Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Acoustic Duet – Percussive Fingerstyle Rhythm and Slow Melodic Lead – Guitar Lesson – EP353

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’re getting two lessons in one. You’ll learn both the rhythm (played fingerstyle) and the lead for this melodic acoustic duet. The jam tracks allow you and I to play this duet together and allow you to accompany me with either the rhythm or lead part.

Lead - Free Guitar Lesson

Rhythm - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough - Lead

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Slow Walkthrough - Rhythm

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  5. Santiago P says

    Thank you Brian … nice lesson and the best gift for someone who has already been confined in his 60-meter apartment for 7 days … if it wasn’t for the guitar and your lessons … it would still be worse … luck … hard times also come to you … take care

  6. Phil G says

    Well, well. Here is my guitar history. For years I was lucky to be able to strum chords on the beats. In first position, minus the F chord. Then I saw Thom Bresh at the FBISF in Florida and decided i wanted to learn that palm muting Travis picking style. I’m not very good at all, but I can bang out a few chords, first position, doing that. Then I saw John Prine, and decided I wanted to do that. Not much different than Travis picking. John just doesn’t palm mute. So now, a lot of the songs I write, I use that alternate thumb picking style.

    Then along comes Brian. He wants me to learn chords up and down the neck using this CAGED thing. AND he want me to learn some lead licks. OK. I’m game. I’ve been trying.

    NOW He wants me to learn a “thumb bass, finger slap” style (for lack of a better term). OK! I’m in! But, this is all new. SO, I watched part 2. Looks like it’s thumb pick an open bass on 1, maybe finger pick a note or two on the &, finger slap on 2, maybe a note or 2 on &, thumb pick bass on 3, maybe another note on &, finger slap on 4, maybe a note or two on &. Oh, and you may pick a note or two on the 1 and 3 beats also. Then repeat. Indefinitely. But the finger slap looks like you also palm mute the bass strings and slap the rest of the strings with your fingernails?

    I’m tryin!

    • eames28 says

      I had to modify the rhythm. I know it doesn’t fit the lead section. I loved the the first verse with the E chord so I changed to a12 bar with E A7 and B7keeping the same pattern as the first E chord. I figure if I practice this simple version,I will be ready (maybe) for the more complicated patterns. This new lessons has really brightened my isolation. I am actually looking to tomorrow to work on this song.

      • Phil G says

        That’s a great plan. Going through Brian’s piece, he does have an advanced chord progression. And, he doesn’t always stick to a strict thumb, slap, thumb. slap pattern. Don’t forget to try and add some other chord notes on the 1, 3, and off beats when you can. I have found that using mostly my index finger for the slap seems to work better for me. Since I already play a Travis picking style, I can add other notes. I just have a problem with the slap timing.

  8. JohnStrat says

    Wow Brian thats a power lesson for sure I think it will be a while till I get to tackle it. Your right the virus is upping the practice time but there is so much to learn here already!
    Keep Well
    JohnStrat

  9. Steven B says

    You never disappoint Brian. You probably don’ t need to any more positive reinforcement but i would just like to thank you for sharing your style of playing with us because it definitely possesses the feelgood factor that draws people to listening to a guitarist. Being able to harness that is a gift you have and I just love all of it.

  10. San Luis Rey says

    Man, you had me at part one! Minors, sus2s, harmonics, I never heard such a sweet E progression. Going though the first time, light bulbs are flashing and possibilities are appearing. Thank you sensei.

  12. Piker says

    Brian,
    The last half of the lead is some of your most soulful playing on the site.
    Both your playing and teaching continue to improve and evolve.
    Thanks for another great lesson.

  18. Biker13 says

    Really beautiful song Brian. Wow. And so simple. Thank you for reminding us that brilliant music doesn’t need to be rocket science. Simple and beautiful is my favorite kind of music 🙂

  19. Don D. says

    Hi Brian, thanks for another creative lesson!

    I didn’t listen all the way through yet so maybe you mentioned this, but I like the “togetherness” this offers in our time of physical isolation.

    Take care!

  20. sunjamr says

    This is a good chance to get together with a guitar-playing friend, and each of you learn both parts – just remember to be a good citizen and follow those social distancing guidelines.

  21. Jay Guitarman says

    Hi Brian, this was the first time I saw you playing this finger style kind of music. It is just so beautiful. Do you have more on this in your library.?
    Could you teach one more lesson on how to implement lead in finger style rhythm.? Anyway, thanks for this new discovery!

  22. Arnold M says

    This one goes to the top of the heap (which is large right now)! As I only play by myself, this lesson is exactly what I look for. Thanks for the split screen in the intro, that was/will be very helpful. A very soulful lesson, yet seems so simple when you break it down. Really want to master this rhythm style (have tried via some of the other lessons, but haven’t gotten it down yet- really like that you went over it in more detail here).

