(MED. SWING ♩=80)
21

Jazz Piano · Blues Comp Styles

Boogie Blues Shuffle

LH 1-3-5-6-♭7-6-5-3 ostinato shuffled in eighths, twelve keys

The boogie-woogie LH ostinato is one of the great self-sustaining rhythmic engines in piano music. Eight eighth notes per bar — usually shuffled (long-short-long-short) — climb 1-3-5-6 and come back down ♭7-6-5-3. Repeat on every chord, all 12 bars.

Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons. Then Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair carried it into rock and R&B. The same eight-note shape, transposed across the I-IV-V, for the whole 12-bar form.

LH ostinato

1 - 3 - 5 - 6 - ♭7 - 6 - 5 - 3 (eight eighths per bar)

Form

I⁷ IV⁷ I⁷ I⁷ | IV⁷ IV⁷ I⁷ I⁷ | V⁷ IV⁷ I⁷ V⁷

01

F blues

1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 F 7 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 7 C 7 3 2 4 1 O O
02

B♭ blues

1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 B 7 B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7
03

E♭ blues

1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 E 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7
04

A♭ blues

2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 A 7 A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7
05

D♭ blues

1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 D 7 2 3 1 4 X X 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 D 7 2 3 1 4 X X 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 7 A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr
06

G♭ blues

X X 5fr C 7 G 7 X X 5fr C 7 X X 5fr C 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 X X 5fr C 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7
07

B blues

E 7 2 1 O O O O 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 B 7 2 1 3 4 X O 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 7 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1
08

E blues

1 3 X O O O A 7 E 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O 1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 7 B 7 2 1 3 4 X O
09

A blues

2 1 3 X X O D 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 7 E 7 2 1 O O O O
10

D blues

3 2 1 O O O G 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 D 7 2 1 3 X X O 3 2 1 O O O G 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 7 A 7 1 3 X O O O
11

G blues

C 7 3 2 4 1 O O 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 G 7 3 2 1 O O O C 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 4 1 O O 3 2 1 O O O G 7 7 D 7 2 1 3 X X O
12

C blues

F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 C 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 7 G 7 3 2 1 O O O

Eight eighth notes, every bar, every chord. The engine that drove boogie-woogie.

80 bpm
Sound