Boogie-Woogie
One rolling left hand turned the blues into a dance. Learn the boogie-woogie left hand, eight swung eighth notes per bar: up the chord, plus the sixth and the flat seventh, and back down (C E G A B flat A G E). Move it to F and G through a 12-bar blues in C, add right-hand chords on the off-beats, and play two independent layers, one in each hand.
In this lesson you'll
- Play the left-hand pattern on C: the chord tones plus the 6th and the flat 7th, eight swung eighth notes per bar, slowly and then at tempo.
- Move the same shape to F and G and roll it through all twelve bars of the blues in C (I–IV–V).
- Add the right hand on top, a short chord on every off-beat, and play the twelve bars with the band.
Music in this lesson
- Pinetop's Boogie WoogiePinetop Smith · 1928
- From Spirituals to Swing (concert)Albert Ammons · Meade Lux Lewis · Pete Johnson · Carnegie Hall · 1938
- Early rock 'n' roll guitar riffsChuck Berry
Remember
The left hand rolls in eighths, up and down the chord plus the 6th and the flat 7th: C E G A B flat A G E; the walking bass moves in quarters, one note per beat.
The same shape moves to the IV and V chords (F and G) through the 12-bar blues, and the eighths are usually swung, long-short, for a rolling, driving feel.
The right hand plays bluesy riffs and repeated chords on top: two independent layers. Boogie bass patterns were adapted by early rock 'n' roll guitar riffs.