Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Connect simple fill licks to the E, A, and D chord shapes – Play in ANY key! – EP464

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a simple stand-alone composition that demonstrates how to connect fill licks to basic chord shapes. These can be transposed to any key.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough in A

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Slow Walkthrough in C

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  6. heisenberg says

    Yep, cool lesson Brian. I think it’s good the way you mix up simple and complex lessons. This one.s great. Very accessible. Immediate gratification. By the way I’m still working on EP 289 That’s a great lesson… so much to take from that, and a beautiful composition.

    • Daniel H says

      Thanks for bringing EP 289 to our attention! I didn’t know about AM in 2019 and there are just so many lessons to pick from. EP289 is very cool and is now on my lesson list.

  15. David S says

    Brian,
    Can never get enough fill licks that you use in so many different ways.Simple and so many ways to use in all types of music.Thank You,Thank You, Thank You. You are a great teacher, more than you know in so many different ways.!!!!

  18. San Luis Rey says

    EP 211 is one of my all time favorite call and response acoustic solo lessons. That one is in E and this lesson just expands on that style and lets us go to other keys with more fill licks. This will be a big help to expand our understanding how to transpose.

  21. Phillip F says

    I had a nice breakthrough through and a little light sparked. So I started going A major and minor pentatonic mixing it up. I have been playing your fingerstyle blues mostly in Em pentatonic.
    I have really gotten a lot out of your lessons. Finally got that thumb independence thanks

  22. Phil67 says

    It’s rare a weekly lesson becomes immediately my next lesson because I’ve got a huge wish list of favorites.
    this one seems easy to learn and full of basic, must known, tips to work on call n response.
    I also appreciate how to use same idea and make it sound country or bluesy, your little apart at the end of part one was decisive to make this lesson won the race.

  26. Geof C says

    I really appreciate these connective tissue licks between chords. I’m picking up speed in catching onto the lesson and remembering why I’m doing what I’m doing, rather than simply memorizing a lick. I am starting to to see the licks in relation to the chord shapes.

  29. Robert R says

    Thanks for this lesson Brian. It really ties together so much from your wide variety of lessons from over the years. As you were commenting that this is all stuff we already know, I was thinking that we may already know it, because you had already taught it to us.

  30. Scott Z says

    Fun stuff again. I don’t mind if it’s bluegrass, old rock, rockabilly, country(old or new) or blues, like them all. You can even add in some jazz chordal arrangements with licks. I like the mix and you’re right these strategies apply to all. Somewhere in there is a Brian style… 🙂

  36. Paul B says

    Thanks Brian, fun stuff! Always like how you explain, I’m looking for a little bit more theory without going too far! Question regarding practicing – I’m trying to get out of my beginner/intermediate plateau and need help organizing my practicing to get to the next level. I know my minor & major pentatonic and I’m overlaying major scales on top of that. For example in the key of A – 3rd fret playing Phrygian fingering (G shape) (over major pentatonic 1st position or minor pentatonic 5th position), 5th fret playing Mixolydian fingering (E shape) with minor pentatonic 1st position or major pentatonic 2nd position), and so on down the fretboard. I’m also trying to learn the chord tones so it will be easier to fill in. I’m looking for a way to help practice and to know more of what I’m playing and not sound like I’m always playing scales. Any suggestions or lessons that I may have missed?

    • Paul B says

      Here are the fingering charts I have put together:

      Minor Pentatonic Scales

      1st Position Minor Pentatonic

      |e||—|-R-|—|—|-b3|
      |B||—|-5-|—|—|-b7|
      |G||—|-b3|—|-4-|-b-|
      |D||—|-b7|—|-R-|—|
      |A||—|-4-|-b-|-5-|—|
      |E||—|-R-|—|—|-b3|

      2nd Position Minor Pentatonic

      |e||—|-b3|—|-4-|-b-|
      |B||—|-b7|—|-R-|—|
      |G||-4-|-b-|-5-|—|—|
      |D||-R-|—|—|-b3|—|
      |A||-5-|—|—|-b7|—|
      |E||—|-b3|—|-4-|-b-|

