Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Part 2 (of 2) How one note can help build an entire solo. Guitar Lesson – EP610

Description

This is a follow-up lesson to the Part 1 video on building a lead off a single (root) note. In this lesson, we’ll continue adding elements to the root note, which include: chromatic notes, the flat 7 for the 1 chord, and the minor pentatonic scale.

The Part 1 video to this 2 part series can be found here

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Comments

  3. daniel M says

    Definitely a new way to think of the progression and really for me to start learning the intervals within the scale and chord structure. I know the theory but I need to know exactly where the interval is on the guitar within the chord. Thanks

  6. Norbert says

    Hi Brian,
    EP 371 is a jazz song. Could you perhaps create a Part 3 lesson for EP 610/ML112 that includes jazz harmonies and licks? I would be very interested… and perhaps some of your other followers would be as well. …..?!?

  7. Thierry says

    Hi Brian,

    I particularly like the novel format of your lessons – perhaps it suits better my way of thinking and where I’m on my guitar journey.
    Nothing wrong with the previous lessons type, often starting from a composition and removing the flesh to show the articulations and bones. Very useful and I love it since I joined in 2021. I’m however finding the novel format more engaging, building the composition from a small bit (a note here), then adding bones, articulations and flesh. It adds (even) more context and pushes me to explore more. The “guitar mastering” also appears less daunting.
    Loose connection, and again, this might be down to my way of thinking, but it looks to me like jigsaw puzzles. You are forced to analyse individual pieces more thoroughly when you build the picture than when starting from the picture and analysing why each piece is where it is.
    Thank you!

  10. charjo says

    It’s taken me years to realize that all the perspectives you mentioned are helpful for navigating the fretboard. Another perspective is just knowing the notes on the fretboard, what notes are within the chords of the progresssion and their function within those chords.
    I asked a very advanced player how he negotiates the fretboard for a solo. He said between hearing the notes and muscle memory of learned patterns, his fingers just know where to go. I think this lesson is a great start to acheiving that kind of skill.

    • Michael K says

      The point of the lesson is to become more aware of your intervals. Become aware of and utilize the passing notes between 3 to 5, 5 to 3, b3 to 5, 5 to b3. The major pentatonic scale is right there and available to you. Whatever phrasings you chose to create musical tension, land on one of the chord tones for the current or next bar if it will change to the IV or V chord.

      There was the idea of using the two places to access the b7 note either two frets down or on the lower string 3 frets up to play it as a chord.

      The final idea was one that should be familiar to you if you already went through all of the CAGED system videos. Pattern # 4 is right there to access the minor pentatonic scale notes. Pattern #4 connects to the A shape in CAGED (root note on G and A string). Again start becoming aware of the root note, 3, 5, and b7 as favorite landing notes. At first, this seems daunting to accomplish, but it comes over time and your ear gets better and better and finding the right notes and just knowing where they are.

      Just take one idea at a time and work with it. As far as the included composition, try to see where he is using each of these techniques. That’s your homework. I’ll do the first few bars for you.

      Bar 1: the box
      Bar 2: ascending 3rd to 5th > 3rd landing on root.
      Bar 3: the box again, landing on b7 note
      Bar 4: utilizing b7 chord tone
      Bar 5: b7 (defining tone of A7 chord ) to the box notes

      If your haven’t done so already, take the time to learn your intervals. The fives are under the one’s, the 3’s are over the ones and down a fret unless going from G to B string. 4’s are over 1’s, b7 is over 4’s. 5’s are over 2’s, 6’s are over 3’s. Once you know this sort of stuff, everything will start clicking.

  13. Daniel H says

    Brian, at 8.00 in part 1 you showed the pattern on the screen you can work from using the E on the 3rd string. I know the pattern mostly repeats for the other root positions but there are some shifts. It would have been so helpful to see the printed pattern for the other root positions. The time in your lesson dedicated to explaining the fundamentals I believe offer the greatest value. I would love to see more time and visual patterns dedicated to the fundamentals rather than on the application part of your lesson. This is just one opinion and perspective, but I am a student who also performs and I use what you teach me to enhance the covers and originals that I perform. I am hoping you can consider this in future lessons. Nevertheless, you are the teacher/master and I am so grateful for these lessons every week.

  14. Michael Allen says

    Often when I am troubled by something I’ll pray and ask for a different way of looking at the situation since the way I’m looking at it in the moment is not working for me. It does help and I can see how using different ways of looking at learning to play the guitar are very useful. Thanks for always giving a different perspective which leads to better understanding of how to play the instrument.

  15. Patrick J. G says

    I’m glad you mentioned the chord shapes at the end of part 2. I have worked hard to learn the shapes and showing us how to work off from them was great. Now I can learn how to work the fret board from expanding what I already know. This was great.

  16. Harry B says

    I confess that I didn’t quite “get” last week”s lesson. Maybe I didn’t try hard enough. But after studying this week’s lesson a little, I went back and looked at last week’s lesson and suddenly it all started to become clear, including the stuff about the little box.

    Great stuff, Brian. I it is why I look forward to your lesson every week.

  17. Paul N says

    A+! This was something I was definetly missing Brian. I think this really opened up a new door for me. A new way to look at the fretboard. I new set of tools for improv. I’d have no problem with you continuing this path you started on. Thanks!

  19. houliAK says

    The lesson is great but the last 2-3 minute dialog really spoke to me. I also “forget a lot more than I remember” and I still “get lost” but not as much as I used to. That short dialog reminds me of my progress and gives me hope. Thanks, Brian

  20. Robert R says

    It’s like learning math. Individually, we all come at it from our point of reference. Going at it from different angles will connect with a larger group and over time and with some study, most see how it all interconnects.
    I love how you see that and that’s one of the things that make you a great instructor!

