Blues Piano & Improvisation in the Slow Blues Style

Name: Blues Piano & Improvisation in the Slow Blues Style
Rating: 4.7 (191 reviews)

Improvise Blues Piano in the "Slow Blues" Style | An Intermediate to Advanced Blues Piano Course

Created byArthur Bird

Last updated 11/2025

English

What you'll learn

How to play "Slow Blues" style piano
How to improvise Blues piano fluently
Learn a wealth of blues licks, riffs, scales and techniques
Upon completing the course you will be also be able to play five Blues piano pieces
Improve your hand and finger coordination with the vast amount of exercises
Improve your timing/ability to play with an even tempo with the use of the blues backing tracks

Course content

5 sections • 135 lectures • 5h 16m total length

Introduction2:52
Course Navigation1:19
Bonus eBook Download0:10
The C Minor Blues Scale3:06
The C Minor Blues Scale (Supplement)0:11
A Quick Improv4:00
A Quick Improv (Supplement)0:24
The Basic Left Hand Chords4:27
The Basic Left Hand Chords (Supplement)0:17
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet Eighths (Simple Left Hand)3:43
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet Eighths (Supplement)0:43
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet Eighths with Backing Track3:34
A Quick Tip on Playing Along to Tracks1:26
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Swung Eighths (Basic Left Hand Chords)5:31
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Swung Eighths (Supplement)0:41
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Swung Eighths with Backing Tracks2:32
Thoughts on Practice1:04
Mixing Up the Rhythms & Improvising4:03
Mixing Up the Rhythms & Improvising0:17
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Alternating Rhythms (Basic Left Hand Chords)3:36
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Alternating Rhythms (Supplement)0:04
Including the Sustain Pedal1:43
Jumping Left Hand Pattern4:49
Jumping Left Hand Pattern (Supplement)0:43
Easy Left Hand Version (Without the Jumps)2:15
Easy Left Hand Version (Without the Jumps) - (Supplement)0:05
Minor Blues Scale Exercise (Jumping Left Hand) Triplet Eighths3:29
Minor Blues Scale Exercise (Jumping Left Hand) Triplet Eighths - (Supplement)0:16
Minor Blues Exercise - Triplet Eighths - Simplified Left Hand (Without Jumps)2:02
Minor Blues Exercise - Triplet Eighths - Simplified Left Hand (Supplement)0:06
Minor Blues Exercise - Swung Eighths with Jumping Left Hand Pattern1:53
Minor Blues Exercise - Swung Eighths with Jumping Left Hand Pattern (Supplement)0:07
Minor Blues Exercise - Swung Eighths - Simple Left Hand Pattern (Without Jumps)1:46
Minor Blues Exercise - Swung Eighths - Simplified Left Hand Pattern0:04
A Quick Improv - Swung & Triplet Rhythms Over Left Hand Jumping Pattern5:55
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet 16ths (with Left Hand Jumping Pattern)3:58
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet 16ths (Supplement)0:15
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet 16ths (Simplified Left Hand)2:00
Minor Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet 16ths - Simplified Left Hand (Supplement)0:03

Rocking 3rds Riff in C (from the 5)5:50
Rocking 3rds Riff in C (from the 5) - (Supplement)0:25
Crushed/Slide Notes2:13
Crushed/Slide Notes (Supplement)0:29
Octave Harmony4:10
Octave Harmony (Supplement)0:39
Octave Harmony Exercise - Swung Eighths4:00
Octave Harmony Exercise - Swung Eighths (Supplement)0:07
Octave Harmony Exercise - Swung Eighths (Simplified Left Hand)2:30
Octave Harmony Exercise - Swung Eighths - Simplified Left Hand (Supplement)0:05
What You've Learnt So Far - Etude/Practice Piece4:04
What You've Learnt So Far - Etude/Practice Piece (Supplement)0:12
Building the Improv3:01
Building the Improv (Supplement)0:34
Left Hand Chromatic Transitions & Turnaround Walk-Up6:10
Left Hand Pattern With Chromatic Transitions & Turnaround Walk-Up2:46
Left Hand Pattern With Chromatic Transitions & Turnaround Walk-Up (Supplement)0:47
To add some variety to the left hand, you can add some passing notes and also a turnaround using a walk-up.

