Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Acoustic 12 bar blues played with a single drum track. Guitar Lesson – EP575

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play an acoustic blues with no other instrumentation other than a single drum track. Playing along with only a drum has many advantages (discussed in the video).

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

  12. Steve says

    Great lesson, really hones in those improv skills.

    We are going on hols soon and its frustrating as I can only take my concert ukulele, I know this is a guitar channel, but I have also heard you say you sometimes take a ukulele on hols too. Can we do a lesson on say the first 4 open strings of guitar than could also be played on ukulele? there are lots of harmonised runs from each open caged position that would be good to practice and help me get more confident on the ukulele too.

  14. Gary W says

    As I say nearly every week, this is the best one yet! Love the drum track.

    I look forward with anticipation to Saturday morning, here in the U.K. , to what you will come up with. I’m never disappointed.

    Thank you Brian.

    Best, Gary.

  17. Daniel H says

    Love the scale pattern associated withe the E-shape E chord. I think Garcia used to spend a lot of time doing fills in this area of the fret board. It’s a neighborhood I’ve been meaning to practice more in. This lesson is perfect start to that endeavor. It’s like you read my guitar mind Brian. Thank you.

  18. Bruce G says

    Great lesson Brian—thank you for talking about the 7th: how you hear it, think about it, use it to move to the next chord. Exactly what I needed. Great lessons…another reason to look forward to FRIDAYS!

    Cheers

  21. Steve M says

    Love it Brian. These acoustic blues lessons are definitely amongst my very favorites. You manage to vary the, so well that I always feel I’m learning something new. This one is particularly good because I feel like I’m learning things very quickly.

  22. Chuck S says

    Brain,
    Once again, great stuff, but a lot of it beyond my current ability level. I just learn a ton from these things. I really can’t keep up weekly, so I tend to just focus on the Acoustic Stuff that I really like to avoid getting totally frustrated. It takes me a few weeks to get at what you just knock out. I am still working on last week’s TRIAD embellishments and also EP569, which is a really good one.

    One question for this one is the jumping from major to minor pentatonic notes every now and then – seems like it has no rhyme or reason other than you just decided to do it and it sounds good?

    And oh that little stretch in Bar 6 from the 2nd fret (A) to the 5th fret you do seamlessly using the index and middle fingers – not happening without surgical augmentation(: Even with pinky it is a real tough challenge – and yes, I do all the stretching exercises. Not sure you have a work around for that.

  23. Patrick J. G says

    The more I listen and play this tune , it becomes trance like. It has everything in it that I need to practice. My finger movement , which this isn’t over complicated ,.Pick my speed up, won’t ever catch up to you Brian, you’re good. Has a great vibe to it ,making it much easier for me to learn. Liking it. Good one Brian.

  24. Mark G says

    Another great tune. I’ve recently discovered the video tablature breakdown option. What a great learning tool to be able to loop sections that are problematic at a variety of speeds. Using the focus button to pinpoint the measures I want to work on streamlines things. A great feature on Active Melody! Thank you!

  25. Martin says

    Thanks Brian for counting on your lessons. I hadn’t paid enough attention to that forever, just trying to hit the notes but I am now trying to count through them and it’s really making a difference for me.

  27. Paul G says

    Enjoying this one….! And I’m only though the first half. :-). Love the last turn around. I’ve been doing variations of this on the 3rd , 2nd, and 1st string, but not up in the bass string area. Like that for variety. Also like the occasional intermixing of minor/major notes. I recall you did a lesson on that a while back which came to mind when I saw this run. Thanks a bunch; so enjoying these lessons past 2 + years and they have made a major difference in my playing. Most of your lessons are exactly at my current talent level.

  32. Claude T says

    Brian,…,been quietly subscribed for two and a half years. I’ve had teachers for two decades prior with mixed results but found you just at the right time in early 2022. Your consistent Friday posts and dogged referral to the caged concept to keep it all “filed away” as something to draw from in improv has made guitar fun again. I’ve driven my wife “mad” in the past with “reportoire” such as countless hours of Mark Knoffler’s sultans of swing or the endless rasquedos in the flamenco years. Now we just play. I’m just reaching out to say your efforts are appreciated.

  33. Timothy M says

    I am a newer subscriber to your site, and I am absolutely loving the lessons.

    I have been really working on connecting and using the pentatonic shapes and your lessons really help me to do just that!

    Thanks and keep up the great work!

