Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Playing Harmonies: Change the way you see the neck – EP443

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to easily visualize harmonies for both rhythm and lead by connecting them to 3 basic chord shapes that you already know.

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Comments

    • Douglas S says

      Brian are you using a camera 📷 person to help you record your lessons ?
      You jump from a face shot to close up a lot.
      Are you using to separate recording mediums and then you can cut and paste from the 2 (or however many recorders you have running at the time)
      And then make a master recording from the different cut/paste?

          • Ramona M says

            Hi Brian, Thank You for a great lesson on Moveable Harmonics. I truly believe that Harmonics and Triads are possibly one of the secrets to becoming a more advanced good guitar player that has certainly improved me dramatically.

            I have learned so much using your methods to Guitar Harmonizing and using Triads in your well explained lessons. I am a Country Guitar player and just love your beautiful melodies that you incorporate into your lessons. Eg: EP-144- EP 173. I have also noticed when you play on guitar you hold your pick very close to the strings, something that I picked up on and I have applied this to my playing and it has made a big difference in terms of better control in picking the strings.

            I would love to see more of Triads and Harmonized lessons in the future, as it has certainly opened up a whole new fresh approach to my guitaring for me.
            Thank You for being a fantastic teacher and I wish you and your family peace, love, and happiness for Christmas. Stay safe Brian and I look forward to the next lesson.

        • Eckbert M says

          Thank`s Brian! Sometimes I need a lot of time to follow your Lessons! But I have just one word for “geniuse”! Thanks a lot! Many years I`m looking for such songs and material! I`m happy! A Happy New Year to you and all members! Ecki Molterer from Austria!

    • David S says

      Enjoyed this lesson very much,the thing about this lesson it makes you to find other possibilities. Iam a country Rand B singer so finding different ways to find licks and phrases is where Iam at.I thank you Brian!!

  5. Steve M says

    All right Brian, I’ll play. The first thing I learned out of this is that when using harmonized sixths the note of the upper string matches the chord. I have previously been using these more by instinct of what sounds good but this gives me a way to instantly find something that works on the first try.

  7. Glenn P says

    Wow! This is packed full of ideas and tasty licks. Love the pedal steel moves. What impresses me even more is your sense of timing that nails the feel of the style. I suspect that comes from many years of listening and practice. Thanks so much!

  8. wrex says

    Hi, Brian.

    I’ve been lurking here forever, feeling guilty about being grandfathered into all of your content.

    I’ve learned a ton from you (and so many others) and I love, love, LOVE gospel harmony stuff like this lesson. I also really enjoy all of your blues content.

    I’m feeling much more confident finding my way around the fretboard, visualizing chords/arpeggios and scales, and understanding harmony and how to play the changes.

    You’ve taught me so much about WHICH notes to play, but I still struggle with WHEN.

    I struggle mightily with TIMING. I’ve learned it’s mostly about when you END a phrase, that I should almost never start on the downbeat of one, etc., but I still struggle with syncopated rhythmic phrases, especially when they cross the bar — I invariably start counting whatever phrase/pattern I play as “one”, which inevitably leads to me losing my place, even in a simple 12-bar blues. The tab player definitely helps, and I can kinda/sorta/almost copy your compositions eventually, but I still get lost on my own and really struggle to improvise with jam tracks. I feel like I really need some EXERCISES to just focus on rhythm: counting and feeling when to start and finish both lead and rhythm phrases.

    The closest thing I found that was focused on this kind of thing was way back in EP070 (though EP418 also helped a bit).

    I know you’ve got your content production down to a science with two parts, jam track, and a soundslice. And making real music is definitely the whole point. But if you could create a lesson explicitly focused on how to practice playing syncopated phrases (like virtually ALL blues!) I’d re-subscribe in a heartbeat. I’m sure it is a difficult thing to teach, but I’m desperate!

    I’d not want to give up on an actual composition as the final payoff, but any exercises you could create along the way would be sincerely appreciated!

    • Roberto C says

      Yep, I second that. This was a wonderful lesson, full of useful stuff, one of which was how Brian explained how to get a dim7 out of a triad. For a reason or the other I’m struggling to find dim7 positions, I can’t remember how to anchor them and that trick helped.

