Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Play a blues composition by yourself on guitar – both rhythm and lead – EP277

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a solo blues composition (with a little bit of a ragtime feel), that you can play by yourself on guitar (works on acoustic or electric guitar). I’ll show you how to create compositions like this by combining chords with fill licks.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Slow Walk-Through

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Video Tablature Breakdown

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Curious about the benefits of
Premium Membership?
Try it for FREE!
arrow_downYou need to be logged in as a premium member to access the tab, MP3 jam tracks, and other assets. Learn More

Add to "My Favorites"

You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content.

Comments

    • Sandra C says

      It’s a good thing that I just retired Brian because i love all your compositions! And it does take a lot of time to practice and learn them! After a lifetime ( 40 +years) of playing songs and never quite understanding much theory and not being able to improvise, I am finally making some progress! I am obviously not a naturally talented musician but perseverance does it for me. I am really enjoying playing cool stuff! Thanks from Sherbrooke,Canada!

  2. jimbostrat says

    Very cool and soothing, Brian!! Sort of reminds me or it’s reminiscent of the early Beatles “This Boy” which has a similar approach. Harmonica??? A cool stream of background harmonica would be cool added to this nice arrangement!! Jim C.

  10. richard g says

    Brian fantastic arrangement, yet again… So glad I subscribed to your lessons..
    You often mention the blues lead course and finding the 5 patterns of the minor pentatonic scale. Is this all in 1 lesson or spread out over your several blues lessons? I’m struggling to find it. 🙂

  12. Paul A says

    Brian,
    I am 66 yrs old and have had a guitar since I was 15. I taught myself basic chords and a little more as a teenager and even applied what I learned to piano. Again, never any formal lesson nor did I manage to hang with anyone who played any instrument. At 30 yrs old I took a few jazz lessons and learned some cool chords and a few standards (Pennies from Heaven is still my favorite). Life continued to get in the way, make a living, raise a family, etc. I retired a few years ago an have been studying via various websites – there are so many good ones out there. I found you a couple of years ago and would like to tell you that I have really enjoyed your style of teaching. At least for me the way you tie things to the chords makes so much sense. I am a big fan of ActiveMelody.com and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning to play guitar.
    All the best to you and your family,
    Paul

  16. Rich F says

    Hi Brian,

    Beautiful lesson for a laid-back Sunny Sunday morning!

    When I first starting learning guitar, my first tuition book had a rag time lesson in it. I am now inspired to go back and re-visit it! Also, interested in what makes a song rag time? I guess it’s the rhythm and chord structure? Is there a formula for the chord structure in rag time?

    Many thanks for a great lesson!

    Rich F

  21. sunburst says

    Great rhythm practicing here,, just stopped in read first comment , does sound like a Beatles tune .. like the triplet fill in measure 6 the B7 sus this is why I enjoy Active Melody Lessons,, always something new to observe and acknowledge. just started this relaxed fun lesson..

  24. Richard C says

    Brian…I love the soothing sound of your playing. I know that you use excellent guitars and I also have a nice Heritage and Fender, but I don’t get your sound. I also have a Quilter amplifier. In the future could you focus a little on your sound and how you achieve it. Thanks

  27. Peter H says

    Hi Brian,
    I have been murdering innocent guitars since Eisenhower was US president (and Churchill was prime Minister) and I have never got so much out of one since until I discovered your lessons. Genuinely they are the best thing on line but …. this one however, is the first to rouse me into a response. Just brilliant!!! And very accessible to a no-hoper like me.

    It reminds me of a duo from the early sixties that some may remember called Santo and Johnny. Many thanks.

  29. dherzog says

    Love this composition, Brian, as I usually do. Am struggling a little with the rhythm, don’t know why, but am hopeing a little practice will take care of that. But I do think you mean C#9, not C9, correct? At any rate, keep these great lessons coming.

  30. David H says

    Thanks, Brian.
    I am enjoying your lessons every week. At 72-years-old, I’m back at guitar after a 30 year hiatus. Which, I think you’ll admit, is a hell of an hiatus.
    I’ve been worrying myself sick all night. Have I mis-learned how to make an A-shape major bar chord into it’s corresponding ‘9’ chord? Or have you mis-identified the second chord in this composition as a C9 rather than a C#9 (or as my flat-tering pal would say, a Dflat9…contrary bugger…)?
    OMG, I hope you have made this tiny error, otherwise I’m going to have to unlearn the locations all my ‘9’ chords in this inversion. Yikes. That’s a lot of unlearning…more than 7 decades worth…
    David

  31. Alexandre F says

    Another great lesson in the key of E… like others: muddy waters , swing low sweet chariot … it´s something you can play slowly and hear the notes vibrating from the strings to the whole guitar also it feels so good playing with my acoustic fender dreadnought therefore with this last song I feel more in touch with the guitar itself and I

  34. john M says

    Good one Brian, close to a great blues rendition that Clapton did with Somewhere over the Rainbow. If you folks get a chance check Eric’s YouTube video of over the rainbow. Keep ‘em coming Brian 👍

  43. John J says

    You ok Brian? You really took a pasting for that slip of (C) tongue. Have you posted any “rig-rundowns” or guitar collection vids? or anything about using amp simulator software, which is what I am trying to learn at the moment. I should check the forums I guess? I Love this lesson, I love that old feel it has. I couldn’t help but put an A bass note between the bass notes in the rhythm pattern. Sounds a little more “Doo Woppy” that way. Keep them coming.

