Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Ragtime solo Blues Guitar – no jam track needed! – Learn how to create one – Guitar Lesson – EP624

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson is a Ragtime Blues that you can play by yourself. I’ll break it all down note for note and relate everything back to basic chord shapes so that you can expand on this if you want, or even create your own.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  4. Michael Krailo says

    Oh boy, another killer composition. I’m beside myself on how you can create such great sounding pieces of work like this so quickly and seemingly effortlessly. I hope it rubs off eventually on me eventually. I’m working hard on some of your other pieces to refine the some of the licks that trip me up. I’ll have to stop what I’m doing just to run through this one a few times so I can add yet another gem to the growing collection.

    Just to let you know, I am feeling proud of my progress from your lessons. I decided to test myself before watching your video commentary of the chord progression and was able to spot the 2-5-1 extension of the B7 chord. That in and of itself is very reassuring that the repetition of concepts is working. Hats off to your teaching style.

    I just had a thought. Is it possible you can point to the actual artists musical tracks that give you the inspiration for your compositions? I need to start listening to more music that fits the style of your lessons but I have no idea what to listen to. A compiled recommended listening list would be very helpful to aid in engraining some of these styles by simply listening to their music more often.

  6. T-Bish says

    This composition puts a smile on my face. It has a cool feel. Love the rhythm with a few sprinkled leads and finishing with a turnaround on the 12th (refreshing). I can imagine playing it for others and their reaction, “Where did that one come from!” Thanks, Brian.

  7. Giles R says

    Over the years I’ve done every one of your lessons but the ragtime compositions are a real stand out for me.I don’t know how you manage to produce such inspirational and informative music week in week out but as ever many thanks.

  8. Robert G says

    Hi, Brian,
    I agree with the comments above; your Ragtime and Blues comps, especially the acoustics, are what keep me coming back. You have a real knack for this; you just don’t find it anywhere else on the net, not the way you teach it. I think that this is your forte.
    Keep up the great work!

  18. Jim L says

    Brian. I have been a subscriber since almost the beginning. You have made me a much better guitar player in that time and I thank you for that. As a suggestion, I think you could do a lesson hilighting lead lines on each shape in the caged system. You did that a little in this lesson using the D shape and it is the part that will stick with me the most. Maybe show 3-4 lead phrases off of each shape. I think it would be very helpful to a lot of guitarist. You are a gifted teacher. I look forward to this lesson if you choose to do it. Thanks.

  19. Daniel H says

    Brian, I appreciate every minute you give explaining the song’s composition and structure. Of course the licks and basis of the improvisations are an essential part of your lessons but as an aspiring song writer, your time spent explaining the structure and chord choice are greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    • Michael Krailo says

      He described the mechanics of it in the video precisely. I assume your talking about the first few bars with B7 and C#7 chords. It’s simply a down/up/DOWN/up(on highest string of the chord)/down(on the base note shifted to the lower note on the E-string). Which part of that are you struggling with? I couldn’t do it either at first, I just slowed it down and did exactly as he described to groove each individual piece of the lick or chord strum. It’s not easy to do up to speed cleanly, so I stay at the lower temp a long time to give it time to sink in. The great thing is if we all spend the required amount of time on these rhythm guitar techniques, they are sure to show up again and you will have already done the hard part already, so it keeps getting easier down the line. I have seen a very similar technique in a previous lesson, can’t remember which one it was, but this one is harder than the last one. It’s well worth the effort though. I worked on two different lessons today (EP583 & this one) and I’m very happy with the progress. It all takes many sessions to get these techniques down to the point they are effortless at normal tempo.

      There are definitely some things that were foreign to me in this lesson and I just broke it down piece by piece making sure to slow the rhythm way down and groove it nice and slow. If you can groove the cord changes, then you have a fighting chance. But you may have to work on each individual piece for a while.

      I struggled with bar 4 going from the F#7 bar chord to the lick. Then I noticed that Brian was holding that bar chord long enough to hit that first C# note in the lick to transition into performing the lick. Suddenly it started to click for me. The next lick was tricky to get the timing right because it speeds up at the end, so for me at least, I had to slow the whole tempo down to make the harder licks easier to nail the rhythm of it.

