Some would argue that the left hand is the most important element in blues and early rock. FIGURE 9-5 used only quarter notes in the left hand. Although this is a good starting point, it is ultimately too bland. Blues piano is often marked by fancy left-hand work particularly if you play in the boogie-woogie or stride-piano styles. When the left hand is active, the music has greater drive and forward momentum. It is more exciting and exhilarating to listen to. Some blues also contains themes of traveling down the road or riding on rail cars. An active left hand complements such themes by giving the music a locomotive feel.

You should familiarize yourself with a whole host of left-hand patterns. This book only outlines the most popular and common patterns used in blues. However, there are others, and you can also make up your own!

FIGURE 9-6 shows you a simple left-hand pattern that can (and should) be used often. This pattern moves from the I to the IV chord with each beat. Although the chords are changing a lot, harmonically this pattern is really an embellishment on the I chord. Notice that only two notes appear in each chord. You do not always have to play triads or four-note chords. In fact, it's common to play chords with certain chord tones missing; these are called shell voicings. When you play a shell voicing, you omit certain notes. Depending on the context, they can be virtually any note, although they are usually consonant tones. In this figure, you are playing the root and fifth on the I or C chord and an inverted fifth and third for the IV of F chord. The C remains a constant throughout, giving the pattern a I chord feel. In the real world, this pattern is used mainly for fast tempos (speeds). Be sure to note the fingering, which is indicated under the notes.