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- July 30th, 2007
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www.aqua-web.com
The online home of Jonathon Wilson
Popular Pages
- 30 Must-Have Blues Piano Licks Video series showing 30 blues licks ranging from easy to advanced
- Funk Groove in G Early rough draft of How to Play a Funk Groove 2 which will become a series of free piano lessons
- How to Play a Funk Groove How to play an advanced funk groove on the piano
- Lullaby for my Wife, #4 A lullaby composed for my wife, Christmas, 2008
- Piano Funk Groove in F A straight ahead funk groove that builds up five choruses over an F blues progression
- Transposed Blues Licks and H4 Demo Sheet music for the 30 blues licks in other keys plus some quick piano to test an H4 digital recorder
Thanks so much for the riff and tutorials!
Much appreciated. Keep them coming please – I’ve just joined a funk band and need all the help I can get
( http://www.myspace.com/drjonesuk )
I’m not the keyboard player on these tracks – he left and I replaced him. He was a legend. I am not..
Cheers
Gav
(Scotland)
Hey Gav,
Thanks for the comment. That Dr. Jones stuff is cool! There will be another funk series coming soon… (I just need to find a free weekend to film it)
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for the blues licks. It’s nice to have some more vocabulary. They are rooted throughout many styles. You can even hear the great Oscar Peterson playing them.
I saw a previous posting of someone asking for a transposed version of them. I can do it by the numbers, but it could be rather tedious. Is there another technical way of doing it? I am not too savvy with the tech stuff. Ultimately my ear will guide me, but we often learn visually too.
thanks for the time,
Stephen Page
http://www.stephencpage.com
Stephen,
Nice playing! I really like the voice-leading in your comping hand on Alone Together. Very tasty. Do you listen to much Bill Evans?
Oscar is one of my faves, along with the lesser known Gene Harris. It’s pretty easy for me to do a simple ‘transpose all’ for the blues licks. Just tell me what key you want them in and I can send you a PDF.
Hey again Jonathon,
Thanks for the transpositions. I don’t know if this is the best way to reach you or not.
I replied to your other email you sent me. You can check out my response there.
Taker easy,
-Stephen
Transpositions of the blues licks are available now on the site at http://www.aqua-web.com/2008/05/13/transposed-blues-licks-and-an-h4-piano-demo/
I didn’t do the really outside keys, but I certainly can if you really want ‘em… Word of warning — I didn’t look too closely at these, and there may be printing anomolies…
I’ve been playing drums for about ten years, and always wanted to take up piano. Your tutorials are by far the most comprehensive instruction I’ve found and have really motivated me to start playing. I really appreciate it. Also, fantastic playing, do you have a cd?
- Charlie
Thanks, Charlie!
To be honest, I only do this in my spare time. I’m a computer programmer by day, and just squeeze these in when I can find the time to film them. I’m afraid that also means that I don’t have any CDs or DVDs — just free online videos
Hi there Jonathon,
I thought I’d let you know that your videos also made it to France. I’m in Paris, trying (very hard) to play the Funk Groove and loving it. Thank you so much for putting these together. You should definitely consider recording a DVD – I’d be sure to buy one copy. And let me know if you need translations into French
Thanks again – and please post more!!!
Cool! I continue to be amazed by the number of comments and visitors I get from other parts of the world. That’s awesome!
I just may take you up on the translaton tip! It’s been many years since I studied French in high school…
Yeah I’d be happy to contribute. Hey, I’ve been wondering: where did you learn all of this? I mean did you study jazz harmonies etc etc? Or do you just play by ear?
Well, I grew up playing. I started normal old classical piano when I was 4, but I got a little bored with it around 10, until my mom (a piano teacher as well) taught me the blues scale. From there, I kept up my classical studies all the way through college, but I didn’t ever practice as much as I should have… I kept wasting my time on the blues/jazz side. Mostly started by picking up pop tunes (“Jump” by Van Halen and “Axel F” from the Miami Vice soundtrack stick out) from the radio and showing off to the girls at school
I continued learning jazz, playing with the jazz bands all the way through college, and getting to play with some really great people at festivals, etc. I also wrote quite a bit and learned a good chunk of both classical and jazz theory and harmonies through college and my own studying. I played in bar bands after college until I got married and found a real job 
— From there, it’s just been a continual process of wanting to play something… and figuring out how… and then figuring out “why” it sounds the way it does. Always keep learning… you’re never done!
Ok now I get it…
Well… thanks for taking the time to teach this to us.
Your tutorials are great for several reasons:
1) They are easy to understand
2) Having the notes/score really helps
3) But most importantly they are the only (good) funk tutorials I have seen so far… Most tutorials are either 100% about blues (like super old school) or 100% jazzy and thus waaay to difficult for me. I love your funk groove because it sits somewhere in the middle: Easy enough to play (like many blues tutorials) but it sounds very cool because of the more advanced jazzy harmonies and crazy rythm…
Anyway – thanks – I’ve spent 3 hours on the funk groove last night. Almost getting there. My wife is going nuts but my 2 year old son seems to love it
Hi Jonathon, I’m Italian then excuse me for my bad english…
I have a question… I’m studing Jazz but I want to learn how to play funk then there is a method that you recommend for start?
Thanks a lot for your web lesson!!
Bye!!
Hi Jonathon!!!
First I need to say that I really like all of your lessons, but since I am trying to play this “Funk Piano Thing” with this Chameleon Bassline, I am totally stuck by comping the bassline and the simple right hand…
so for that reason could you please please please post another video where you show the right and left hand comp much slowlier than in your comping video….
I really would appreciate that!!!
take care
Jonathan,
I must preface this is by saying that I wrote the note below BEFORE I found your website so now I know that you are the same guy on those tasty must have blues piano licks. Excellent!!!
Are you the guy that plays piano on the 30 must have Blues Piano Licks? I love this style that you are playing (funk, jazz) but wonder if you do other styles equally well. Do you do any gospel piano? Do you play organ at all or mainly piano. One other question is if you have a midi keyboard and would be willing to play a couple of these funk/jazz tunes on it and send a midi file of it to me – even for a fee?
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give.
Dave Wasmundt
howdy. drop me an email if you are interested in playing out w/a group, etc… or even.. (gasp!) making some coin on your most excellent lessons, etc..
hi, jonathon,
thank you very much for your work!
appreciate this very much!!!
(came by cause of a friends/students hint and we’ve already spent some time working on your lessons …);
if you someday plan to visit vienna/austria please give me a call or send me a mail in advance …
with kind regards
andreas plank
http://www.andreasplank.com