STYLISTIC & CREATIVE IDEAS FOR YOUR BLUES SHUFFLE

LESSON 1: EXPLORING THE ‘PINETOP SMITH’ RIFF

Here are the main variations of the riff that we look at in Lesson 1. This is a classic riff first
documented in Pinetop Smith’s seminal 1928 recording ‘Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie’. After
the first couple of examples, I have only written it on the chord of G – it will be good
practice for you to work out the notes on the chords of C & D. In fact, I recommend trying
to work out all these variations in EVERY key!

• Perhaps go around the cycle of fifths

• Or try playing them over 12 Bar Blues in other keys – begin with closer keys like C,
F & D and then through more remote keys Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, A, E, B.
• Perhaps try a different key each day, or move onto a new one once you’ve got it
under your fingers in one key?

G9 C9 D9
4w b www b œœ œœ ˙˙ w œ œ
&
4 wwww
œœ œœ ˙˙ ww œ œ ˙ # wwww # œœ œœ ˙˙˙
Becomes œ œ ˙ Becomes Becomes

G9 C9 D9
& ¢ ™nœœ ™™ ü° ™™b œœ œ ˙ ™™ ü° ™™ œœ # œ nœœ œ ˙˙
œ
œ œ œ ˙˙ œ œ œ ˙
°™ ™™ ü
¢† ¢† †

G9 add a pickup C9 D9
°ü ™b œœ œ œ °ü ™ œœ nnœœ œ
& ¢ ™™nœœ œœ n œ œ œ
œ œœ œ # œ œ ¢† œ # œ œ ¢† # œ œ œ #œ œ †
° ü
œ œ
™ ™ ™
œ
™ ™ ™ ™ ™

G9 3 G9 etc. Add chromatic passing notes

& ¢ ™™nœœ œœ nœœ œœ œœ ™™ °ü ™™nœœ œœ œ œ œ ™™ °ü ™™nœœ nœ b œ œ

° 3
™™ ü
œ œ œ #œ œ ¢† œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ #œ œ ¢† œ n œb œ œ nœ # œ œ †
Triplets 16ths

°™ 3
n œ œ ™™ °ü ™™nœœ œœ
3
&¢ œ œ nœ b œ œ nœ b œ œ ™™ ü
œ n œ œ b œ œ nœ #œ œ œ œ n œ œ b œ œ œ nœ #œ œ
™ ¢† †
Triplets with 16ths with chromatic
chromatic passing notes passing notes

°™ 3
n œ
3
& ¢ œ œ nœ nœ œ œœ
ü °™3 3 3 3
nœ ™ nœ œœ œ b œ œ ™™ ü
œ nœ #œ œ † œ
œ œ œ nœ #œ œ ¢ œ n œœ n œ # œ œ
™
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ
™ ™ †
Roll/arpeggiate the chords Triplet pick-up
triplet pick-up with added 3rd

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