Music Instruction Books

[David]

Related to Christine, of course . . .

"Fast Forward 12-Bar Blues Piano," a CD & book package published by Wise Publications, has a lot of full-page photos of piano players to complement the various blues & boogie lessons, including Big Joe Duskin, Jimmy McCracklin, Dave Alexander, Ray Charles, Little Brother Montgomery, Fats Domino, Sunnyland Slim & Christine McVie!!

It's funny to see her there, among all these old blues geezers, but there she is, a Tusk tour photo -- opposite the lesson on stride piano, which is bizarre because she never had anything to do with stride. The book is probably still in print & is pretty useful to burgeoning blues & boogie players.

Another book is still in print & it's definitely worth getting. It's the Musicians Institute (MI) "Blues" with 10 complete scores, published by Hal Leonard. Its relationship to Christine is that it has piano notation of Sonny Thompson's parts in a couple of Freddie King songs: "Hideaway" & "Lonesome Whistle Blues." Anyone who wants to have a better feel for Christine's style should get this book & study the Sonny Thompson parts. This isn't pyrotechnic, improvisational piano of Chicago blues, like Willie Dixon & Otis Spann. This is solid, meat & potatoes rhythm playing -- with the piano filling out the harmony vocal line & lying back behind the lead vocal & guitar. This is why Christine calls herself a rhythm player. And the notation in this book really gives a lesson in the style.

You can probably order this book at www.halleonard.com.