How to Play Blues Piano Riffs with Sheet Music

How to Play Blues Piano Riffs with Sheet Music – A blog post discussing how to play blues piano riffs using sheet music as opposed to tablature.

Learn the 12 bar blues chord progression

One of the most important things to learn when playing the blues on piano is the 12 bar blues chord progression. This is a very common chord progression that is used in many different styles of music, not just the blues. It is made up of 12 bars or measures, which is why it’s called the “12 bar” blues. The 1st, 4th, and 7th notes of each measure are usually played as chords, which gives the progression its name. The chord progression looks like this:

||: I | I | I | I |
| IV | IV | I | I ||
| V | V |I | I ||

Find a 12 bar blues chord progression in a key you’re comfortable with

One of the most common chord progressions in popular music is the 12 bar blues. The 12 bar blues is a 12 measure long chord progression that follows a specific chord progression. It is called “12 bar” because it uses only 12 different chords within the entire progression. The chords used in a 12 bar blues are typically based on one of two different templates. The first template uses only three different chords, which are usually the 1st, 4th, and 5th chords of a major key. For example, in the key of C, these chords would be C major, F major, and G major. This template is sometimes referred to as a “1-4-5” progression. The second template adds one or two more chords to the basic 1-4-5 progression. These extra chords are typically the 2nd and 6th chords of a major key, which in the key of C would be D minor and A minor. This template is sometimes referred to as a “1-6-2-5” progression.

Both of these templates can be used to create a variety of different sounding blues progressions by simply changing the order of the chords within each measure. For example, the following 12 measures could all be considered different examples of 12 bar blues progressions:

I I I I
IV IV I I
V V I I
I I VII VII
III III VI VI
II II V V
I I IX IX
VIII VIII IV IV
VII VII III III
VI VI II II
X X I I

Play the chord progression with your left hand

Start by playing the chord progression with your left hand. The basic 12-bar blues progression uses three chords, usually the I, IV, and V chords of a major key. For example, in the key of C, those chords would be C, F, and G. In the key of G, they would be G, C, and D. You can use any chords you like as long as they fit within the 12-bar structure.

Once you have the chord progression down, you can start to add in some right-hand riffs. Start with simple eighth-note patterns and then move on to sixteenth-note patterns. You can also experiment with different rhythms and timing.”

Add a simple bass line with your left hand

Now that you’ve learned how to play a basic blues piano riff in the key of C, let’s add a bass line with our left hand. We’re going to use the same chords we used in the last section, but we’ll add a little bit of movement to them with our left hand.

To start, let’s just play a C chord in our left hand. Place your thumb on middle C (the C closest to the center of the piano), and then place your other fingers on the C, E, and G one octave above middle C. Play these notes together, and then let them ring out while you play your right-hand riff.

Next, we’ll add a little movement to our bass line by playing a walking bass line. A walking bass line is simply abass line that moves up or down in quarter notes. To create a walking bass line, we’ll play the root note of each chord (the first note in each chord) on the beat, and then move to the next note in the chord on the next beat. For example, if we’re playing a C chord, we’ll play a low C on the first beat, an E on the second beat, and so on.

To start, let’s walk down from C to G. We’ll start by playing a low C on beats 1 and 3, and then move to an E on beats 2 and 4. On the next measure, we’ll play an E on beats 1 and 3, and then move to a G on beats 2 and 4. We’ll continue this pattern until we reach G, at which point we’ll hold that note for two measures before starting the pattern over again from C.

Experiment with different right-hand blues piano riffs

Blues piano is a style of music that combines elements of both the blues and jazz genres. As such, it can be quite challenging to play, particularly if you’re just starting out. However, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to create your own unique sound and style.

One of the best ways to learn how to play blues piano is by using sheet music. This will allow you to see how the different chords and progressions are put together, and it will also give you a good idea of what sorts of riffs sound good.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re playing blues piano riffs with sheet music. First, make sure that you’re using the right hand fingering. Second, experiment with different rhythms and speeds. And finally, don’t be afraid to add your own flair to the riffs. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

– Use your thumb for the root note and your middle finger for the fifth note.
– Experiment with different rhythms, including 8th notes, 16th notes, triplets, and even syncopated rhythms.
– Play around with different tempos and speeds. Blues piano riffs sound best when they’re played at a moderate tempo.
– Add in your own embellishments, such as slides, bends, and vibrato.
– Try playing the riff in different keys. You can use a simple transposition chart to help you find new keys that sound good.

Practice, practice, practice!

Before you start learning how to play blues piano riffs with sheet music, it’s important that you practice, practice, practice! Here are a few tips to help you get started:

-Start by learning the basic 12-bar blues chord progression. This will give you a foundation to work from when you start learning specific riffs.
-Next, familiarize yourself with the sound of the blues scale. This will help you create interesting and unique sounding riffs.
-Once you have a good understanding of the blues scale, start practicing some simple riffs. A great way to do this is to find a backing track online or on YouTube and start jamming along.
-As you become more comfortable playing blues piano riffs, challenge yourself by learning some more advanced techniques, such as adding embellishments or using different chord progressions.

With enough practice, you’ll be playing blues piano riffs like a pro in no time!