A lot of piano tutorial videos out there will show you a scale, like the pentatonic scale or the blues scale, and tell you how you can use it to improvise and create melodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then they\u2019ll just leave you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or they\u2019ll show you the simple scale, and then play something far too complicated for what you have just learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jordan is here today to show you a really cool blues riff, and then break it down note-by-note so you can see exactly what he\u2019s doing, and pay it for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The riff uses the C minor pentatonic scale (C-Eb-F-G-Bb) AND we are using the \u2018blue\u2019 note as a grace note. That note is the Gb. So really you can think of it as a C blues scale!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting used to sliding from that Gb to the G and the F is probably the hardest thing about this riff. It\u2019ll take some practice and won\u2019t feel natural if you\u2019ve never done it before. But once you get used to it — it will really help your blues playing. Those slides are really common in blues, and they sound super bluesy \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, this is the blues — so you don\u2019t have to try and play it exactly as Jordan does (even HE changes it throughout this video lol). It\u2019s about giving you a riff and the notes that you can experiment with and make your own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Feel try to change the tempos and rhythms. Find what feels and sounds good for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you’re ready, you could even try playing it in different keys using the corresponding blues scales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important thing is to have fun — and play the blues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n