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Play the Blues by yourself using Triads as your guide! Guitar Lesson – EP638

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a solo Blues composition that is built around Triads. This gives you a goal to work towards (a song), while learning how to find Triads all over the fretboard.

This approach works whether you’re improvising or creating your own solo blues arrangements, and it’s a good way to become a more musical guitarist.

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

  1. William H says

    June 26, 2026 at 6:25 pm

    Wow,😳. Soon to be a classic.

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  2. Michael D says

    June 26, 2026 at 6:26 pm

    Years ago I listened in awe to one of your wonderful videos on triads. I think that the printouts from that session are most most used ones I have – in fact I had to reprint them as I wore them out. This session is equally amazing and I think I know what my weekend will be spent doing. Thanks for returning to triads, they are a large part of my playing.

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    • Michael D says

      June 26, 2026 at 6:50 pm

      Brian I know you always ask if we learned something that caused our “heads to explode.” Today’s video was such an experience for me. I know I have heard you say something similar many times before, but my head exploded when you had the discussion on those listeners who were “super literal” about the chord serving as a B6 even though it was not actually that chord and, then continued by exposing us to the thought that …there is no literal in music, it’s all relative to something else. Finally, you helped me over a big roadblock as I often just can’t get where I want to go because I think that “no you can’t do that”, rather than just trying something unusual. Thanks very much.

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  3. Steve K says

    June 26, 2026 at 8:08 pm

    The 51, then the 251, then the 6251, then the 36251. Such a powerful and useful concept! Someday I hope you’ll do another lesson on the various ways of following those progressions and teasing out the harmonies they make available. There’s a lot of it here and it seems to have endless possibilities. Thank you so much!

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  4. Charles Q says

    June 26, 2026 at 8:43 pm

    i love this lesson the tune is great and your explanation is always great

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  5. Aletha N says

    June 26, 2026 at 9:00 pm

    This is so beautiful, I cannot wait to learn how to play this. Outstanding!

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  6. Mike R says

    June 26, 2026 at 9:25 pm

    Really like this one. Triads voiced closely together sound very cool. Gonna have fun with this one.

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  7. parsonblue says

    June 26, 2026 at 9:37 pm

    I have to say, this composition has now topped my list of favorite ‘stand-alone’ pieces.
    Not difficult to play, but my back porch is going to love it, especially a somewhat slower version I plan to learn.
    Thanks Brian.

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  8. RIFF DIGGER says

    June 26, 2026 at 10:33 pm

    Love the sound of clear acoustic triads. Especially with a fresh set of strings. Both Part 1&2, lots of material, vs the Micro Lessons. Thanks for all your hard work. Much appreciated.

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    • RIFF DIGGER says

      June 26, 2026 at 10:37 pm

      Love the sound of clear acoustic triads. Especially with a fresh set of strings. Both Part 1&2, lots of material, vs the Micro Lessons. 45 Bars, Wowza! Thanks for all your hard work. Much appreciated.

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    • RIFF DIGGER says

      June 26, 2026 at 11:49 pm

      Excuse the over posting, thought I could edit the original 10:33pm comment without making a Reply to myself at 10:37pm. Anyways, 45 MEASURES of licks, triads and melody is ALOT of work in the week of a composing guitarist along with all the other responsibilities and comment reading, site map study etc., so big thanks!

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  9. T-Bish says

    June 27, 2026 at 2:35 am

    Thank you, Brian. Love these stand-alone compositions sprinkled in every now and then amongst your lessons.

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  10. William H says

    June 27, 2026 at 8:15 am

    So, I haven’t delved deeply in to this lesson yet. But going forward what do people think is the. Best way to approach it. Obviously sound splice section by section is one way. Does anyone just go through and learn the chord progression first. At first glance seems like a fairly long composition. Thanks for your thoughts.

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  11. Vern F says

    June 27, 2026 at 8:41 am

    Love it Brian! Caged system, triads, it’s starting to make sense. I can’t play it fast yet but it’s great! Thanks

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  12. Torquil O says

    June 27, 2026 at 9:37 am

    Sweet little tune Brian. I will copy down the chord progression; then work on “seeing” the fretboard working through those triad shapes. Thanks, always learning something new!🎶

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  13. Jim M says

    June 27, 2026 at 10:14 am

    Can’t get enough of triad and chord tone lessons. Thank you, Brian.

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  14. Michael W says

    June 27, 2026 at 10:19 am

    The B6 is also the G minor pentatonic scale (relative minor of B) /

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  15. Imerio A says

    June 27, 2026 at 10:26 am

    great lesson as usual Brian. even if you talked about traids many times it’s always different and eye opening on new ideas and ways of playing them.
    I’ve never saw you with that guitar…it looks like s martin by shape but i cant read the headstock.

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  16. Paul N says

    June 27, 2026 at 11:25 am

    Excellent! I sub-titled in my notes “How to add the 2 & 6 ( or 5 of the 5 of the 5 ) to your Blues. Thank you Brian.

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  17. Henry P says

    June 27, 2026 at 11:34 am

    Just a fabulous, doable way of looking at things.
    I can’t get the 1st position B7/slide through 4th fret A shape/G shape/resolve to the C shape E @ 4th fret, out of my mind.
    (Takes a lot longer to write than to play!)

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  18. Nelson V says

    June 27, 2026 at 11:47 am

    Great lesson! I will be spending a lot of time with this to learn this tune and then a lot more figuring out how to use these concepts in my playing. Hearing a bit of San Francisco Bay Blues in there. Definitely would like more of this type of lesson. Thanks

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    • James A says

      June 27, 2026 at 2:00 pm

      You know I thought the very same thing.

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  19. Raymond P says

    June 27, 2026 at 12:19 pm

    Love this triad lesson. I reminded me how to look at every triad differently and see all their uses. Such a great lesson. Thanks Brian.

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  20. James A says

    June 27, 2026 at 1:59 pm

    I really like this lesson, the ragtime vibe is great.love it. Also packed with so much in formation,like all your lessons. Thanks for another great opportunity to learn.

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Recent Lessons

Play the Blues by yourself using Triads as your guide! Guitar Lesson – EP638

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