  11. Ian C says

    Excellent lesson again.
    Yes, most of these licks are great, and most we’ve seen before in another context, ….But the real value is in your talking through how YOU think of the relationship of notes, licks, harmonies to chords or eachother, which stick in the mind. Some of these comments/ideas may pass me by first time, but by repeating in another lesson you reinforce all of these into little breakthroughs..
    I’ve been playing for years and confess some lessons I skip through quite quickly, but rarely do two weeks go by without you giving another little gem.

  13. David H says

    Hey Brian……Thanks for this……awesome lesson. Aha moments all over connecting harmonized 6ths, chord triads and scales in such a logical way. Now to apply it so it becomes intuitive.
    And I can use it all when singing to my lonesome self .

    Thanks for listening to a Canuck Git-geezer

  14. Daniel H says

    So cool! So the A shape is connected to the D/C shape using harmonized 6ths on the 2nd & 4th strings and the D/C shape is connected to the E shape using harmonized 6ths on the 1st & 3rd strings. And the G shape connects to the E shape using harmonized 3rds on the 2nd & 3rd strings! You lessons have laid out the patches so we can stitch together the quilt! Patience and persistence is finally paying off. Thank you so much Brian.

  15. norman c says

    can’t wait to get into this. just love these slow country gospel licks.
    beautiful harmonies and I can see how this will be a great addition to the toolbox.
    thanks for another great lesson. Please add a few more Scotty Moore inspired lessons as well.
    He’s one of my favorite less recognized payers.

  18. charjo says

    Beyond the beautiful chord progression and chord tone playing with the lovely harmonized double stops, I was fascinated with the amazing syncopation of the rhythm. Those triplets with the initial rest, quarter note triplets, grace notes, sixteenth note triplets, half notes starting on the upbeats were a lesson on their own.

  22. Rory G says

    I learn every time I watch your lessons. This lesson is no exception. Every lesson is a light bulb moment for me. The comments from Daniel H were a good summary of this lesson. I plan to learn the position and chord name of each shape and figure out the connecting harmonized 5ths and 6ths to bring this lesson home. Would you have tabs that illustrate this ?

  24. herby m says

    It took about three hours for the light to come on. Connecting the harmonized 6th to CAGED cord shapes was a break thru. It does stress the importance of knowing the root string(s) of each cord shape.

  25. Dick S says

    Hey Brian,
    Understand what you are saying about the CAGED system, however for me, targeting the root note of the chord is most important. Finding the root note, I visualize the shape I need to make the triad, or the harmonic, or the arpeggio, or one of the scales. The more you teach us the better we get. Thank you so much.

  26. Robert K says

    Brian, Don’t listen to anyone trying to get you to move away from CAGED. It’s the key to the whole thing. Once you get CAGED it opens up the WHOLE fretboard. Resistance is futile. It’s all there. All one needs to do it pay attention to it and it’s like magic. Movable shapes, bring triads and then the patterns fit right over it.
    Don’t ever move away from CAGED. Convince the doubters to move towards it.

  27. Adrian B says

    Just bought a Baby Taylor travel guitar to leave in my lounge…so I have guitar to pick up when I am down stairs too. To get better we need to play every day..and keep learning new stuff like these lessons! There is so much quality theory in them that I can’t keep up ..haha . Have to keep going back to go over them ..ep437 is a killer lesson…keep em comin…cheers

  28. Malcolm M says

    Love these country style lessons lots of light bulbs for me. I now finding myself mixing these lessons along with with other country or bluegrass lessons ie taking and mixing a bar or two from one lesson to another fitting it in. Thanks again Brian for bringing so much joy into our lives through this site.

  32. Norman L says

    The night before I saw this lesson, I was practicing Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Those of you who are old enough to remember this 80s classic, the intro is exactly what this lesson is describing.. Brian, how did you read my mind? I’ll try to describe: open D is the first string hit on every harmony. It starts on 13th string F chord , then G-12th, then A-10th, C-8th, A-5th, G-3rd, G3rd slide to F-1st.

