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Acoustic Blues Guitar Lesson in A – Solo Composition – EP208

Description

This week’s guitar lesson is a solo acoustic blues composition in the key of A. You’ll learn how to alternate between a shuffle rhythm and harmonized leads. You’ll also learn how to relate each of these licks back to basic chord shapes so that you can use them when you improivse or write your own music. Lots of takeaways in this one 🙂

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walk-Through

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  1. dmundy says

    June 9, 2017 at 7:43 pm

    Sweet sounds, Brian! Can’t wait to get started…

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    • oldman831 says

      July 25, 2017 at 2:10 pm

      Dave from Port Orange says this: don’t know how ya ya do it Brian…week to week is a miracle kesson…this bunch of licks I will master…thanks for what you do Brian

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      • JEAN D says

        November 28, 2017 at 5:48 pm

        I was wondering what brand of acoustic guitar you were playing’…what’s a good brand for $ 300 or less? interested in electric acoustic…

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        • Billy Ray says

          July 25, 2018 at 11:13 am

          Looks like a Martin CEO-7
          Keep in mind Jean
          You get what you pay for.
          I started many years ago with an inexpensive guitar, I got very frustrated, it hampered my playing ability.
          Good action/playability will inspire you to keep playing!

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        • Michael M says

          December 12, 2019 at 4:14 pm

          A good beginner acoustic guitar is the Epiphone Hummingbird Artist. Starts under $300.00. You can find them on-line. I bought one that was an open box from Sweetwater.com for $129.00 about 2 years ago plus free shipping. Recently put new Elixir Nanoweb light strings on it, and sounds great. It’s also a beautifully made guitar for the money. Good luck in your search, and with your learning to play guitar! M. P. McCartney. 🙂

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  2. Don D. says

    June 9, 2017 at 8:23 pm

    Thanks, Brian! Nice variations in the shuffle. Got some good energy from this one.

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    • Don D. says

      June 10, 2017 at 7:45 am

      You know the shape at around 10 minutes in to the first video? That’s the basis for the turnaround in organist Jimmy Smith’s “(Back at the) Chicken Shack.”; it’s the basis for main riff in Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk” (here’s an earlier tune by Scrapper Blackwell that starts off the same way too—if I remember, I’ll list it later), and it’s also the basis for the main riff in Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women 13 & 35.” So, potent stuff, can be put to many uses. Thanks again, Brian, have been trying to find equivalents for some of the others, this is really an excellent blues harmony lesson—sounds great too!

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      • Don D. says

        June 10, 2017 at 7:47 am

        Ack, “Rainy Day Women 12 & 35.” 12, not 13. Same reason I hit so many funky notes, fat fingers.

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        • Don D. says

          June 10, 2017 at 10:57 am

          It wasn’t Scrapper Blackwell. It was one of our Active Melody favorites, Lonnie Johnson.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-0I9jSx-w&feature=youtu.be

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        • drutgat says

          June 15, 2017 at 9:52 pm

          Don, actually, if you want to get the title completely right, it is ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’.

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          • Gaetan says

            August 22, 2017 at 12:06 pm

            Oui Brian,,, tes leçons de guitare sont toujours plus intersssantes les unes que les autres et les gens ont bien raison de de mettre des commentaires positifs sur toi et Active Melody…

            je suis abonnĂ© depuis maintenant 2 ans et je n’ai jamais regrettĂ© de l’avoir fait … You’re the best!!!!

          • Brian says

            August 23, 2017 at 1:22 am

            Merci beaucoup

  3. John V says

    June 9, 2017 at 8:42 pm

    Thanks Brian, I like the mix of acoustic and electric.

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  4. joe c says

    June 9, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    Hmmm Station Inn……Does this mean there is a Bluegrass lesson in our future?

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  5. madams says

    June 9, 2017 at 8:47 pm

    My favorite – a solo traditional blues! Listened to 5 seconds of the preview and went right to the lesson.

    Thank you, Brian.

    Michael

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  6. Maradonagol says

    June 9, 2017 at 9:14 pm

    nice variation Brian…..beautiful..

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  7. jimbostrat says

    June 9, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    What happened to that ole Alvarez, Brian??!!! I somehow get the impression that you too have slipped on over to the Martin Guitar camp!! There’s a very good reason why they’re so popular…………and yes………….also expensive……but it’s like that one comic used to speculate on divorces…………why are divorces so dang expensive?? Answer: Because they’re worth it!! Rodney Dangerfield??

    Love theses!! This is a prime example of getting an arrangement down, playing it out and impressing all!! Great job again, Brian!! This acoustic blues solo is a framework plus, plus!! jim C.

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  8. roco says

    June 9, 2017 at 10:24 pm

    Love the acoustic blues!🎶

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  9. Michael J says

    June 10, 2017 at 2:55 am

    G/day Brian,
    Great work, mate. I’m hearing a bit of Chris Smither in this, and that can only be a good thing.
    Like it lots, thank you.
    Michael J.

