Description
In this MicroLesson (ML069), you’ll learn how to combine several triads and 1 position of the major pentatonic scale to play an easy blues (in any key).
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Very cool! I did not understand anything you said, but you know what, I really do not care about that stuff anymore. I have been playing for a long enough time to know my limits, and put theory aside. Not getting it took the fun out of playing guitar, got discouraged and stop playing for months sometimes years. I accepted that I memories and not improvise, I learn the weekly lessons note per note. Play them for a while, eventually i forget them, and repeat … that is what I like about this site, you get out of it, what you want out of it. Nothing wrong with theory and understanding everything, if that is your thing, good for you. For me, This is my hobby, my stress reliever, stressing myself about things I don’t get defeats the purpose. Good job Brian at developing a system that fits all!
I have the opposite problem: I understand what Brian is saying, I just can’t make my fingers do it in the real world. Love the lessons though – I used to think people who played this stuff were magic, but Brian makes it make sense. Now I just have to convince my fingers.
I get to play it after practicing the hell out of it, i have no problems with chords, for me lead is very unnatural. I have been on EP-453 for almost a week at 1 hour”ish” per night, still not very smooth. My problem is that I want to sound like Teacher. Who here does not want to be like Brian when they grow up! 🤭
I get what you’re saying. I’ve learned the pursuit of Brian’s perfection can be very hindering.
I started to just take the basics and the foundation of the lesson and just go with it.
ex. ML069, one day I ‘ll get pretty close to Brian, but in the meantime, I use the parameters of the lesson (- 6 notes in one area, the handful of triads) and just try to catch the feel of the lesson. Much less frustrating and you get to try your own rifts in it.
I’ll take an earlier lesson I played with a year ago, replay it, and find I get a lot more out of it now. My playing has gotten better, some of the techniques in the lesson, I find I can now do a lot better.
It’s a process.
oh yeaah. Ditto that.
I really like that. I think this could have filled up a regular Friday lesson.. I’m going to try to learning it by the weekend, and I see how the melody could plenty of variations. Looking forward to it. I’m hearing it like it’s an old intro for Patsy Cline.
Very much enjoyed this lesson and I always appreciate the “why” behind the music. For me, this length of lesson is just right and provides me with ideas that I can explore on my own. You are a very good teacher.
Great micro lesson – love it: So much in a small place and i will check out the other lesson on the 5th chord of the 5th chord. A good way of practicing the triads in different keys across the neck. Thanks Brian
A great micro lesson. I got a lot of great ideas from this lesson. The 5th of the 5th of the 5th is actually easier to understand now.
Thanks Brian
Ray P
I love this! Learning tonight!
So well thought out. Great concepts all packed into a short lesson. Very very useful.
I really like the lesson, but I am having some trouble feeling the changes and fitting into my understanding of the blues. And I think it’s because this is not a 12-bar blues, but a 16 bar blues – which is new to me. I would like more lessons on 16 bar blues if this in fact the structure. Maybe a version with and without the added subdominants. The confined triad approach is really cool with the limited fill notes – maybe a short lesson with as 12-bar blues would be cool. If this is a 12 bar clues then I’m really lost.
Nice lesson Brian, it has an “Amazing Grace“ feel to it.
Another one for the scrapbook!
Keep them coming.
The on screen visuals with chord diagrams and notes make the concepts that you are teaching instanly understandible. The format of your lessons keep improving. Thanks
I agree but ……it would be great if there were a pdf print out of the chords as shown on the screen .
Lynne, You should try to pause the video when they are on screen and draw them out, it really helps you remember them and then you also have them to reference later!
Sean
There is. Select the three dots at the bottom and scroll to print. A PDF is then generated you can print.
Just plain fun! Thanks Brian!
Great lesson. Is the E7 and inversion ? I don’t follow where that came from. It’s not the C shape from CAGED.
Think of your A chord in 1st position – and how you. make that an A7 – same is happening with the E in this lesson. It’s an E using the triad from the A shape… and the E7 shape is the same as the A7 shape in 1st position
Brian, this sounds like gospel blues; really cool. You may consider adding it to the Gospel section:)
Awesome micro-lesson, Brian. Lots of takeoff points and places to add improvised embellishments too. What lesson delt with dominant 7th’s? I didn’t see it like you mentioned it would be on the screen.
It’s “secondary dominant chords” – I put the lesson up on the screen – EP370
Thanks. I somehow missed it on initial play. BTW, you did an excellent job of explaining secondary dominant chords in EP370. A real eye opener for us non-trained theory folks.
