Description
In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a solo gospel blues composition using the melody from the song, ‘This Little Light of Mine”. You’ll learn 3 essential gospel techniques that you can apply to any style!
Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson
Part 2 - For Premium Members
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Slow Walkthrough
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Video Tablature Breakdown
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I’ve never heard this song sound so good! I can’t wait to learn it. thanks Brian
Brian,
Great job with this lesson! I love how you started with a simple melody and took it to a deeper level. Beautiful composition and so easy to play, thanks to you. I would love to hear something similar with I’ll Fly Away.
Doug
Oh, man that would be fun… I’d go for I’ll Fly Away, as well. ***Brian, I am amazed with your talent to keep it going every week. Such insights and expression with the chord arrangements. To take the simple melody develope chordally(?) and know to express it theoretically as in 4 of 4, or 5 of 4, # diminished and then secondary dominate really challenges us to know where we are. Simple sound with rich complexity. Fun to play.
Love your lessons but Clapton sides with antivaxxers and now is a hypocrite for doing concerts he said he would never do because of vaccine requirement.
We are not antivaxxers we are anti this cocktail.What is the real reason to have this cocktail?
Cocktail? Real reason?
WTF are you talking about?
Clapton is a bit strange at times but nevertheless, a great guitar player
I love this. But I wish you would slow down.
Have we ever saw this J45 ?like it
Nope – it’s new to me. I mention it at the beginning of the Part 2 video.
do you know any previous owner? Obviously played.
Brian, I can’t get loop off of 4 sec. How do you change it?
You always deliver Brian.
Absolutely the best yet
Now, this is what I’m talking about. Fantastic!
Beautiful guitar, Brian. Do you ever sell or trade-in your former guitars. I’ve seen a lot over the last four years. Some I haven’t seen for a while.
You’re helping me fill many of the empty spaces in my music education . Thanks , Ron
The variety on offer every week is a gift that keeps giving. The principles of this lesson are so timely on how to take a well known simple tune and creatively take it to another level, a grand result, sounds awesome. Such a bonus to have singing included in the mix, had me singing it too. You can sing Brian! A nice combination of things in this lesson to always refer back to. Congrats on the addition of this pre-loved guitar. All is well.
Love it Brian! You should do a whole series on old-time Gospel! Enjoyed hearing your singing too.
I second this.
I’ll third it! Really enjoying this lesson
I fourth it!
+1
Lots of great info in this lesson and the song is fun too! Thanks!
Wow, this has got it all for me, well nearly. It’s acoustic, theres a familiar melody which helps me glue it all together and great clear instruction from start to finish. Perfection would have been if it was fingerstyle but thats how I will be learning it anyway. Thanks for this great lesson.
ehi Brian I’ve been waiting for you to sing something for seven long years and you sing quite well.
Maybe you could do one lesson about singing in blues.
Greathings
Thank you for another great lesson, Brian. For someone who claims not to be a natural your sincerity and ability to look into the camera as if it were a one to one class is amazing. I love the way the whole range of the blues/ragtime/gospel/alt country etc is included. Since I first got into Activemelody last February (in a black time of my life) you have helped me no end. Besides, at the beginning I was afraid of playing a lot of pieces cos they seemed to hard (too many notes, too fast) but recently I have a go at every weeks new piece. I still play far too slowly and to fill in the gaps I repeat notes or licks until i find my place again. Is this OK? Is it necessary to speed up? How can I do this? Or will it just come in time? I did have more formal lessons with a local teacher for 2 years before I subscribed to Active melody, but, no disrespect to him, I have learnt much more in 6 months with you.
I think Brian and Eric are the best. I think this clip can help you out.
https://youtu.be/ZqcvP0kDaa4
Great to hear you sing Brian!!!
Great lesson Brian! The take-a-ways are priceless. I absolutely Love the old Gibson!
Hi Brian,
Iam a fan of yours from the UK.
I am so pleased with the content of your lessons ,and. your presentations are exceptional.