  35. Wade O says

    Good day all! Who could forget the ear training lesson!!
    Take the lessons as a series starting with the ear training lesson and trust in the process.
    For me, everything I have been hearing in my mind has started to translate to the fretboard. Take those little licks and expand on them. And as Brian suggests play them over and over. As you are doing that explore where you can go, one note at a time.
    Play a lick. What song do you hear in your head? Expand on that!
    Enjoy the music!! Wade

  38. Ian M says

    Loved the lesson.
    Very interested in your comments on George Formby. What a fabulous musician. When you have mastered the “George Formby thumb roll” (or any of his techniques) could yo do a short lesson on it?
    Regards
    Ian

  39. Jim T says

    Tabs are a great help, but actual notes are also great (or even better for learning). I would like to hear you include them (note names). It makes sense to do so.
    Jim T

  41. Max d says

    Brian, a quick query… would it be a lot to ask to add to your videos, two 10 seconds quick advance/repeat ‘buttons’ either side of a stop button in the middle of the screen? It would make it a lot easier for slow-learners like me. If it’s too much, we’ll just have continue to guesstimate sliding the button on the video-progress bar.

  42. Michael D says

    Love these acoustic blues – spend most of my time on them. I generally memorize and play the hell out them. Since I can’t always remember the entire compositions (or keep up with all the new ones), I’m starting to mix the licks from the various lessons in the same key to create something new. I guess we call that improvising not memorizing… Can’t thank you enough

  43. Brad S says

    Another great lesson, Brian! The practicality is great and I am finding that I also use this information when I am playing bass in our band. Lately I have been playing along with a Beat Buddy and it has definitely is improving my playing, just like you said.

  45. Michael K says

    There is always some little tidbit of information Brain points out in a slightly different way that supports many previous lessons. I just cannot get enough of this. I prefer acoustic style lessons so this one is up my alley. Well done. I’m still trying to iron out the rough spots on EP569. That one is really worth the practice time.

  47. Ray V says

    I regularly practice the scales and a couple modes in all 5 CAGED positions, but this lesson reminded me that there is a 6th position — the one that has open strings due to the end of the fretboard.

  51. Jeff C says

    Great stuff Brian. It’s good to be back playing after a little over a year off when I broke my middle finger on my fretting hand playing with around with my grandson. This lesson is really making me work my fingers back in shape. Thanks!

  54. Michael H says

    Great lesson as always. The only problem I have is I can’t get the slow video to load. The others load fine but not sure what the problem is but I have had this issue in the past only on the 3rd video. Any suggestion would help

  57. Eric says

    Howdee Brian,

    This composition of yours and the lesson that goes with are right my alley. I love the nuances, reliefs. It’s not easy but that’s the interesting part this lesson or anything as a matter of fact.
    Keep on bringing that good stuff, I’m all for it.

    Have a fun day.

    Cheerio

  59. Billy Ray says

    Brian,
    You’re an awesome instructor! I’ve been with you several years and have learned so much.
    I really like your cool laid back attitude!
    It would be nice to have a little insight on the many different guitars you play in your videos.
    What a great collection you have.
    KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
    Regards,
    Billy Ray
    Martin 000-28 reimagined
    Fender Stratocaster 40th Anniversary

  60. Pap says

    Brian, I have really been focussing on timing lately. It seems like the “and” should always be an upstroke. Is this true? I noticed that when you counted out the very first part of this lesson you demonstrated strumming the E chord which (on the tab) is on the “and.” Just trying to make sense of this timing stuff. Thanks. Pap

  61. James C says

    Fantastic lesson Brian, thanks. Really great to get a sense of how the basic information translates into so much possibility. And to feel like I can do it. I was getting a little overwhelmed with some of the lessons and this one is super accessible. Got me back into it. It also makes me realize how much I’ve learned in the past year or so thanks to you. Light bulbs continue to go off!

    One general question: I feel like I’m missing out on some of the subtleties of reading the tablature. I can’t seem to find a lesson on that at active melody, and other online resources are all over the place. Can you possibly point me somewhere for a good tab reading lesson?

    James

  63. Mike L says

    Hi Brian, Greetings from the UK. Been with you for a few months now and I am really enjoying the lessons. Very detailed and concise even if I have to play them back and forth to ensure I understand not just the notes but the scales and chords that lie beneath them – the WHY. Being a blues fan I especially enjoy the lessons like this one EP575, a really cool piece with a lot of knowledged underpinning the music. Would love more of these stand alone pieces as I for one am learning a great deal and my playing is improving a great deal. Some Delta blues pieces would be a great edition to this lesson format.

    Many thanks and best wishes,

    Mike

  65. Melvin V says

    Great lesson I like how you teach overall. In 2020 I first signed up as I was a touring drummer 20 years and also played rock just electric guitar but had a couple surgeries and while I was laid up I wanted to learn a complete new style finger style acoustic blues Travis picking Tommy Emmanuel etc. I spent hours learning and your lessons taught me so much and I still play a lot of the early ones. I cancelled membership a couple times but always reinstate. Thanks for what you do Brian your great man!! Keep it up I recommend to many. I was a drum instructor for 6 years and I love your teaching style! Sorry for long message I loved this lesson so fun 👍

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