  35. drlknstein says

    yes, yes, yes..excellent lesson for me.
    i have been reviewing lessons like this for weeks. caged, triads, using 6s, 3rds, double stops,….relative minors, etc. i have reviewed 362 and 399 several times and was going to ask for a part 3…these things are soooo helpful in improvising in jams…i have had a hard time finding these types of lessons on your site at times.

  36. alfred c says

    This is a helpful lesson on harmonies in 2 shapes and how to use them. Toss in the diminished (triad) chords and it is another masterclass in taking playing/theory/making music to another level. I gotta add that I return to your early lessons a lot as well and learn more each time I study a lesson/riff/nuance. “The more you know, the more you learn faster” applies. Thanks, Brian, you’ve brought me a long way over these last 3 years.

  37. Raymond P says

    Thanks for another great lesson Brian,

    For me it’s how you show the connection of the chord shapes and the pentatonic scales with the CAGED system that makes all these lessons so useful. I now can apply many of these different concepts to creating licks, fill ins and to many different songs.

    Ray P

  40. Laurel C says

    This stand out arrangement and the mini blues arrangement on how to use it was helpful in many ways. The one idea from the C chord A shape where you can build on it and push it deserves a lesson on its own for a breakdown. Ep363 and it’s pdf diagrams also works well with this lesson, The stadium lightbulbs went off for the relationship of the 6th, 5th, 2nd and1st strings. Reading horizontally across you have the 1,4,5s. Knowing the 3rd fret, 6th string is G the 5 string is C and the 2nd string is D and back to G – 1st string. So if you know the 6th string notes and the 1,4,5s ex. ADE, CFG, DGA , GCD, EAB, FBbC etc memorising the notes becomes automatic by reading horizontally across from the 6,5,2,1 strings on each fret. Timesaver.

  41. Phil G says

    Brian, love this lesson! I always like it when you relate your melodies to a chord shape.
    HOWEVER, right at the beginning, I got lost. I got the 6th at fret 2 over the D7 chord. BUT, How did you know you could go all the way up to the 12th fret and play that 6th (which is part of a G chord). Note: After some work, I did finally realize those notes at the 12 fret are also part of a D6, which I derived from the E shape D chord at the 10th fret.

  42. Gary R says

    So, my take away is, beyond the 20 light bulbs, the infinite songs here. Starts with Dylan’s let’s get stoned riff and goes through 20+ more songs based on the three ish notes that one of our guitar heroes was learning and based hit songs on. I heard stones, band, n young, on and on. So every song we ever loved is a Brian lesson? And those guys were just putting it together and created .

  43. David K says

    I really think your lessons are great, and I get a lot out of them, but I have a question:
    In the Part 1 video at about 6:03 you are talking about a D chord (in the C shape of CAGED), and you say that the notes D (2nd string 3rd fret) and F# (4th string 4th fret) is a harmonized 6th. Can you help me understand that?

  45. sunjamr says

    Man, that’s the most country sounding thing I’ve heard in many years! I guess I never realized how much country guitar style relies on harmonies. It’s a good way to learn how to access all the different varieties of harmony all in one lesson.

  46. Richard M says

    Don’t really know how to start. I remember struggling to “memorize” the CAGED things using a number of websites and skipping the G one as too tough. I finally figured out what was being taught and why but rarely, knowingly, using the process. Playing anything required using bar chords and thus the CAGED stuff started to be used but with little connection and how that process is useful. I recently decided to try and figure out how to use the harmonized 6th and 3rd as they were showing up in a lot of the songs I was trying to learn and, again, I’d try to memorize the licks. Today, after this lesson, I now see how these two key pieces work together to be able to create licks. No light bulbs, more like, finally there is a road map that has always been there and you flipped over the rock hiding the map to the ‘treasure’ that is this connection. Linking two G chords connecting starting with one G shape and running it down to another G shape was magical for me. Easy for most, magical for me. I now know where I am on the fretboard and which shape to use with where I am in the song. It’s gonna take a lot of work to get it faster but now I have a path. Thanks man. I have been a member for about 6 months and have benefited from every lesson. I work away at them, get as much from each concept as possible and then usually forget the song the next day as my memory is almost non-existent any more. I’m 75 and wish that I had this resource when I started playing at 60. Have a great Christmas and thanks for this present to me. Rick

  48. James K says

    Brian,
    Another “Brick in the Wall” using the 1/3 strings and 2/4 strings in another location. I didn’t realize how much hidden inventory was in a D7 or E7 etc., ….This is definitely worth working on for any genre. Thanks a lot.
    Jim K

  53. James W says

    Since you asked for the aha moment …. 40+ years of playing guitar ..

