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Does anyone play Floyd Cramer style of piano? If so, please share his slip note style with me? How to play his style in theory. Sandy B

Here's some info from WikiPedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_chords

EDIT: Whoops, wrong guy.

Floyd Cramer style is like playing grace notes under the melody tone and a harmonizing note above it. So if the melody tone is E and we're in the key of C major, you'd play a D grace note followed by E melody note and a G above it to add some extra harmony.

His style is called slipnote. It was a technique
of emulating a steel guitar. This style is easier to do in some keys than others. You slip from a 1/2 step or whole step above your intended target note.

Thank you both so much... Paul and Mahlzeit...Sandy B

Does anyone play Floyd Cramer style of piano? If so, please share his slip note style with me
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Yes, I play his style, and he plays in thirds mostly. I think someone mentioned this already, but he usually will start in a fifth position and run the tonic to the second to the third (fast) and end up with a third and the fifth played together.

LH is octave root and chord followed with the fifth and back to the octave root (swing bass).

Easier to show you at the piano, than put into words.

Hope this helps.

Diane
Jazz/Blues/Rock/Boogie Piano Teacher

Okay I double posted so might just add that his original scores are exactly as he plays his music.

Diane
Jazz/Blues/Rock/Boogie Piano Teacher

Dear Diane W, Thank you so much. I printed your info and will refer to this in my continued attempt to play his style, Floyd Cramer. Are you saying in your 2nd post that his original music will help me play his style too. I will go soon to purchase some of his arranged style if so. Thank you again. Not too many women teach piano in, Jazz, Blues and Boogie. You must be very blessed with musical talent.
Thank you again for your sharing with me and other members. Sandy B

Originally posted by 193866
Are you saying in your 2nd post that his original music will help me play his style too.
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Yes, in his "Floyd Cramer Great Piano Hits" transcribed from the Floyd Cramer recordings by Bill McElhiney, his music is perfectly written. He is one of the few that has his music written exactly as he plays it in recording! I have to say in pieces like "Last Date" and "Losers Weepers" I use octaves for the walking bass, swing the base in the LH just to give it a fuller sound, but you will definitely play exactly like him with this written music.

Also, I do tend to use the swing bass alot because the chords are there as well, and in his videos, I believe his is swinging the bass.

Take a heart pill before you look at the music, it may look really hard, but just work at it slowly, and you will get it.

Have to add that his music is my absolute favorite, and worth ever bit of your time to learn it.

All the best!

Diane
Jazz/Blues/Rock/Boogie Piano Teacher

Actually, I attempted to do a video on the Floyd Cramer technique, using the Willie Nelson Christmas song, Pretty Paper. Roy Orbison had a hit with this song. Anyway, here is the video, but keep in mind, I'm not a piano teacher, but hopefully you get something from the video:

Pretty Paper Video http://www.box.net/shared/kc35p8i4v1

Pretty Paper mp3 http://www.box.net/shared/q2oziq5exk

Diane, Thank you for your imput. You are a very talented pianist-teacher. Sandy B

Been trying to "google" Floyd Cramer sheet music, but just seem to come up with easy arrangements. So for those who want to order his original music, looks like you can order by having the following information.

Floyd Cramer
Great Piano Hits

Copyright @ 1960 by: Acuff-Rose Music Inc.
P.O Box 121900, 66 Music Square West,
Nashville, Tn 37212-1900
This arrangement Copyright @ 1971
by Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.

And the numbers on the back of the book are;
P0756P9X (CPP/Belwin, Inc.)

Addition info on the book are:
CPP/Belwin Inc.
15800 N.W. 48th Avenue
Miami, FL 33014

Songs in the book are:
- Last Date
- Fancy Pants
- The First Hurt
- Losers Weepers
- On the Rebound
and many others,

I'd say the numbers on the back of the book are the most important.

Hope this book is not out of publication!
Have Fun!

Diane
Jazz/Blues/Rock/Boogie Piano Teacher

Funky_Fred, Your video is a treasure and thank you so much for sharing with me and the other members too. I am excited to learn this from the video. I have wanted to play this for years. I studied with Ralph Lomax, Lexington, NC , in the 1980's for a few months while he was off tour. He was about 35 years old in 1985 so he is getting on in years now. He played the Floyd Cramer style, gospel piano on the Southern Baptist Gospel Curcuit. He did not read music but knew theory and played in all 12 keys on demand. He is fabulous to say the least. I had classical piano studies and I could not learn from him as he was all theory related and I was classical related. I was not ready but I am now after a year of jazz studies with two jazz pros\ a few years back... the way he had a heart operation at 11 years old and had to stay home and his grandfather bought him by a Play By Ear Piano set, with many cassettes, maybe 24 cassettes, I saw them... or so... with instrustions. He listened to Floyd Cramer tapes he said and this became his style. He was very successful, mid - level gospel curcuit...Bus going from town to town... on the curcuit and Ralph paid cash for his house in 7 years in his 30's with his piano playing. Oh,he had another heart operation, as a child... after the first ...and studied more and more Cramer style he said.I sounds exactly like Cramer with upbeat gospel style. His style is so great. Thank you again for sharing with me and the other members... Sandy B

Thank you again Diane, I have printed all your info Diane and Funky_Fred, his too, and, put his video in my favorites. I am so happy and thank you both for making me very, very happy lady today and forever with my continued attempts to play the Floyd Cramer style. We will do this together. Chuckles... Sandy B

Grateful for all input concerning the Floyd Cramer style.. I Thank Paul Milando and Mahlzeit again too... All imput is very helpful. Thank you both again. Sandy B.

His technique is also called hammer on, or at least that's what I have been taught. Try this- hand position in a first inversion C chord e-g-c,and nail g-c together and move the lower voice up to a and back to g and down to e in 16th notes all the while holding the c (5-6-5-3 with the root above). Then move down to root position C chord and nail d and g together and move up to e and back to d to c (2-3-2-1 with the 5th being held above). Start high and come down 1st inversion to root, 1st inversion to root while running the hammer ons in 16ths and you get a nice pentatonic lick.
If you want to move to a more jazzy Floyd sound try the same C lick against an F maj7 chord and you start sounding more like Nora Jones meets Floyd.

Pete The bean...Thank you for your input... and I am more determined to learn this style than ever with all of this Piano World moral support. I so appreciate all input. I refer to the video Funky_Fred sent every day now ...I will learn this style. Thinking of bringing my kepboard to the computer to practice from the video. Our piano is too big to bring. Need a small keyboard for study at the computer ... Thank you so much for sharing info...Sandy B

How do I edit when I make a spelling mistake please? Cannot find this option for some reason. Thank you in advance. Sandy B

Originally posted by 193866:
How do I edit when I make a spelling mistake please?
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Just click on the paper/pencil figure above your message you want to correct. It will put your message up in a box, and you can change spelling mistakes. Make your change, then press the "edit post" button, and you will have corrected the error.

Diane
Jazz/Blues/Rock/Boogie Piano Teacher

Dear Diane W...Thank you so much and I recorded this for future reference. Sandy B

Sandra,

Go to Youtube and search on Floyd Cramer. There are several great videos, but you might be very interested in this one- How to play Floyd Cramer's Last Date:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I40EW6ARVBw