Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to today's lesson, which is entitled: "Creating an Idiomatic Blues Performance." My name's Mr. Norris.

I'm gonna be taking you through today as we look at some ways that we can make our blues improvisations even more idiomatic and typical of blues.

So, let's get stuck in.

Our outcome for today's lesson, is I can perform an idiomatic blues improvisation over the 12-bar blues sequence and create an extended blues performance.

So, keywords: first is idiomatic, and if something is idiomatic, it is appropriate to the style.

So, for example, blues music that uses blues features, such as the blues scale and syncopation.

AAB, and this is a melodic phrase structure that's common in blues music where the first phrase, which is the A phrase, is repeated, then followed by a contrasting phrase, the B phrase, so A, A, and then B.

Octaves: the piano plays in octaves, it plays the same note, for example, C, but eight notes apart.

And finally, syncopation.

When the rhythm emphasises or accents notes in between the main beats, we call that syncopation or syncopated notes.

The first part of today's lesson is focused on refining our musical ideas.

There are particular features that blues musicians use to create an idiomatic improvisation.

I'd like you to listen to these two improvisations and pick out what are the similarities between them, and in particular, focus on the choice of notes, patterns they use, and the structure that they use as well.

I'd also like you to think about how do they exploit the capabilities of the piano? And focus for that in particular, on the right hand, that's the higher pitched part, focusing on how those performers bring the most out of the instrument.

So here are our two clips.

You can pause my video now, have a go at answering those questions.

Here are some of the things you might have picked up on it.

So the main musical idea in both examples only uses a few notes and they take from the blues scale.

And you might have noticed as well that the notes in that musical idea are quite close together, so both improvisations have got this simple idea based on a few close together notes in the blues scale.

Both are highly repetitive, but the last phrase is slightly different, and this creates an AAB phrase structure where we've got the repeated A phrase and then a contrasting B phrase for the third one.

And both play chords or multiple notes at the same time.

And the piano plays octaves in the first clip and tremolos in the second clip, so using different techniques to make the most of the possibilities of the piano in a way that might be more difficult on other instruments.

So let's listen to this blues motif here, and I'd like you to think about what makes this motif really idiomatic and typical of the style, particularly thinking about what we've just discussed about those other motifs.

Think about the notes that we've used, the rhythm and how it develops.

Let's have a listen here.

(melodic piano music) I'm gonna play it one more time, and try and think about those aspects to try and identify how this is really idiomatic as a blues motif.

(melodic piano music continues) Okay, so hopefully you managed to get some of these points in here.

First is that the motif only uses a few notes and the notes are close together in terms of pitch.

So if we look there, it uses four different notes, and they're fairly close together.

It mostly moves by step.

There's not any big jumps between the notes.

It's quite repetitive, so we've got that same idea repeated.

And then the motif is developed at the end of the phrase as well, so that final phrase, final bar, sorry, is slightly different to the others.

In each bar, the motif keeps returning to a main note as well, so it keeps coming back to C, and that sort of really grounds it in the key.

It uses syncopation, including starting off the beat, so you notice each bar starts off the beat, and it uses blue notes on the beat for emphasis as well.

So we've got those E-flats that are played on the beat and that emphasises those notes and really makes it feel really bluesy.

I'd like you to listen again, this time focus on the syncopation.

Try and quietly tap the pulse, tap the beat, and focus on these notes, which all land off the main beats, creating a syncopated rhythm.

(melodic piano music continues) So that syncopation is really, really typical of idiomatic and blues improvisation.

A motif can be more idiomatic depending on the choice of notes as well.

The motif is usually more memorable and musical if: it only uses a few notes and the notes are close together, the motif returns to a main note, and it's more bluesy if it emphasises the blue notes by playing them on the strong beats, and it uses syncopation, for example, starting just after the first beat as that motif did there.

Have a look at this motif.

Why is this a successful blues motif? Let's have a look now.

One, two, three, four.

(melodic piano music) (metronome ticking) Pause my video just while you're finishing your answer.

So here's some of the things you might have said.

It only uses a few notes, so two main notes, E-flat and C, that keeps coming back to.

The notes are mainly quite close together, keeps returning to a main note, in this case, E-flat or C.