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  10. magpie says

    June 10, 2017 at 3:39 am

    Love all the acoustic blues. Its raining outside so this is going to keep me busy this weekend. Thanks again Brian.

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  11. Jim M says

    June 10, 2017 at 6:50 am

    Wow ! Nice Brian.

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  12. sunburst says

    June 10, 2017 at 7:58 am

    This will be fun,, brought me back to EP 129 both great blues shuffle lessons!

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  13. SugarmillMan says

    June 10, 2017 at 8:24 am

    I always look forward to seeing a good acoustic blues solo guitar lesson. For me, that’s what it’s all about! Thanks Brian.

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  14. Raymond P says

    June 10, 2017 at 8:56 am

    Great lesson Brian. I’m still struggling with 207, the muted strings timing is challenging, but somehow this new lesson seems easier to play. Thanks for all the help.

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  15. Will T says

    June 10, 2017 at 9:13 am

    Another great lesson , thanks . Love the acoustic blues and your explaining it in a way that we can take it away and use the licks in other ways

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  16. Michael Allen says

    June 10, 2017 at 9:37 am

    This just keeps getting better! Thanks Brian

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  17. Randy G says

    June 10, 2017 at 10:54 am

    Thanks Brian for so much fun. Been playing for 8 months. I always enjoy watching and trying to play all your lessons.

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  18. San Luis Rey says

    June 10, 2017 at 11:50 am

    I love these acoustic blues lessons! Could the Martin be a contributing factor for the influx? I think you really love your new guitar and it shows. Great stuff!
    Mike

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  19. Stephen E says

    June 10, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    Been waiting for this one great
    thank’s Brian

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  20. Steve M says

    June 10, 2017 at 1:44 pm

    Can’t get enough of lessons like this!

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  21. JohnStrat says

    June 10, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    Hi Brian only just tuned in to find this wonderful lesson thanks lots of takeaway here sounds great.. and very useful JohnStrat

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  22. strattastic says

    June 10, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    Brilliant stuff. Absolutely love it. The acoustic stuff is my thing. Straight into favs file. Could play it all night long.
    Thank you Brian

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  23. Michael D says

    June 10, 2017 at 5:49 pm

    love it great lesson, All these voicing cords, Thank you

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  24. Anton D says

    June 11, 2017 at 12:21 am

    Excellent. I am trying the licks out on Evil hearted me by SonnyTerry and Brownie Mcgee, which your tune reminds me off. Thanks from all us acoustic fans.

    Anton

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  25. joe b says

    June 11, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    this dud is hard ihave ben ply for more than 60 ply with the best your right on top Brian joetheshaker-RBLEGEND

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  26. Gustavo1210 says

    June 11, 2017 at 2:59 pm

    Hi Brian,
    I can’t download the pdf tablature. Can you fix the link please.?
    I love this lesson!!!

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    • Brian says

      June 11, 2017 at 3:48 pm

      The link works, I’m guessing this is a browser issue. you’ll get different results depending on the browser you use. If you use Google Chrome or Firefox and click on the “Download MP3” link, it will download the file automatically. Other browsers will try and play the file after it downloads (which is what you’re experiencing). So try RIGHT clicking on the “Download MP3” link if you’re on a Windows computer and then choose the “Save As..” option. If you’re on a Mac, hold down the “Control” key and click on “Download MP3”.

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      • ben4given says

        June 13, 2017 at 10:10 am

        I’ve tried for two days to download the pdf file also, to no avail. This isn’t an issue with the mp3 file, but the pdf to print out the tab. Maybe it is just mu browser, but it normally works just fine.

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  27. Johan L says

    June 12, 2017 at 12:42 am

    Perfect as a pick skill pickmeup! Really like the composition as well! Nice varying in the shuffle and endless opportunities to extend, warp and do bad things to it! 👍🏻

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  28. Nick_66 says

    June 12, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    Absolutely love this one Brain! Really like these bluesy shuffles with some nice licks between the shuffles! More of this Brain!

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  29. Tom l says

    June 13, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    fantastic lesson !

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  30. Aric G says

    June 13, 2017 at 2:00 pm

    Instantly saved as a Favorite! Thank you.

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  31. Ray H says

    June 13, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    A jazzy Lonnie Johnson kind of blues, really fun to play! Yep, an instant fave here too.

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  32. Pat C says

    June 14, 2017 at 5:30 am

    Thanks so much. The way you explain the licks and ability to involve in “OUR RIFF BANK” is unique.

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  33. sunburst says

    June 14, 2017 at 7:57 am

    Enjoy 18:35 wow Although I might have played that D7 ,,You explained it well and agree.. great take away Brian!

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  34. sunburst says

    June 14, 2017 at 8:25 am

    Great take aways, really enjoyed nice ending.. the double stops and descending dim. chords,,added to favorites!

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  35. Kendrick L says

    June 14, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    Hi Brian,

    This is such a lovely composition. I am aware you have to please so many diverse guitar players within your audience but for me this piece is one of the best lessons from you. Thank you for laying down some really catchy Acoustic Blues.

