Boogie Woogie is a classic piano style that became popular in the 1920s and 1930s and shows up in songs from Jerry Lee Lewis to Bob Seger. In this 10 Minutes to Boogie Woogie Piano Tutorial, you'll learn this incredible technique in...10 minutes!
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Boogie Woogie is a classic piano style that became popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Growing out of the blues, the style was a foundational influence on Rock and Roll, as represented by artists like Meade Lux Lewis, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.
The Blues - Where Boogie Woogie Comes From
The Blues is a 12 bar form that consists of the 1 chord, the 4 chord and the 5 chord. The blues is a great structure to learn, as these three main chord structures are the foundation for a huge selection of rock and roll songs, from Old Time Rock and Roll to Great Balls of Fire. Transpose it into different keys!
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Boogie Woogie Left Hand Pattern
There are numerous boogie woogie patterns to learn, but this one is a simple and effective one to use. Work on it slowly and bring up the tempo. Use a metronome to improve your timing!
Song Suggestions:
Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard
Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
Johnny B. Good - Chuck Berry
Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Seger
Taking Care of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
The Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show
Tutti Frutti - Little Richard
Whole Lotta Shakin Going on - Jerry Lee Lewis
Add the Right Hand Comping Figure
If you were planning to sing along, this is a great right hand “comping” pattern to add to your left hand pattern.
The Blues Scale
This magical scale is the only one you will need to improvise over the blues. It works on all three chords in the blues! Practice playing it up and down and improvise with it.
The Blues Scale with the Boogie Woogie Left Hand
Put it All Together: Boogie Woogie time!
Now that you have all the components, you can learn some of the songs off the above list. Have fun and experiment with what sounds good to you!
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