Chords for Piano Chords for Bluesy Tunes

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ Thanks for joining me.
I'm Mike Hartigan, here [D] with a series for keyboard players who'd like to [F] play music for a living.
[Cm] In these videos, we're talking about reading chord charts with a band or in the studio, [F] and playing tastefully and [C] appropriately for the style.
_ Today's topic is music influenced [F] by the [C] blues.
You're probably familiar with the standard 12-bar [G] blues form.
Nobody [D] needs to read the chords for that.
But blues [F] music, with its unique [Dm] characteristics, has found its way into all kinds of styles.
And the piano stylings we'll look at today [F] can be applied to songs with all kinds of forms and chords.
_ _ [C] Steve Snappypants handed you a simple chord chart, counted it off, and you started playing along. _
It doesn't really sound like [G] country, reggae, or polka.
But this song has some [F] blues influence.
_ Blues has a unique harmonic vocabulary, drawing [C] heavily from the so-called blues scale.
_ _ _ So listen to what's happening around you for those blue notes.
If you [G] hear a singer doing something like_
_ _ Or a guitar [F] player doing something like_
_ _ _ [Cm] _ Chances are, you're dealing with some [D] bluesy [C] harmonies.
Here are a couple of tweaks to the way you play the chords [G] that'll make the keyboard fit in perfectly.
First, throw in some [F] half-step slidey grace notes, _ _ _ _ [C]
usually on the third of the chord.
This works well in any inversion.
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ Next, seventh chords are all over the place.
Often they're [C] notated, but even if they're not, you can probably get away with them.
Those grace notes work nicely on the fifth of the chord, when you're playing a seventh chord. _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _
Another aspect of blues piano that I've noticed is that for any chord you're playing,
you briefly jump the chord a fourth away and [A] back, [C] and it seems to work fine harmonically and not throw anybody off.
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _
Put these [F] simple elements together, and we're well on our way to a tasteful blues [C] keyboard feel.
Be sure to listen to what's happening around you.
The bass is playing something like [A] this.
_ [F#] This bass line is also really hinting at those [Bm] quick four chords, so try to sync up your playing and build up the groove around [A] it.
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Because of its blues scale [G] harmony, _ [Em] in a lot of cases, particularly when the song [F] is rocking out,
you can actually play things [D] that have nothing to do with the [Cm] chords of the song, [C] and still sound right on top of your game.
This 5-1 figure over any chord is a good example.
[G] _
Well, [D] _ _ [C] let me demonstrate. _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ _
_ _ [A#] _ [F] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ [F] _ _
[C] _ _ [E] _ _ [Am] _ _ _ [D] _
_ [G] _ _ [D] _ _ [Em] _ _ _
[A] _ [F] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
[F] _ Of course, that's because we were in C.
[Cm] If we were in A, [C] that would be an E and an A.
You get it.
[Am] If you play blues-related [Cm] music and have any tips [Em] for sounding authentic in this style, or any questions [G#] in general, [Dm] please leave a comment.
[G] Next week, [C] we'll take a look at reading chords for Latin [F] music.
Don't forget to click subscribe so you can stay up to date [Cm] on all the weekly videos [C] released every Tuesday.
I believe a good keyboard career is within reach for [G] anyone willing to put in the work and play as expressively and [F] professionally as possible,
[C] which is why I'm sharing what I know and what [Fm] I've learned in all kinds of [C#] situations here on this [C] channel.
[C] Thanks for watching. _ _