Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Fingerstyle Blues Guitar Lesson – Solo Composition in the key of E – EP257

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a blues fingerstyle composition in the key of E. This works well on acoustic or electric guitar. I’ll explain where all of the notes and chords come from and how it’s constructed so that you can start creating your own fingerstyle compositions like this one.

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

      • John D says

        Russel, I’m guessing you figured it out by now, but –

        If using a computer to preview the play-along, use your mouse to select you loop area. Click-n-Drag through the selection you want to loop.
        The selected “loop area” background should now be colored a light gray tone.
        Next, click the small “up/down” arrows that are next to the PLAY button.
        A “Play Options” pop-up menu will appear.
        Choose what you want, Play Looped, Play Once, Play With Count-in.
        Then press the PLAY button.

        If using a Tablet, or cell phone, some of the features may be slightly different.
        Sorry for the late reply – Maybe this will help someone else.

  4. JohnStrat says

    Brian,

    You are one most talented guy! Week after week you put up wonderful tunes with so much to learn by practicing them and expanding our skills and knowledge in the detail of them. You really have a created a winner for guitarists in Active Melody. Thanks again JohnStrat

  11. Mirabel S says

    This will be a first for me , have never practiced fingerstyle before, but it is the only way
    you will learn your guitar is by doing all styles. Just played it through, its beautiful, as is all the lessons.

    Myra.

  13. Rollover33 says

    Hi Brian, twenty years ago we’ve had in France a very good fingerstyle player, Marcel Dadi. He worked a lot for transmission, but it was before internet. Lot of methods with K7… It was really difficult. Easier today with internet… and fabulous teacher you are ! Yes… but my thumb always resists to follow the rythm, with Marcel many years ago, and today !

  14. Charles M says

    New member here. I’ve been watching these lessons on Facebook for some time now. Finally decided to join up last week after watching the Blues lesson in C minor. Very nice stuff. This finger picking blues number is right up my alley. I love me some back porch picking blues.

  16. YarraJoe says

    This is great, I joined recently on the basis of another fingerstyle lesson from quite some time back. Really glad to see you will still be adding fingerstyle arrangements despite folk suggesting they might leave if you do more.

    I do have one suggestion though, could you please call out the bar number your returning too when jumping back and forth in the piece. I’m busy adding fingering suggestions (and the occasional missing notes in your tablature)so when you jump back it takes a moment or two to work out where your at in the tab.

  19. Kendrick L says

    Hi Brian,

    Just can’t get enough of these Solo Acoustic Guitar Blues Compositions. You are certainly the best Online Teacher of the guitar and have learned so much from you.

    Thank you so very much for your ever great lessons.

    Ken

  24. sunjamr says

    This is a good one – easy enough that most people can learn it without too much difficulty, yet it sounds a bit different from most fingerstyle E blues because it spends more time in some of the higher frets.

  27. jimbostrat says

    These great fingerstyle lessons by Brian (especially in the very versatile key of E) are definitely some of Brian’s finest lessons!! Sure……….getting the hang of fingerstyle and even hybrid picking is tough and uncomfortable at first but Brian covers all this nicely and gives us all the tools to practice………..Fingerstyle and hybrid picking is as essential as using a pick!! It must be mastered or at least familiarized sufficiently if anyone cares to really become proficient on guitar!! Jim C.

  28. Jan L says

    Very cool lesson, -the beginning after the intro reminds me a little bit of lucky luke:)

    thank you so much for improving my guitar playing the last two years.

    keep on doing this great lessons

  31. swampy says

    A very enjoyable composition, thank you Brian! Doable, with lots of open notes.
    After a couple of hours I’m getting some sections working, and it’s so very nice.
    Just appreciate your efforts on this and so many other lessons.

  32. Mickle says

    I can’t wait to get started on this Brian. I thought that EP256 was the best yet but you keep them coming! These lessons hit my sweet spot and it’s why I always renew my subscription. You have made it possible for me to keep practising and learning without being bored out of my tree! Great stuff.

  36. mritalian says

    Thanks again Brian, I like it all, both you’re electric and acoustic finger picking. To me the finger picking style is the best because I don’t play in a band and just love just to sit on the couch and learn some new styles. I’ve got to say if you have never seen Tommy Emmanuel play you’re missing out on seeing someone taking this finger picking to another level as no other guitar player. Anyways, I enjoy all of you’re lessons. Continued success. Ron

  38. Alan M says

    Wow me too! Brian thanks so much for this finger style blues piece, very pretty and challenging. I joined AM about a month ago, attracted to working on one of your older finger style blues pieces #EP 177 I had a lot of fun with it and with steady work, it took me about a month to get to sound recognizable. Also been working on EP 065, but that’s with a pick. Love playing acoustic on my Martin M36

  40. Andy N says

    Variety is the spice of life and it’s variety that makes Active Melody so distinctive. Even in the lessons that aren’t my bag I still learn things I can apply to the styles I do. That said, I personally love these finger style acoustic blues and this one is an absolute gem. It’s got that ragtime feel but proving not to hard to play.

  41. Alan M says

    Still working on the first six measures. This could keep me busy for a long time. Having some trouble with the D in second note of the 4th measure. It’s not really in the E chord or the B7, it seems hard to include it smoothly.

  42. wrightclick says

    I hate fingerstyle just because i am damn lazy and always found it a struggle to get passed the ” i am never going to get the hang of this ” period and packed it in but i wanted it i felt i was cheating myself for not having a go and putting the time in . I am glad i stayed the course and after frequent mini sessions breaking it down into small chunks and most importantly having some patience not letting frustration creep in i managed to get this down over a weekend .Every time you put down the guitar and pick it up again an hour of two later there is improvement a bit like waking up the next day and things seem slightly better . Brian you are a great guitar teacher and your talk throughs are bang on this is a fantastic site to learn from thanks .

  46. Glenn W says

    Hey Brian ,
    I’m finding that I rest the pinkie of my right hand on the body of the guitar and and use fingers 2 3 and 4 to fingerpick the strings. It just seems to work for me – do I need to break this habit? I’m only an average player so just play for my own sake.
    Glenn

  47. sunburst says

    well this has to be my favorite of favorites ! really enjoying learning it this morning , so far a good couple hours finally got through every measure tight as possible.. think now just need to memorize so couple more to go with this extraordinary lesson..Brian, You really surprise me how professional you are at being one of the best instructors on the net and think the music angels above help you with these compositions! start to finish never a dull moment in this melodic Piedmont blues arrangement ! Thank you very much for this one especially!!

  50. Dominique W says

    Yeah. Finally learned the last fingerstyle song on your page. Time for me to look further. I will come back now an than to looko for more fingerstyle content. Thank you for the great lessons Brian.

    Greetings from Holland

  53. Steve R says

    Hi Brian, I do not know how you do it, week after week, but these fingerstyle arrangements are just brilliant, and you have such good timing, which is one of my weaknesses, and you are such a good teacher. I know if I keep going, I will become a much better player, so thanks

    Steve

  56. Mark says

    This is GOOD material right here. I can’t get this tune out of my head! Forget the nay sayers, keep throwing in a fingerstyle song every now and then. They can learn it or fall behind.

  57. Mark says

    Now that I am really digging into this song I realize what an instructional masterpiece it actually is. Definitely one of my favorite lessons. This song includes keeping steady rhythm with your thumb, forward rolls, backward rolls, sixths, 3rds, and a few new chords for me.

    I had to go out and buy a decent acoustic guitar yesterday!

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