Category: Blues Piano

How I learned to play the xylophone and the Malletkat

11/7/2025

Here are the dozen steps I’ve taken to teach myself to play these instruments. Cavet: I’m not going to be turning professional. But I do play in ensembles that I’m not embarrassed to invite my students to experience. And, I’m having fun!

I really wanted to learn to play them.
1. Bassist Rory Slater said I’d be great on the things. That boosted my confidence to give it a go.
2. During the lockdown I purchased a used xylophone for $600 and started whacking the thing with 2 mallets. I was instantly hooked playing early jazz and ragtime. You can see the early results below.
3. I wanted to assess the validity of my teaching advice. Does it work? (It did.)
I knew the scope of the jazz field from my 50-year career as a professional musician and educator.
1. My 1st experience hearing live mallets was as a first-year student at Berklee listening to Hendrik Meurkens play be-bop and continued with my discovery of Gary Burton, a Berklee educator.
I knew the repertoire from playing the piano.
I knew the harmonic material that I would need to master.
1. Scales
2. Chord voicings, inversions, substitutions etc.
3. Arpeggios
4. Licks
I knew that to succeed I would need to always practice musically. I would not make the beginner mistake of “learning the piece” and then adding the expression.
I used a metronome in practice.
I video taped and/or recorded all my practices so that I could evaluate my progress.
I found groups to play with.
I learned how to hold the four mallets watching Gary Burton on YouTube.
I practiced regularly and I practiced a lot.
When I got the Malletkat I modified it to play more musically.
I had a couple of lessons with Rick Dior who seconded all the steps above.
I listen to jazz mallet players. I've discovered all sorts of forgotten musicians like Dave Pike and Emil Richards.

If I can help you on your piano journey, call me.
David

Limehouse Blues. An early attempt during the lockdown.

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Memorising Blues Tunes In A Hurry

9/24/2025

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The Blues Are Calling

Audition Prep for a Blues Band
I've been invited to audition for a blues band that’s looking for a keyboard player and an occasional sub on drums. It sounds like a blast—and I’m diving in headfirst.
Here’s how I’m preparing, and the thought process behind it:

Motivation & Connection I’m driven to succeed and confident in my skills. What sparked this? The drummer—who played in my first professional band 48 years ago—mentioned over lunch that his current band might need a new keyboardist. They’ve got gigs lined up. I said I was available, and he sent me the set list.
Charting the Tunes I’ve created roadmaps for each song, outlining form, chords, and riffs. Just three tunes left to chart!
Gear Upgrade Sold some old equipment and picked up a keyboard that’s perfect for the gig.
Daily Practice & Score Corrections Each evening, I play along with the recordings and refine the scores. My Berklee buddy Kai spotted a wrong note in one of my charts. Later, I found even more passages that needed tweaking.
Leaning on Theory & History Blues isn’t foreign territory—I know the style well and can anticipate musical turns thanks to my background in theory and history.
Immersive Listening I made a playlist of the set on my phone and have already listened to it twice in the past 24 hours.
Scoring by Ear Transcribing by ear has been a game-changer. Writing it out helps me internalize and memorize the tunes faster.
Embracing the Adventure I’m excited to step out of my comfort zone, make some noise, and relive the smoky bar days with fellow musicians.
Targeted Practice I focus only on the tricky sections—no time wasted on what I can already play or fake convincingly.
Rest & Recovery Upped my sleep schedule. This is intense work, and I want to stay sharp.
Self-Recording Starts Tonight I’ll begin recording myself playing along with the tracks to fine-tune my performance.

How could you use these steps in your own musical journey?

