(MED. SWING ♩=80)
18

Jazz Piano · Blues Comp Styles

Blues Stride LH

The boom-chuck LH applied to a 12-bar blues, twelve keys

Stride applies cleanly to the blues form: the LH walks between root and 5 on the strong beats, stabbing the chord shell on the weak beats. The 12-bar form lets you cycle this pattern for a full chorus without ever stopping. Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, James P. Johnson all played stride blues — it's where the technique was first proven in the wild.

The chord stab is the 3 + ♭7 shell from exercise #1, placed an octave-and-change above the bass note. The hand jumps roughly a 10th every quarter note. Slow tempos to learn; only fast tempos sound stylistically right.

Per bar

bass on 1, chord stab on 2, 5 on 3, chord stab on 4

Form

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

01

F blues

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

B♭ blues

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

E♭ blues

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

A♭ blues

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

D♭ blues

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

G♭ blues

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

B blues

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

E blues

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

A blues

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

D blues

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

G blues

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

C blues

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

The original solo-piano LH, applied to the original blues form.

80 bpm
Sound