To include this technique in your playing, before you hit the root of the next chord, play a note a semitone/half-step above or below to where you are going to. For instance if you are moving to an F bar, on the last beat of the previous bar you can play either an E or an F# as a transition.

Here is the left hand part with chromatic transition notes added:
Chromatic Transitions & Walk-Up Turnaround - Simplified Left Hand2:08
Chromatic Transitions & Walk-Up Turnaround - Simplified Left Hand (Supplement)0:17
Syncopated Rhythms3:19

Slow Blues Lick 13:38
Blues Lick 1 (Supplement)0:09
Slow Blues Lick 22:20
Blues Lick 2 (Supplement)0:03
Slow Blues Lick 1 & 2 Practice Piece - Etude 27:58
Slow Blues Lick 1 & 2 Practice Piece - Etude 2 (Supplement)0:07
Chromatic 3rds Turnaround with Octaves7:14
Chromatic 3rds Turnaround with Octaves (Supplement)0:17
Chromatic 3rds Turnaround - Easier Variation3:21
Chromatic 3rds Turnaround - Easier Variation (Supplement)0:04
C7 Tremelo Chord Finish1:42
Blues Licks 1 & 2 - Etude 2 (with Chromatic 3rds Octave Turnaround)4:38
Blues Licks 1 & 2 - Étude 2 with Chromatic 3rds Octave Turnaround (Supplement)0:06
Blues Licks 1 & 2 - Étude 2 with Turnaround Variation (Supplement)0:07
Progressing in Blues - Etude 38:52
Progressing in Blues - Etude 3 (Supplement)0:26
Alternating Swung & Triplet Exercise (With Left Hand Chromatic Transitions)4:46
To give you the ability to improvise with the minor blues scale over those chromatic transitions and the walk-up turnaround, here is an exercise that alternates between the swung and triplet eighths rhythms in the right hand.
Alternating Rhythms Exercise with Chromatic Transitions & Walk-Up (Supplement)0:09
Octave Harmony Triplet Rhythms Exercise6:35
Octave Harmony Triplet Rhythms Exercise (Supplement)0:27

The Major Blues Scale2:25
The Major Blues Scale (Supplement)0:16
Major Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet 8ths5:05
Major Blues Scale Exercise - Triplet 8ths (Supplement)0:08
Major Blues Scale Exercise - Swung 8ths4:38
Major Blues Scale Exercise - Swung 8ths (Supplement)0:04
Practice Improv Play Along with the Major Blues Scale5:48
Hopefully now you feel comfortable with the major blues scale over that jumping left hand. Now I’d like you to have a go at improvising with the major blues scale in your right hand.
Improvisation - Mixing the Major & Blues Scales1:46
A Classic Blues Chords Riff7:03
A Classic Blues Chords Riff (Supplement)0:24
Classic Blues Chords Rocking Riff Over the Left Hand3:50
Classic Blues Chords Rocking Riff Over the Left Hand (Supplement)0:07
Classic Blues Riff - Playing Around With the Rhythms & Order of the Patterns3:15
Integrating the Classic Rocking Riffs Into Your Improvising4:52
Now have a go to see if you can include some of these major rocking patterns in your improvising. You could start off by alternating every bar between the classic rocking riff and the other techniques you've been learning, then once you get used to that try to break away from the pattern and be free-er with your choices. (See video for example)
Slow Blues Lick 34:11
Slow Blues Lick 3 (Supplement)0:16
Slow Blues Lick 3 with Left Hand2:32
Slow Blues Lick 3 with Left Hand (Supplement)0:04
Slow Blues Lick 45:56
Blues Lick 4 (Supplement)0:22
Slow Blues Lick 53:43
Slow Blues Lick 5 (Supplement)0:35
Slow Blues Lick 5 Extended2:12
Slow Blues Lick Extended (Supplement)0:13
Blues Licks 1-5 in Practice - Etude 47:07
Blues Licks 1-5 in Practice - Etude 4 (Supplement)0:16
Etude 4 with Alternative to Lick 5 (Supplement Only)0:07
It's Improv Time3:57
It's Improv Time (Supplement)0:28
A Few Tips on Improvising with Scales1:23
A Few Tips on Improvising with Scales (Supplement)0:22
Slow Blues Lick 63:53
Blues Lick 6 (Supplement)0:16
Slow Blues Lick 75:36
Blues Lick 7 (Supplement)0:12
Slow Blues Lick 7 with Left Hand3:44
Blues Lick 7 with Left Hand (Supplement)0:09
Tremelo 3rds3:26
Tremolo 3rds (Supplement)0:26
Octave Blues Scale Solos in Right Hand3:31
Octave Blues Scale Solos in Right Hand (Supplement)0:21