It uses syncopation because it starts on the off beat.

It uses notes of the blues scale, and it plays blue notes on the main beats, so we can see E-flat and G-flat are emphasised on the main beats.

Well done if you picked up some of those aspects.

Which two of the following best describe an idiomatic blues improvisation? It uses every note of the blues scale; it uses a recurring motif with some development, or it uses an AAB phrase structure.

I'll give you a few seconds to choose two.

And the two answers here then are that it uses a recurring motif with some development, and it uses an AAB phrase structure.

Well done, if you picked up on those.

Remember, you don't have to use every note of the blues scale.

You can just use a few.

Using blues piano techniques is also important in making an improvisation sound idiomatic.

We're gonna have a look at a few of those now.

So firstly, we'll start by looking at playing in octaves.

One, two, three, four.

(melodic piano music) (metronome ticking) Now let's have a look at using tremolos.

One, two, three, four.

(melodic piano music) (metronome ticking) And finally, let's see how we can add chords to an improvisation.

One, two, three, four.

(melodic piano music continues) (metronome ticking) (melodic piano music continues) (metronome ticking continues) So to structure an idiomatic blues improvisation: build it around an initial motif.

This motif could use only three or four notes, should return to the home note, emphasise the blue notes, and develop and change slightly, so, for example, by using different rhythms. And then develop the motif into an AAB structure.

Try and use some occasional techniques that suit the piano and sound bluesy as well, so things that we looked at now are adding chords, using octaves, using tremolos.

And these could be used in the B phrase, that's the third phrase as a contrast.

Remember, the blues is heavily improvised and improvising is making it up on the spot.

So use the initial ideas to help plan an idiomatic improvisation, but it is fine to move away from the plan and try new musical ideas in live performance as well, so you don't necessarily have to stick to strictly what you planned as it were.

Let's check your understanding.

Can you suggest two piano techniques that can be used in an improvisation? I'll give you a few seconds.

And here's something you might have mentioned: Playing in octaves, using chords, or playing tremolos.

Those are all quite idiomatic in blues improvisation.

For Task A: develop an idiomatic improvisation of the 12-bar blues chord sequence.

Some success criteria: It builds from an initial motif.

The motif is simple, with a few notes, that are close together and returning to a main note.

You emphasise blue notes and use syncopation.

You create a 12-bar AAB structure, and you use piano techniques such as chords, octaves, and tremolos.

And remember, it's fine not to follow the plan exactly.

Blues is an improvised style of music, so you should be really willing to embrace that and just go with the flow.

Allow things to evolve naturally around some of the ideas that you originally planned.

So you can pause my video now and give this you best shot.

Now, let's watch this improvisation.

How is this idiomatic in blues? Let's have a look.

One, two, three, four.

(metronome ticking) (melodic piano music) (metronome ticking continues) (melodic piano music continues) Just pause my video while you're finishing off your answer.

And let's review this: So, it builds from an opening simple motif; that's really idiomatic.

It's in three clear phrases and the last phrase is different.

That's that AAB structure, again, very idiomatic.

The first note is syncopated, and there's some syncopation in the last phrase.

And the last phrase uses octaves.

That's a piano technique that's really typical.

The motif is successful because the notes are close together and only uses a few notes from the blues scale.

And the blue notes are emphasised as they land on the beats There's lots of different ways that that improvisation there is really idiomatic for blues.

Well done if you picked up on a few of them.

In the second part of today's lesson, we're looking at building the structure.

Blues pieces are often based on a cyclic 12-bar blues structure, which means it repeats over and over.

The chord sequence repeats, but the sections contrast by using either a different melody, an improvisation section, or a different accompaniment pattern.

So the same 12-bar structure is repeating, but there's some variety being created by other things that are going around it.

We can choose different sections to build a contrasting blues performance.

Our sections could include: in the right hand using an improvised melody, the blues scale melody, that we see there, or some chords.

And in the left hand it could include using chords, the boogie-woogie pattern, or a syncopated bass pattern.

So there's different combinations of all these we can do to create variety.

So here are two options for structure.

One would be to start with a simple section and finish with a more complex section.

