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Learn to play blues guitar.

Blues rhythm comping ideas using 2 note and 3 note chords (Dyads and Triads) – Guitar Lesson – EP553

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn blues rhythm comping ideas in 3 different positions on the fretboard, while using simple 2 note and 3 note chords.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  4. Peter R says

    I really also like to get better at playing rhythm, especially funk. I think what I struggle with the most, besides getting the up and downstrokes right is making it sound good while using a pick. I still have a strong preference for my thumb. The pick also slips from my fingers occasionally because I forget to hold it firmly enough, then I start holding it to firmly and it sounds awful. For now I am also focussing on the previous lesson to get to the scales faster without having to think.

    • Rob N says

      I’ve only recently converted to using a pick and it still feels unnatural and I play much more fluently without it. If you haven’t already, I’d suggest trying out a range of picks, especially ones advertised as having a good grip. I bought a variety pack of dunlop picks and was surprised to find my favourite was a small ‘max grip’ jazz pick – it has a really good grip and the smaller size feels better to me than the average pick. You could also try a thin, flexible pick (e.g. .46mm) for rhythm work, to me, these feel more forgiving and seem better for strumming. Just some suggestions.

  6. James S says

    This is one of your best – a simple, recognizable, universal chord progression with information that anyone can take and immediately implement into their lead and rhythm playing. It’s one of those lessons where folks get a nice dose of useful theory while hardly noticing, because it is all based on familiar chord shapes and it all makes so much sense. All that plus a great jam track in two speeds. Thanks!

  7. Austin T. Walden says

    Okay I really enjoyed the insight on the walk up from the A shape to the E shape. Looks like the first beat of the walk up is coming from the Major Scale embellishment of the A shape. Next beat is the chromatic below and then the final beat goes to the E shape of the chord. Beautiful. I will definitely be implementing that move. I’ve always wondered where in the world it could be coming from and that was a Lightbulb for me. —- Also likes the B7 chord using the 2, 3, and 4th strings. I feel like that’s something I thought was cool when I was 16 but never learned how to put into practice.

    Second half of the video I was a little tripped up until you mentioned the G#minor chord. I couldn’t understand until I saw that you were playing the G# minor chord as an A minor shape. I know that you related it to being able to play the relative minor from the B, but I wonder if your brain just doesn’t know that triad because the B is already in that chord on the 2nd string. I’ll have to experiment with that.

    Good playing, great teaching. Thanks Brian!

    • Austin T. Walden says

      I thought I had it all figured out but the F#7 second voicing is really throwing me for a loop. I’m wondering how I can contextualize that to make more sense in my brain? Is there a shape or a trick that you’re thinking of? I rewatched the video and you say it’s another voicing but I’d love to know where the brain can land on for that particular shape.

      • Austin T. Walden says

        Okay I think that second F#7 voicing is in the C7 shape. Brian just adjusts it a little to put a pinky on top.

        “Normal” C7 shape voicing would be
        –
        7
        9
        8
        9
        –

        He reimagines this to be
        9 ( C#)
        7 (F#)
        9 (E)
        –
        –
        Which, if I’m reading it right, would be the Root, 5th, and the 7th.

      • Barry W says

        Hi Austin. The second voicing around 14:07 comes from the C7 shape. When you move your C7 shape up and down the neck, you play it on strings 2,3,4,5 and mute string 1. Strings 2,3,4,5 are root, b7, 3rd, root . There is no 5th in the chord because the pinky moves the 5th up to the b7 on string 3. But, if you had 5 fingers on your fretting hand instead of 4, there would be a 5th available on the first string in the same fret as the b7. Play your common open C cowboy chord and add another 5th (G) to it by fretting your pinky on string 1, fret 3. Brian makes this string available up the neck for this F#7 by leaving out strings 4 and 5, which frees up his pinky to play that 5th interval on string 1. Now the triad is on string 1,2,3 ( 5th, root, b7). Instead of a dominant 7th chord without a 5th, you now have the dominant 7th chord without a 3rd. Every time you imply dominant 7th, chords, 6 chords, 9 chords etc, with triad shapes, you have to leave something out, because these are 4-note chords and you are only playing 3 notes. Hope this helped.

