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.
