Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Looking for rhythm ideas? – Guitar Lesson EP465

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn several rhythm ideas to play over a minor key jam track. Don’t settle for just strumming chords! that’s boring 🙂

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

  2. JohnStrat says

    Hi Brian A rhythm lesson is always very welcome and this sounds to be a particularly good one.
    Its a crucial area and one that i need to improve so thanks I shall get stuck into this right away.
    Johnstat

  5. Michael Allen says

    I can always use a good rhythm lesson and every week I’m happy with each lesson that you offer. At 73 I’m still hungry for anything I can learn that will make me a better guitar player. Thanks for never disappointing Brian.

  12. jimbostrat says

    All-vital rhythm guitar!! I’ve heard more than a few great musicians claim that they really measure an excellent guitarist by his/her rhythm playing!! This one by Brian is warm and varied, sounds fantastic and it’s a blast to play!! Jim C.

  13. John C says

    Hi Brian, thanks so much for this lesson. I really appreciate all the included licks that I can store away in my mental library. But that brings up a question: what constitutes a rhythm part vs. a lead part? This lesson almost feels like a lead part to me because of the many licks. Am I wrong?

  16. Phil67 says

    Ô temps suspend ton vol…
    Ain’t finished my previous lesson, and this one already winked at me.
    I will be strong and faithful to the first one… But how long, temptation is great, and my sinful weakness so pleasant….
    I take a date with this one.
    Thank you.

  17. Ralph P. says

    That’s what I call “Locked Into A Groove.” Your “Band” is feeling it on this one Brian. Gonna’ have a lot of feet tappin’ with this one.
    Excellent groove to solo over.

  18. David S says

    great lesson…when I first started with you I had no idea what was happening other than what a chord was and how to play them..it took me awhile to get my head around this stuff and now what use to take a month to learn is happening now in 1 or 2 days …you are a great instructor my friend…thanks..

  19. Daniel H says

    Brian, it is great to see lessons focused on minor chords. I have been with AM a couple of years and have learned lots of fills and licks to attach to major chords but when I encounter a minor chord I find a void in my ideas. Please keep lessons coming that offer tricks to attach to other minor chord shapes. Thank you for your teaching!!

  23. Michelle G says

    Great lesson Brian! I loved your comment “I want to be your Netflix of guitar lessons” which is exactly what I do each week- learn the new one and then go to the archives. Today was 318 Dorian mode and 455 jam over one chord. I love both of these lessons/songs and play them until I’m “loopy”

  24. Keith S says

    I too once felt I had to learn each lesson each week; got very frustrated until I realize what you’re saying here. Been a PM 2 years and playing since high school. At 69 yo I value the repetition of each lesson and how that repetition builds on itself. You have to jump in and take what you need from each lesson; stay with it over time. I think the format is great! I do go back and check My Favorites on days I want to brush up something; it is a Netflix and that’s super! I play around as a trio member. The licks, etc. I pick up from Brian I add to my tunes technique and it sounds much better. AM is the best value!

  25. AARON H says

    Thanks Brian, I love this kind of playing. Also that Tele is my dream guitar! One thing I noticed is that when I’m playing the Am shape, it’s actually the C shape for the minor pentatonic scale. Correct?

    • Brian says

      Yes – same scale.. A minor pentatonic is C major pentatonic scale.. also, the A natural minor scale, is the C major scale – that’s because A minor is the relative minor of C major, and C major is the relative major of A minor.

  26. Joel G says

    I wish there were more JJ Cale-style leads in this – I suppose we can mix and match lessons but that would have been nice for Brian to continue. Maybe add a bonus track sometimes that is longer?

  27. Mark H says

    Thanks Brian, really nice just jamming along with you at first to get the sound in my head. I’m using it to give my rhythm, scales, harmonies, bends etc a workout. And also to just have fun when I’m not in learning mode. The groove is excellent.

    While doing that my ear catches you executing moves that I don’t know. I’ll study up on those as I go through it again. So I’m getting a lot of immediate benefits from it, and more down the road.

