How to Play. Blues & Boogie Piano Styles

Author: Aaron Blumenfeld
Publisher: Ekay Music
Language: English
Publication Date: September 1995
200 pagesThis collection of blues piano improvisations came about gradually during a thirteen year period of teaching the art of piano improvisation at the University of California, Berkeley Extension. Occasionally, either at private lessons or in the classroomr improvisations such as these were performed for the purpose of demonstrating how to put together a complete blues piano solo. They were played in as clear and uncomplicated a manner as possible, following a predetermined, well prepared outline. Every blues piano technique that had been studied in class was represented in this outline and was demonstrated in a basic, almost elementary way so that it would be immediately recognizable and easily understood in this new context. Except for SQUARE DANCE BLUES and CALIFORNIA BREAKDOWN (which were taped for a recording produced in 1980) these improvisations were taped during these lessons and after a period of years enough suitable examples had accumulated to create this pedagogical work.