  45. Colin E says

    Hi Brian,

    This blues composition is just awesome! I had a great time working it out after work and drank a bottle of vino whilst doing so until early hours!!
    your tuition is brilliant.
    My mates all wanted me to show them how to play it.
    I am really enjoying playing guitar again after just going through the motions for years playing the same ol licks.
    Thanks for everything and keep up the great work.

  46. Dalton H says

    I can’t seem to get the first part 1 video for some reason I was still working with it,and then I went to look at other videos and I can’t get the first part of them either anyone know why?

  47. Michael R says

    Love this one so much, it’s relaxing and pretty straightforward for me to play… Fits the season quite well too, has a early “cozy fall” type of vibe to it, perfect for a rainy day. Keep it up Brian — this one is an instant classic as far as I’m concerned!! 🙂

  49. Johan L says

    Very good practice! Except the timing at bar 8 which is extremely annoying because it’s really hard. 😉
    I’ll have to do that the old fashioned way and just close my eyes and listen for many many times. There’s nothing to “hold on” to there for me except when I should be back at the E. No natural starting point, nothing in between to anchor to, and then the E is ok again!
    Very Clapton-ish of you! 😜

    • Johan L says

      It’s starting to come together after a couple of hours practicing! But I still protest the hard timing at bar 8! 😉
      Another thing that I’ve noticed is how very unnatural it was to move my index finger one string up when playing that Adim chord! For some reason I have a very VERY clear muscle memory that if anything is going to hit a fret on the actual A string, it’s my middle finger and nothing else!
      So good technical practice included for me there! I’m also playing this without a pick. I’m trying this “spanish guitar roll technique” instead of playing all strings at once in the chords.
      I’ll post a video of this later when I feel I can do this piece justice if you wanna hear @Brian

    • Clem says

      no, your not the only one. Brian is a serious musician, makes it look easy. I love the way he plays, but his teaching is complex, and makes for weeks of figuring out what the hell is going on.

  52. Dalton H says

    I realy like this lesson,Most of the time I start a lesson and get bored and move on to something else it’s a problem I can’t seem to shake so I have a bunch of half tunes and very few that I can play all the way though.But im going to finsh this one .Ive got the first part down and im not giving up till I get it.then ill record it and post it. There ive committed myself.

  53. JohnStrat says

    It seems to me this lesson is an absolute classic for demonstrating where and when tone comes from the fingers. Also I think when played with Brian’s degree of subtlety I think hybrid picking makes this tune. I would love to hear others thoughts/ comment on this point.
    JohnStrat

  55. Jose says

    Yes, EP277 great composition. Almost done with it. Want to record it, then post it for critics, always room to improve.
    I think that Odell guitar is excellent, clean sound, warm too. I think is one of a kind. Great guitar.

    The only part it is being difficult for me is the one after the C#minor, G#7, back to C#minor, then to the F#… that is where I need to practice.

    Great site.

  58. Jarl N says

    Beautiful! Thanks, Brian. You never cease to amaze me and inspire me to keep working. Absolutely the best guitar site online. Almost gave up guitar until I discovered your site. Glad I kept with it now. You put music within our reach.

  64. John C says

    Hi Brian
    I just discovered your lesson EP277 and immediately joined up! I have wanted to learn the 6-2-5 chord progression and here it is! Several questions though:
    1. I have a Martin 0018 guitar, but what would be a comparable electric guitar like what you are playing. Your guitar is an Odell Vega. What electric guitar do you suggest?
    2. Are those light gauge strings?
    3. Is hybrid picking hard to learn and do you have a lesson on that?
    Thanks a whole lot. I am excited to join your students effective immediately so much thanks,
    John C

  66. Charles C says

    Lessons like this one are exactly why i took the leap recently and joined this site. Stylistically this reminds me of something George Barnes and Karl Kress might have worked up back in the day, and as i practice this I keep finding my ear wanting to go into “Stormy Weather,” (but maybe that’s just because both tunes make use of the ubiquitous i-vi-ii-v Progression.) Very worthwhile lesson. More, please!

  67. Rick R says

    Love this lesson Brian. In this lesson, you talked briefly about using different chord voicings. Do you have a lesson which demonstrates the use of different chord voicings for the same chord in the same song.

  71. Clem says

    This is the most incredible song you have given me. Now, not sure if you know this, but your songs are complex. My request, Please give me something I can play as a beginner, you think barred chords are easy, they are not for intermediate players. Brian, your songs are beautiful but complex. Please , please make a simple song along the same lines of this. Thank you so much.
    Clem

  73. Michael M says

    Brian- At about the 7:50 mark on PT 2 of the lesson, as you were showing how the little harmonized 6th walk down, and showed how you borrowed it from Robert Johnson, I realized hhey!, that RJ demo is a great turnaround for a blues in E. That little nugget is a keeper! Thanks once again for a super instructional lesson.

  74. alfred c says

    This lesson has been posted for a while, but I have this thing about returning to prior lessons and this is one of those. I spend usually the day working on the lesson–often returning the next day too. First time around, I get some of it, then the 2nd time I get more of it, but still many misses and very little nuance in the fingers but better listening and learning each time. This time through, I think I have 80+% of this lesson. And it’s great fun to play it. Several pro musician friends of mine think it’s a great riff… Thanks Brian.

Leave a Reply

Recent Lessons

Contact

For all support questions email: support@activemelody.com
For all other inquires email: brian@activemelody.com