Piano Lessons and Sheet Music

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Hey Pocky A-Way

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The music of New Orleans captures the feel and good spirit of a culture swaying and bouncing to the rhythms of life in the Delta. This week irocku is heading down the Mississippi River for some gumbo, crayfish and good time music. Read more »

Our lesson selection this week is, "Hey Pocky A-Way" by the Meters, a hugely influential band that was a mixture of funk, soul, Native American and rock 'n' roll music. The song first appeared on the Meters' "Rejuvenation" album, an album that in 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine put at number 138 of the top 500 albums of all-time. The song itself went on to break into the top 40 in 1974 and was recorded by numerous artists; including, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, and the Grateful Dead who performed the song many times on tour in the late 1980's. Those of us who saw the 'Dead' live can understand why they enjoyed playing it so much. "Hey Pocky A-Way" embodied the spirit that the Grateful Dead music was all about. Written by Modeliste, Neville, Nocentelli and Porter, it features band leader, Art Neville on keyboards and vocals. The groove is funky and bright with a soul that sweeps the listener along a blissful musical experience that quickly has you singing along with the chorus and shuffling your feet. This is the feeling inherent in so much of the music coming out of New Orleans, a sound that Art Neville and his legendary brothers helped make part of mainstream music, influencing countless musicians in the 80's, 90's and beyond. As for the Meters, they reunited for a string of successful tours throughout the 1990's and "Hey Pocky A-Way" continued to be a crowd favorite, inspiring musicians and fans alike to get happy.

"Hey Pocky A-Way" introduces you to the New Orleans groove which is a killer to learn but a blast to play. With the New Orleans groove, the bass line and melody don’t land on the same beat. Take it slow and break it down into individual beats until the groove flows naturally.

Written by Leo Nocentelli, George Porter, Joseph Modeliste and Arthur Neville.
Administered by Bug Music
All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

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Lesson, Level 7

Lesson Schedule

Levels 6 and 7: The quickest way to rock is by learning the Groove Chart! To help with improvising, practice the D Blues two-octave scale and learn the D7, F, G7, Bm, and the C chords.

First Week: Beginners practice the Lesson. Intermediate and Advanced students practice the Groove Chart and the Lesson.

Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. "Hey Pocky A-Way" introduces you to the New Orleans groove which is a killer to learn but a blast to play. With the New Orleans groove, the bass line and melody don’t land on the same beat. Take it slow and break it down into individual beats until the groove flows naturally.