Welcome to The Everything
The goal is to unlock the secrets of rock and blues and get you started on the road to musical success. Will you learn everything there is to know about rock and blues from this text? Unfortunately, the answer is no. No publication could ever boast such a thing. Even entire music libraries could never make such claims.
If you wanted to fully understand rock and blues, you would need to immerse yourself in the cultures of these styles. This is true of any musical genre. However, you don't need to
The Everything
The table of contents reveals the topics covered in this book. However, the text can be broken down into three main categories:
- How-to guide
- Biographical and historical information
- Resource guide
The Everything
This book assumes that you do not speak the language of music so it provides a crash course on the basics of music notation and piano technique. However, this book ultimately focuses on rock and blues. Therefore, it is not a substitute for a beginner piano method. If you've never touched a piano before, it's recommended that you first work your way through a “Book One” before focusing on the rock and blues material found here. Why? It's important to begin with the basics, the fundamentals of music. This book only reviews them. As the old adage states, “You can't walk before you can crawl.”
There is another expression: “No one is an island.” This maxim means that no person is separate, alone, or autonomous. Instead, all people are connected by family bonds, cultural ties, national identities, and more.
The same is true of music. In this sense, you could say, “No music is an island.” Rock and blues exist as part of a greater development in Western music that traces its origins to European classical and folk music and in the regional music of West Africa. Although rock and blues were born in the United States, they are ultimately part of a greater musical collective. As a result, The Everything
It is hoped that you will examine rock and blues from this same vantage point. If you do, you will open yourself up to the “great conversation” of music, and in the long run, you will learn not just about rock and blues but also about a wide assortment of musical cultures, styles, and ideas.
Along the way, when playing through the musical examples in this book, keep in mind that the tempo (speed) markings are not ironclad; they are merely recommendations. As you practice, feel free to play any of these musical figures slower than indicated to meet your needs.