    I like to slide that D shape around I but never really know what chord I am playing. A lot of them just work and I just kind of know which ones will in a song.

    Today I connected that the middle of the shape finger on the second is the root. So by knowing (or deducing) the note on the second, you know what chord that is immediately.

    Thanks for filling in another blank today.

    Jim

  54. John R says

    I think it ws Brian quite a while back who mentioned one oughta check out the used guitar selection in Nashville stores, which I did and wound up with a splendid Tele Deluxe with twin humbuckers – a bit worn by a pro – tone and handlingis great – so I’ve been looking for just a little “twang factor” as Vince Gill might say, in some new blues- gospel-country type tune – and this is it!!
    Not to mention a boat load of valuable guitar knowledge going on here as usual!

    -J

  56. Joe F says

    Ding, Ding, Ding, I can’t wait to make this comment. Great lesson. I just sat and played up and down the neck with chord changes, having a ton of fun. I believe there were three key things that came together to make it all possible. One; I’ve been working on triads, maj, min, aug, sus and 7ths. Two; Having been born and raised in a small town where we attended a small church with 19 regular members singing hymns and Three; where your lesson had a slower tempo. Seriously, I could hear the chord changes, the G the C and the D, allowing me to process and visualize where I was at on the neck plus knowing how to get to the next position. There maybe a Four; visualizing the pentatonic both maj and min helped some also. I’m so pumped.

    Brian thank you for your dedication and teaching ability, you made this night cool with more to follow.

  57. Nevada Fats says

    If you are remotely interested in learning the neck and expanding your playing, invest the time in learning the CAGED system. Brian has some easy, insightful lessons on the CAGED system. Thanks Brian for continuing to incorporate this concept in your lessons.

  58. Rickie L says

    I don’t have the C shape using the bottom three fingers in muscle memory, something to work into my hand muscle hard drive. Also, I like the part about identifying chord name by the fret position on the B string,

  59. kevin m says

    Hey Brian, Fantastic lesson, once again!! You’re lessons are allowing the brain,ear,hand connection to fire….. There is not a lesson you put out, that you have not put lots

    of thought and intention into.. Thanks Again

  60. Barrie E says

    Blessings to you, Brian in this Season of hope, joy, peace and love. Thank you for all the wonderful lessons throughout the year. During these challenging times, not the least of which is Covid and the isolation and anxiety that it brings, we have music to cling on to and the opportunities for growing and learning by belonging to your virtual community.

    • Phil G says

      Good question! I just looked at that closer. You are sliding the D (1 on the e string) down to C (the b7 of the D chord/scale). Then you are sliding the F# (3rd on the G string) down to an E (the 2 of a D chord/scale). So, that makes a D7 sus2. I don’t know if that is the correct analysis, but that is the way I see it?

  64. Gale Y says

    Wow, Thank you Brian! Such a great lesson full of sweet fills and harmonies with so many takeaways! Linking the shapes of Cage is starting to make sense:). really helps with learning and remembering songs too.

  65. Bruce M says

    Brian, another great lesson!

