My rendition of EP549

[Geoff]

This is a lesson I have found so valuable I think it should be required learning :).

Joking aside, though, this is one where I feel I am just a tiny bit better afterwards than before because I was familiar with positions 1 and 2 blues patters but not the position 3,4,5 patterns. Working those in different keys all over the fretboard has really opened it up for me and that is fantastic. Doing these 4 note patters with a little speed is a great way to add a little flash and glitz to one’s playing.

I have not done this here but one thought I had is why not extend this to playing 3 note scales or doing the same thing on the major minor scale patters.

Anyway here is my go at EP549. The middle section is my improv using these 4 note patters and I do it on the minor scale as well just for fun.

[John H]

Love the opening… great tones (especially with reverb). First cascading lick around 38:00 nicely done. At 1:23 you are exploring the fingerboard purposefully. I think we are on to something here. There is a lot of room for creativity and ‘cascading exploration.’ I like what you are doing here Geoff.

JH

[Geoff]

Thanks John, this has been a powerful lesson and I am not done with it’s application yet. I really want to get those position 3,4,5 patterns into my fingers – makes improvising so much easier.

[James B]

I agree, Geoff. These four note patterns are fun to play around with. The Guild has some ‘hot’ pickups.

James

[Alan L]

Great submission, well played with good tone and feel. I love the challenges that push us into new techniques and ideas!

[Paul S.]

It’s true that learning to use this cascading note technique — as you clearly have here — is invaluable no matter what kind of music you are playing. You make great use of it throughout this exercise.

[Dieter]

Hi Geoff, great tones, runs and sound from your red Guild. Great impressing performance!

Dieter

[Manfred M]

I agree, Geoff, this lesson is so valuable. A great way to deep dive inthat scale and pentatonic stuff. In a very joyful way! And what this means you show in your playing, especially in your impro. That was fun!

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be on February 28, 2026

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I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[JoLa]

Hi Geoff, great to see you in the challenge!

Your playing is an excellent example of the challenge licks implementation and pattern explorations. The minor scale notes always sound good to me, you’ve put in a good amount of work into this – with great results! Well done!

🎸JoLa

[Geoff]

The minor scale is my favorite Jola. I think this lesson was a great way to transition into doing 4 note and 3 note patters with both the major an the minor scale as well.

[Michael L]

Hi Geoff, sounds like you’ve had a learning journey this month. Congrats for putting in the work. And, it’s sounding pretty good. You’ve got those sequence runs under your fingers pretty well. A new tool in the box!

[Bob Utberg]

Holy Cow!!! Welcome back Geoff to the monthly C.R. We have missed you my friend! Please, keep coming back!
Nicely done here my friend! Loved the quarter-note to 8th note triplet run at 1:06-1:20. So nice to mix up the rhythm!
Kinda like SRV in 13 cycles of Little Wing: He kept it INTERESTING ALL 13!!!!
And, you employed syncopation like a PRO!!! Rarely started on beat one (that’s a BIG ONE for me) and mixed rhythms so nicely! Well done Geoff and hope all is well. Bob

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Geoff]

Hi there Bob, I have been around on the Showcase a fair bit but, for some strange reason, neglected the challenges. Got to do more of these because this one was an excellent learning experience.

All is well Bob except I am hating this Winter even the show up on Whistler is poor this year :(. Hope you are well too.

[Jennifer D]

Wow there were a lot of notes there, well done!

[Richard W]

Nice, Geoff! I totally agree, the ideas in EP549 are worth a lot of practice time and can be applied in all kinds of ways. Your passage at 1:08 or so is a perfect example. Nice going!

[Geoff]

Well, you certainly gave a masterclass on that with this challenge Richard. This one has been so beneficial I am going to be spending the next few weeks practicing variations on the scale patterns from that lesson.

Part of getting better is doing a lot of grunt work and this grunt work is really worth the effort 🙂

[AndréM]

Well done Geoff, great speed on the 4 notes.
Great stuff.

AndréM

AndréM

[Geoff]

Thanks Andre, I still cannot do Brian’s speed. I had to tick it down a notch or too.

[Alan K]

Nice job on this lesson Geoff. I like how you veered off and did your own thing. Some of the phrasing sounded exotic.

