How to Play Backwater Blues on Piano
Contents
How to Play Backwater Blues on Piano – A simple guide for those who want to learn how to play this classic blues song on the piano.
What You’ll Need
To play Backwater Blues on piano, you’ll need a piano, a music stand, and a copy of the song. You may also want to have a piano bench or stool so you can sit comfortably while you play.
A piano
At minimum, you’ll need a piano or keyboard instrument on which to play the Backwater Blues. A full size 88 key piano is ideal, but if you don’t have access to one, any type of keyboard that has at least 61 keys will work. The more keys your instrument has, the more freedom you’ll have to add your own embellishments and improvisations to the song. If you’re a beginner, it’s also a good idea to have a music stand so you can follow along with the sheet music. You can find printable copies of the sheet music for Backwater Blues online or in most music stores.
A keyboard (optional)
A keyboard is not required to learn and play the Backwater Blues, but it will make things a lot easier, especially if you’re just starting out. If you don’t have one, you can still use a piano or any other keyboard instrument. You’ll need to know how to read sheet music and chords, and have some basic knowledge of music theory.
Learn the Notes
Backwater Blues is a song written by Bessie Smith and Clarence Williams. The song was first recorded by Bessie Smith on February 15, 1927. Backwater Blues is a twelve-bar blues in the key of B-flat. The song is played in a slow swing style with a shuffle feel. The chord progression is eight measures long and is based on the I-IV-V-I progression.
The left hand
In the left hand, we’ll be playing mostly chords. The first chord is a C7. Place your thumb on C, your middle finger on E, your ring finger on G and your pinky on Bb. Play all four notes at the same time.
The next chord is an F7. Place your thumb on F, your middle finger on A, your ring finger on C and your pinky on Eb. Play all four notes at the same time.
Now we’ll put these two chords together and play them four times in a row. First, play the C7 chord four times. Then, play the F7 chord four times.
The right hand
In the right hand, we’ll be playing a three-note pattern. The pattern is made up of the notes C, E-flat, and G. These notes are also sometimes called do, mi, and so.
We’ll be playing this pattern in a slow bluesy feel. The “feel” of a song is how fast or slow it feels like it’s moving. In this instance, we want to make sure that our right hand feels like it’s moving slowly and evenly. A good way to help with this is by using a metronome.
A metronome is a device that helps you keep time by ticking at a steady pace. You can usually find them online or at your local music store. If you don’t have one, you can use this online metronome. Just click on the button that says “40 beats per minute” and then click on the play button.
Now let’s go back to our three-note pattern in the right hand. We want to play this pattern four times for each measure (or count). So if you’re using a metronome, you would count “1, 2, 3, 4 – 1, 2, 3, 4 – 1, 2 , 3 , 4 – 1 , 2 , 3 , 4” as you play each measure.
And remember, we want to make sure that our right hand feels like it’s moving slowly and evenly so that it stays in time with the metronome.
Play the Blues
Backwater Blues is a song written by Bessie Smith. It was first recorded by Bessie Smith on August 13, 1923. The song is about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Backwater Blues was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.
The left hand
The left hand should play a simple bass line with the root notes of each chord. For the first chord, E7, play an E below middle C, then add your pinky on G# (the third of the chord) an octave higher. For the A7 chord, play low A and add your little finger on C# (the third) an octave higher. The D7 chord is simply middle C followed by the F an octave higher (third of the chord). And for the last chord, B7, play B below middle C and add your little finger on D# (the third) an octave higher.
The right hand
The right hand plays the main melody of the song while the left hand provides a steady, rhythmic pulse. The melody is primarily in the middle range of the piano, with a few higher and lower notes. The chords are mostly simple, with a few seventh chords thrown in.
To play the melody, use your middle and index fingers, alternating between them. For the higher notes, use your index finger; for the lower notes, use your middle finger. You can play the chords with your right hand as well, using either your whole hand or just your thumb and first two fingers.
