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Lesson 3 of 6
  • Year 8

Boogie-woogie

I can perform a boogie-woogie pattern on the piano.

Lesson 3 of 6
New
New
  • Year 8

Boogie-woogie

I can perform a boogie-woogie pattern on the piano.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The boogie-woogie is an upbeat and energetic style of blues music that encourages people to dance.
  2. The piano is the key instrument in boogie-woogie.
  3. It is also a blues piano accompaniment pattern, which is said to sound like a train.
  4. This is due to the repetition, constant movement and tremolos that mimic train sounds. It is often staccato.
  5. Learning to play the boogie-woogie pattern with the 12-bar blues chords.

Keywords

  • Boogie-woogie - an upbeat style of blues music and the name of the piano accompaniment pattern used in boogie-woogie

  • Tremolo - alternating between two notes rapidly; sounds like a trembling effect

  • Staccato - when the notes are played in a short, detached way

Common misconception

Any note of the boogie-woogie pattern can rise and fall.

Whilst there are different variations of boogie-woogie, it is important that pupils keep the root the same and the 5th of the chord rises and falls.


To help you plan your year 8 music lesson on: Boogie-woogie, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Pupils can also play the pattern in the right hand with a simple root note bass part in the left hand.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Keyboard instrument

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
How many bars is the chord sequence in blues music?

Correct Answer: 12, twelve

Q2.
What rhythmic feature characterises the bass pattern in blues music?

Correct answer: syncopation
march
crotchets
high

Q3.
Which hand would we play the bass pattern with?

Correct Answer: left, left hand

Q4.
The piano and guitar usually play the __________ in blues music.

bass line
melody
Correct answer: chords
beat

Q5.
Which musical term describes when the rhythm emphasises (accents) notes in between the main beats?

Correct Answer: syncopation, syncopated

Assessment exit quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
What musical term describes alternating between two notes rapidly (like a trembling effect)?

Correct Answer: tremolo

Q2.
Which is the main instrument in boogie-woogie style blues?

drums
guitar
Correct answer: piano
bass guitar

Q3.
What is the tempo of boogie-woogie music?

Correct answer: fast
slow
medium

Q4.
Staccato means...

play the notes smoothly.
Correct answer: play the notes short and detached.
play two notes at once.

Q5.
What is the name of the chord progression most commonly used in boogie-woogie music?

Correct Answer: 12 bar blues, Twelve bar blues, 12 bar, twelve bar