  22. Doug says

    More please, love these rag time blues. My wife mashed up some meet me in St Louis lyrics to this we just watched it. As my son and I played this. Tons of family fun.
    Thanks Brian

  24. Tom G says

    Another good one. I’ve been writing songs for years using, primarily, cowboy chords and playing rhythm in bands. You’ve helped me get better on guitar but the more you teach me, the fewer songs I write. This one was a breakthrough for me. When I heard this familiar progression with the cool use of the 2-5-1 , explained in previous lessons, lyrics started popping of the top of my head. Not good ones but they can be worked on. When you stated at the beginning that you wanted us to be able to build these melodies by ourselves, this one really worked for me. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
    Tom G.

  25. Robert G G says

    Brilliant again Brian.

    Although still working on your last two lessons. I now understand 2-5-1 and sus’ more. The Rag Time is on my next list. Love it.

    Ragtime is fun and like those chords too.

    Like the man said about T Bone Walker, “If it wasn’t for the blues, we wouldn’t have jazz,”

    Best to all…

  27. James G says

    Comments to help you. For me, the more you talk, the more I learn. The first round I get the picture. The second round I see what went over my head. The third round I play while you talk and practice the licks that I like. The next day, I practice what I learned while reading my emails. Then I know if I have to go back and review. Upon review I see way more…….and hopefully can improvise down the road. This works for me,

  31. Tim Moran says

    This was very cool – it gives me another level of sophistication to the simple 1,4,5 stuff I usually play, and I love ragtime. Lots of ideas, I’ll have to spend some time with it. Thanks, Brian.

  34. Jason F says

    Great lesson Brian and I appreciate your new approaches to playing the chord changes. Can you please explain why you play two bars of C#7 in bars 20 and 21 instead of one bar as in bars 3 and 27? Thanks!

  36. Tommy H says

    Tons of great lessons in here, this is just one of them, and yes Brian, it works very well for me. The way you teach is amazing, you always tell where you are and why and i think that`s very important to do so, especially for someone like me, and here is why. I am lazy doing my theory, but i am so motivated learning from your lessons, and therefore it`s impossible not to get some theory under my skin. I can see what Michael Krailo means almost getting overwhelmed by all theese lessons, i`ve bin there myself, and yes it seems nearly effordless for you Brian when performing, but i know that you have to practice too of course. Anyway, this lesson is so fun for me, and i can combine it with much of the stuff i`ve learned. I`m using triads that lead me to scales, i can improvise and i`m getting theese lightbulps when practicing some lessons. Sometimes i don`t know exactly where they come from, but i know they come from lessons in here. It`s so rewarding when i suddenly think, aha, i can use this scale or this lick here. I`m not getting stressed anymore about weekly lessons i won`t catch, i can always go back, so now i just keep on practicing in my own speed. Now that i feel my fingers actually can dance, i need to be better at the theory stuff and i am on the right path. I fully understand the caged system and using it all the time, got that from your triad and caged lessons.
    I don`t have any ideas right now for further lessons, because this concept works very well for me. I`m very happy that i joined activemelody, think i will send Michael Krailo an reply telling him about my path.
    Thank you so much Brian.
    Greetings Tommy

  37. Patrick M says

    Brian,

    I really like these lessons. It seems to take me a long time to get these down to memory, but I know it is just repetitive practice. I have grown very fond of your teaching style. I started some of my finger picking several years ago with DVDs from the late Pete Huttlinger. I wasn’t sure I would find a source that I would enjoy as much as I did Pete. However, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your lessons. Thanks.

  39. Michael D says

    Will take all the rag time you can deliver. The recent lessons where you play a both a rhythm groove and work in licks are favorites. Found my ear taking me to the diminished chords instead of the B7th. Way too much fun – thanks

  40. Don R says

    I just acquired, through a friend of a friend, a sweet Kalamazoo KG -21 made in 1937 or 38 by Gibson, It looks identical except without the binding and a couple of other aesthetic features. This lesson is going to sound great on that guitar… provided I play it properly!

  41. Chad F says

    Thank you so much Brian!

    I have been playing for 25 years and the fretboard has never opened up for me like it has since being on Active Melody the last few months. I had learned so much from your free videos on YouTube that I wanted to sign up for a premium membership to support you and to learn even more.

    This ragtime jam is so much fun. I appreciate how you explain how the notes relate to the chord shapes. It helps me to visualize it better and move it to other keys.

    You are a real master. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

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