The Slow Blues Cruise - Etude 511:35
The Slow Blues Cruise - Etude 5 (Supplement)0:34
The Slow Blues Cruise - Etude 5 - Part 29:45
The Slow Blues Cruise - Full Piece Played Slowly (Practice Reference)3:41
A Short Intro on the Dominant 5th1:52
A Short Intro on the Dominant 5th (Supplement)0:20
Putting it All Together in Improvisation2:45
Putting it All Together in Improvisation (Supplement)0:11
Play Along Improv Practice - 45bpm3:40
Play Along Improv Practice - 60bpm2:15
It's Over to You0:31
Alternate Progression - The 8 Bar Blues5:42
Alternate Progression - The 8 Bar Blues (Supplement)0:23
The 8 Bar Blues - Applying Your New Skills5:13
Closing Thoughts1:07

Requirements

Not for beginners! You must understand piano basics such as key names, basic rhythm and be able to play simple chords.
An understanding of how to read music notation would give you an advantage, but not required.
An understanding of basic blues concepts is preferable not essential.
A keyboard or piano.

Description

Take your blues piano playing to the next level with this course on blues piano and improvisation in the slow blues style! Beginning with a basic slow blues progression, it methodically builds your skills all the way to being able to freely improvise impressive blues piano. Throughout you’ll accumulate a wealth of licks, riffs and techniques that will have you creating blues sounds in a way that you’ve always wanted to!

Systematic Approach - The strength of the course comes from the systematic approach to implementing of every aspect or skill, with exercises that enable you to easily integrate your new abilities fluently into your improvisations.

Practice Pieces - It’s important to have the opportunity to put your new skills into practice. Which is why there are also specially designed blues pieces that incorporate every you’re learning as you progress, culminating in a final blues tune that shows off everything you’ve learnt in the course.

50+ Sheet Music Downloads – Everything in the course has been notated for those that can read music, with over 50 PDF downloads available!

Music Reading Ability Not Essential – You don’t need to be able to read music notation to take this course. Every scale, lick, riff, technique, exercise and practice piece is broken down and talked through during the video lessons by the instructor, for students that prefer to copy and play by ear. The tutorials include highlighted keyboard graphics, and the notation within the videos also include the note names (inside the note heads) for anyone that may find it useful.

Improvisation – Improvising is at the heart of Blues piano, which is why the course has a core focus on giving you the skills to be able to fluently improvise using a step-by-step approach.

Backing Track Downloads – So you can have even more fun whilst learning and playing the blues, the course also has backing tracks so you can play along to a blues band sound in the comfort of your own home.

Bonus eBook – Everyone learns differently, which is why as an added bonus the course includes a 60+ page eBook that you can download and print off, to further enhance the learning process.

Not For Complete Beginners - This course is not for beginners and assumes some previous knowledge on the piano, although it is still suitable for pianists that may be early on in their piano learning journey, because it starts with a gentle approach, and methodically builds to advanced levels as you move through.

START TODAY - So if you want to have fun improvising smooth blues piano right off the top of your head, then sign up, and start playing today!

Who this course is for:

Blues piano lovers who want to take their blues skills to the next level.
Piano players wanting to learn how to improvise in a smooth slow Blues style.

Blues Piano & Improvisation in the Slow Blues Style

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction39 lectures • 1hr 15min

Building Up the Blues20 lectures • 44min

Let's Take It Up A Notch20 lectures • 53min

Minor & Major Contrast41 lectures • 1hr 35min

Putting it All Together15 lectures • 50min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: