Luca Sestak || Boogie Woogie & Blues Piano

The beginning

How you begin to play boogie-woogie depends on many factors. The first question is how long you've been taking piano lessons, that is, how well you can already play. Of course, you must also be a lover of music. It does not make any sense to force yourself to play music

If you never had piano lessons and your knowledge of notes and music is limited, you should first take 2-3 years of classical piano instructions before you start to specialize. Classical instruction gives you the best basis for all other types of music. Technical aspects as well as the rules of harmony and the understanding of music. At least this is my personal experience and that of my musical friends as well.

Recommended books of music, and links

Since I'm being asked frequently whether I can send sheet music, I want to recommend some books that can be of great assistance in learning music. I used and tested and played from all the books which I recommend here.

But first the question is: Which book is the best for me? It depends on how far along, that is, how advanced one is. There are books for beginners as well as for advanced pianists. But now to the books.

I recommend these books of music in the order of your experience in playing the piano.

1. Jazz, Rags & Blues

Piano experience 1 ½ - 2 Years

This book good is for beginners who have not had much to do with the piano or with music.
There are some very simple pieces in this book which should best be learned together with your piano teacher. One of the first boogies I played (although unrealized at the time) is in this book.
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2. Die Boogie und Blues Methode für Piano (with CD)

Piano experience 2-3 Years

This book is for more experienced piano players. It describes the blues scheme. Basic techniques and suggested improvisations.
There is a companion CD to the described pieces. With every piece on the CD there is also a slower version to help with learning and playing along.
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3. The Real Blues'n Boogie Buch with CD (Christian Willisohn and Herbert Wiedemann)

Piano experience 3-4 Years

My first Boogie-Woogie sheet music book. This book contains practice pieces, suggested improvisations and 14 complete pieces and preparatory exercises to these pieces.
In my opinion a first-class book with nice and varied pieces. If one masters these pieces one made a huge progress as they contain many different styles of boogie-woogie and blues playing.
For example "Just a Blues" is a very slow blues played with a lot of feeling. Whereas "Quiet Blues" is lighter, melodious and to be played with a Jimmy Yancey base.
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4. Boogie Woogie Piano Solo (Axel Zwingenberger)

Piano Experience 4-5 Years

This is Axel Zwingenberger's sheet music book containing the melodies in his CD "Boogie Woogie Live." There are 12 of his pieces in it. You might have heard me play some items from it such as "Boogie Woogie Be With Me," "Goodnight Blues," or "Jump and Jive."
This book is difficult to get at this time. That's why I couldn't find a link to a vendor. However, if the book becomes available again, I'll announce it here.
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5. Professor Longhair Collection (Piano Solo)

Klaviererfahrung 4-5 Jahre

The "Professor Longhair Collection" contains many classical New Orleans songs of the great pianist, such as "Tipitina", "Big Chief" or "Mess Around".
I play some of the best-known pieces from it.
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CDs - Recommendations, links

What is, of course, very, very important in learning Boogie Woogie and Blues piano, is listening to the music. Naturally you learn most by playing and practicing, but listening to Boogie Woogie also contributes a great deal to developing your own style.

Surely anyone who practices a particular hobby, has an idol to follow. My idol is Vince Weber which is why I have innumerable of his CD's which I listen to every day. I rarely listen to them consciously. Just on the side, while I'm working or doing homework. If you listen to a lot of music you are bound to subconsciously acquire a great deal of what you hear.
When I played with Daniel Paterok for the first time at the Christmas Session in Münster I hadn't yet known Vince Weber. Daniel lent me a few of Vince's CDs and the next time we met and played together he remarked immediately: "Oh, Luca has been listening to a lot of Vince Weber lately." In fact, I had listened to too much Vince Weber, but I think that my style has surely changed because of it.

After a while one surely begins to imitate what the artist does on a CD. This way you're more "free" than playing from notes, which is why these days I don't even play from notes anymore, but play most everything just by ear. I believe that this is what most Boogie Woogie, Blues and Jazz players do.

As I can't rationally say which CD's are good, I can only recommend what I like. So here are some CD's I think you should get.

The Best Yet (Vince Weber)

Meiner Meinung nach die beste CD von meinem Vorbild Vince Weber. Durch diese CD habe ich viele Einflüsse bekommen, die heute bestimmt auch in meinem Spiel zu hören sind. Auf diesen 2 CDs sind die "besten" 36 Titel von Vince's bis dahin erschienenen Platten zu hören. Eine erstklasseige Sammlung an Songs.
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Boogie Woogie Live (Axel Zwingenberger)

Meine allererste Boogie Woogie CD. Nachdem ich mir diese CD gekauft habe, habe ich mir auch gleich das Notenbuch dazu (siehe oben) gekauft. Eine wirklich tolle CD und auf jeden Fall eine Empfehlung von mir. Ich selbst spiele von dieser CD den "Boogie Woogie Be With Me" und den "Goodnight Blues"
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The Boogiemeisters (Vince Weber & Axel Zwingenberger)

Eine CD der "Bogiemeisters" Vince Weber & Axel Zwingenberger. Hier findet man viele Inspirationen für das Klavierspiel zu zweit.
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Power House Boogie (Axel Zwingenberger)

Eine sehr interessante CD von Axel Zwingenberger und Roy Dyke (Schlagzeug), auf der er unter anderem auch auf einem Cembalo spielt.
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Boogie Woogie Wallet Box (Various)

Eine Box mit 10 CDs (200 Songs!) von Künstlern von A bis Z aus den frühen Jahren des Blues, Swing, Jazz und Boogie Woogie. Klare Empfehlung von mir! Eine Tolle Kollektion von Songs, die wirklich einen tiefen Einblick in die Welt des Blues und Boogie verleihen.
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Red Hot Boogie Woogie Party (Axel Zwingenberger & Friends: Mojo Blues Band)

Axel Zwingenberger mit der Mojo Blues Band. Der Groove der bei dieser Kombination entsteh ist echt klasse. Das muss man gehört haben!
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Into It (Vince Weber)

Vince Weber & Michael Maas (Schlagzeug). So wird den Titeln von Vince durch das Schlagzeug noch mehr Power gegeben. Ein tolles Duo und somit auch eine klasse CD.
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Junco Partner (James Booker)

James Booker, für mich der König des New Orleans Piano, spielt auf dieser CD 10 Titel Piano und Gesang. Meiner Meinung nach sogar noch besser als Dr. John, Professor Longhair & co.
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Ressurection of the Bayou (James Booker)

Ein weiteres solo Album von James Booker. Es macht einfach richtig Spaß diese CD immer zu hören. Wer Blues und New Orleans liebt sollte unbedingt mal James Booker gehört haben!
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Boogie Back To New York City (Axel Zwingenberger)

"Boogie Back To New York City" sagt ja schon alles. Zwingenberger spielt auf dieser CD unter anderem auch "The Fives".
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Swing The Boogie! (Axel Zwingenberger & Jay McShann)

4 Hände, 2 Pianisten an 2 Pianos, eine Musik: Boogie Woogie! Jay McShann und Axel Zwingenberger. Jay McShann singt sogar noch dazu.
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Nächster Termin

Boogie Lernen

Index