    I am determined to learn this piece hopefully at the same tempo as you so very confidently do. It would definitely give me a tremendous boost in my quest to learn Acoustic Blues as per the great masters who played during the 1920-1930’s.

    Thank you Brian for your wonderful lessons. We definitely need to hear more of this.

    Kind regards,

    Ken

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  36. Rodger R says

    June 14, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    Love this lesson, will be working on this for sure. Thanks Brian,you are the best

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  37. Kevin K says

    June 16, 2017 at 7:19 am

    Hi Brian

    I am enjoying the heck out of this lesson. The resources on this site are perfect for me! Trying to bring my game up a level.

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  38. amy says

    June 24, 2017 at 2:03 pm

    which alvarez guitar closely resembles the martin you are playing?

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    • Brian says

      June 24, 2017 at 3:33 pm

      Hey Amy, probably the Alvarez AP66

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      • Jack B says

        December 29, 2017 at 4:24 pm

        The Alvarez Delta 00/TSB is very close to the CEO 7 dimension wise. It sounds pretty good too. It’s not a Martin by any stretch, but at $395 it is a great guitar to get started with.

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  39. Greg H says

    June 25, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    Such a great little riff. So much fun to learn from your lessons Brian. Thanks a million!

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  40. Alfred Dowaliby says

    June 26, 2017 at 4:11 pm

    Love this! It’s so great to have a melodic Blues piece that can be played from start to finish wth no accompaniment needed! A very creative composition. Thanx!

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  41. Paddyboy says

    June 27, 2017 at 11:10 am

    this looks like a great one—-it’s next for me

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  42. Mark C says

    June 28, 2017 at 12:43 am

    This has been one of my favorites too! Lovely work.

    Has anyone said anything about the variation in the first bar? The sheet music and Video 1 don’t quite match.

    MC

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  43. John c says

    July 3, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    Hi Brian, I just joined AM after seeing a number of your free lessons. I really like your style. As a non-vocalist, and the difficulty in finding folks to jam with, your solo lessons are dead on.

    My only comment upon seeing the tablature is that it would be useful if you had the music notation above the tabs. That helps to understand the rhythm a bit better. But in any event I excited to get started.

    Thanks,

    Dave

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    • Brian says

      July 3, 2017 at 11:29 pm

      Hey Dave, the music notation is available in the on-screen tab viewer (you can print that as well)

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  44. Alexandre F says

    December 19, 2017 at 5:13 am

    Another great solo composition in the key of A … Let me work my fingers on it and easy to catch

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  45. Jack B says

    December 29, 2017 at 3:43 pm

    I loved this lesson! It took me 3 weeks to get it down, but it was worth it. I also learned a lot from the theory explanations. Your teaching method really works for me. Your program is better than any others I have tried. So many other “teachers” spend more time showing you how good they are and very little on really teaching you how to play. The added bonus of you explaining where the riff and licks come from is essential to actually learning to play as opposed to just memorizing songs. Thanks for what you are doing.

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  46. gerryincanada says

    March 17, 2018 at 4:41 am

    Great stuff Brian … as always … I’m glad I took the time to join

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  47. Todd T says

    June 2, 2018 at 12:35 am

    Love this one Brian! Thanks. Lots of fun to play.

    I’m wondering what you have your metronome set to on the SLOW WALK-THRU portion in the final video of the lesson?

    Thanks again…

    I’m about to try and wrap my hands and fingers around your instrumental AMAZING GRACE instrumental

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  48. Bosc T says

    June 15, 2018 at 8:43 am

    Merci, cela fait 6 mois que je suis membre et je ne le regrette pas, super blues et super professeur, encore merci Brian.

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  49. Keith C says

    July 22, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    Hi Brian, I joined a couple of months ago and I’m really enjoying the lessons. I haven’t played for several years and it was coming across one of the lessons on You Tube that got me interested in getting a guitar out and getting creaky old fingers moving again, so many thanks. Quick question about this one – what is the final chord? I love the sound and would like to add it to my regular vocabulary.

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  50. Cary says

    November 6, 2019 at 11:14 am

    Fabulous blues in A, so many awesome “takeaways,” wonderful lesson! This piece is a true joy to learn — thank you so much!

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  51. Petr N says

    April 20, 2020 at 1:02 am

    All your lessons are very nice. Thx a lot for active melody 🙂

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  52. Robert M says

    December 17, 2020 at 2:39 pm

    The closest I have to an acoustic is my Gretsch 5422. The best of both worlds. If I bought an acoustic it would be a Martin but I like Alvarez also.

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  53. Don M says

    January 2, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    Brian,

    This was the first video of yours I came across on Youtube last year, and I was hooked on part 1. Fast forward to 2021, and I decided I wanted to finish Part 2 and take my playing to the next level. I became a premium member today, and I’m stoked to see where this journey will take me! Thank you!

    Don

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  54. Matthew P says

    January 15, 2021 at 2:09 am

    How do I play it to go around again? I feel like the two chords at the end is a finish and doesn’t allow me to stay again from the beginning. Do I just leave out the final bar and start again after the last bar of A? Thanks! Matt

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