Brian ..Nice format, can play in any key. Great Job,
Thanks
I agree with you…. being able to easily play this in any key makes this a very useful lesson.
Great Brian, thanks
I’ve just passed the year mark as a member and here’s what I realised after watching this lesson. I understood everything you said as far as the theory is concerned. I have another great tune to learn and best of all, armed with the knowledge of how you put this musical piece together, I could quite easily change it up and come up with a new version that would work just as well as this one. Thanks for making me a better player. I look forward to another year of your fabulous teaching on this excellent site.
Great lesson. I’m really enjoying it. I have been a member for a year now and the theory is beginning to sink in. I feel more confident in my playing as well as enjoying it more.
Thanks Brian
Love these old fashion blues 🙂
Hey Brian, what a great little tune to noodle with, your a hidden gem!
This is a great piece to play on a ukulele so I’ve got one request, would it be possible to put all the chord shape diagrams on your tab sheets, maybe at the top of the page? I keep going back to the lessons and copy/draw the shapes on my printed tab sheets.
Thanks and keep it going!!
Jim
Thank you. Another great lesson and giving the chord diagram was especially helpful. It is difficult trying to figure out the video of the finger positions, but the chord diagrams make it simple. You go to the extreme in making these lesson easy. Thank you.
???where is the root note for the A7.
2 nd string 10 th fret. D7 “caged “ shape
Love the new micro lessons, tks
A small typoo – the top line states “ML069” but the next line states “ML068″…
Again, I just love these kind of lessons. Thank you so much. I tend to try tunes that are bit to complicated for my skill level. I end up getting frustrated and then end up not practicing for days and that depresses me. So I’m going to concentrate on these easier lessons to build my confidence. You are a very inspiring teacher Brian. I think if I hadn’t found this site I would have totally given up. Thank You!
Brian,
This is how I used (Micro Lesson ML069)
It fit nicely into a song that I have been writing called ”Keep Me in Your Heart” in the key of A.
With a few changes it actually works as an instrumental outro that come after the last chorus. After this little instrumental, the last line of the chorus is repeated once. “Keep me in your heart for awhile “
I really enjoy breaking away from typical song structure or arrangements that most of us are taught to follow. This gives the guitar player a chance to showcase their playing skills just a little. It also leaves the listener wanting to hear a little more of what you might have up your sleeve so to speak.
So in this simple case the arrangement is…
*Short acoustic intro
*Verse 1
*Chorus
*Verse 2
*Chorus
*Verse 3
*Chorus
*Acoustic ML069
*Last line of the Chorus
*Ending = Short walk down playing 3rd’s
Thanks for helping all of us to become better and more creative thinkers and players.
The five chord, of the five chord, of the five chord of the one chord! This is a brilliant lesson and a ball to play when you get your head around the structure. And who doesn’t love to learn a new to me Beatle technique I now hear in many of their tunes. Thanks Brian.
Hi Brian,
What guitar are you playing in this lesson?
It is beautiful.
Love it. Love the 5 chord of the 5 chord of the 5 chord etc. idea. One request however: Since I’m new to this idea, is there any way to indicate on the tab which is the 5th of which? I suppose I could just rewatch the video and take notes old school like.
Wow. Brian. Making the simple sound SO good.
I like that you showed us the chords and the scale that this piece was built on. It is helpful for me to see. Thank you
Brian, I’ve learned so many new things from your micro lessons. I tend to take one or two bits of info and work them into my playing. One thing that I have some trouble with is the counting. I noticed on this micro lesson the chord is typically played on beat 3. I’d be really interested to see how you are counting this particular song In your head while improvising some licks between the chords.
Thanks, FC
Thanks, Brian. This is a perfect warm-up all bundled into a classy little tune. Also a great nudel while demoing a guitar in a shop!
I love the way you added the chord diagrams to the bottom part of the video. That was really helpful seeing the chord shapes (and scale pattern) while we see your finger placement on the fretboard. I encourage you to continue doing that in your videos.
This is cool , love this channel . I play these little pieces at my gigs , when I play with other people I see my lead getting better too.
Best money I ever spent on guitar lessons.
Thank you brian
That was fantastic. So nice to learn with music I love, if very simple. “Blues from 8 to Midnight,” I’ll call it.
Loving these micro lessons Brian! Digestible concepts and fun to practice. Please do more, you are a great teacher. Have you ever thought about an occasional challenge where members can post improv videos using these concepts (and you pick a top 1,2 or 3 to highlight for the week?).