Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Slow Groove in B Minor (Solo Guitar Lesson) – EP155

Description

This guitar lesson is another “no accompaniment” composition (also referred to as “solo guitar”). You won’t need a jam track for this one, just a guitar and a pick. This slow groove is played in B minor and you’ll be alternating between playing rhythm and lead, going back and forth between the two. Make sure to use a metronome at some point when you practice this to keep your timing in check. Your natural tendency will be to speed things up.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walk-Through

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  2. Jeem says

    Ya Mon!
    Nice groove on this one and slow enough I might be able to actually do it!
    It has all kinds of potential for adding one’s own ingredients! down the road.

    Thanks boss!

    Jim

  5. Aussie Rick says

    Brian – many thanks for another great lesson. I’m like the kid in the candy store – so many exceptional lessons to choose from. This one has displaced the one I was working on (Gypsy Waltz) at the top of the list until I get it under the fingers. No backing required, great groove and fill licks and plenty of guidance on how to build on it.
    Cheers,
    Rick

    • Doug Christine says

      Hi Brian, I really enjoy these older B minor grooves the best .Ep267 was tough getting the groove down with the mutes hybrid picking but once I got it down its hellavu fun song to play and adding my own licks. Ep365 Hendrix and so many I can’t count. I have song books where I write everything down so I can keep track and go back to them whenever I like. Your a great teacher born to rock. Thanks 🙏 Brian.

  8. pheartscott says

    Brian,
    You mention the univibe this time around. I’m pretty new to all the pedals and effects in general. Would the Ventura vibe get er done same way? I’m asking cause want to get a pedal that can do all these types of sounds you do. You’ve already got me for sure getting the TC flashback. Anyhow, great lesson. Love these stand alone lessons with electric. It’s funny when I came to this site I was more acoustic guy but I’m really more electric now. Love it all though. Thanks.
    Scott

    • Brian says

      Hey Scott, I haven’t tried a Ventura Vibe, but I think any of the vibe pedals should create that sound. It’s not something that I use often, but from time to time I like that vintage sound it creates.

  13. OldVet says

    I suppose I should know better, but you do this to me almost weekly now. The initial time through I think, how simple. Cute little piece, but just a simple ditty. Then I get into the break down. Chord pattern, check, Nice little walk in, Check Great change into the melodic minor sound. Check.

    Then you do it. That passage leading up to the country bend was clear cut. Keep moving, nothing to see here folks. Then BLAM! That twangy bend changes this for the better, only to slide up and toss in a bit of Jimmy Page, then to flow with Jimi Hendrix chord walking.

    And…………………another world opens up.

    I recently watched a video about the first, third, and fifth of the chords in the progression you are playing, and how the melodic solo is based off utilizing those notes throughout the fret board, and building, augmenting around them. I guess this goes back to when you set the expectations of the listener, and repeat subtle aspects to remind the listener where we are.

    I started to write you an email about this. Then you are waiting for me here with this piece, which encompasses some of the very things I just discovered. Of course after you have told me this for months.

    Great lesson, Brian.

    You have years of this, you say. Okay, I’ll stay for the floor show!

    Terrific job this week.

  14. Norbert says

    Hi Brian,
    I know Justin, Marty, Siggi, Daddy Stove Pipe Jim Bruce, Sawlon, Guru and another few of this very good YouTube teachers. In a way they are all really, really useful and I have practiced a lot of their stuff (after buying ….). But your lessons are the best …… for what I prefer – of course 😉 ……..
    Thanks again!!! N.

  19. orient2k says

    Hi Brian
    Yet another great and interesting lesson! Many thanks. However I have a problem. Every lessons appear to come so fast!!!! that before I have time to master one. a new and compelling lesson awaits me. I don’t know how you can work so hard every week.
    Regards

  22. wrightclick says

    Great example on how to work the minor pentatonic box with some added notes from the natural minor scale ,once you memorise each individual lick then get the feel of the timing tidying up a little making sure them notes are ringing as you play the Bm you’re there . Fab

  25. Daryl Y says

    Great lesson, Brian! I really love the development of this lesson. It provide ample opportunity to improvise and experiment over a simple but stylish groove. I’m a fan!

    • Kent Schneeweiss says

      For this lesson I use a MXR Phase 90 pedal and a little bit of delay pedal as well as a little bit of reverb from my Blues Jr. Amp. I get very close to the sound Brian has for this slow groove in B minor. Really like this lesson! The BOSS TR-2 Tremolo pedal is something I cannot live without (not used in this song) But I add it in here and there for intriguing passages – makes the same repeating lines sound more interesting giving them a new color holding my attention with the added variety.

