but can be varied within shorter melodic cells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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