Sitting In: Blues Piano: Backing Tracks and Improv Lessons: Piano
Backing Tracks and Improv Lessons
By Loren Gold
Item: 00-PB-0002366
$19.99
Pickup currently not available
Related Items
Sitting In: Blues Piano: Keyboard/Piano Book & Online Audio/Software |
$19.99
|
View |
Description
Sit in with the band and bring your playing to life
Soloing is an important part of your playing, but practicing on your own doesn't always get the creative juices flowing---there is nothing like the experience of sitting in with a full band. Though playing with a group isn't possible every time you want to jam, Sitting In: Blues Piano brings the band to you anytime so you can practice comping patterns and soloing with the same energy as playing live. The book offers tips and techniques from veteran blues and rock performer Loren Gold to give life to your practice sessions and inspire you to add new sounds to your blues vocabulary.
Features
* High-quality studio play-along recordings performed by a live band
* Progressions in the most important blues styles including shuffle, boogie-woogie, gospel, blues-rock, swing blues, and more
* Recordings include sample solos, and the progressions are repeated so you can jam freely
* Soloing tips feature scales, modes, comping patterns, and other ideas to develop your blues vocabulary
* Listening suggestions
* Our TNT 2 software that lets you customize the mix, loop sections for practice, and change tempos and keys
About the Author
Loren Gold is an in-demand keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter who has worked extensively with international pop and rock acts. In 2009, he became the keyboardist and vocalist for Roger Daltrey, which ultimately led to touring with The Who. Loren has performed with Kenny Loggins, Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers), Toni Braxton, Joss Stone, Melissa Etheridge, and Gladys Night, and has served as Musical Director for artists such as Taylor Hicks and Demi Lovato. In addition to touring and session work, Loren composes original music for feature films and television.
Soloing is an important part of your playing, but practicing on your own doesn't always get the creative juices flowing---there is nothing like the experience of sitting in with a full band. Though playing with a group isn't possible every time you want to jam, Sitting In: Blues Piano brings the band to you anytime so you can practice comping patterns and soloing with the same energy as playing live. The book offers tips and techniques from veteran blues and rock performer Loren Gold to give life to your practice sessions and inspire you to add new sounds to your blues vocabulary.
Features
* High-quality studio play-along recordings performed by a live band
* Progressions in the most important blues styles including shuffle, boogie-woogie, gospel, blues-rock, swing blues, and more
* Recordings include sample solos, and the progressions are repeated so you can jam freely
* Soloing tips feature scales, modes, comping patterns, and other ideas to develop your blues vocabulary
* Listening suggestions
* Our TNT 2 software that lets you customize the mix, loop sections for practice, and change tempos and keys
About the Author
Loren Gold is an in-demand keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter who has worked extensively with international pop and rock acts. In 2009, he became the keyboardist and vocalist for Roger Daltrey, which ultimately led to touring with The Who. Loren has performed with Kenny Loggins, Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers), Toni Braxton, Joss Stone, Melissa Etheridge, and Gladys Night, and has served as Musical Director for artists such as Taylor Hicks and Demi Lovato. In addition to touring and session work, Loren composes original music for feature films and television.
Discover MakeMusic Cloud: thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Sample Audio
1
Track 2 (with piano)
--:--
2
Track 6 (without piano)
--:--
3
Track 9 (with piano)
--:--
Track 2 (with piano)
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Sitting In Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
80
SKU:
00-PB-0002366
More about this title
About the Composer: Loren Gold
Loren Gold has built a career as a sought-after keyboardist and vocalist working alongside major international rock and pop acts. His work with Roger Daltrey and The Who brought his musicianship to audiences worldwide, while his session and touring credits include collaborations with Kenny Loggins, Taylor Hicks, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato.
Beyond the road, Gold has served as musical director for several high-profile artists and composed original music for film and television. His dual expertise in live performance and music composition informs every lesson in this book.
Why we love this
Gold's experience sitting in with world-class bands translates directly into practical, energizing material for your students. The inclusion of multiple blues styles (shuffle, boogie-woogie, gospel, blues-rock, swing) means your pianists encounter the real variations they'll meet in actual jam sessions, not a sanitized single approach.
What to expect
The recordings capture the loose, conversational energy of an actual jam session. You're not performing for an audience; you're in the room with seasoned musicians listening and responding to what you're playing. That authenticity transforms solitary practice into something alive.
Who it's for
Intermediate to advanced pianists and keyboardists ready to move beyond scale exercises and into real blues language. Players who want the experience of jamming with a full band but need the flexibility of practicing on their own schedule.
How to get the most out of it
- Start with the sample solos on the recordings. Listen for how the soloist approaches phrasing, space, and note selection within each blues style. Transcription isn't required; absorbing the phrasing naturally accelerates your own vocabulary.
- Use TNT 2 to isolate the bass and drums first. Strip away the other instruments while you develop steady comping patterns. Once your left hand is locked in with the rhythm section, layer in your right-hand soloing.
- Loop a single 12-bar progression and stay on it for multiple passes. Resist the urge to play everything you know in the first chorus. Build ideas slowly and let them breathe.
- Shift the key up or down by several half-steps between takes. The shapes and muscle memory transfer, but the psychological reset keeps your ears fresh and your thinking musical rather than mechanical.
How to use it
Integrate this into ensemble courses where students need to develop improvisation skills before sitting in with jazz combos or rock bands. It also works as independent study material for pianists preparing for jazz auditions or those building confidence in blues idioms before faculty-led jam sessions.
Skills your students will build
- Blues comping patterns across shuffle, boogie-woogie, gospel, and swing styles
- Melodic soloing over 12-bar blues forms with appropriate scale and mode choices
- Listening and responding to rhythm section groove and dynamics
- Translating listening suggestions and transcribed phrases into personal vocabulary
- Tempo and key flexibility through TNT 2 customization tools