Tipitina – 8 Bar Blues Tutorial
In this lesson we will explore “Tipitina” – an 8 bar blues. Dr John described to Tipitina as the “National Anthem Of New Orleans Piano”.
“Tipitina” – Basic Changes
“Tipitina” is an 8 bar blues in the key of F. We start by exploring the basic harmony of the tune and then we introduce some of the New Orleans piano stylistic elements commonly played by Professor Longhair.
Left Hand Rhumba Patterns
We explore a selection of left hand rhumba patterns. These left hand patterns were played by Professor Longhair and add a Caribbean flavour to the tune. We start with some basic examples and then add more notes into the left hand bass lines.
Dr John Style Left Hand
Next we explore “Tipitina” in the style of Dr John and how his interpretation differed from Professor Longhair. We examine some of the stylistic elements of Dr John’s left hand and chord voicing techniques.
“Tipitina” – James Booker Style
In contrast to Professor Longhair and Dr John, James Booker had his own unique style to interpret the tune “Tipitina”. We example the left hand style of James Booker both from a harmonic and rhythmic standpoint.
Lesson Downloads
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“Tipitina” – Rhumba Patterns File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
In this lesson we explore further chord substitutions and reharmonisation for the second half of the 8 bar blues form.
In this lesson Jon expands on the basics of the 8 bar blues and shows a range of chord substitutions for the first 4 bars of the form.
In this lesson Jon gives us an introduction to the 8 bar blues, including the form, left and right hand patterns, and the feel.
Practice Tips
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Pay attention to the chromatic lines used in the right hand riffs which create and release tension over the underlying harmony.
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Learn the left hand rhumba rhythm and practice this to create a steady pulse. This is the foundation for effective improvisation over the tune.
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Example the different left hand styles employed by Dr John and James Booker and incorporate all of these styles into your own arrangement of the tune.
Love this tune and it’s great to have a lesson on it – thank you! I’m having trouble figuring out the right hand though, as it goes so fast. Would it be possible to have a lead sheet and a written version of the basics of the right hand to get us started on playing around with that? That’d be really useful.
Hi Jane,
I’m glad you enjoyed the lesson and yes we will create a lead sheet for this tune. I also agree that the right hand basics would be super useful as a PDF download – leave that with me.
I will reply to this comment when the PDFs are available so that you are notified.
Cheers,
Hayden
Great – thanks Hayden!