Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum which key to learn for the blues or jazz improv...

i am currently trying to master improv on blues and jazz on piano like i see those old time greats on those old black and white documentaries on tv.

if you have only one key to learn for blues and jazz, which key would it be. i am practicing blues scale in c, but i find that maybe i should have picked a blues scale with more white notes or atleast a blues scale which has more of a continuous run on the white keys and not so seperated by the black keys.

the blues scale i am using for improv...
c, eb, f, gb, g, bb, c

f, gb, g is a bit of a distraction specially on fast runs backwards on my left hand. i know with practice it would become first hand to me, but i think i am increasing my chances of error chosing this blues scale when improvising.

what key do most great blues & jazz players play in. i know they can play on any key but what is their preference and why.

i was thinking of just learning everything on piano in the key of e or a because i am playing the guitar as well and it will make it easier for me to go from one instrument to the other but my plan is to eventually learn everything.

any opinions from expert players or teachers on this.

I'm not an expert blues/jazz player, so you might want to take these remarks with a pinch of salt, but...

I suggest you make an attempt to learn all keys - that will give you more flexibility in your improvisation. Certainly you will have a couple of preferred keys, but if you want to be able to wander off into related keys, or play with other musicians you'll need to know them all. I've found that having a good knowledge of the key cycle and being comfortable playing in most keys has been invaluable when playing without music.

When playing with others, alot depends on the combination of instruments - if you're playing with transposing instruments like clarinets, brass, saxophones, you need to take account of that when picking a key. I suspect string players (bassists) will also have preferred keys - probably the sharp keys rather than the flat ones.

Hope that helps.

Eventually you'll want to be able to play in all keys, but I suggest starting in the key of "F" for two reasons. First, the "F" blues scale fits extremely well under the hand, making it easy to play fast runs and riffs. Second, flat keys are easier for horn players.

FYI, the "F" blues scale is "F-Ab-Bb-B-C-Eb".

Yes, I agree, I find my playing of blues which is by ear only, is usually in F. Wonderfully relaxing and gives me the longest continual length of improvisation of any style of jazz I can think of.

A great soul relaxer!

Alan

It depends on what other instruments you are working with - if you work with guitar players, they gravitate toward the sharp keys because of the open strings on the guitar - G, D, A, E, B are popular guitar keys. But if you work with horn players, you'll be in flat-land: F, Bb, Eb, Ab. And if you work with singers, you'll need to know all the keys because they're all over the place and even then, that won't be enough.

I like F or G the best for blues on piano because both keys allow you to "pull off" the minor 3rd to the major 3rd with one finger i.e. Ab to A. The effect simulates bending a note which, of course, a piano cannot really do. For what it's worth, I have a free video on how to play the blues that was shown on PBS a while back. It's on the front page of my website.

Haha! I just saw you on TV with Scott the Piano Guy on PBS (they're actually the videos from the link on your website)... you're an amazing player! It's too cool to be talking to you on the forums!

A lot of guitar blues is played in Am. So if you plan to switch between guitar and piano a lot (as you suggest), I would start with C and its relative minor (Am) as your first keys to learn.