Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Learn an easy, melodic guitar lead using Triads (no scales used) – Easy lead guitar lesson – EP514

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a slow, melodic lead by using only triads. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with chord shapes and learn the fretboard. No scales are used.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Slow Walkthrough

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Video Tablature Breakdown

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

  7. Mike R says

    Thanks for another great lesson. I am always amazed at how you can make so much out of a few simple chords. I hope I can learn how to create such beautiful musical lines when I can see the caged chord puzzle flow from one chord to another better.

  15. Jeff B says

    Very enjoyable lesson Brian. I like your guitar diversity and share your vintage guitar “disease”. Nice job putting the lesson together and I appreciate the time you put into the lesson.

  17. David S says

    Brian, The more I play this the better it sounds.This is a good one to play for others because it sounds so melodic.I think everyone would like this sound.Hope you do more like this.Thanks again for all your hard work.

  19. Charles Q says

    Another good one, I love these kind of lessons and especially how you show how to play notes out of barr chord shapes without using the full barr as my wrists wont hardly go there anymore its really helpful

  24. Daniel H says

    Brian, this lesson is one of your teaching classics that show cases why you are such an amazing guitar teacher… right down to teaching the alter ego’s of particular chords (i.e. different key). Melodies and leads built from chord shapes are awesome and you teach so it well. Many thanks!

  26. Keith S says

    These little nuggets I’ve accumulated last 2 years as Premium member are really starting to add up now. I don’t sometimes get the whole lesson down each week, but over time it’s been exactly what I wanted. Thx!

  27. Jerry G says

    Thanks Brian, great lesson and for whatever reason it just connected the dots and cemented the CAGED lessons you’ve put out over the last few years, really helpful and slow enough for an ” Old Guy” to be able to play… perfect example of the ” it matters what you play and when you play it” not how fast you can play it. Any suggestions on a specific lesson that may help with counting and getting more comfortable leading up to the chord change about to happen? that timing and anticipation seems to be a hurdle i personaly struggle with then when I draw a blank I just fall back into the same old pentatonic comfort zone and playing in the key once de-railed… boring…. 🙂 Thx for the great lesson…

    • Tom R says

      I think your auto-correct did you a disservice by changing Atkins into Atkinson. But you’re right. And Brian is brilliant both in playing and teaching. Absolutely the best on the net.

  29. Keith S says

    This lesson is another excellent journey. I am tempted to sit down and create a roadmap based on these concepts for each song that I want to dive into, before I even pick up the axe. Thanks.

  31. Garry H says

    Brian, I think it is starting to sink in… I’ve been staying with you week to week and I’m finally seeing the connections for everything you have been telling and teaching me. I’m not good at improvising yet but you have given me the handle I need. Everything connects doesn’t it? Chords, Triads, Caged, and my cowboy chords. I feel empowered! I have always loved music and beginning to get it. I’m going to make it work. Thanks.

  32. Rob N says

    Wow Brian, that is a great composition beautifully played, sounds so intended.

    I wonder how long it took to come up with this for the lesson?

    Given a similar chord backing, could anyone sit down at a jam and ‘improvise’ something like this on the fly? Because I am finally understanding and using these chords and triad shapes but stringing together such a fabulous melody (with descending bass lines) from those building blocks would be a massive leap forward from my current understanding.

    • Brian says

      the chords were super basic – so that was almost instant… the lead part was quick.. i came up w/ several different versions and just took the best parts from each … the concepts that I thought would fit well into a lesson

  38. Andrew M says

    Thank you for explaining how the triad made by barring the 3 highest strings can be (for example) both an E9 and a D6 — depending on context. That was a question I’ve had since I first heard you explain about the “6 -> down 2 frets -> 9” thing. Good lesson, I might try to learn this one! I like the tune a lot.

  39. Austin T. Walden says

    I think this is the first lesson I’ve really connected how you’re making the 6ths and 9ths connection. you’re using an A shape!!!! I’m sure you’ve said it before but wow I’ve never been able to put it together.

  40. Robin S says

    This comment might be better suited to the Forum but here I go !

    The whole concept of using triads has opened my eyes to yet more of what happens in the creation of guitar music. In particular I watch guitarists on television or at live shows (if I’m close enough !) and have a better understanding of what is happening in what used to be simply a blur of movement. I am aware of and respect, though I do not fully understand, Brian’s reluctance to get caught up in copyright issues, but I would find reference to examples from the commercial music world where the techniques described in some of the lessons are, or appear to be, used.
    EP514 is another great lesson though which gives more every time you watch it !
    Greetings from West Wales,UK.
    Robin

  44. Christopher K says

    I see your lessons give more detail and explanation of the relationship between chords & leads. The benefit of knowing this “little secret” is priceless. Thanks Brian for the breakdown. I value this the most!

  45. Georg B says

    Hi Brian,
    Your lessons are priceless. I enjoy them very much and this melody is wonderful.
    Can I look at the following as a general rule? Barring the first three strings of any fret will always give me a triad with the sound of a sixth chord directly related to the corresponding A-shape? And consequently, will barring the first three strings moving two frets from there towards the nut always give me a ninth chord?
    Thanks in advance,
    Georg

  46. Gerald Pfeiffer says

    I have tried to open the tablature on lession EP514 and i get a pop up saying i need to put in a (6) diget code to enter that field thay have sent me the code (3) times and each time thay say its the wrong code. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG. PLEASE HELP. Thank you Gerald Pfeiffer.

    • Brian says

      that isn’t coming from activemelody – that sounds like a virus or something related to your browser. you might try either clearing your browser cache, or using a different browser altogether (Google Chrome, Firefox) etc.

  48. cbuck says

    i am so confused when you say,” the minor chord forA , is c sharp minor” if you flat the the third in an A you go from a C sharp to an C. so why wouldn’t the minor chord for A be an C.? And the whole thing about the A 6th being the relative minor of A which is a F sharp. where is my thinking going wrong?? Anyone Thanks

  50. C Frank O says

    Hi Brian I don’t see the difference between the C-SHAPE and the D-SHAPE. When you move from the cow-boy C-SHAPE to C-SHARP that looks like the D-SHAPE then the C-SHAPE and the D-SHAPE look alike, don’t they?

Leave a Reply

Recent Lessons

Contact

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