Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Add the diminished sound to jazz up your blues – EP396

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to incorporate diminished chords, scales, and arpeggios into your blues lead (or rhythm). Not only will you learn to play them, but you’ll learn WHEN to play them, which is just as critical.

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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Comments

  6. peter v says

    Great lesson! I agree totally with Wedge Tail. Your explanations are so usefull and things become more simpel. By the way , I love the gipsy sound of the diminished arpeggios.
    Thank you,again.

  14. Rjung says

    Haha…the comment: every time I pick up this guitar it makes me happy. This seems to be the ultimate endorsement for a particular guitar as well as guitar playing in general. Well put!

  16. Ralph P. says

    George Harrison would be so proud of you Brian. George loved him some diminished chords. Thanks for explaining the basics of how they work. I can hear the diminished to the 7th chord sound of My Sweet Lord. I’m going to have to go back and analyze more of George’s songs and maybe finally understand how and why he used so many diminished chords. Definitely one of George’s trademark sounds.

  18. James S says

    For me, a much easier way to remember it going from the IV back to the one is you just play the diminished one. Much easier to remember than the sharp four diminished. It’s the same chord, obviously.

  23. Patrick G says

    Thank you Brian for this lesson. I have been working an a Blues/Jazz song now for at least 6 months and I was stuck and couldn’t figure out where to go. The F#maj7 which I was already using was where I was stuck. The lesson topic this week has turned the traffic light green again. You’re awesome…..Thanks

  27. Chris says

    Nice one Brian….
    Need more EPs on using Dims.

    just an observation.. as in EP358 ( a great lesson if anyone missed it) why not use the 3rd Dim in the group ( the 3 are in sequence) after the 2 Chord at the end.
    then all 3 dims used.

    when i revisited 358 it sort of popped out.

    keep up the great work during these trying times

  30. Stephen K says

    I have been playing a long time, Brian and you always teach me a new lick or two. Thanks! I love the ascending diminished arpeggio riff that is moveable! I have added it to my very worn bag of tricks. By the way, I am somewhat colorblind. so the fact that your shirt blended into your guitar, helped me better focus on your fingers and the strings! Thanks again.

  31. Douglas R says

    Brian
    You won’t believe how long I’ve been looking for this kind of lesson. I was even gonna contact you to see if you would or had already done a lesson like this. I bought and poured over Robben Fords program on this and , as you pointed out, couldn’t make sense out of it.
    Thank you SO much for this.
    I take it that the arpeggios work the same for a minor 1, 4, 5 song as for the major1, 4, 5 sing that you do here?

  32. Francois M says

    Thanks Brian. Have you previously created a lesson on using the major 7 chord? It was my understanding that the major 7 of the IV chord gets you back to the I chord, which is what you did here with the dimished 7. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom.

  39. Nick P says

    I’m sorry to be negative Brian because I’m a big fan of yours – I just love your lessons and look forward to every new one. I recommend you to everyone I can. But I feel that this one is MUCH too daunting for me. Just too many notes I know I will never remember. I’m beginning to think that’s an age thing because I’m 70.
    I’ll get something out of it because as usual your theory explanation is great. But soak up the playing? No…
    I hope you don’t mind me saying all this, but I also hope you find all feedback useful?
    Hey, I’ve got a list of lessons to revisit that’s as long as the neck on my lovely new Taylor GTe Urban Ash guitar! Now let me see…. EL369, 208, 358, 279, 222, 178…???

  42. David H says

    Brian:
    I’ve enjoyed learning the Dim7 arpeggios in this piece. And the half-step-whole-step scale is interesting. In this case it’s played over the Dim7 chord; what other chord extensions is it appropriate to use under that unusual-sounding scale?

