Tag Archives: blues piano

silvan zingg blues solo piano prodigy silvan's night train trip video

Silvan Zingg Blues Solo Piano Prodigy Silvan’s Night Train Trip Video

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Here is Silvan Zingg playing his composition “Silvan’s Night Train Trip” with his trio.

Beyond basic piano lessons, I get a lot of requests for Blues piano. It’s lots of fun to play and very relaxing. Anyone with moderate piano skills can learn to play Blues. The key to learning Blues is to get to the very foundation of how Blues is constructed and learn the essential rhythmic components that make it sound so great. At my studio, here in Portland, we also work a lot on ear training. A good improvisation depends on the keyboard player being able to hear what they are going to play before they play it. This is a learned skill, and one which develops over time. 

More About Blues Piano

kenny blues boss wayne plays blues piano boogie woogie video

Kenny Blues Boss Wayne Plays Blues Piano Boogie Woogie Video

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This is a great video of Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne playing an excellent Boogie Woogie style piece. His piano playing is a good example of how the left and right hand can work together to make the piano come alive.

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne was born in 1944 in Spokane, Washington. He is known as an American blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist, and a singer and songwriter. His keyboard skills feature a strong decisive style of playing the Blues.

 At an early age, Wayne relocated with his family to San Francisco, California. Wayne’s playing was influenced by Nat King Cole, Little Willie John, and Fats Domino.

The family later moved to New Orleans, and then Compton, California. His music became influenced by George Shearing, Erroll Garner, and Ray Charles. Wayne worked as a sideman by various pop and rock musicians. He has toured Europe, performed at music festivals, and has released a number of albums. 

great blues piano solo improvisation luca sestak live in austria video

Great Blues Piano Solo Improvisation Luca Sestak Live in Austria Video

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Here’s a great Blues piano solo improvisation by the gifted Luca Sestak, recorded live in Austria.

Luca Sestak was 17 at the time of this recording. Luca was born on January 10, 1995 in Celle, Germany. He began playing piano at the age of 9. After studying classical piano music, he  discovered Jazz and taught himself both Blues and Boogie Woogie on the keyboard. In a short time he had achieved an extraordinary level of excellence. He published his first original music at the age of 11. He has toured extensively and played with many great artists such as Silvan Zingg and Vince Weber. He recorded his first CD in August 2010.

more about Luca Sestak

Silvan Zingg Honky Tonk Train Blues Piano Solo Improvisation Great Video

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Silvan Zingg plays “Honky Tonk Train Blues” at The Hamburg Boogie Woogie Connection in the Hamburger Fabrik on the 8 and 9 August 2013. Zingg is truly a Blues master, with well developed melodies and steady left hand with a nice variety of rhythmic variations. This is a terrific example of a well constructed and polished Blues style.

Lots of my piano lesson students enjoy learning Blues improvisation at my student here in Portland. We start at the very beginning and progress through various styles of playing. Everything we do is playing by ear. There is no music involved in Blues. For students who already read music, learning the Blues is a new experience. It takes a bit of time to get used to relying on one’s ear to guide the direction of a 12 Bar Blues. Once a student realizes that there is no limit to what they can do, they get a lot more comfortable with the overall concept.

more on Blues Piano & Keyboard Lessons

Video – Exceptional Jazz Blues Piano Solo With Oscar Peterson Styling

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This is a wonderful piano solo of Sweet Georgia Brown being played by Gyuri Villas. The elements in this solo are very similar to the great blues style of Oscar Peterson. The performance here represents a very accomplished and skilled piano player and a great example of this very exciting form of music.

At my Portland piano studio, when my piano lessons students express an interest in improvisation, we begin by learning Blues Piano. Whether played on a piano or a keyboard, Blues Piano can be learning quickly and has a very easy to understand format. Playing blues does not require as much playing skill as jazz and can be learned soon after a student begins lessons. Many of my students find Blues Piano and excellent way to learn to play by ear, and gain a new level of self expression. It’s very straightforward to learn, and is incredible fun.