Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Jam in A minor – Rhythm with Fills – EP410

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a rhythm jam in A minor that you can play by yourself, no jam track needed. Great lesson for those of you that are working on timing.

Part 1 Video - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 Video - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  11. JohnStrat says

    Brian,
    The more of these the better fun for all and a great practice. how about a few more in various common blues keys? It would make for a great Jam series and give you a path for a few weeks and maybe make life a little less busy for you as a result. That said this is a wonderful top class lesson and I love the way you have really broken down the rhythm to help those who find this a tricky venture. I have just listened through and am now looking forward to picking up the guitar with this one. Its an inspiring lesson that can lead to so much, and fun all the way.
    JohnStrat

  13. Dana C says

    Hitting a “bad note” reminded me of something Miles Davis said: “There are no bad notes in jazz. It all depends on the second note.”

    He also said, “If you think you hit a bad note, play it again. Then play it third time, so they know you meant it.”

    I’m on a roll now, because I LOVE Miles Davis: He also said, and I think it was to Bill Evans, “Remember, there is music in the silence between the notes.”

  16. richard p says

    After 5 years of plinking now… and realizing that I’m struggling to feel the beat… I’m starting to get the impression that the way we learn timing/rhythm/beat is:
    – at first you can feel the whole beats: 1,2,3,4
    – then maybe you start to also feel the half beats: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
    – maybe, as time goes on you start to feel the quarter beats, then 8th beats and so on

    Do you think that’s typical for most people… or, is it just wishful thinking on my part (since after 5 years I think I’m just starting to feel the half beats a bit better)?

    • David LC says

      You got it right and it is not wishful thinking. About one in a thousand guitar players “get” beats, timing, feel, and the other little things that make music out of a stringed instrument.
      The rest of us, depending on how much time you can devote, have to inch along and reach little, occasionally large, plateaus.
      Keep going. Keep toe tapping and one day, you and the guitar wunderkind, will be in about the same place.
      I’m a loooongtime player and my journey is far from over.

  18. Jeremy F says

    Hey Brian,
    I think you loaded the slow walkthrough of a prior lesson where you intended to load the Part 2 of this lesson. I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say about the second half.

  21. Heidi T says

    Hi Brian,
    I thoroughly enjoy your lessons especially the way you explain the theory!!!.
    One thing is throwing me though and bugging me as I dont understand. Why does the D Major chord work in the jam while in the key of A minor? My understanding is the 4th interval of the A minor is a D minor chord? So curious as to why the D major works? Hoping u can explain?

    • jgreen says

      Hi Heidi,

      Realize I am not Brian….but saw your question and since it was bugging you 🙂 thought I would offer my thoughts.

      The vamp with the Am and D chords would be 2 chords within the G major key. Since it starts on the Am chord – this is A Dorian (A Dorian is the G major scale starting on the A). The A Dorian scale contains all the notes of the A minor pentatonic so the pentatonic works. However A Dorian differs from the full A minor scale (A Aeolian ) by the one note, F# versus F, which is the major 3rd of D giving you that D major chord.

      • ray s says

        Hi jgreen, does the fact the tune goes to E7#9 change this view? I was thinking Dorian as well until the E7 came into play.. or is this still in key of G with modified Em to E7?

        Or is it key of A minor with a major 4 and major 7 5th?

        It is scenarios like this i begin to question my theory knowledge lol 🙂

        thanks
        Ray

  28. Ann D says

    Love this! Thanks for telling us about the tone too 🙂 I have a Kemper and although I don’t fiddle too much with it, this gives me a reason to try some of the great effects on it. Just added the Rotary speaker to one of my favorite amps and it sounds great! Thanks again. Love your lessons.

  30. Robert J says

    Another great lesson Brian and especially love ones that sound good played at any speed. The inclusion of F7 was nice and noticed when played on GBE strings was kinda Adim7 like, I think before moving into E7. Just wondering if this has any musical relevance? No biggie, love these lessons and always look forward to guitar time(s).

  36. dan d says

    Brian & others,

    Are you doing the mutes for the strumming with the strumming hand (palm) or the fretting hand? I see in some spots you seem to lift your fretting fingers but I am not sure if you are doing the mutes during the strum with the strumming hand and the palm, with the fretting hand, or a combination of both?

    Are you also partially palm muting during the strum parts that are played? It doesn’t sound like it, but I am still working on my ear.

    I also struggle with timing and take everything too literally in tabs. I need to find my inner rhythm and start getting a feel for it while playing. So this lesson should definitely help with that!

    Thanks,

    Dan

    • Rollover33 says

      Hello Dan, I took my guitar, to be sure !!!
      Yes !! Not strumming hand, only fretting fingers… for me ! But I think it’s the right way…
      In the beginning, I played the mutes very “loud”, to really play them, it’s really important… feeling came after this moment. Bonne musique !!!

  37. Eamon B says

    That was a really good lesson. Your teaching method is really user friendly. I love what you do. I’ll never have your touch and rhythm but I’m going to to keep trying. One thing , I know your basically a blues/rock ´n’roll player but can you do some jazz. I understand if you don’t want to but thought I’d ask any way

  38. drlknstein says

    so, i just wanted to mention in part one when you were showing the slide in pattern 2 and then went to pattern 5 and did the slide there on strings one and 2-you mentioned steely dan ..anyway i find info like that very helpful ..linking pattern 5 and pattern 2 that way.

    .in last weeks lesson i really found it helpful when you link the caged chord to a scale…or pattern..so I can find them that way..

    especially when you go back down the fret board..I usually go up towards the higher frets,..hope that makes sense..?

  39. Kerry L says

    Hi Brian

    Really great lesson.

    What would have really helped me ,would have been to have had the up and down strokes marked on the tab for the first few bars to help me grasp what you were showing.

  41. N James H says

    Great lesson Brian. Thank you again. Learning heeps and having fun as well.
    I remember you mentioning the guitar that you are using in this lesson when you were teaching a previous lesson. Is there any difference between this guitar and a Telecaster with the Humbucker neck pickup? Contact info?

    Jim

  45. Steven P says

    Brian, I love your lessons, stretch me in directions I would never have gone otherwise..
    I surely hope you are lending your amazing talents to a band or bands… to much sweetness to not be played out!
    Keep up the great lessons…Jam on..

  50. Neil C says

    OK, I’m afraid I’m not going to be completely positive here. I would class myself as an intermediate player and I like the idea of what you’re trying to do here Brian, but I’m afraid I get overload and stop listening as there’s too much information. I really need to nail elements of what you’ve presented, but I find that I get demotivated by the stuff that I see as being incidental to the main skill here, which to me is being able to master the call/response, chord/ lead dynamic. The incidental stuff, to me, is throwing in major/minor chords combos, E7#9, etc. Whilst I’m sure that a lot of your followers are happy with this just as it is, I would find a simpler lesson with just a 1/4/5 chord structure focussed on simple lead fills for each chord change, how to vary it a little, and how to practice it, incredibly helpful.
    Please don’t shoot the messenger….
    Neil

  51. Brian F says

    Thank you for this. Its slightly above my dexterity to get his right (gotta go slow, which is fine). I know the concepts, just fumble the ball every now and then. I think imma focus on this for one week, and see how it goes. As with nearly every one of your videos, I get lost on the count. I fight through it, but maybe you can have a quick easy “One-And-Ah” Two-and-ah…… etc video with you counting as you play rhythm and fill licks?? that would be amazing!

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