We all aspire to be blues and jazz masters at the piano, but there are some easy blues piano tricks that every pianist should know which can instantly give your playing that authentic blues sound. The masters – pianists like Wynton Kelly, Oscar Peterson, Otis Spann, Dr. John, etc. – all knew how to use these easy blues piano tricks to perfection. The things about blues piano tricks is that they sound great when you sprinkle them in occasionally, but shouldn’t be the basis for an entire solo. So use them sparingly and listen to lots of blues pianists and recordings so that you can get a sense of how and when they’re played effectively.
Blues Piano Tricks #1: The Tremolo or “Roll”
What a lot of pianists call a “roll” is actually, in academic music-speak, referred to as a tremolo. A tremolo is a very quick repeat of a note or notes which produces a quivering or wavering sound effect. The symbol for a tremolo is a line or lines written horizontally through the stem of the notes which are meant to be rolled. Here’s an example of a fairly classic two-handed use of the tremolo effect in a blues format. The right hand is “rolling” the melody notes in octaves while the left hand is “rolling” the rootless chord voicing. When played together, it produces a big, robust sound.
The '30 Must-Have Blues Piano Licks' Blues transcription and bass arrangements: Uwe 'ukaykeys' Karcher. Please note: some licks vary in rhythm and / or melody compared to the the '30 Must-Have Blues Licks' Collection 3-##-# The '30 Must-Have Blues Piano Licks' Blues D.
https://playbluespiano.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/03/Tremolo.mp3Blues Piano Tricks #2: The Blues Scale
This might not seem like much of a blues piano trick, but being able to play some quick blues scale runs is an absolute-must for blues pianists. There have been some great, maybe even epic blues-rock guitar solos that use only notes from the blues scale (check out some Stevie Ray Vaughan or B.B. King for evidence of this). The same is true for piano players. You can always buy some time in your solo by ripping a blues scale run or two. So make sure you’re able to play up and down the blues scale at a moderate to fast tempo.
https://playbluespiano.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/03/blues_piano_tricks_2.mp3Blues Piano Tricks #3: THE Blues Lick
This is a blues lick that gets played ALL the time. Every blues piano player should know it because although it is played quite regularly it sounds awesome, not tired or overplayed. It’s takes a little bit of practice to get under the fingers but not something that is difficult. It works great in the blues form, but especially great if you start it in measure 9 where the ii-V-I sequence begins.
https://playbluespiano.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/03/Blues_Piano_Tricks.mp3Blues Piano Tricks #4: Another “Roll” (Tremolo)
This is another very common bluesy piano sound. Again you’ll be rolling (or playing a tremolo) across two notes in the right hand – the 5th and 7th of the chord. For example, if the chord is an F7 chord you would tremolo the ‘C’ and ‘Eb.’ If the chord is Bb7 you would tremolo the ‘F’ and ‘Ab.’
https://playbluespiano.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/03/tremolo-2.mp3Blues Piano Tricks #5: A Fun “Outside” Chord
A great place to start experimenting with some “outside” playing is in measure 4 of the 12-bar blues form. Normally we would play the ‘I’ chord in measure 4, but by playing a tritone substitution in that measure you can get some advanced “outside” sounds. In our example in the key of F, we would play a B7 chord in measure 4. Experiment with comping and soloing in this measure using the tritone substitution.
https://playbluespiano.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/03/blues_piano_tricks_3.mp3After you’ve learned about what chords and scales to use if you want to sound bluesy (see these videos: 1, 2, 3), you can combine everything together into a simple tune consisting of a chord progression and a simple riff-based melody.
The Chords
Cm7
First things first, you’re going to want to learn the chords that you’re working with. The I chord is the most important one to learn first, and it’s going to be a Cm7 chord. That means it consists of the C minor triad plus a b7 note on top. If you want to spell out the notes individually, you’ll have C - Eb - G - Bb.
F7
The next chord to learn is the IV chord, which in this case is going to be an F7 chord. This chord is built up of a major triad plus a b7 note on top. If you spell out each note, you have F - A - C - and Eb.
G7
The final chord of this little tune is going to be a G7 chord. The G7 chord is built up of notes G - B - D - F. Naturally, this final chord in the blues chord progression is the V chord. As you play through each of these chords, take time to listen to how they sound together. Ask yourself what does it sound like to move from the I chord to the IV chord? What about the V chord resolving back to the I?
The Riff
Now that you know the chords that will structure this song, it’s time to look at what the right hand is doing. The main riff for the song consists primarily of the notes within the pentatonic scale, with the blue note (aka the flat-5) added in for good measure. The nice thing about this riff is that it falls quite naturally under the hands in resting position. So keep your thumb on C and your pinky on G as your neutral position while you practice this riff!
Making It Your Own
Above all else, your blues playing should be a personal expression of yourself. Because these blues chords and riffs are so simple, try to personalize them a little bit by adding/exchanging a few notes here and there, or play around with the rhythms in the left hand. See the sheet music as the guideline, not the rule!