Ten Tips for Meaningful Piano Progress

Whether you're just starting out or deepening your craft, here are some guiding principles to help you stay motivated and make real progress at the piano:

Find Your “Why” Have a compelling reason to succeed—something strong enough to carry you through the ups and downs of the journey.
Listen Deeply Study professional recordings of your repertoire. Pay attention to the nuances: phrasing, dynamics, tempo choices, and emotional delivery.
Respect Your Instrument Play on a well-maintained piano. An instrument in poor condition can be discouraging and hinder your growth.
Record & Reflect Record yourself regularly. Compare your performance to the score, and later, to professional interpretations. It’s a powerful tool for self-awareness and improvement.
Study Theory & History Understanding the structure and historical context of the music makes it easier to memorize and interpret with depth.
Curate Your Repertoire Keep a playlist on your phone of current, past, and future pieces. Listening often helps internalize the music and keeps you inspired.
Train Your Ears Ear training is essential. The better your aural skills, the more intuitive your playing becomes. The Royal Conservatory of Music has a terrific program at each level of skill.
Stretch Comfort Zones New material will always present challenges. To stay encouraged, begin and end practice sessions with pieces you love and know well.
Practice Smart Focus only on the tricky sections. Don’t waste time on what you can already play confidently or fake convincingly.
Be Kind to Yourself Progress takes time. Rest well, stay patient, and trust the process. If you are not sure on what the process consists of borrow some books from the library on teaching piano. You'll aquire insight there.

If I can support you on your musical journey, feel free to reach out.
Warmly,

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Wilbert Harrison's Kansas City Piano Accompaniment

1/16/2023

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This performance of Kansas City by Wilbert Harrison is a fine example of blues boogie woogie accompaniment and soloing. It features a simple rhythmic pattern between the hands and an easy riff-based solo. The one unusual aspect is his choice of key: Db major. (I've provided two written versions for you in Db and C)

Preparations.

Watch the video.
Print out the music or open it on your tablet.
You will be playing along so you will need ear buds or a speaker to amplify the YouTube video.
Prepare the three chords of this piece: Db, Gb, and Ab major by reviewing the music below. (The left hand plays these chords in root position. The right uses the various inversions)

Chords in C

Chords in D flat

Next steps.

4. To create a strong mental impression of how the music will be played follow the score while listening to the video. Notice he plays a heavy accent on beats 2 and 4 in the left hand and aggressively accented chords in the right.
5. Start practicing the score by playing slowly while keeping your attention on the correct fingering of the chords.
6. To get the swing of the music, play along with the video. If necessary, slow the video down.
7. Have fun.

Harrison plays a remarkably similar piano part in his video of Stagger Lee. Can you hear the similarities? The link is below.

If you would like some help with this, call me.

David

Stagger Lee YouTube video

Free Piano Score D flat

Free Piano Score in C

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Beginner Blues Solos in Ab major

11/24/2022

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score download

Free Score for Cohen Blues Lick

What is the Blues?

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How to spend an hour at the piano

6/10/2017

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Scales, chords, arpeggios, reviewing some favorites, work on your new pieces, sight reading, ear training, and for jazz musicians there is always transcribing. Whew! Sometimes it is all a bit much. Sometimes the best use of an hour is just too...

Fiddle around
Jam with friends
Improvise
Put on the headphones and listen deeply to some of your favorite music.
To go to the music store and explore the music racks for something inspirational, or aspirational. Yes, a book of music way over your head.
Go for a walk with a loved one.

Cheers,

David

Chitlin's Con Carne For Transcribing

Jimmy Smith Key F
Kenny Burrell Key of C min
Junior Wells Key of A min
Stevie Ray Vaughan Key of B min

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Blues Lick #2, A Classic Lick in F

5/28/2017

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This lick can be found in numerous pieces. Below is a sampling. Sometimes it is played in the minor key. Sometimes it is sung in the chorus, sometimes it is fragmented on the introductions, sometimes it is played during a solo, and sometimes it is played on instrumental breaks. Horace Silver plays the lick thirteen times during his solo. See if you can locate them.

Practice suggestions.

1. Listen to each piece and locate the lick.
2. Figure out which key it is played in.
3. Play the lick with the recording, coming in only when the lick is played.

David Story