      3nd Position Minor Pentatonic

      |e||—|-4-|-b-|-5-|—|
      |B||—|-R-|—|—|-b3|
      |G||-5-|—|—|-b7|—|
      |D||—|-b3|—|-4-|-b-|
      |A||—|-b7|—|-R-|—|
      |E||—|-4-|-b-|-5-|—|

      4th Position Minor Pentatonic

      |e||-5-|—|—|-b7|—|
      |B||—|-b3|—|-4-|-b-|
      |G||-b7|—|-R-|—|—|
      |D||-4-|-b-|-5-|—|—|
      |A||-R-|—|—|-b3|—|
      |E||-5-|—|—|-b7|—|

      5th Position Minor Pentatonic

      |e||—|-b7|—|-R-|—|
      |B||—|-4-|-b-|-5-|—|
      |G||-R-|—|—|-b3|—|
      |D||-5-|—|—|-b7|—|
      |A||—|-b3|—|-4-|-b-|
      |E||—|-b7|—|-R-|—|

      R=Root note B=blue note b5 for blues scale,7th & 3rd are b7 & b3

      Major Pentatonic (Relative Minor)

      1st Position Major Pentatonic

      |e||—|-6-|—|—|-R-|
      |B||—|-3-|—|—|-5-|
      |G||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |D||—|-5-|—|-6-|—|
      |A||—|-2-|—|-3-|—|
      |E||—|-6-|—|—|-R-|

      2nd Position Major Pentatonic

      |e||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |B||—|-5-|—|-6-|—|
      |G||-2-|—|-3-|—|—|
      |D||-6-|—|—|-R-|—|
      |A||-3-|—|—|-5-|—|
      |E||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|

      3nd Position Major Pentatonic

      |e||—|-2-|—|-3-|—|
      |B||—|-6-|—|—|-R-|
      |G||-3-|—|—|-5-|—|
      |D||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |A||—|-5-|—|-6-|—|
      |E||—|-2-|—|-3-|—|

      4th Position Major Pentatonic

      |e||-3-|—|—|-5-|—|
      |B||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |G||-5-|—|-6-|—|—|
      |D||-2-|—|-3-|—|—|
      |A||-6-|—|—|-R-|—|
      |E||-3-|—|—|-5-|—|

      5th Position Major Pentatonic

      |e||—|—|-5-|—|-6-|
      |B||-R-|—|-2-|—|-3-|
      |G||—|-6-|—|—|-R-|
      |D||—|-3-|—|—|-5-|
      |A||—|—|-R-|—|-2-|
      |E||—|—|-5-|—|-6-|

      R=Root note 6th is Relative Minor
      7th & 3rd are not flat (no 4th or 7th)

      Major Scales (Root as Home)

      6th Position Aeolian G-shape

      |e||—|-6-|—|-7-|-R-|
      |B||—|-3-|-4-|—|-5-|
      |G||-7-|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |D||—|-5-|—|-6-|—|
      |A||—|-2-|—|-3-|-4-|
      |E||—|-6-|—|-7-|-R-|

      1st Position Ionian E-shape

      |e||-R-|—|-2-|—|-3-|
      |B||-5-|—|-6-|—|-7-|
      |G||—|-3-|-4-|—|-5-|
      |D||—|-7-|-R-|—|-2-|
      |A||-4-|—|-5-|—|-6-|
      |E||-R-|—|-2-|—|-3-|

      2nd Position Dorian D-shape

      |e||—|-2-|—|-3-|-4-|
      |B||—|-6-|—|-7-|-R-|
      |G||-3-|-4-|—|-5-|—|
      |D||-7-|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |A||—|-5-|—|-6-|—|
      |E||—|-2-|—|-3-|-4-|

      3nd Position Phrygian C-shape

      |e||-3-|-4-|—|-5-|—|
      |B||-7-|-R-|—|- -|—|
      |G||-5-|—|-6-|—|—|
      |D||-2-|—|-3-|-4-|—|
      |A||-6-|—|-7-|-R-|—|
      |E||-3-|-4-|—|-5-|—|

      5th Position Mixolydian A-shape

      |e||-5-|—|-6-|—|-7-|
      |B||-2-|—|-3-|-4-|—|
      |G||—|-7-|-R-|—|-2-|
      |D||-4-|—|-5-|—|-6-|
      |A||-R-|—|-2-|—|-3-|
      |E||-5-|—|-6-|—|-7-|