    In my e-mail intro to this lesson you said your son has expressed an interest in learning to play. My grandson showed an interest in learning a couple years ago and I was very happy to try and help him learn to play. But he soon gave up on it. I would like to figure out how to keep him interested but the songs PaPa learned to play in the sixties are not cool now?
    My guitar teacher when I was a kid tabbed out the notes of ghost riders in the sky, buggie woogie and I was soon picking out the songs. I don’t know if I had a stronger desire to learn how to play but it was not easy on a Sears Silvertone with thick strings and baseball bat sized neck, but I did,
    Anybody have any Ideas for songs that might be more interesting to him that would be fun for him? Saints go marching in is not one of them. I know one thing it is hard to compete with watching movies and video games, they are a lot easier to play. Thanks

  66. Tim Moran says

    So, this helped me connect your previous lesson on harmonized sixths and thirds to chord shapes and how they might be used. I’ve been fooling around with the harmonized sixths, but wasn’t really relating them to chords, and how that might be used in a song. Very helpful!

  68. David B says

    Yet again your timing is a perfect fit on my learning curve. I followed your reference back to EP363 and definitely had one of your “light bulb moments”, even though I’m only half way through it. I will stop all other practice (songs,scales etc..) so that I can fully focus on this content. Thank you so much !

  70. jseppi says

    Hey Brian, thanks for finding new ways to bring the guitar to life for us and to share your knowledge. I have recommended your site to several people over the years because you provide good solid music theory in a fun “teach ’em how to fish way”. One of the “great takeaways” to all of your lessons is your “attention to timing”. That has been sooo helpful for me. I used to be a chord and note player, thanks to you I can respect space and pay tribute to melodies much more. You have created a beautiful niche for bringing us along with you in the enjoyment of music.

  71. houliAK says

    I like your description of “these notes represent the “G” chord”. You’ve used a phrase like that before but for some reason it really hit home with me during this lesson because the fill licks are what I’m always longing for to add variety and spice up my playing. Thanks and Merry Christmas.

  72. jaystrings2@aol.com says

    Lots of light bulbs on this one, Brian. Jam packed, yet made to feel simple and do-able. The biggest lightbulb is that seeing CAGED and all you’ve done here as “concepts” sparked the inspiration. Why didn’t I hear, see, or learn this 30 years ago? Back when it seemed that playing hundreds of songs was so daunting – like, I was going to have to practice till I knew hundreds o songs. If only someone had explained CAGED the way you did in this video and very meticulously showed application after application of the concept —- well, I’m just grateful to finally feel some light bulbs and SO proud to be a premium member. You’re the best, Brian. Jay

  74. R S says

    Another terrific lesson Brian, thank you and yes, so many lightbulb moments in connecting chords through the progression. It’s seemingly simple when you lay it out in sections as you did. The peddle steel bends are such pretty licks to work on. Wonderful piece, thank you.

    Hey, so many of your pieces are a such a pleasure to listen to. If you have any links to longer pieces you have recorded I’m sure many of us would love to listen to them.

    Thank you for all you do Brian!

  75. Alfred Dowaliby says

    Fabulous lesson! The longer I play and study the guitar, the more I realize how much it is about the chords, or pieces of the chords in different positions on the neck. Brian has been highly instrumental (no pun intended) in opening my eyes to this. Being able to sketch out the chords with single note lines, double stops, and triads is what really catches the listener’s ear, and is the secret to truly melodic and musical playing. Also, and again this is something I’ve seen Brian emphasize, how important it is to plan out the runs so that they flow smoothly into and connect the chord changes, landing on the right note(s) at the right time. Happy playing!

  78. Sheridan S says

    I always have trouble remembering the note names on strings 2,3 and 4. It just dawned on me that like using C shape for the note names on second string, A shape can be applied for the 3rd string and E shape for the 4th sting. Now I can easily find the notes on all 6 strings. Thanks Brian!!!

  82. shivalan says

    Thanks Brian for another stupendous lesson. I’ve been keen to learn some of the riffs here for some time, and here they are. I can’t understand why anyone would not wish to learn the CAGED system because it helps me understand the neck in a way that no other system does. For me, this is the best lesson for some time and if I may make a request could you do a lesson around the style of playing of James Blood Ulmer? Again, many thanks – your are the very best lessons out there and I’m forever grateful to you. Best wishes, Alan

  83. Jeff C says

    A few years ago i leant scotty moores good rocking tonight with one finger goes there this one here but it sounded ok but this lesson explains why this finger goes there.
    in the solo he plays the two note E in three places double stops tthe A7 and the B7 so many light bulb moments i,m saving on electric.

    well done Brian

    Jeff from east london

  85. jlg says

    Great lesson. My “aha” moment was to see a connection between the two bend positions on either side of a chord using the A shape as its own thing. What I cannot wrap my mind around is why you call those other positions harmonized sixths instead of 3rds. For example, if I am seeking a vocal harmony to blend over a G chord and the lead vocal is singing the G, I would try a B and call it a 3rd. Here a G and B played together is called a harmonized 6th. I know I’m missing something.