  8. Garth H says

    Another great lesson,Thanks Brian!
    If I can make a suggestion-and I guess I can because I am- it would be helpful to me if you posted the fingering charts along with the lesson like you did with the B6. I seem to spend a lot of time stoping the vid and trying to figure out your fingering and I for one see it better as a diagram than trying to decipher your finger placement. I am a premium member and realize that I can g to part two and slow it down, but Imm kinda anxious to catch as much as I can from the get go. Thanks, G.

    • Barry W says

      I visualize everything better as block chord diagrams. Tablature does nothing for me except aggravate. lol I noticed that Brian put some chord block diagrams up on the video screen in one of his lessons recently, which I was so thankful for. It may have been the lesson where he was discussing how he was teaching his son to pay more attention to chord tones instead of relying on the pentatonic scale so much. That is another really good lesson on triad embellishments. Think Brian even added bends to some of the block diagrams. My brain remembers those patterns 100 times better than seeing the same licks tabbed out.

  12. Barry W says

    Perfect timing Brian. I have been focusing on your triad lessons for about 6 weeks now. Up to this point I have purposefully skipped most of the embellishments and focused on seeing the basic triad patterns. I have even written 7 lessons with 14 exercises for myself and my students. I have just begun turning my attention to the 6 chord, 9 chord, dominant 7,passing IV chord, harmonized 3rds and 6ths etc. This looks like a really fun lesson to start getting the embellishments and extensions into my music vocabulary. Thanks!!

  13. Stacey says

    Thanks for a great lesson. Really resonated with me tying a number of fretboard positions to different chord voicings in an upbeat rhythm style. Simple and sophisticated at the same time.

  14. charjo says

    Rhythm lessons are always appreciated but using varied 6, 7 and 9 chord voicings is really special.
    You are right about finding new connections. This is the first time I’ve connected the nearby 6 chord version of each of the E, A and C shaped major voicings without thinking about the relative minor. That’s a much easier way to find them in the context of what you’re playing.
    Great lesson, Brian.

  15. Daniel H says

    Q. Who teaches the Teachers?
    A. The Teachers teach the Teachers.

    Brian, the comments indicate you are teaching Teachers … but who teaches you? We know you listen to a lot of artists and decipher their playing, but do you have a Teacher? Anyway, I am glad you are my Teacher!
    Thank you!!!

  17. Mike R says

    I really like your rhythm lessons because they are more challenging to me than most. This style reminds me of Steve Cropper and even Marvin Gaye to some extent. I could use more of these types of lessons. I can play most of the EP’s that are lead based but these are harder for me. Keeping that right hand going and hitting the right strings requires me to work at it in a way that is different than learning some of your beautiful minor progression leads that I have a tendency to drift towards. Some of the rhythm lessons you have done seem to be getting faster. Could you do a couple that are slower and more laid back so that I can get use to the picking and rhythm technique? Thanks

  24. Jimmy Murray says

    This is a great lesson Brian. I am always inspired by what you do for us all. The backing tracks are are just wonder boogy woogyish and B gives you a lot of room to spread out.
    I’m always impressed by your melodic soloing….just the right few notes…. I learn something with each weekly visit. Thanks. Jimmy

  26. David S says

    Brian, I have been watching your hands for a long time now I believe you are mixing this with your regular playing and I can see now that this will help me a lot with my playing. Thank you so much for this lesson.Will be spending a lot of time with this. Keep this style coming along with all the rest Thank You, Thank You, Thank You !!!

  27. Bruce Q says

    Great lesson, thanks. As I am thinking this through, would these be movable shapes for playing in other keys. In other words if I move up two frets, using the same shapes, I am playing in the key of A?

  28. Jack S says

    Brian,
    This is one of my favorite lessons. I have been working on transitions from one cage triad to another and the gems you share are illuminating for me. There is no way I have been able to master a lesson in a week, so I’m learning to get as much out of a lesson as possible and not concern myself with too much memorization. Getting the feel of a rhythm, developing my ear and generally, moving between playing ideas, I believe, will have a cumulative net effect of making us all better players. Your program is one of the best.