What is also important is their accessibility to many people that may on modest incomes.
Kindest Regards,
Terry
I love it! I hope we hear more great public domain music from Active Melody. Where is your vocalizing which many have many have mentioned?
Brian, welcome to the ActiveMelody Vocal sub-group 👏 I expect our membership to increase following this lesson 👍🎶
Don’t forget the next choir practice is 6pm Tuesday at the town hall, don’t forget your membership card!
Hey, I’m kidding folks – before y’all rush into town 😂😂
Best wishes 😎
:O)
When I first joined AM I never understood where all these out of key chords came from but over many lessons the answers keep coming together. Your approach to teaching the elements of this roots based music is the best. I will take this information and go back to some of the earlier gospel and blues lessons. One question; at 13:39 did you mean D9?
John
Good catch. I actually meant C6.
Just the too 3 strings
another great one!
This is the first lesson (in over a year) I have heard you sing! . . . and I am glad to hear it. You have helped me improve my guitar playing to go along with my singing so it is inspiring to see my teacher actually sing in addition to phenomenal guitar play. Keep doing what you do! Amen.
O.K. I found the vocal parts beginning at 18:20. You have a fine voice, Brian. And it’s fun to sing and play! This would be a fun song to do in a sing-along situation.
Brian you’re the best, I will be renewing my subscription when the time comes.
This last spring I was able to pick up a used lefty Gibson L-00 and it is a perfect fit for me. And as much as I love the blues and rock n’ roll, this is a perfect lesson for my Gibson. Thanks, Brian! I really look forward to these kind of lessons.
Great lesson, got my old Gibson LG1 out – at least it looks the same. liked the explanation for the off beat play.
pure genius! you are so prolific I can’t keep up with these lessons!
Brian, I have to comment on your usage of numbers. I personally relate to this. I also appreciate you adding in chord note numbers (“hammer on the third”). Love your arrangement of this song. I think I can use some of these chord progressions in some stuff I’m writing. Now, I just have to get busy and “find” all those chords!
Brian, you can sing!
Thanks Brian,
For me it’s been easy to follow after all the explanations. Love the Turnaround info. Always am hearing these turnarounds but not knowing the why’s!
I have played these children’s songs an had to sing it too. Now that you’re explaining how to pick the melody out of these chords maybe I won’t have to. Haha! Maybe you can do a Christmas song like that?
This one nice concise lesson by Brian has absolutely re-energized my interest in the Gospel Blues venue!! I especially love how Brian makes any transition (from basic blues to Gospel) far less a barrier and we can therefore add this style more readily into our own playing style!! Jim C.
Congrats on the J-45 Brian! That baby really sounds great. Love this lesson too!
Excellent lesson as always, Brian! And love that J45! I might have been eyeing the same one. Rumble Seat?
Yes! That’s the one. They posted it on Instagram a week ago or so and I thought i’d go check it out. I had no idea it was THAT good of a guitar. Best playing acoustic I’ve ever owned for sure…. and maybe the best acoustic i’ve ever played
That’s great to hear, and congratulations on such a beauty. I picked up a ’51 LG3 from them last year and it’s incredible to say the least. So resonant it literally gives me chills at times when I play it.
Excellent Brian. I agree with the commenter above about do more public domain stuff. I am gonna try and use what I have learned here and sort of combine it with EP 385 (When the Saints go Marching In) and see what I can come up with on When the Saints….so many possibilities, so little time!!!
Brian, So good to hear you do this song.I have heard this song since I was a kid.Makes it a lot easier to hear what you are doing because the song helps us to hear the beat and understand what you are teaching.easier than if there is no melody.Keep up the good work.So glad to be a Member. Thank You Thank You Thank You as Elvis would say.
Great lesson again Brian. Thanks so much for what you do each week, you’re a great teacher and my playing and understanding has come on so much in the last year. since I found the site.
Cheers.
