Frenchman Street Blues Tutorial
In this lesson we explore the tune “Frenchman Street Blues” and create a solo piano arrangement.
The song contains the elements of a simple blues arranged into a sophisticated harmonic package which contains all of the flavours and melancholy to create an authentic New Orleans Blues sound.
Form & Harmony
The tune follows an AABA form. Each section is 8 bars long which is a common format for New Orleans style blues.
We arrange the tune in the key of F and we explore a range of passing chords, substitutions, and reharmonisations to enhance the basic 8 bar blues form.
Lesson Downloads
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Frenchman Street Blues Arrangement File Type: pdf -
Frenchman St Blues Harmonic Analysis File Type: pdf
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Frenchman St Blues – Audio File File Type: mp3
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Frenchman St Blues – Midi File File Type: midi
Related Lessons
You will immediately notice that this tune does not follow the standard 12 bar blues form that we have covered earlier in this course.
In this lesson we will be exploring the common intros, endings, and turnarounds that are found in the Chicago blues piano style.
Slash chords contain 2 bits of info, the 1st letter indicates what chord should be played & the 2nd letter specifies the bass note of the chord.
Practice Tips
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Study the suspended bass notes which can be used to add a suspense and tension to a basic blues progression.
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Pay attention to Jon's use of slurs and grace notes and how these devices can be used to add character to the melody.
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This arrangement features lots of major blues scale melodic ideas. Study these examples and transcribe into other common blues keys such as C, G, and Bb.
This is way too hard for me, but I just wanted to say that it’s lovely!
Hi Jane,
You might like to check out these beginner-focused 8 bar blues lessons: https://www.pianogroove.com/blues-piano-lessons/8-bar-blues-masterclass-course/ – particularly the lessons towards the start of the course.
Learning the basic harmony of the 8 bar blues is essential before applying the substitutions and reharmonisations demonstrated in this arrangement.
Cheers, Hayden