  21. Nelson V says

    A lot to digest in these last two lessons, but the explanations you included will make it a bit easier. I agree with Norbert that it would be great to see a lesson similar to these two focused on developing jazz licks over a ii V7 I progression. Thanks for all your hard work putting these lessons together!

  22. John M says

    As always, I love how you continue to open up the way you look at the guitar. This was a very influential lesson for me for improvising lead. You are awesome Brian. Thank you!

  26. David H says

    I think this is only my second comment since early covid days Brian. Just wanted to say thank you as these two lessons have finally given me what I recognize as breakthrough moments. Am having so much fun with it, … finding country songs I like and embellishing, effortlessly compared to before. Attending jam sessions with others is going to take on a new angle now too. Truly fun stuff!!

  29. Bruce G says

    These have been great lessons. I expect I will need to spend the coming weeks continuing to digest this. It’s always helpful in future lessons when you connect back to these concepts as well.

    Personally, I still struggle with thinking about the chord progression, and as you say “knowing where you are going next” and being ready for that. Your comments on emphasizing the flat 3rd for the four chord, and the second for the five chord are “ah ha’s” for me (even though I know I’ve done chord tone targeting lessons as well).

    Loving your lessons. Thanks for all you do—you are a great teacher!

  30. Andrew A says

    Brian, over the past few years you’ve done lessons on targeting notes and ear training, which for me really came together in these last two lessons. What note to find , where to find it and what it will sound like (in relation to the chord progression) has subtly begun to come into focus for me. As a previous member commented these lessons somehow make them easier to understand “by building a picture “, and as you say I can see the beginnings of “singing with my fingers “ . You are right, there is a lot of material to learn and understand, but it is doable. A continuation of these lesson or something similar would be very welcome. Thanks for your tremendous effort and creativity.

  31. LEAH W says

    There was a lot of information to digest. A bit overwhelming for me.
    Similar to some of the other comments a tab with the boxes would be helpful.
    I have learned from three years of your lessons to think in patterns. It would have been helpful if you had a diagram of the pentatonic patterns when you introduced the “different boxes” so we could clearly relate the boxes to the pentatonic patterns.

  34. Henry P says

    This was truly a groundbreaker. Seeing a root note on each string and building through familiar patterns on each does it for me. Can we have further lessons on different roots, like b flat or C? We can now figure this out for ourselves, but having your explanations tied to musical phrases makes all the difference. Thanks!

  35. Philip D says

    Brian these last few lessons of starting on the root note have helped me visualize the chord shapes within the boxes and play some pretty cool stuff. This is my new practice platform until I get really good at this. Thanks

  36. ljg says

    Hi Brian,
    10+ years a member and i am wondering what goes on in a typical jam session?
    I am guessing somebody is singing a song or playing a chord progression and everyone takes a turn
    soloing or improvising over the chord progression,Is everything pre arranged?
    I would like to try one one day just to experience it ,but kind of nervous.
    Thanks, your lessons are fantastic…….Lucas

  41. David S says

    What I like about this lesson is the focus on seeing the fretboard from the standpoint of scale degrees, as an alternative to seeing things based on CAGED shapes. It helps me to flip back and forth between the two.

    • Rob M says

      Agree with this thought. Caged was good for me to think about my next chord near where I was playing. This helps me see how to mesh with the chords of the song all over the fret board. Can’t wait to find ways to move up me down the neck between these.

      Side note – I just auto renewed and was questioning whether to continue subscription based on the little time I’ve put into playing lately. This lesson resparked my appetite. And reminded me how enjoyable Brian’s style of teaching can be. Thanks much!

  42. Michael M says

    Brian

    This lesson crystallize what I’ve been sort of working through on my own. Depending which string the root is on there is a unique cord shape. Thiese shapes relate to the caged system. I’m trying to grasp it all at once, but this lesson Definitely helped. If you could do a graph of those cord structures, depending on which string the root is on that would be helpful.
    Terrific lesson

  44. Klaus G says

    I repeat what calvin said:
    Thanks Brian for ML112 ans EP610
    Perhaps now I will find my way as Classic player into Improvising
    Could you please give me the details of your Fender Tele and its pick ups
    Greetings Klaus

  46. Lyn C says

    Hi Brian.. I sure like this approach starting with knowing where the Root, the third and fifh notes are in relation to each other, all over the fretboard.. some of the previous lessons are starting to fit in better. This makes the fretboard easier to navigate. as I have being learning it by a clumsy method of memorizing groups of notes on each fret. e.g. A-D-G-C-E-A. or D-G-C-F-A-D etc.
    This is an eye opening approach, and I think I can figure out a bit of improvisation more readily now that this “box” method is starting to sink in.
    Thank you very much.

  47. John M says

    Of all the lessons about transitioning with the chord changes, none has made as much sense as this. After digesting this, I have finally felt quite comfortable playing lead. This knowledge and knowledge of triads are in my opinion the most critical in upping my lead game. I WOULD LOVE for you to make another of these with different keys! I think this would make a great series. Thank you Brian. This was a huge breakthrough for me.

  48. Michael K says

    This is a really fantastic lesson. I plan to work on parts 1 and 2 for the next month just to get it right and incorporate alterations using the major and minor pentatonic. Thanks very much!

  49. Robert C says

    Brilliant, playing the intervals makes so much sense, and the move to get into the minor pentatonic shape was over the top. This way of thinking about soloing just clicks in my brain. Thanks

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