Another way to do it would be to start and finish with the same section and have a contrasting one in the middle.

I'd like you to watch this blues performance here.

Could you describe the structure? Here we go.

(melodic piano music) (melodic upbeat piano music) (melodic upbeat piano music continues) So hopefully you identified that the structure was based on two 12-bar blues sections.

Section One used chords in the right hand and a syncopated bass line in the left hand.

And Section Two used an improvised melody in the right hand and the boogie-woogie accompaniment in the left hand.

So that's where that contrast comes from.

It started with a simple section and finished with a more complex section.

So that was one way that you could arrange the performance and structure it.

I'd like you to listen again to this 12-bar blues sequence.

Now, the last chord is different to the usual sequence.

What impact does this have on the music? Let's have a listen.

(melodic piano music) So just think about that last chord.

What was different about it and what impact did that have on the music? So in this case, the final chord was a G chord, and this is the fifth chord of the scale, which makes the music sound unfinished.

So rather than going back to C where it feels whole and complete and finished, it's finished on G, but G naturally leads us back to chord C.

When you play a G chord in this key, you want to play C after it to make it feel resolved.

So we use this chord to return to the beginning of the sequence to extend the performance and play the sequence again.

So there's that 12-bar blues chord.

And if we wanna finish the sequence, so if that's the end and we want it to feel finished and complete, we play a C chord in bar 12.

But if we wanna return back to the start and repeat it again, we want to use that unfinished feeling G chord, so instead of C in bar 12, we play a G chord.

Let's check your understanding of that.

Which chord do we use to make the 12-bar blues sequence sound unfinished? Is it C, F, or G? I'll give you a few seconds.

And the correct answer there is G.

That's the one that makes it feel unfinished.

C is the one that makes it feel finished.

Task B, you're gonna practise your extended idiomatic blues performance.

Some success criteria: Make sure it includes at least two contrasting 12-bar blues iterations, so different forms of 12-bar blues that contrast.

Each section should have two parts, for example, a melody and another compliment, and include some improvisation.

You've practised, or at least loosely planned, each section separately, so you've got an idea what you're gonna do, even if it's not down to every exact note.

You're focused on changing sections to keep it fluent.

You use a G chord in bar 12 when you're gonna return for another section or a C chord when you're finishing.

And if you're in a pair, one person plays the accompaniment, and one person plays the melody, then you swap parts.

Here's your blues scale melody, your chords, and some suggestions for your right-hand options: Blues scale melody, improvisation, and chords.

And here are your left-hand ideas.

So we've got the boogie-woogie pattern, got chords, and we've got a syncopated bass riff.

So you're gonna be combining these features to create your idiomatic performance.

And there's our 12-bar blues sequence with remembering the different chords in bar 12, C, if you're finishing, G, if it's unfinished, and you're gonna return for another version of the 12-bar blues.

So you can pause my video now and give this task you best shot.

In the final part of today's task you're gonna reflect on your final performance.

Consider the structure, the improvisation, and how you made it idiomatic.

Here's some questions that will help you reflect in a really detailed way.

So for the structure, did it include chords, the blues scale melody, improvisation, the boogie-woogie pattern, and did it have at least two sections? Improvisation features: Did it develop from a successful motif, for example, was it simple, or was it returning to a main note, and did it use an AAB phrase structure? And how did you make it idiomatic, you know, did you emphasise the blue notes, did you use syncopation? Did you use typical piano techniques, such as octaves, tremolo, or chords in the improvised melody? So you can pause my video, use those questions to guide your reflection and see if you can use that to help you really reflect on your performance.

Let's summarise today's lesson: An idiomatic blues improvisation can be created by using a motif and typical blues features.

These include blue notes, syncopation, and an AAB phrase structure.

They also include piano techniques such as tremolos, playing in octaves, and using chords in the melodic line.

And we performed an extended 12-bar blues performance using the blues scale, improvisation, and a blues accompaniment.

So that's the end of today's lesson.

I hope you've really managed to create some creative ideas, and have started to see how we can take these small ideas and build them into much bigger musical performances.

I hope you've really enjoyed that, and thanks very much for taking part.

I'll see you in another lesson.