Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Complementing the Chords: Play something that isn’t already being played! – Guitar Lesson – EP628

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn some creative ways to enhance a rhythm track by adding a complementary layer to the song. No need to strum the same rhythm chords, instead learn how to play something over them that adds to the song.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  4. daniel M says

    love the breakdown your always coming up with new ideas to incorporate into your teaching style. I know its not new but hey over 600 lessons who can remember everything you have covered in the past? The other point is that we are all at different levels and sometimes it just fits so well with where we are at. I like this lesson!

  9. Imerio A says

    Very good lesson Brian. Full of usefull ideas on how to play somethimg different. Plus the melody is so cool and relaxing….a great song itself. Not hard to play but an opportunity to improve touch and personal expressiveness. Many thanks.

  11. charjo says

    Simple and beautiful, another seminal lesson. It seems finding sus 2, sus 4 sounds and dissonance are a key to a second guitar voice. Triads have definitely become my focus this year. The focus on finding ways to imply the chords is also a middle ground to breakthroughs in lead playing.

  12. Daniel H says

    Great lesson. I keep telling the members of my band “less is more”! This lesson covers that concept so beautifully.
    This style makes me want to grab my acoustic, sit by the fire place, and just improvise over a slow 1-4-5 using triplets, harmonized 3rds, harmonized 5ths, occasionally substitute the 1 with its 6 chord, and just let it ring out.
    I like when you introduce new chord ideas and refresh us on other shapes less frequently used. You covered good bases this lesson. Thank you Brian!

  13. Michael Krailo says

    Excellent lesson on basic rhythm skills to stay out of the other players parts and enhance the overall sound of a song. The tendency to over do it is a very strong compulsion, so dialing in tones that compliment other players is a key part of becoming a better musician. This was fun to realize that simplicity is a better way to go most of the time.

    It’s actually easier to be inspired to deviate from the simple elements in a creative way for lead parts for me. I have been improvising the lead over this all morning and this particular progression has been very easy for me to extract a beautiful lead part. The hard part is not over doing it. I’ll work on it some more and post a video soon with the results. For those of you that are more experienced, try and do your own lead part before Brian shows us his version which will surely come out in the next week or two. That way we are not influenced by his take on it and then you play using your own licks.

  15. Blaine L says

    Great lesson, as usual. When I saw the title my first thought was, “Surely he’s going to mention Bob Weir”, since he’s generally regarded as one of the best “second guitar” players ever. So, Brian, how about a lesson that gets into the weeds a bit on how Weir played? I’ve seen a few things on YT, but none of them have been done with your level of detail and expertise. Just a thought.

      • Barry H says

        Thirded!

        I’m sure many of us have been revisiting Weir’s wonderful playing since he died. Personally I’ve been listening again and again to the incredible interplay between him and Garcia (and of course the rest of the band) on that breathtaking medley of Not Fade Away / Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad from the 1971 NY

        • Barry H says

          (dammit, hit Enter too early)

          recording on Skull & Roses. A very different kettle of fish from what we’re looking at here, of course, but a closer look at Weir’s style in any kind of mood would be most excellent.

          • Robert Burlin says

            Sounds like Brian listened to some of Weir’s moves and did this lesson. If not on purpose its in here. A focused Bobby Weir in the style and fashion of; mini series would be brilliant coming from Sir Brian.

  22. Ricky H says

    I just emailed Brian requesting a Bob Weir esque rhythm. This is possibly in that family as he would play complimenting chord tones.. I’d still like to see Brian’s interpretation of Bobby’s style, in honor of his memory

  31. Laurence R says

    A thousand thanks for this!
    I love the slow, melodic lessons (the ones you often call ‘soulful’)
    You have a genius for coming up with beautiful, limpid melodies that make us all want to play them- and then we find, hells bells, we’ve learned a whole load of useful stuff.

  32. Victor says

    Ive always wanted to be able to improvise like this. What a great lesson. In my opinion, and I mean it in the nicest way possible, a very Daniel Lanois-esque lesson. Love your lessons Brian they’ve helped my playing more than anything else I’ve tried.

  33. Michael J says

    G’day Brian,
    I don’t comment very often, but I just have to say that you, yourself are the Master. I am so sure that you, yourself have made so many of us think yea, I’m a guitar player, and all gratitude to you. I do believe that you have a very special gift, let alone talent.
    M.J. Oz.

  34. Andrew B says

    Fantastic lesson that once again opens up the fretboard and gets you thinking about chord shapes and what’s lurking inside.
    The combination of using the 1,3 or 5 sharpens up the ears.
    Thanks Brian.

  36. Marcus Widmer says

    Dear Brian and friends of guitar
    Once again a fantastic lesson. Question to all of you: I struggle with hybrid picking and could this composition also be played without a plectrum i.e. finger picking Chet Atkins style? What is your opinion?
    Regards from Switzerland

  37. Rob M says

    Brian, you are so relaxed in your presentation and playing, it is infectious. Brings down my tension and everything is better. Great lesson this week. Another one where I can ‘see’ caged like never before.

  39. Jason G says

    Hi Brian,

    You mention playing the 9th of the five chord over the D in the very first bar.

    Could we also consider that by moving to the 2nd fret of the B string you are playing the major 7th of the D?

    Thanks for your response.

  41. Alan H says

    My first thought was to skip this one and then I stared playing along. And I’ve just been through it all again and it’s inspiring so many other ideas! A deceptively wonderful lesson!

  50. Jim C says

    Great lesson. I been looking for something like this. I’ve been working on a song from Gary Stewart( The Honky Tonk King) called Drinking Thing. But licks are all steel guitar. I think lesson will help me get something to fit in. Beautifull song about the same tempo. He did it in F , but I do it in D. I can capo at three if I want wanted to copy it. But not much of a singer except in D. Anyway, thanks for this lesson. Good stuff !

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