  87. eames28 says

    Going back to lesson 363 with harmonizing sixths really helped me. Using the major and minor shapes it is easy to visualize the shapes going forward using the major,minor,minor pattern. But can anybody help me with an easy way to visualize going backwards. If you start at C Major going forwards i can see but how do you figure out what sixths goes before the C chord. I guess the sixths before the C chord is a sevenths but I can not visualize what it is, Thanks

  88. Eckbert M says

    Sometimes I need a lot of time to follow your lessons! But I have just one word for “genius”! Thanks a lot Brian! Many years I´m looking for such songs, material and technics! I`m happy! A Happy New Year to you and all members! Ecki Molterer from Austria

  89. Darrell Arnold says

    I’m really happy to have had a bit more time over the holidays to spend with you lessons. I’ve been stumbling into these harmonies without understanding what chord I’m playing them in. Now I think I understand what’s going on. This is really going to be helpful. Thanks! And Happy New Year!

  90. Richard K says

    Hello Brian and happy new year!!

    Awesome lessons! When I improvise, my main challenge is to anticipate chord changes without any prompts. Any trick or thing to practice to improve this?

    Thanks!

    Richard

  91. Chris H says

    Another winner, Brian. Okay, for me, attaching the 6ths to specific chords was helpful. That’s always been a confusing area, because one man’s 6th is another man’s 3rd. Very useful to attach to chords.

  92. Paul P says

    Very helpful Brian. I appreciate how you consistently connect your lessons to others especially regarding the CAGED system.. These harmonies sound so good for blues and country, I will be spending lots of time exploring these techniques. Great material, thanks

  95. John Tillis Jr. says

    Im taking your lessons so what you say meens a lot to me.. BUT!!! The rule of a seventh is flaten the route a whole step is a seventh…. flaten the route a half step is a major 7th
    Im not looking for the 7 note of a scale dont know scales? lol I do know the route. as you can see Im not a speller or brainy one either..lol
    Thanks for the great lessons!

  97. Martin S says

    thanks so much for 2 things:

    1. making a real hot song for each lesson with the examples taught in the lesson (it’s the only way i will memorize the chords and licks)

    2. explaining why you can do something. I’m doing a lot of what you do from past memorization and got no further than the licks or inversions i memorized. Now that I know why I do it, it opens up so many more examples of what I can do ( it opens up the entire fretboard).

  99. Robert N says

    Hi Brian,
    In the second bar where we go from the x x 12 x 12 x , xx 11 x 11 x, to the xx 10 x 10 x, or stated another way, from the 12 12 , 11 11, 10 10 on the D and B strings you said in the video that you were going from the A shape of the G at the 12th fret to the C shape G chord at the 8th fret,(one shape of a G to another shape of a G). Since the chord being played in the second bar is a D I believe it should be called going from a D6 chromatically to a D9 and then to the G at the 8th fret. I can’t take credit for this, I was showing this lesson to an accomplished guitar player friend of mine who mentioned it to me.
    I do see that it is the same notes as going from one G shape to another.
    Hope you can understand what I tried to convey and hope it might be helpful to you and others.
    I am a big fan of your site for years. For me your teaching style is excellent. Hope you continue to produce these lessons for years to come.
    Best regards,
    Bob

  100. Michael M says

    I mostly play blues, but I think I enjoy your “country licks” lessons more than any! Thing is, I don’t like country music, but just love the guitar backings, pedal steel licks, etc. They sound so smoothe, and your lessons seem to really help me understand the neck of the guitar. Thanks Brian for such interesting and insightful lessons.

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