  29. David Rinck says

    I love the triad lessons, these are super interesting and helpful.

    A question – early on in this video you mention that you can use strings 2-3 or 3-4 to play parts of an A-shape triad. This is fine for the triad off the A shape. But would you still have the same option with the E-shape triads to use strings 1-2 or 3-4, since the root only appears on the top chord? i.e., using strings 2-3 would omit the root.

  32. Clive C says

    Cool, Brian, wondered about that sound/technique. Although, in your case, I reckon “comping” could mean accomplished! Any lessons for old blokes with uncooperative fingers? That sort of smooth fluidity still escapes me. Keep plugging away at it I guess. Thanks mate, appreciate your lessons.

  33. Jeffro345 says

    Great lesson!!! Loaded with info!! As such, my suggestion would be to pick a more common guitar key A,D,G, E..C!
    . Even though 1,4,5 should be automatic in all keys, with so much other ‘new’information on the table, finding landmarks for F sharp made it a little bit harder than necessary. Still, great stuff!!!

  36. JAY S says

    Super fun and relatively simple lesson. Great to use this lesson as a base and add your own things. Example: As Brian mentioned, branch off from the B6 and drop down to the B9 adding more flavor to this delicious comping stew. ( I must be hungry)

  37. Geoff says

    Wow! This lesson is just so dense it is going to take a little while for me to ‘unpack it’. Lots of fantastic rhythm ideas in here that I am looking to take back to my ‘Jam Buddy’ 🙂

  38. David G says

    Brian & Community..I have been a member for over a year and as yet this has been the most difficult lesson for me to grasp. I guess I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. As Brian starts the lesson and explains the rhythm and count my brain can’t seem to do the both at the same time.It seems easier to try to just emulate the sound of his rhythm playing by ear, but I would feel better if I could count it out with upstrokes on the one/three etc.and know I am doing it right, but I just can’t get the hang of it .Any suggestions?

    • Andy v says

      David – I had the same feeling for about the first hour of this lesson, trying to get those opening rhythm and muting strums down. My advice: Just keep going slowly, and then try to speed up. I found that at after a few minutes, and repeated listens to Brian’s demo, my mind/hand just “got it”–even if I didn’t feel completely in control of it. In my experience, there’s a leap that will eventually happen with your mind/body coordination (at a level that doesn’t feel deliberate) that makes this suddenly click and then feel much easier.

      • David G says

        Thanks Andy .Deep down I know I have to keep trying until I get it. I’ve been working on the lesson for the past two nights and I’ve seemed to get a handle on the actual playing of the piece. But my min has yet to grasp the mental aspect of the timing of the lesson. Perhaps Brian has/ could do a lesson strictly on understanding rhythm and timing. That might be helpful.

  40. Marc V says

    Great lesson Brian. The breaking down of the rhythm figure at the very beginning is absolute gold for me. Rhythm and comping is such a hugely important skill.
    I have been on a little chord /rhythmic figure kick for a couple of years now and it s been instrumental in me being able to play with other people.
    This lesson just expands on that beautifully. Thanks.

    Marc

  41. Henry P says

    This lesson was a breath of fresh air. I started virtually from scratch back in the summer. Yes, I knew basic chords since childhood (and that was a looooong time ago), but this is the first time I’ve tackled the whole fretboard. Learning the fill licks has been a challenge, and some of that is going pretty well. But I needed something to tie it all together. For me, it was this lesson. Highlighting playing the chords (even ‘just’ dyads and triads) instead of the licks that lie within the chords, made the proverbial light go on. More of this please!

  44. James B says

    Hi Brian,

    I’m a little late getting to this lesson – I hope you’re still reading the comments! This is great material and the focus on 2 and 3 note chords is something I can really use as a church musician playing with a bunch of other instruments and trying to find “sonic space.”

    One thing I really struggle with in many of your lessons though is rhythm. I love the rhythm patterns you did for this lesson but I’m pulling my hair out trying to play them! Your tabs are very well done, but I’m struggling to get through even the first two measures. Is this something you either have or you don’t?

    I don’t have any idea how you would teach this, but could you attempt it as a future lesson?

    Thanks for all you do!

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