This week’s selection is “Alberta”, from Eric Clapton’s Masterpiece Album, Unplugged, released in 1992. At irocku we are dedicated to the principle that music is more than just something to be heard, it is to be experienced first-hand by anybody and everybody who has ever dreamed of playing an instrument.
That is why we are constantly offering you a chance to learn to play the best rock and roll songs by the greatest artists in rock history. The album itself reached #1 on the Billboard top 200, sold over 10 million copies, and garnished Clapton with 6 Grammy Awards including; Record of the Year and Song of the Year, for the inspirational tribute to his son, “Tears in Heaven.” For this live MTV event from 1992, Clapton called on some old friends including, irocku’s founder and piano legend, Chuck Leavell. This week’s song “Alberta”, finds its roots deeply embedded in the culture and music of the Mississippi Delta. Adapted from the twelve bar blues song, “Corrine, Corrina” by Bo Carter and the Mississippi Sheiks in the early 1930’s, it was first made famous by the legendary Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly) who recorded the song numerous times between 1935 and 1940. Clapton’s version stays true to the roots, his 12 string guitar playing is understated and the vocal has both the melancholy and lament of a helpless soul searching for his lover, Alberta. The song is driven by the piano playing of Chuck Leavell, who draws on the traditions inherent in the Delta blues stylings of Pinetop Perkins and Mose Allison to deliver a slow blues shuffle, that has a light and bouncy quality. The piano solo conveys the mellowness of the Delta style and is steeped in the blues traditions that have had such a profound influence in rock and roll. With that said, its time to pony up to the piano and experience this classic song, “Alberta”, for yourself, it just might find you craving a dish of Mississippi catfish with cornbread and some black-eyed peas on the side!
Written by J.M Williams, Bo Chatman, Mitchell Parish
Learn how to play rock and blues piano from one of rock’s greatest. Chuck Leavell, legendary keyboardist for The Rolling Stones, The Allman Bros, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and more.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
Practice Schedule
Second Week: Add the Exercise and Improvisation to your practice. Master the left hand blues shuffle before adding in your right hand.
The above video is a preview from the lesson. Every lesson includes a groove chart that teaches how to play the song with a rock band, a rock theory and dexterity exercise, an improvisation, and a full arrangement of the song itself. All lessons include instructional videos as well as the sheet music.
The improv doesn’t seem to be using the traditional blues scale. Can you tell me which notes (or degrees of the scale) work and which don’t work with this improv? And it seems like the grace notes are the flat third and the flat sixth, is that right?
Lauren- great question. When Chuck improvises over the blues, he very often ‘softens’ the blues sound by combining notes from both the pentatonic scale and the blues scale. He also doesn’t not over emphasize the dominant 7th and uses the 6th of the scale more often. Which is why he’ll use the flatted 6th as a grace note leading to the 6th, as you observed. He’ll only occasionally play the dominant 7th to signal the blues sound. Same with the flatted 5th. He uses that mostly as a passing tone. You’ll also find that when he runs up or down to a chord he will approach the chord from a chromatic half-step above or below which usually includes notes from outside the pentatonic and blues scales. Here’s a video that we posted on youtube explaining much of this:
Hope this helps. Keep rockin!
Hello everyone. Could someone please point me where to find Alberta’s music sheet? I have purchased the lesson (advanced level) but the only one that seems available is the groovechart (so just the main structure!). The music sheet was the whole reason for me to purchase this.
Diana- thank you for the question. The sheet music for the advanced levels are on the Levels 5,6, & 7 tabs. For the Master level, Chuck is playing elements of the level 7 Improvisations, Exercises, and Lessons. At the Master level Chuck would like to see our students piece together what they’ve learned and make the song their own rather than reading a transcription of his exact playing. The level 7 Lesson is challenging enough for most students! When viewing the videos you might find it useful to use the video slow down feature ‘-/+’ in the lower center of the video and the ‘ABLoop’ feature in the lower left. This is the best way to practice and learn Chuck’s feel and phrasings. Keep rockin!
Hi Everybody! Chuck, Howard, Bruce, Rory. I had so much fun with Alberta. Thank you Bruce! Dylan James Boogie Boy Shaw
Loving the improv on this. I’m doing level 5, and was really daunted at first so just worked on the lesson, but just had a go at the improv , breaking it down and – yes light at the end of the tunnel after only one session !
It’s a monster Improv. Chuck’s “Jessica” solo is so popular and recognized that people overlook the great improvisations he’s done throughout the years. The Eric Clapton “Unplugged” album has some of Chuck’s best solos. Each one is a masterpiece.
Alberta by Eric Clapton. Arrangement from the awesome folks at iRockU.com.
Awesome. Thanks for sharing on youtube.
Nice job!
Just got and downloaded all lessons. Let’s see if I can manage. I know very little of reading sheet music, but I love blues and I will do my best.
Have fun with it!
I really love this song. It is great that iRocku put together this lesson…. I’m still working through the improv lesson. Looking forward to jamming more with this song.
Really nice touch. Thanks for sharing!
Here’s me playing Alberta-
Jagger- Really great playing. We love how you are accenting beats 2 and 4 which is how a blues shuffle should be played. Since you have such great timing, try closing your eyes and giving it a play- you should HEAR your right hand and FEEL your left hand. Keep rockin!
Jagger, your version of this makes me feel like I’m in New Orleans! Keep up the excellent work – great feel!
What should final tempo be. Just started working HT and I’m at 76 bpm.
Thanks
If you want to play along with the Clapton Unplugged version you should set your metronome a bit higher- try around 87 beats per minute. For blues shuffles like “Alberta” the left hand accent is on the 2 and the 4. If possible, set your metronome or drum kit so it only plays on beats 2 and 4. It’s challenging to follow the beat this way but will reinforce the accent. Count in- one-TWO-three-FOUR…
Thanks so much for these lessons. The format you have come up with is awesome. The only problem is I’m now neglecting other things I should be doing around the house because I don’t want to get up from the piano. Thanks again for all the work you put into this site. I will be working my way through all these lessons.
We’re glad you are enjoying the lessons. Keep rockin!
Love the format. Great lesson. Any chance of getting the improvisation music in the key of D to save a lot of transposing as the band I play with prefers that key. Thanks. Ros
Ros- we are in the process of converting all the files so they can be viewed with the Avid app which allows you to change the key. We will let you know when it’s available. Keep rockin!
It´s a pity, that the microphone boom blocks the view to Chuck´s right hand many times.
Thanks for the suggestion! This was recorded from a live workshop with the music teachers from the NYC Department of Education and we did the best we could given the space and facilities. Next time we’ll try a different mic setup. It’s pretty magical to see the ease and grace with which Chuck’s hands move around the keyboard.
Just love “Alberta,” thanks for this.