      R=Root note 4th Lydian & 7th Locrian fingering not listed

      Major Scale Mixolydian Mode

      3nd Position Phrygian G-shape

      |e||-6-|-b7|—|-R-|—|
      |B||-3-|-4-|—|-5-|—|
      |G||-R-|—|-2-|—|—|
      |D||-5-|—|-6-|-b7|—|
      |A||-2-|—|-3-|-4-|—|
      |E||-6-|-b7|—|-R-|—|

      5th Position Mixolydian E-shape

      |e||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |B||—|-5-|—|-6-|-b7|
      |G||-2-|—|-3-|-4-|—|
      |D||-6-|-b7|—|-R-|—|
      |A||-3-|-4-|—|-5-|—|
      |E||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|

      6th Position Aeolian D-shape

      |e||—|-2-|—|-3-|-4-|
      |B||—|-6-|-b7|—|-R-|
      |G||-3-|-4-|—|-5-|—|
      |D||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |A||—|-5-|—|-6-|-b7|
      |E||—|-2-|—|-3-|-4-|

      1st Position Ionian C-shape

      |e||-4-|—|-5-|—|-6-|
      |B||-R-|—|-2-|—|-3-|
      |G||—|-6-|-b7|—|-R-|
      |D||—|-3-|-4-|—|-5-|
      |A||-b7|—|-R-|—|-2-|
      |E||-4-|—|-5-|—|-6-|

      2nd Position Dorian A-shape

      |e||—|-5-|—|-6-|-b7|
      |B||—|-2-|—|-3-|-4-|
      |G||-6-|-b7|—|-R-|—|
      |D||-3-|-4-|—|-5-|—|
      |A||—|-R-|—|-2-|—|
      |E||—|-5-|—|-6-|-b7|

      R=Root note 7th b7 , 4th Lydian & 7th Locrian fingering not listed

  38. Dale U says

    I really like what you are giving us, I have been looking for this type of education in music. Lesson with theory combined really brings the thoughts home. Thank you very much Dale

  40. Kate Henson says

    I loved this lesson because of it’s timeliness. At this point, I had already starting playing some licks like this but without the hammer on and slide approach so it just naturally stepped it up to sound better. It will be fun to figure it out higher up the neck on my own.

    Thanks!

  41. Mark H says

    This would be a great tune for an on-the-fly key change from C to D via the secondary dominant A which is the D target key’s V chord.

    So if currently playing it in the key of C desiring to change key to D for the next verse, yell out “key change!” just before the turnaround bar, walk down 3 frets from the C and play the secondary dominant A chord (i.e. the V chord of the target key D). Start the next verse in D. Rinse and repeat.

    Be sure to yell out “key change” the bar before you go, you wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt would you? 🙂

  43. Frederick M says

    Great lesson. Several bells went off. However, you completely left out going to the 4 chord. Twice you went from the 1 to the 5 and back to the 1, leaving out the 4th. I got the 4th (F) from the tab, but I’d liked to have seen you fit it in.

  44. Thomas B says

    Nice lesson, directly put to my favoured content. Thanks a lot

    (May be there is a slight difference between tablature and video as to the repeated call lick when going to the E-chord the first time?)

  45. Herschel R says

    Another terrific lesson. Really like seeing the tablature as you explain the lesson. I am learning to look for chord shapes and “connective tissue” such as scales. I have developed the confidence to change something if I struggle too much with a portion as written, but continue to try it as is too. Thanks from a very senior citizen learner.

  46. Steve J says

    This is a fantastic lesson! Ive been working on it a couple weeks, but still needs polishing. It has helped my playing. I hope there are more like it. i guess it took Brian 2 minutes to write it , and me a month to learn it lol

  51. Michael G says

    You mentioned in the beginning of the video that most of us (who have been members for a while) know that the A lives right there in the Major pentatonic. And it’s true. I remember that you have shown this in other videos, however, this time it sank in and I had the “A ha” moment. So don’t be afraid of repeating what might be obvious to long time subscribers. Some of us are denser than others. 🙂

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