  28. Norbert says

    Hello Brian:

    Hi Brian, I’ve been a very regular and attentive student since 2013. With your lessons there is no boredom. Never!
    Here’s a question or request: Sometimes I miss a little more information about the rhythmic characteristics of the respective songs. I FEEL different grooves, of course, but couldn’t NAME what makes the difference.

    What specifically distinguishes (rhythmically!) e.g. blues, country and funk? What Delta (Mississippi?)-from Chicago Blues…..
    I hope I have made myself understandable in this certainly very complex topic…..
    Maybe you could design a small rhythm series. Or maybe they already exist and I’ve overlooked them?

    Thank you for your super channel!!!!

    Kind regards

    Norbert

    alias “Melodix”, the “Song for Brian”-recorder 😉
    https://youtu.be/SnmFUB1BrZ4

  32. Allan says

    Brian even after joining and canceling I continued to receive your email lessons, I loved this new one (like the other that I decide to commit to a weekly lesson with your vids for the next year. Even with going back to school (as an old guy) your lessons are motivating me to makes sure I keep up with my guitar skills….. Thanks.

  35. Ken L says

    Hi Brian, iam curious as to why my Fender Tete dos’nt have the rich sound sound that you achieve, ie what equipment backs it up or is it the make of pickup.
    This lesson is very much appreciated.

  36. Jere R says

    Hi Brian, as I was listening to you speak about D maj and E min I started thinking about their relationship and it occurred to me that E minor is simply the Dorian mode of Dmaj and I started fooling around with the D maj scale at the 10th fret. Starting on E 3rd string 9th fret and playing the D maj scale, voila; same notes (for the most part)!

  39. Randy G says

    Love, love, love this lesson! Really appreciate the detailed explanations such as it being E dorian where you lifted off from the Em7. That level of detail helps clear up the little uncertainties and brings my knowledge and confidence to the next level. Thank you!!

  41. Ian M says

    Since you’re playing in Em, you can look at it in terms of it’s relative major: G. The notes of the G major scale and the E Minor scale are identical. The V chord of G is a D Major chord. That’s why you can play a D Major chord in the key of Em.

  43. Jeff W says

    Hi Brian – Love this stuff. Just grooving with some fill licks. I have a question however and it applies to many of your lessons. Perhaps you can recommend a particular lesson that lays it out? In any event, been playing awhile, know my pentatonics, how they fit together in all keys, how to switch between major and minor, the CAGED system, etc. However, when the corresponding scales for the “shapes” are called out (ex. “C Shape scale, D Shape scale”), I get confused, as the shapes don’t really resemble the chords to me? (or the arpeggios) I know them as, “Pattern 1, Pattern 2,,,”) and can relate and connect them in this way (major and minor). Should I just memorize them as a chord shape instead of a number? Does it matter other than when others refer to it as a “C Shape scale” and I have to pause to think about it? Should I spend some time with the old classic, “Fretboard Logic”? Am I asking a dumb question? ; ) Also, I’ve noticed that the tab doesn’t always jive with the way it sounds or perhaps the way you are playing it? I realize TAB doesn’t really convey timing very well (not that the standard notation provided really helps me, as I read as slow as a sloth), but if you think about it, would you mention when this happens if you are aware of it, as you did in this lesson when you noted that you didn’t pull-off on the2nd repeat of the main lick, but it’s written so in the tab. I have lots of trouble with timing/rhythm, although I understand the basics. I’ve just always used my ear, but sometimes it fails me. I suppose it’s just called PRACTICE MORE!! haha Anyway, thanks for the great lessons, you’re the best “find” on the internet for guitar lessons!!!

  45. Dave F says

    Brian. Thanks for your efforts in giving us these lessons. I can honestly say that if you (and the internet) had been around when I first picked up a guitar in 1969 then I would have probably been a musician. Unfortunately I gave up – put the guitar down and have only just in recent times picked it up again nearly 50yrs later!!! My fingers don’t quite work as fast as I would like these days but Hey! Thanks again. Dave.(Young Guitarist!!)

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