Trills in Blues Piano on LearnJazzPiano.com

Jazz Piano Book Reviews • Piano Teacher Search • Jazz Piano Links • Jazz Piano Lessons

Trills in Blues Piano

i think the trills in blues serve an interesting function. they sort of act as filler in between the almost continuous runs and licks that players slide around the blues scale with. trills sort of act as space between the traveling runs, they fill up the dead spots between the ideas. blues players like to trill the 3rd and 5th or the 5th and 7th (also 6th and 8th) and not much else. playing trills helps keep a continuous right hand sound going at all times rather than putting in open spaces. of course trills also function as a way to sustain a note sound to make a note wail sort of like a harmonica trill.

here is somebody, it's not me, playing blues piano trills on youtube:

by Jazz+ on 11/30/2007, 12:23

There are 8 comments, leave a comment.

in his books, dr. john talks about how players going back to jelly roll morton (when he would sing a blues) would use trills underneath a vocal.

LJP Like

by ziggysane on 11/30/2007, 22:30

of course i neglected the other trill intervals, i was only thinking about the trilling intervals in 3rds. there are also other intervals to be trilled, such as octaves, 6ths, the 5th with the 8th, chords, etc.

i am not a fan of trilling eb and g on a c7 although i like it when the chord changes to f7.

LJP Like

by Jazz+ on 11/30/2007, 22:53

i've always understood that that technique you describe above was called "piano tremelo" (ie rapidly alternating between the 3rd and 5th), aka "shake".

i was under the impressions that a trill only refers to seconds, so that in standard music notation the "trill" indication is "tr" or a horizontal wavy line, whereas "piano tremelo" (with notes spanning more than a second) is indicated by a set of diagonal lines in between the two notes that are being "shaken".

LJP Like

by 7 on 12/03/2007, 21:44

sp: tremolo

LJP Like

by 7 on 12/03/2007, 22:07

in tim richards' best seller "improvising blues" he calls them trills whether they are 3rds, 6ths or octaves, never shakes.

LJP Like

by Jazz+ on 12/04/2007, 21:31

that being the case, how does he notate them?

LJP Like

by 7 on 12/04/2007, 22:25

he writes tr over the interval.

LJP Like

by Jazz+ on 12/04/2007, 22:27

tr could mean tremolo

LJP Like

by CynBad on 12/05/2007, 16:32

Reply to Thread

Please sign in to post.

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 1 - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney enjoys playing.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version - videos

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 2 - jazz piano tricks of the trade you can use today

"Latinesque"

Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.

Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jeff Brent's Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jazz piano education is cool.

be the main character in your own story

Trills in Blues Piano

There are 8 comments, leave a comment.

by ziggysane on 11/30/2007, 22:30

by Jazz+ on 11/30/2007, 22:53

by 7 on 12/03/2007, 21:44

by 7 on 12/03/2007, 22:07

by Jazz+ on 12/04/2007, 21:31

by 7 on 12/04/2007, 22:25

by Jazz+ on 12/04/2007, 22:27

by CynBad on 12/05/2007, 16:32

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In

Sign In to LearnJazzPiano.com

Trills in Blues Piano

There are 8 comments, leave a comment.

by ziggysane on 11/30/2007, 22:30

by Jazz+ on 11/30/2007, 22:53

by 7 on 12/03/2007, 21:44

by 7 on 12/03/2007, 22:07

by Jazz+ on 12/04/2007, 21:31

by 7 on 12/04/2007, 22:25

by Jazz+ on 12/04/2007, 22:27

by CynBad on 12/05/2007, 16:32

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In