Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Major Pentatonic Blues – Play this “Call & Response” blues composition by yourself – Guitar Lesson EP472

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a “call & response” blues composition that you can play by yourself (no jam track) that uses the Major Pentatonic Scale licks.

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. David S says

    Just what I needed.Tried this before and just couldn’t get it smooth.Already getting the thumb going.Really like this style.Spent two weeks getting gospel style down smoothly.Things are starting to come together.Thanks again, and again.Having more fun than ever.Covid didn’t get me down, just gave me more time to play thanks to your teaching. Dave

  7. Paul M says

    Brian, yet another wonderful lesson and as usual very timely. This builds beautifully on your last few lessons giving us something to apply our newfound knowledge of scales. Thank you, thank you!

  9. Brian Canadian in the UK says

    I was given a Budget Ovation Guitar a few months ago, just threw some strings, not perfect but hey, I have acoustic now to do these lessons, nice guitar Brian these old guitars have their own distinct sound, and these lessons reinforced the concepts in previous lessons, but in a fun way, I am going work on this lesson, a great little jam to take the acoustic out by the Trent River here in the UK,

    Brian thanks again for another wonderful lesson,

  13. Scott N says

    The E6 to the E9 on measure 5: I’m trying to remember how to connect this shape to the E chord. It looks like a C# minor triad to a B minor triad, right? I know this has been covered before, but I’m trying to remember best way to connect this in my mind. Maybe best to picture the E6 as part of the “D shaped” E chord?

  15. Michael G says

    Buddy Holly encapsulated. Buckets of fun with this one. I’ll admit to being a cowboy chord acoustic blues guy. This lesson opened up the entire fretboard to the 12th. Thanks Brian I’ll take it from here. Your “take away” concept to teaching is most useful.

  16. Michael O says

    Hey Brian, great lesson. You mentioned around the 6:36 mark of Part 1, that we need to keep our thumb on a 4/4 time, and the rest of the fingers can go. I find this, although somewhat simple concept, pretty challenging because I can play the notes at regular tempo but I find my thumb wanting to do whatever. The interactive is a great exercise to practice but do you have any advice or can you point me to some of your other lessons that may help me practice keeping the thumb in tempo?

  20. Gavin F says

    I appreciate the honest and sincere observation at the end. A new composition every week must be a challenge. I have learnt so much with these “by yourself” lessons. Many thanks Brian, well done.

  21. Lyn C says

    The more I play this one, the more I love it! Love the fingerstyle music you write Brian. Even tried this out on my very old Fender classical guitar which sounds really nice too. Thanks for another super lesson.

  22. Dave C says

    After listening to this about 10 times I just realised why I like it so much, it has a total Keb’ Mo’ vibe to it, I can hear him singing while this is playing. Good one Brian.

  23. Stephen K says

    Love the constant/alternating bass lines on this one! Very juicy treble licks too. I have already picked up three new riffs or fills to try in an E major song. You are a great teacher, Brian and I really appreciate how you go back and pick up licks from the beginning, which really helps solidify the tune in your “mind’s ear”. You are a no-nonsense kind of guy with a light heart and I really appreciate that in this goofy and often cruel world.

  25. Colin H says

    Brian I was born in 1956 was that j45 made on 6th April my birthday surely not which makes us both 66 think the guitar
    Has worn better than me I have more bald patches on my top
    New to members site am really making progress again following a fair few years of almost giving up
    Thanks to you I have found I do have the technique but have struggled to be able to apply it properly yet after many years of trying
    Another great lesson my new problem now is trying to nail down one composition before dipping into all the other gems on here

    This sounds a bit big bill broonzy like to me one of my heroes

  37. Andrew B says

    Hi Brian,

    I rarely make comments but for me this is one of those lessons that bring home so much of what you have previously demonstrated, connecting chord shapes, finding the scale up and down the neck and applying a rhythm that can be used in any key.
    A great instructive lesson.

  39. Nick Ll says

    Thank you Brian for yet another excellent lesson. As ever you have pitched it at just the right level for me and probably for thousands of others too and your patience and attention to detail in explaining the theory behind your compositions is better than anyone else I’ve seen doing online tuition.

    I have a couple of questions arising out of this week’s lesson.

    1. I wonder why you didn’t loop around with a turnaround at the end, so that the video faded into a repeat as is your usual practice. I, and probably others too, like to be able to take the piece and loop it, but there is no way of doing that as far as I can see with the resources provided this week.

    2. Have you ever given any advice within your back catalogue of lessons about nails, especially those on the right hand. I note that you are not wearing anything on your right hand fingers while plucking steel strings on an acoustic guitar. For me this is problematic, so when I’m doing repetitive practice I tend to play a classical type guitar, or one strung with nylon strings, to reduce the risk of breaking nails. I’ve never tried worn picks, and am not especially keen to try them if I can avoid it. Rather I would like to be able to play fingerstyle with my nails on a steel strung acoustic. Do you use any special treatment on your nails? How short/long do you allow them to grow? If you, or any subscriber has any tips I would be interested to hear them.

    Another great lesson!

  42. Rod Smith says

    Brian, I have struggled over the years to nail down this style. I could EITHER pat my head OR rub my stomach. LOL! After listening to your encouragement and taking the small sections you laid out, I worked them on and off all weekend and I am thrilled to have conquered the technique! Still a ways to go, but I am over the beginning hurdle and excited to have it down. Thank you!

  43. Mike V says

    Thanks Brian. This is the style of playing I yearn to master, just a single acoustic guitar playing a blues tune that combines pentatonic scale licks and chord runs. I’m already waiting for the next lesson that explores this again.

  44. Simon E says

    Really enjoyed this lesson – I am a bit locked in to playing blues using the minor pentatonic so this was much appreciated. More lessons with those little double stop runs as well please ! Thanks Brian.

  45. Christopher J says

    For a last minute off-the-cuff lesson idea, you knocked it out of the park imho. I’ve been mangling alternating bass licks going on 50 years. It’s nice to have a bookmark to a single string bass line to learn from. I really learned something in this one.

    Thanks Brian, take the rest of the day off with pay.

  47. john f says

    Speaking for my self Mr. Brian don’t pressure yourself over a weekly lesson
    It takes me a month to ALMOST learn your weekly lesson.

    But it is time well spent

    All the Best

  53. Phil Z says

    What’s up Brian, I agree it seemed impossible at first. I have been playing guitar for many years and refused to learn how to finger pick “correct” because it didn’t feel right. I have been doing it the past 6 months after watching your videos, and wish I had done it sooner. Just the coordination you have with your fingers associated to the strings and reading tabs and learning everything is so much easier! Thanks for your encouragement !

  55. Dude Cafe says

    i wouldn’t mind seeing these odder chords shapes on-screen (E6, E9) or just maybe playing the whole shape, spending just a second more explaining the notes going on. the E6 was clear how that was used, but the E9 shape doesn’t match up to the shapes i know. it’s difficult to use in a different key/context if you don’t really understand what’s going on. thanks this was a ton of fun :v :v :v

  56. Matt L says

    Great tune but I’m hung up at an unlikely spot. In the Slow Walk Through, when you return to E around 24 seconds into the piece, I’m having real difficulty working out that E passage before the B7. Working through the tab hasn’t helped me with this brief section but I’ll stick to it.

  58. William G says

    Measure 16 is a real pain for me. It’s hard to get all the strings to ring clearly and it has bass plus three, which doesn’t happen otherwise. Not sure why you did that. Are there reasonable alternatives? I guess I can figure something else out, but you may have a motive for the way you did it.

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