Go To The Mardi Gras Tutorial
“Go To The Mardi Gras” – also known as “Mardi Gras In New Orleans” – is a Professor Longhair funk tune in Bb. It’s a perennial carnival tune and on Mardi Gras day it is played all over New Orleans.
The Groove & Feel
The basic groove is based on a Rhumba pattern in the left hand and we fill in the gaps with our right hand. Every time we play with our left hand we leave a space in our right hand and every time there is a space in our left hand we fill it in with our right hand.
Chords & Voicings
We can voice the Bb7 voicing with the 6th which gives the chord a slight tropical and Caribbean flavour and ‘sweetens up’ the sound. This makes the voicing a little gentler on the ear and sets up the movement to the IV chord Eb7.
Lesson Downloads
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Go To The Mardi Gras Arrangement File Type: pdf -
“Go To The Mardi Gras” Audio File File Type: mp3
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“Go To The Mardi Gras” Midi File File Type: midi
Related Lessons
The Rhumba and Habanera grooves are an important element of the rhythmic toolbox of New Orleans Piano to make the music funky.
In this lesson we will explore the tune “Agua De Beber” written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and the lyrics written by Vinicius de Moraes.
The title is interesting as it combines the word “Samba” and “Bolero”. “Sambolero” is a term that was used in Brazil back in the 1950s.
Practice Tips
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Professor Longhair's arrangement of the tune contains many different left hand grooves and rhythms.
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The basic groove is based on a Rhumba left hand pattern.
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An important element of the groove is the interplay between the right and left hand. When the left hand plays the right hand lays off, and vice-versa.
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Listen to the different recordings of the tune to absorb the feel and articulation of the bass line.
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Experiment with the voicings that Jon outlines to ensure smooth voice leading between the I and IV chords.
