Everyday I Have the Blues - Ray Charles Transcription - Part 2 - Advanced Piano Lesson
This is Part 2 of a 2 part lesson. In both videos, we’ve been working on learning the piano solo that Ray plays during the introduction of his song. In part 2, we cover measures 5-12 of a blues introduction.
5/2/2010 - Audio Update: Some people mentioned they couldn’t find a recording of the song anywhere, so I added an audio recording of the part that we’re trying to learn lower on the page.
5/3/2010 - Notation Update: I took a quick snapshot of my handwritten notes while transcribing it. Its at the bottom of the page as well!
5/5/2010 - Update: So I feel pretty silly. Ray doesn’t actually play piano or sing on this track!!! Its on an album called more from ray… but was only tied in because it was in the movie "RAY" see the comments for more details! I just assumed it was Ray Charles because the mp3 said "Ray Charles" under the artist name… but it was all for record company marketing!!! ARgh..
WARNING: This is an advanced lesson! It will take some time to learn even one of the patterns! You’ll have to pause it and rewind many times!
Just so you don’t feel like you’re the only one, know that I spent about 8-10 hours pausing and rewinding the notes on Ray Charles’ CD to write down and then learn it and record it. Part 1 also took me a really long time as well… just to learn 30 seconds of music!!! But now I can use those techniques anywhere in my playing. Especially when I play the blues… If that feels daunting, just watch it for fun and know that a bunch of and quick easy lessons are coming in a few days!
Piano is a journey and you start with taking small steps! Practice for little bits at a time and over your lifetime, you will have gone on quite the adventure 
PART 1 OF THE TRANSCRIPTION - Measures 1-4:
EVERYDAY I HAVE THE BLUES - PART 1
DOWNLOAD THE FULL PDF OF THE CHART HERE:
Everyday I Have The Blues - PDF HANDOUT
LISTEN TO THE MP3: Updated 5/2
Everyday I Have The Blues - AUDIO (introduction only)
ANALYZING THE CHORD CHANGES:
He adds a couple chords in there to make it just a little bit more fancy! The following chords would be considered "extra" embellishment on a basic blues progression: The Eb7 in measure 2 is fairly common but could be considered an embellishment. Try it and see how it sounds!
Then how ray charles plays measures 7 & 8 is just crazy using these chords: C7, F7 Bb7 Ab7 G7. You’ll have to watch the video above to see the exact execution on the piano.
Bb Blues Scale:
Watch the video for a lot of cool licks! All of them are based on this scale below: The Bb Blues scale. If you’re not sure where to start, just play the notes below with the fingerings that have been written in. The notes in the chord are Bb Db Eb E F Ab Bb. The faster you can get with that scale, the better your improvising will sound. If you have never learned a blues scale before, Bb might not be the best one to start with, try starting with the C blues scale or the A blues scale.
NOTATED TRANSCRIPITION:
Update 5/3: Just for reference I wanted to add the notes I had scribbled out. I don’t have time to put it into a digital notation because I don’t think people will learn this by reading it. I think the best way to learn bits and pieces of this solo is by watching the youtube video and listening to the audio recording.
Thanks Chris,
You made my day, it’s 5:45 AM, on the first day of that release!
Absolutely brillant.
Cheers
Chris, Thanks,
I second the motion.
This is over the top–at 6:22 AM!! What a great way to start the day. Some fabulous licks in this piece. Very well laid out.
Again, thanks.
Ikeboy
Thanks IkeBoy & Gerard!!!
Its 3:30AM over here in Seattle…
funny how timezones work like that
Amazing, Brilliant.
Best Teacher.
chris for President.
Hi Chris.
Just viewed your new Ray Charles video. FABULOUS.
Just when I think your tutorials can’t get any better…………they do. LOVE ‘EM.
Just a quick question for ya.
When you started off learning piano did you think in terms block chords or did you visualize what they looked like on the keyboard?
The reason I ask is, I initially learned the chords in the left hand long before I learned how to voice.
The problem I have now is breaking the habit of playing the melody in the right hand in octaves or 3rds and block chording in the left. It doesn’t sound anywhere near as good as playing left hand octaves, 5ths or 7ths.
Anyway, Thanks HEAPS for the lessons. I love learning these licks. They’re hard to get under hand but well worth the effort.
Don
Very thorough and well thought over lesson, Chris, thank you!
Hi Chris, great lesson!
what software you use to iluminate the keyboard?
Thanks a lot
Uriel
I love how you put the note name above the lighted key! This is the most effective piano instruction since humans started stoking the ivory! Please keep them coming!
Thanks for the feedback!
This video is “advanced” so just watch it for fun if its too hard see if you can copy just 2 or 3 of the notes and play around with them.
I’ll be making a bunch more easy and intermediate lessons soon!
But first I have to teach a bunch of piano lessons today in Seattle!!!
Thanks Chris, I am a blues nut. I,ll be working on this lesson soon. Being from New Orleans, I love the blues I really enjoy the way you explain and teach. I had serious spine surgury and my left arm and hand has not come back yet, so I will have to start slowing my Fats, jerry Lee and Dr. John, down and try to play some nice slow Ray Charles, and more Ballads instead of that fast left hand. thank you for the encouragement Lanny
Hello Chris,
Fabulous lesson ( s )- hope to see more . thks
just regret that your method did not exist 40 years ago !
pls continue for us
best regards
Adrien - Luxembourg ( Europe )
Great lesson Chris.