  23. charjo says

    That bluesy lick over the C, Dsus2, E reminds me of the vocal melody in Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”…….”I can still hear you sayin, you would never break the chain”. Love it.
    John

    • Riff Raff 60 says

      True charjo. I think we love these lessons because the are never copies of any song. But, many of them seem to take us to a place in our memories of how some of the classics sounded and made us feel.

  24. Philip B says

    Brian,
    You are exceptionally good at a lot of different styles. You’ve been putting out excellent lessons for a while now and I feel they are only getting better even though some of your early ones were pretty awesome!

  26. Carl Z says

    Thank you Brian, lovely to have a fingerstyle excercise again. For the rhythm part I use something I learned from the song More Than Words, by Extreme, a long long time ago. It is a sort of slap & tap which seems work pretty good in this case too.
    Best wishes from Stockholm Sweden. A beautiful, but chilly day. It is a very calm today, business wise, great to play the guitar and look out on the wind ripping the water.

  28. Robin S says

    Hello Brian
    Greatly appreciate this lesson and the sentiments underlying it. I really hope this period will be a good time for business for you, you and your lessons deserve it !
    Kindest regards from UK.
    Robin

  30. Buster89 says

    Many thanks Brian for this new percussive style lesson. So relaxing to play once in the groove. Love the chord progression and it can be played over and over in so many types of combinations. Indeed, good time to further guitar learning. A beautiful day coming up on the Mid North Coast Australia. We had a lot of rain recently, a relief after those dreadful fires. Mother nature looks very glorious right now reclaiming land scorched by flames only 2 months ago. Our new threat is more insidious and we will need to learn to live with it.

  31. Robert Burlin says

    This song brings out feelings from a deep part of myself, that feels , ahh ! Beauty, simple contentment amongst the world appearance, meloncolly, offering a notion of presentness in the current moment. If it’s even possible to put into words. I can can say I have been eating and sleeping this song day and night, and will untill the song reveals itself and it becomes my own. What inspired this one Brian? Seems to me like mother natures work, I’m pretty sure you are tapped in to the higher powers. Stay Happy!

  33. John B says

    Hi Brian, love your work. There is no doubt that a piece written around a diatonic scale always works and sounds awesome. I like to play: Gmaj7, Am7, Bm7 Cmaj7 and various derivatives. All the best, John

  35. marc r says

    Hey Brian … Wonderful Lesson! As they all are … Loved that hammer on and slur in bar 17 … super cool!!! Although I play a finger to a fret and am not really able to stretch my 3rd finger to the slur … I need to use my little finger … I can but it does take some extra concentration to make my pinky work that hard. Thanks so much for an absolutely superb guitar program.

  36. Andrew C says

    Brian,
    Thanks for shinning a light in a crazy time. This lesson is outstanding. You are a gifted teacher. I glad I caught on to your lessons. I appreciate your teaching style. Have a good day and stay safe!
    Andrew C.

  37. mritalian says

    Sitting at home, relaxing a playing this great song with you. Another great composition and teaching lesson once again. By the way Tommy Emmanuel is one of my favorite guitar players in the world, nice touch to your lesson.

  38. Claude R says

    T hanks for this great Covid lesson!
    I particularly liked your emphasis on the “groove” in part 2. I would find in helpful if you could devote some lessons to the “groove”. It’s something that can easily be lost in the fine details of learning. It comes easily to “natural musicians” but is something I often struggle with.
    Keep on raising guitar players’ spirits. This an excellent opportunity for guitar playing.

  39. Ken M says

    Hi there Brian
    I’ve been following your leading for over a year now and I have say that my guitar knowledge and technique has grown and improved greatly. You have such a way with you that makes learning a real joy. I appreciate all the work you put in. It’s been of enormous benefit to me. Thank you, and keep safe and well, both you and your family.

    K. 👍🙏🎸🎵🎶

  40. Canada Moose says

    Wow that is beautiful, heartfelt, mournful and haunting but uplifting and hopeful at the same time. A song for our times.

    So now i’ll set aside my current project (tribute to Gary W) and get into this one for the March challenge.
    Also have to learn how to do that split screening.

    Learning/recording this will be a great use of time; thanks Brian for another really beautiful classic. Your a great composer.

  41. Ian D says

    First time comment for me from sunny Queensland, Australia, but i just had to say something about this one. I have had a heap of fun with this and it has probably saved my sanity this week. Thanks heaps

  44. Walter Bearse says

    Hi Brian,
    i’m still practicing and perfecting this lesson. as with many of the older lessons. Even if you never posted another lesson, you’ve provided me with enough material for many years to come. you are a gifted musician and teacher. Thanks for enriching my life

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