Great lesson Brian. I also enjoyed the first 10 minutes where you break down and explain how the gospel style works and the turn around techniques. I think that’s very important that you take the time to do this and hope you continue to whenever you think it’s important.
Thanks again,
Ray P
What a nice rendition. Too bad I always struggle to read the TAB because the numbers are not in a bolder font. I always have a hard time reading it at music stand distance.
A gospel piano player was asked to “Church it up” (You Tube) to make the song pop. You have really made “Ill Fly Away” really pop, this is the kind of stuff I like. Keep it coming.
Dear Brian,
I have one question from this great lesson. In several cases you use a C#dim between the C and the G (like in the past you’ve used the 4 chord # dim instead of the 4), and once you use a C dim in the same situation here. Why? Mark
I have exactly same question. Thanks Brian in advance if you could explain. Andre
I hope Brian and others share their thoughts as well, but I’m thinking of it more as a V7 (D7) chord – so, in Brian’s voicing, a D7b9 without the root.
I believe that the chord Brian is calling Cdim could also be called F#dim, in which case it is the vii dim chord in Key of G and would resolve up a half step to its tonic, G. For the C#dim chord, it’s part of the IV to #IVdim to I chord progression.
Great, stand alone, love it when you explain things, like what makes gospel sound gospel. What would say makes country sound country .? A major scale for one thing I believe you said once. Love your sight
I love it !
Another great lesson. I can’t understand why anybody wouldn’t want to try and understand the “theory” behind this stuff. Keep it going! Fascinating.
Another good lesson as always Brian! I love the lessons that teach you how to improve on well known melodies. And your explanations are always great! Thanks, Charles
Hey Brian, fantastic lesson! Regarding your comment on the theory behind the T-Bone Walker Bm7b5 chord at 12′ into the second part, the Bm7b5 this is basically a G9 chord without the root note. Add the G to it and it’s a G9. Cheers, Klaus!
Great. I love this kind of stuff,,,, But when will you do a lesson on Loops . Thanks man!!!
Amen. Love this so much.
Thanks Brian!
Good job as always Brian! B.T.W. saw Clapton @ Dickies arena last week he was great. Why some have called him slow hand in the past makes no sense to me he has great movement around the guitar neck.
Tre Chic, Brian. You come up with very creative stuff to instruct … well, done, sir.
SO much to like about this lesson Sir Brian. Thank you for yet another set of wonderful ideas and inspiration. The references to gospel and church music really resonated with me plus the simple fun factor with this one is excellent. I know it’s a super good one when you have me standing here in the foc’sle at 4:15 a.m. playing this one over and over. Headed back into winter and darkness here in Alaska, I’ve got the best teacher in the world keeping me busy. You rock man!
Thank you for this gospel guitar lesson. Gospel music touches emotional chords in listeners. Rising up from the one to the four with frequency and the spirituality of a diminished cord which feels spiritual Anyway what are the music does not. Brian there’s very little gospel guitar anywhere on the Internet, so what you have done with your lessons on this category is rare and special. More please!
VERY few gospel acoustic guitar lessons on the internet. You may have cornered the market! A very good thing. There is spirituality in the 4 chord rising from the 1, and the beauty of the diminished chords resolving in a way the brings out the emotions. Keep up the good work!
Brian, Great lesson.
Viewers might want to Check out Bruce Springsteen’s interpretation on U-tube
Great lesson! I love learning new things to spice up a song. Thanks for showing us all the techniques each week!
This lesson inspired me spiritually and technically. I love the cool turnarounds and being able to learn the diminished and nine chords.
I must say that J45 does sound amazing. I believe you she isa keeper
Nerdy question from me I am trying to work out the Cdim on the 4/5 frett, or learn where the diminished chords sit in the blues. Wouldnt it be an f#dim played on the 4/5 frett and cdim played down lower at frets 1/2? They both have the same notes though AD#CF# – is one an inversion of the other?
PS loving playing this song – thanks.
Just been playing around with lesson 431. Love the cording, so rich filling the song! Thanks!