Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

How To Jam With Yourself on Guitar – EP045

Description

It can often be frustrating if you’re a musician and you’re looking for a good jam session but other musicians aren’t nearby. One thing you can do is play along with a jam track (that can provide you with hours of entertainment), but you aren’t always in a situation where you have one. This lesson is created to show you how to play both chords and a lead part by yourself, alternating back and forth between them.

How To Jam on Acoustic Guitar - Part 1

How To Jam on Acoustic Guitar - Part 2

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Slow Walk-Through

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Curious about the benefits of
Premium Membership?
Try it for FREE!
arrow_downYou need to be logged in as a premium member to access the tab, MP3 jam tracks, and other assets. Learn More

Add to "My Favorites"

You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content.

Comments

    • jim s says

      just joined this sight myself. I learned this song in a couple of days, had a good time. The thing that really helped me was so slow track with no talking. i find that many of these sights spend more time talking and less time showing. I like that we can have it both ways. I have been playing guitar for years but put it down for about twenty years and enjoying it all over again.
      Thanks for this sight and getting ready for the nest song…….jim

    • terry b says

      I just joined this sight and so far, I have to say, I love it. I love the way you teach. I am enjoying this lesson. I love the fact that I can just jam by myself. Hopefully someday, I can play with someone out there. Thank you for this lesson. I am very impressed.

  4. Pwilsonscott says

    Brilliant Brian, really love this lesson. Endless possibilities, i would love to see more of this kind of lesson where you set up a really cool groove and show us how to play around the chords with confidence. Many Thanks

  5. doug.balch@gmail.com says

    I’m going to nail this.  It will enter my repertoire along the the “style of”  SRV and Carl Perkins lessons, oh and the Claptonesque EP020.  Those are my three faves.

    I never knew it was going to be so easy to play with myself.

  8. katmando says

    I can’t believe the lessons just keep getting better-Havn’t had time to master previous favourites when this comes along.Love this-very addictive.

  9. gregd says

    Hi Brian
    Just another great lesson.Im feeling a backlog -do we have semester breaks? Thankfully I,m retired now, work would have been a major inconvenience .Next lesson “how to placate your partner re your new found obsession"Your seriously a great teacher and very gifted guitarist
    cheers greg
    adelaide south australia

  10. orient2k says

    Hi Brian
    Many thanks for this fantastic lesson. I can honestly say that your lessons are so simple and easy to follow that even me as a beginner am able to master them with practice.
    Kim

  11. Richard G says

    We veteran guitarists can easily fall into the trap of complicating arrangements at the drop of a hat; This lesson proves yet again that keeping it simple is by far the best melodic approach. Great lesson Brian …….

  15. cuvy says

    I love the jam with yourself lesson concept: Rhythm and lead for a single guitarist which is exactly what I am trying to achieve. Thank you so much. Any chance I could request that future tabs are annotated with key signature, chords and notes. I am trying to develop my own lead lines as you suggest but am having difficulty understanding where your lines come from. It looks like most of them are from Am pentatonics. Memorizing the tabs is easy but I am trying to develop my theory so I can come up with licks independently and work outside of the tabs you provide. Thanks for a great lesson.
    Gregory

  17. Bryce.AKguitar says

    Wow Brian!  I really dig this lesson.  It is awesome to get a groove and a riff then practice soloing using the different position from the blues lead course.  I am starting to put it all together.  Thanks for the great lesson!

  21. Countryman says

    Hi Brian. Really enjoed this lesson.It may take me a few weeks , but I intend to master this piece. As I have said before, your stye of teaching really enables me to improve my guitar playing.So many thanks once again. All the best Countryman.

  23. doug.balch@gmail.com says

    Ugh, I can’t believe you actually got me to improvise for the first time.  Please post a note for note of “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter”  That should cure me.

  25. mike pokai says

    just awesome lesson brian I have just about nailed it, being an old bugger from Brisbane Australia,i found this lesson easy to follow and should have this down pat today,all the best Brian, cheers Mick.

  27. jez ward says

    this is a really fantastic lesson: I’ve never come across this idea before of mixing up chords and lead licks with a pick.  Thanks very much for broadening my horizons.  I’ve even tried this concept on mandolin where it also works just fine.
    Well done Brian.

  28. jez ward says

    I’d like to 2nd cuvy’s request: generally in a lesson it’d be really helpful to know what chords we’re playing over.
    Having said that it’s a minor criticism of an otherwise outstanding lesson. I’ve never come across this concept in other instructional materials.  I’m so pleased with it I’m trying it out on the mandolin.

