Accelerate Your Keyboard Playing in Blues, Rock and Funk

A vital aspect to understanding and performing great American music like R&B, gospel, and contemporary rock and pop is to first learn the foundation of this music, which lies in the roots styles of blues and early rock. Blues and Rock Keyboard Techniques will help you to develop the fundamental skills necessary to perform stylistically accurate keyboard techniques in the blues/rock idiom, in solo and group settings. Each week you’ll practice a progressive series of techniques at the keyboard designed to improve your time feel, hand strength, and vocabulary.

After building up your knowledge of theory, accompaniment ability, and phrasing foundations, the course explores the licks, techniques, patterns, and improvisation styles associated with shuffles, New Orleans piano, rock and roll and modern rock piano, and solo blues piano. By the end of this course you will have a strong foundation in the theory and harmonic concepts common to blues/rock styles, and the skills to take your music in whatever path you may follow.

Software Requirements

• A recording tool is provided within the course that will allow students to record videos of themselves playing for assignment submission. Alternatively, students can use a digital camera, smartphone, or tablet to record assignments.

Hardware Requirements

• Keyboard (acoustic piano, synthesizer, digital piano, or MIDI computer keyboard are acceptable and an acoustic or electric piano sound is preferred)

About the Instructor

Dave Limina is an associate professor in the Piano department at Berklee College of Music, where he received the Most Valuable Contribution to the Performance Curriculum Award in 2001 for his work in developing the Hammond organ program. An experienced session keyboardist, composer, and arranger, Dave has performed with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, Lori McKenna, Duke Robillard, Gloria Estefan, Mark Murphy, Scott Hamilton, the first national touring company of the Broadway musical Rent, and many others. He received Boston Music Award nominations for his work with Courage Brothers, Ronnie Earl, and Mighty Sam McClain, and has played on several Grammy-nominated recordings.

Product details