Observations about the genius of Brian in ML 091

[charjo]

Brian does a simple lead using a limited area of the fretboard in ML 091. The chord progression is;

ADAD////ADAD////EF#mDD////EF#mGD

ie. bars 1 -16 in A major with a borrowed, out of key, G chord.

Brian uses a limited A major pentatonic out of the 4th and 5th boxes or, alternatively, the higher parts of the C shaped and A shaped A major pentatonic boxes.

I know Brian largely uses his ear but check how many times Brian hits a chord tone AT or LEADING into the chord change. What seems like a simple lead has a lot going on.

If you bring up the tab you might be able to follow what I’m on about…..😒
Within the first bar he bends fret 12 up a whole step to C#, the major 3rd of the A chord and lands on the 10th fret, an A note leading into the D chord, the 5th. Same again in bar 3 and in bar 4 but his throw away note in bar 4 is F# or the major 3rd of the D chord. Leading into bar 6 he hammers onto an F#, the major 3rd of the D chord. In bar 9 he hits an E note , the root of the E chord. Leading into bar 10 he hammers onto an F# note, the root of the F#m chord. Into bar 11 he plays an A note, 5th of the D chord. In bar 13 he lands on an E note over the E chord. Into bar 14 he is bending up to and F# note over the F#m chord. In bar 15 he highlights the single appearance of the G chord by landing on a B note, the 5th of the G chord. I would love to have heard the F# note on the 14th fret E string with a repeated 1/2 bend up to the G but that was outside of his limited playing zone. In bar 16 he sneakily does a 12th fret B string 1/2 bend to a C note into the D chord for a b7 blues sound, the only time he does this over the D chord.
That’s how you make a melodic solo that sounds right. It seems automatic for Brian. Slow the Soundslice down to 50% and try to see this happening, it’s a great lesson in chord tone soloing.😜
John

[John H]

Hmmmm…. this was one of my first and favorite lessons. I am still amazed at how nicely it fits up and down the neck with so many varying licks, riffs and bends. There is a lot going on and in all honesty, I think it was fairly simple to learn, only because it made so much sense on the fingerboard.

John

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