  31. frankiedon says

    Hi Brian….The lessons are great and I am thoroughly appreciate your patience in explaining everything….what I am trying to understand about lesson ep045 accompaning yourself is : how does the Am D7 work when one is actually singing a song ….if I heard the style applied to a known song it would be more understandable ….does one change the regular chords in a song some how in order to play in this style?…..Thank You..

  32. Brian says

    @frankiedon - it’s not intended for a vocal to be sung with it.  It’s really more of an instrumental jam thing - although you could sing over just the Am and D7 chords i’m sure.

  33. try164 says

    Just wanted to thank you for the lessons have been working on the src diddy for awhile and can play it though not up to your speed. I went to a concert here in Amarillo last night and after watching Joe Bonamassa play decided my guitars would make a nice fire lol Then I saw this lesson and decided to keep on trying , thanks again

  35. gmw says

    Terrific lesson! But I too would benefit greatly from knowing the relation between the chords and the licks, that is to say, what key scales they are from: otherwise I’m not sure how I would take it and run with my own improvs as you suggest. I’m just a beginner so may be missing something. But if you can indicate keys or scales we can build our own leads following A7 and Dm hits. This is just what I’ve been waiting for. But, please, if you can let us know the scales from which you are drawing the licks that would be HUGE.

  39. Alanmyrick says

    Hi Brian,
    I’m really excited about these lessons.  On part 2 of the “45” “How to Jam with Yourself”, you don’t go into detail with the nuances.  I can’t figure out what the “X”  (5th string) on the tab stand for?
    Thanks,
    Alan

  44. Bob Thomas says

    Just love these jam with yourself type lessons. It’s like the lead is having a conversation with the chords? Just nice to be able to play a complete piece. Would love more like this?
    Bob.

  46. Laurent says

    Hi Brian,

    Love this lesson.
    Just noticed that in your demo in the beginning of the lesson, you are using a different D7 chord than the one you teach later on (the 4th time around, after the “walk down lick”).

    I think it’s sounds better, but also places you finger closer to the A position for the following lick.

    I just can’t see the exact position of your fretting fingers. Can you tell me how you play that particular D7 chord?

    Thanks,

    Laurent

  47. genedivincenzo says

    As a former band guy now working a solo career, this lesson is outstanding. Hope to see more lessons like this one. You are an outstanding instructor!!

  48. francesco says

    Great lesson! new member after following your lessons off U-tube, love your teaching style. been struggling for a while, but your lessons work for me. thanks

  49. LouSead says

    Hi

    This piece of groovy music really wants me to play nonstop for 24 hours. Nice job Brian! Will you get mad if I steel the riff for my own song?

    /Peo

  53. Henbu08 says

    I love this kind of lessons too! It’s inspiring if you’ve got stuck in some other topics.
    But I do emphasize that music theory helps a lot if you know how chords and scales interact. I’ve spent some time with music theory and I have learned a great deal but of course there stille stuff to learn.
    So I agree totally with Brian: Understand what he does in the video and you can figure out other chords and mess around with them - go for it!

  54. seasick shaun says

    Can’t thank you enough mate,  this lesson and one of your early ones before you started numbering them (solo rhythm and lead)  I think its called also in key of A have taught me so many licks and cool little rhythm things. I feel like I can really play and jam with backing tracks now. Learned more in the last couple of weeks since I signed up to your site, than I have learned the whole of last year. I think I’m going to have to get me an electronic guitar now I know things worth playing on one. Also now from learning these I have made my own versions which is even more rewarding. Thanks again more of these rhythm and lead lessons would be very welcome.

  56. DKB says

    In the last year of playing these lessons at night, I have picked up so many riffs and melodies, that my playing is really impruved. I am learning just by Jamming with Brian in his lessons. I think I am learning, by osmosis.

  57. Manley says

    Had a lot of fun with this one. Enjoyed moving the Aminor and D7 up and down the neck with the use of first and second position of the Aminor pentatonic was nice.

    For me I got more out of figurring out what you where doing next. Until purchasing this all access pass I was lost with just playing scales and chords and licks from here and there. Your making me realize what it was for.

  59. Habakkuk says

    I really love this groove! Until I got all the fills figured out, it was like an ear worm going round in my head! I would love to think up some more fills, but can’t think of any other variations that would be as pleasing to the ear - everything seems to build naturally. It took a while to get the timing right - if you start a phrase on the off beat, you have to get the emphasis on the right note, otherwise it falls to pieces.

  62. stan b says

    love this lesson ! the groove is the hardest thing for me get , its hard for me to keep it going , the leads are easy . will keep working on it, along with some the other lessons.

    Brian , think about a Toy Caldwell of Marshall Tucker band. would be a great lesson additison
    stan_b

Leave a Reply

Recent Lessons

Contact

For all support questions email: support@activemelody.com
For all other inquires email: brian@activemelody.com