  31. wrightclick says

    Fab lesson i also enjoyed the closing out chat in part two . Best thing i ever did joining this site i can really notice improvements and things coming together with technique, theory and hybrid picking (which was totally alien to me ) also a little fingerstyle .My only criticism is of my self i spend so much time on your site i rarely noodle on my own . I have a guitar in every part of the house i am so determined i pick a guitar and play 20 times a day weather it be while the dinners cooking or 5 mins before leaving for work. Im glad i investigated this man with a red 335 guitar on youtube and discovered ActiveMelody .Keep up the goodwork

  32. H says

    Hey Brian, I love this groove, nice easy pace and great sound from your Tele. I’m still working on it. will get there soon. thanks as usual you clearly love your work. H

  35. Peter P says

    Hey Brian,

    Loving this one too. The diversity of your well described and performed lessons are paying off for me. Even had a few of those “light bulb” moments. My goal is to be able to learn at the same cadence as your lessons. If I keep at it I think that will happen!

    Thanks Brian.

  36. george s says

    I really like dominate blues, and pretty “hendrix style” major blues. (Think, “Wind Cries Mary”). But love the dark minor sound of this one. Really slick! Brian, please keep these no accompaniment pieces coming!! Very cool!

    GS

  37. T. Frolicker says

    Beautiful. And I especially like the no accompaniment ones like this. I am probably the oldest one on this site, but I can still get to do those offerings of yours.

  42. kenford says

    Hey Brian,

    I keep coming back to this lesson because it’s just so good! I’ve played it in a few different keys and it just seems that Bm works and sounds the best. I’ve just noodled around with this one for the past two days and keep finding my own great bits to add and expand on this lesson. I think it’s great how you give us a basic progression with a few tasty licks, but the best thing is that you steer us in the right direction so we can embellish it and find our own way of interpreting the piece! Thanks for all the hard work Brian, well appreciated!!

    • Kent Schneeweiss says

      Well stated Kenford. I too have tried it in a couple of other keys. I agree, Bm sounds most ‘cool’ I too have been adding my own licks and embellishments – mostly what I’ve picked up from Brian’s other lessons. The hybrid pick style is new to me, but it’s starting to work its way into my playing. Brian is taking me from a hard/psych rock-pick only-player to a more rounded intelligent professional sounding guitarist. I, and my girlfriend, thank you Brian for the hard work in bringing these easy to follow-valuable-lessons to us. -Kent

  43. Rev Bob says

    Hi Brian, thanks for another great lesson. I’m now making my way through pt 2, a little at a time before moving on. Is there a way in which the user can mark (pause) the video where they finish off, and when they come back to it too continue learning it picks up at the previous finish point. I know you can scratch it along, but I have an extremely slow internet connection living in the country and sometimes it can take up to 15 minutes to get the video to run.
    Man, I’m just loving all of the lessons, and I have learnt so much, thank you. 😀

  44. Kent Schneeweiss says

    A cool and hip lesson. Like Randy Bigger, I too picked up on this one pretty quickly. Love the lessons Brian. The country licks are getting into my playing. I never used the hybrid picking technique (only used the pick) but now I’m doing hybrid picking. The lessons are very good. It’s been less than two months but I’m finally going places other than hard/psych rock and starting to get a grip on playing a well rounded pleasant/professional sounding guitar. Thank you so much! – Kent

  48. pschlosb says

    I love your lessons Brian but one thing I wish you would use more musician lingo or wording. Everytime I’ve gotten together with an experienced musician to play together…… or for a lesson or something, they always try to intimidate with their use of language, particularly talking about intervals. They usually don’t only use the note names, but they always use intervals say use the 1st and the 5th, or go to the flat 3rd. When you tell us about the blues note in this lesson you didn’t say the flat 5th. I wish you would explain intervals a little bit more because it almost seems like the magic elixir to becoming a more advanced musician, understanding intervals and how to talk about them.

  50. kitchman says

    Hi Brian! Thank goodness FB sent me a link to this older lesson! My guitar friend and I were talking about difficulty staying in the groove pocket. Boom! Not only were we really syncing up, but I found it easy to riff and then fall back onto the chords in a meaningful way. Dude, you are an awesome teacher!

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