[Geoff]

Oh, that’s probably the minor scale Alan. It might be the kind of minor that gives a slightly Middle Eastern sound to my playing sometimes 🙂

[Mark T]

Really nicely performed, Geoff – it had ‘flash and glitz’ in spades! I included some 3 and even 5 note cascades in my submission – the general idea can add so much to one’s lead playing 👍🎶😎

[Andy N]

Great work Geoff you’ve mastered these 4 note patterns and have them well under your fingers. Even when you ventured up to the dusty end, everything sounded smooth AND glitzy. Such a good skill to have in your trick bag. Guild sounding sweet too.
I think the 3 note/triplet pattern is probably a bit more common than its 4 note cousin so definitely worth practicing that. Justin Guitar is a big advocate of practicing these patterns on all scales too, so go for it!

[Geoff]

Thanks Andy. I can see why Justin would say this – just three weeks of working that EP549 lesson and all those 5 positions on those scale patterns have made a difference. This is one of the best lessons Brian has come up with among his many brilliant lessons.

When it comes to guitars I try not to collect them – just work to do my best with what I have. I fell in love with that Guild the instant I saw it 🙂

[Pap]

Geoff, great seeing you back here again. You are really talented and I love watching you approach to things. You also moved pretty quick through these patterns. Nice job and good to see you again. Cheers. Pap

[Geoff]

Thank you so much. Watching everyone’s submissions, including yours, has been humbling for me. A lot people have really improved a lot since I last participate in Brian’s monthly challenge.

[JoeD1]

What a great job Geoff! I loved the switch to the minor scales. You definitely seem to be coming to terms with the entire fretboard. I also think this was a very educational challenge. Really, great job my friend!

Joe

The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge

[Geoff]

Thanks Joe, I learned a lot, a heck of lot, from this challenge.

[Marie Jarreau]

Hey Geoff,
That was a very good submission and I was even able to learn a few things just from watching you play!! I’m still a LONG way from the kind of note-picking so many of my AM siblings are but I try to learn from each on the submissoins I get to view. Your’s are great to see your fingers on the fretboard. Thank you for that. Also helpful is your explanantion beforehand of what you’re doing in the vid.

Great job Geoff,
Marie

“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau

[Geoff]

Thanks Marie, the main thing I did different from Brian’s original lesson is I dropped into the minor scale – not sure which minor because there is the Dorian, relative minor and the Phrygian version. I particularly love the Phrygian because it has that darker Moorish flavor one hears a lot of in Flamenco music – its my favorite scale.

[David H]

I enjoyed hearing what you did with EP549. I really struggled sticking with 4 note theme, trying to make them interesting. Thus my taking liberties and then some. But like you, a great learning experience.

[Geoff]

Hi David, I really recommend doing EP549 and working through the 5 positions of the pentatonic scales the way Brian does them – I promise you, it will improve your playing as I am pretty sure it has done for me.

[sunjamr]

Really cool, Geoff, well done. You asked why not extend this to 3 note scales, and as a big Jerry Garcia fan, I noticed that he does it with 3 note scales quite often. I did a deep dive into his style a while back, so I’ve incorporated those 3 note cascades into my lick library ever since.

Sunjamr Steve

[Geoff]

Thanks Steve, I guess the 3 note form must be used a lot. I think John H was doing that in the challenge with that Led Zeppelin lead. Very worth getting to grips with that.

[Mike D]

Well played sounded you were hitting nice chord tones with the 4 note patterns….well done!

Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.

[Geoff]

Thanks Mike 🙂

[Juxi]

Fast and precise playing of those scale patterns, Geoff. Well done! 👍🏽

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Pat]

Nice playing with 4 note thing. Sounds good! Enjoyed it!

[Martin W]

Nice scale workout Geoff your exploring the cool concept of this pattern ,
It can open up many pathways on the fretboard, I agree it’s a must learn exercise for a lot of things .
Well played .

Martin

[Tom D]

I appreciate both your playing and your message Geoff. I’ve not had time to spend with this lesson yet and love your emphasis on the insight of working on cascading patterns at each of the scale positions, in different keys, in order to open up the fret board and add flash and glitz! Your improv was very effective and the phrasing sounded great in this piece. PS – with the benefit of some inspiration you shared earlier, I’ve worked through all sections of a “modern” Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring. Now need to integrate the parts and make it flow. Cheers, Tom

[Geoff]

Thanks Tom. I cannot recall any inspiration I might have shared but that “Jesu Joy of Man’s desiring” is a beautiful piece to work on. Bach is always hard work but very rewarding when you have it down – enjoy 🙂

[Guido]

I liked how you’ve used the 4 note pattern in a flawless and musical way and how you’re able to keep the listener’s interest with only one chord (your very nice improvisation/variation on the minor scale helped a lot, of course), Geoff!

Guido

[Geoff]

Thanks Guido. I wasn’t really aware of using one chord. I just know the scale patterns and use my ear – not very scientific I know 🙂

[Author]

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