  43. David LC says

    As I’ve worked over the past year to become a better guitar player, and entertaining my wife as the entire audience, I can only say I wish I had nothing to do but play guitar all day.
    This song is like a cherry on top of all the lessons I have enjoyed playing.
    Putting the different techniques I’ve learned over the last 12 months together, to comprise a complete song is my goal, and the area that this lesson provided is a good example of building skills, technique, melody, rhythm, scales, licks, and other bits I won’t type out.
    This lesson should provide me, and others, the ability to play a tune, melody, bass lines, lead, lisks, musical scales all rolled into a complete song.
    Stick with Brian and you’ll end up a better player and for people who are feeling swamped, like NickP, pick a small number of lessons that sound like they’re fun and musical to you and learn them. Nobody says you have to become an expert in everything each and every week.
    Thanks Brian.

    David C

  44. Andy N says

    This lesson is packed with goodies and its going to take a while to digest. Its also a timely reminder of progress on my own guitar journey. About 4 years ago you did a lesson using the diminished scale and though it peaked my interest because I love the extra dimension the diminished sound brings, it turned out I wasn’t ready to take it all in. Recently I’ve been revisiting all the diminished lessons you’ve done and been able to absorb and incorporate it alongside the other things I’ve learnt in the meantime. I think the half-whole scale will follow that pattern for me too, ie probably to keep a mental note of and return to. So I hope you continue revisit it in future lessons.
    Keep them coming!

  45. Rollover33 says

    Hi Brian, I’ve worked on this one every day ! I hoped I could learn in a week every lesson before your EP 400, it was my challenge on EP 300 !!! Mmmm, it will be difficult !!! This one is really top (more difficult) with lot of things we saw last years… things too difficult for me before, or understood and forgotten because too far from my playing … and now, it’s possible. It’s an extraordinary journey ! Always French… excuse English !!! See you soon !

  47. Brian McFarland says

    Hi Brian

    Great lesson, I really like how your lessons build on things from recent lessons. Adding the Arpeggios as lead patterns now, after showing the Diminished 7 chords in EP393 a couple weeks ago, and reiterating the use of the 6 and 9 chords that you’ve been highlighting regularly, it all adds up to some great building blocks that can all come together for some great kanoodling.
    This one was really timely, as I’m in the midst of acquiring an old 30’s L-50 that this will really sound great on, if I can get my fingers wrapped around it ( and my brain wrapped around exactly where the Dim chords and Arpeggios really work right!)

    Thanks again

    Brian

  48. Robert D says

    Brian, at one time I had what seems to be the same Martin you used in this episode. The neck was thinner than many guitars that I have played. The size seemed less than full size, but what a great sound and it fit my hand very well. Can you give more of the details of the instrument? Year, style, size , number of frets, etc?
    I would like to hunt it or one like it down.
    Thank you so much for all of the things that I have picked up just by belonging to your site.
    Sincerely,
    RL

  52. WarrenB says

    Hi Brian,

    I don’t comment much, however I’ve been with you for over 3 years. I don’t work on every single lesson, but I never miss the ones when you pull in the diminished sound. I sounds like you’re playing outside if you will during these diminished runs which I love. Keep up the great work, very helpful during this awful pandemic business.

    Warren

  53. john r says

    Great lesson Brian, explained with clarity!

    I subscribe (regretably) to another online lesson
    which I won’t name, that features Robin Ford as an “instructor”. Great players do not necessarily make great teachers.

    Fortunately, you are both.

  54. tomgattiker says

    On all of the lessons that are solo guitar, it would be really helpful if the jam track and the with guitar track (referring to the downloadable MP3’s here) had a count in so the student can start playing on the first beat that Brian plays on.

  55. John C says

    I’ve played guitar for over 30 years and this is the first time I’ve learned practical ways to use this unusual scale over a I-IV-V. As usual, Brian explains things in ways that are easy to understand and practical. Much appreciated!

  56. mike D says

    This is a blast to play. love it. It’s got it all. I play classical/flamenco and this piece is not as easy as it appears if you play it ‘finger style’ but the rewards are well worth it. I’m all smiles. I’m playing the blues and even better – I understand it! Thanks Brian.

  57. Dan M says

    Hi Brian,

    I do not understand the chord names used. My perception is that a chord is always named after the root note. In the A#dim7 chord described in the video, the root note is G – should it not be Gdim7?

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