Top Dog – Blues Shuffle – Intermediate (Grade 3)

Top Dog – Blues Shuffle – Intermediate (Grade 3)

(US) $2.50

(6 customer reviews)

Top Dog is a blues shuffle in C major for intermediate players at about the Grade 3 (ABRSM) standard.

Listen to clip:

Description

Top Dog is a bluesy piano shuffle in C major which will suit intermediate pianists at about the Grade 3 (ABRSM) standard.

The left hand keeps the beat going with a 'boogie woogie' style rhythm accompaniment to the right hand's syncopated melody (remember to swing the quavers!).

Be sure to keep the left hand's 5th and 6th chords light and short. You can also create more of a bluesy 'back beat' if you add a slight accent to the second and fourth quarter note crotchets in each bar.

An improvisation on the theme is featured in the more 'jazzy' middle section accompanied by a smooth 'walking bass' line in the left hand.

Top Dog features 'blue notes' in both hands. In the key of C major, the blue notes (or 'crushed' notes as they are sometimes known) are Eb, Gb and Bb. In jazz and blues, these blue notes often 'resolve' to the semitone above, and this provides a balance between the harsher 'blues sound' (a minor feel) and the 'happier' major scale (pentatonic) feel.

Watch out for the optional grace note acciaccaturas ('crushed notes') - which are actually resolving blue notes!

This piano sheet music comes with a fun play-along backing track available as an MP3 download. A slower practice backing is also available so you can get the hang of playing along before increasing the tempo.

I hope you enjoy playing Top Dog - please leave a review if you have a moment, thanks!

Additional information

Level

Intermediate (Grade 3)

Format

Sheet music

Audio Downloads

Performance MP3, Playalong Backing, Slow Tempo Playalong Backing

Instrumentation

Solo

Style

Blues, Jazz Swing

Tempo

Allegro

Time Signature

Quadruple

6 reviews for Top Dog – Blues Shuffle – Intermediate (Grade 3)

  1. Yvette Baer (verified owner)

  2. T Gelauf (verified owner)

  3. Leanne Rogers (verified owner)

    Love it

  4. Doris Kirke (verified owner)

  5. Johanna Banks (verified owner)

    This was a fun song for my son to learn to play in between exams.

  6. Eve Lockhart (verified owner)

    Perfect for my daughter who working towards her grade 3. Nice tune. She is really enjoying learning it.

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