Here’s three killer Cajun/ Zydeco tunes that will get your audience hoppin’!  All of them are technically pretty easy, but you can also get pretty deep with them too.  The most authentic improv over these kinds of tunes will use the Major Pentatonic scale of each passing chord for best effect, and to sound even more swampy, you can throw in minor pentatonic/blues scale notes in with them too!  You do not have to improvise on these if you do not want to, or don’t feel ready.  They will stand on their own as well, but most players do “take a ride” when it’s their turn.

This “follow the chords with a matching scale” approach is in our “Gigger” or Level 2 lessons and does take some focused concentration and keen listening skills to pull it off well, but you can also solo over these tunes by just using the Blues scale of the overall key too, and still sound OK… though just more Bluesy… of course. ;~)

Either way… Have FUN!

Updated lesson materials for the near-beginner added in Jan 2021!

<<::>>

1. Boozoo – 8 measures of dancin’ fun!
2. Oh Yeh Ya – more on the traditional Cajun side.  Famous for being in the movie “The Big Easy.”
3. Back Door – 12 bar uptempo Blues

Further Studies:

• Cajun Waltz – jam

<<:Back to Experience Paths.

Questions or comments?… use the comment form below!