I can’t find Ray’s version of this song on YouTube or even on iTunes store.
It’s not on any of his CDs that I own either.
Any chance you could upload it to YouTube so we can listen to the whole tune?
I’m a great fan of Ray Charles.
Many thanks for your lessons. Peter
[...] PART 2 of EVERYDAY I HAVE THE BLUES - RAY CHARlES - VIDEO TR… [...]
Thanks Chris, ‘Everyday I have the blues’ most apt right now on this Sunday afternoon pouring down with rain in London! I definitely like your video software easier to see the notes and cords rather than having to judge where your hands are. Its a very good tutorial and you are very good teacher. Thank you. Vx
Chris, I watched today as planned, and have to say it’s the best tutorial I’ve seen on the web. I’ll need to spend a few hours with these seven minutes. I have looked everywhere for a breakdown of Ray’s licks, and have found nothing that approaches this. Put a dozen of this level of blues lessons on a dvd and I’ll send a check! Thanks so much for offering it for free.
Yeah Ray Charles! Can’t possibly go wrong with him
We’d be mad if this can’t wake us from a bad day or sleepy morning.
Thanks for putting those hours in for us to watch, enjoy, learn and play =]
Cheers, Chris
Great job, Thanks!
Chris - Thanks for adding the notation. Every little bit helps. Speaking of notation have your tried Noteflight? There is a free version that you and/or some of your students might find useful.
Really, Chris, you’ve just posted the clearest, most useful video for capturing a bit of Ray Charles’ style that I’ve seen. Better than the transcriptions I spent some serious bucks on. I hope you’re making a living doing this, because you’re an excellent teacher. Sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope they’re in check, and that you live long and prosper–you deserve it for helping out us hacks. Seriously, put a dozen of these advanced blues lessons together and I’ll be your first customer. I think most of your package of videos would be a little too easy for me, but this Ray Charles one will keep me occupied for at least a week. And thank you for your personal responses. I don’t know how you do it with all your students and fans. Best of luck to you, and thanks again.
Neither “Everyday” or “Every Day” “I have the blues” is a recognized Ray Charles song at the iTunes store (513), Amazon (464 versions), or at Ray Charles official website. And the voice in the clip above in no way sounds like Ray Charles.
I did find the exact same version as the brief sample mp3 at Grooveshark, which claims the artist is Ray Charles and the album is “More Music from Ray” which turns out to be a second soundtrack album from the Jamie Foxx “Ray” movie. This album is available on Amazon, and a user review states:
There is new music on the CD too. There is a 2003 version of the Ray Charles song “Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand,” “Drown In My Own Tears/You Don’t Know Me,” and “Everyday I Have The Blues” which is a song by Chris Thomas King.”
So, while this is some very tasty piano playing, it ain’t Ray.
Terence -
Thats embarrassing on my part, but I should have checked the sources.
Someone sent me that mp3 because they paid me to do the transcription.
I couldn’t find it either… so I just assumed they knew it was RAY!
I didn’t think to question that the mp3 could have been labeled wrong.
So just to be clear Ray is NOT playing piano in the track?
But its on a CD that says this is music from Ray?
The singer is Chris Thomas King?
As near as I can tell, this is the case. Chris Thomas King actually had a brief appearance in the movie (acting) - you can find the clip on YouTube.
According to Wikipedia: “He is featured on the O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Down From the Mountain and More Music From Ray soundtracks.” But it would also appear that he is a guitarist - so I still don’t know who is playing that fine piano. I think you would need access to the liner notes of the “More Music From Ray” album to find that out, but I’ll let you know if I find out. Maybe your client check the fine print if he owns the actual album.
Hi Jim! I just checked out Notefilght and created an account. It looks awesome! I showed some of my students the link in seattle. I’m hoping to start using it in my classes when I get more time. Thanks!
Thanks Bob! I’ll have some more blues piano lessons coming soon!
Violet! London rocks… its rainy like seattle
Glad to help! I’ll have some more blues piano lessons coming soon!
Hi Peter! It looks like Ray didn’t play on this recording…
it was only associated with his movie and came out on a CD called More From Ray. The amazon.com page says he played on it, but then there are other conflicting notes elsewhere, so who knows? I think it was included only because it was background music in the movie for a short bit.
Awesome Adrien! Thanks for watching! I’ll have some more blues piano lessons coming soon!
Yeah that part REALLY helps! I’ll have some more blues piano lessons coming soon!
Thanks Alexey! More blues lessons later this week!
Chris for president…
hahaha!
Cheers Chris,fab lesson,Ive learnt so much from your lessons and been inspired greatly,I really appreciate your emails and your ideas are so useable and musical,thanks once more.Ade Rea U K.
Chris: I really enjoy your videos —- and I learn so much from them. The Ray Charles “Everday I Have The Blues” was one of the best—-of course I had to rewind many times to get the licks. Really looking forward to the next bluse videos. I’m finding that I would like to concentrate on that type of slow blues. Can you point me in the direction of a concentration of this type of music? Would appreciate any comments you may have. Again, your videos are great!!!
Bruno
chris i have a question? how do u go about doing a certain style of music like pop, rock and stuff. im trying to come up with the melodies for some styles or genres. do i have to improvise off chord progressions.
Hi Chris
I just came across your homepage and find it amazing!!! If you ever drop by (zürich) I’ll gladly invite you for dinner and show you around, ok?
Michael from Zürich