Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Country Blues guitar composition By Yourself – while outlining the changes. Guitar Lesson – EP580

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a country blues guitar composition by yourself on acoustic guitar (no jam track needed). To make it work on it’s own, you’ll need to outline the chord changes by the notes you choose. Explained 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

    • Philip H says

      Love these call and response lessons always learning new things and Brian explains things so clearly. Never knew about that way of playing the C major scale with open strings and the mixolidian scales notes used for dominant 7th chords. Keep them coming Brian.

  8. Rob D says

    I agree with what you said in the introduction, this is the most fun way of playing guitar by yourself. Playing acoustic guitar I consistently revert back to a country blues incorporating blue grass, harmonized thirds and sixes, country swing, ragtime etc. all the stuff I’ve picked up from you over the years that allows me to improvise on my own. Thank you again!!

    • Doug C says

      Brian, I’m not sure if this is intentional or not, but I’ve working on the lesson you did two weeks ago which also is in the key of C. I found it really helps me when you stay in the same key for a few weeks at a time to drive home similar licks in different applications. In other words, this lesson is helping me with the lesson two weeks ago, and vise-versa! Just an observation. Phenomenal lesson as usual. I appreciate you! Doug

      • Jeff M says

        I’m with you Doug…same key lessons allow my brain to learn, hear, and under the notes and patterns more quickly.

        I will also revisit some of the ‘no accompaniment’ lessons from the vault in the same key to help tie things together with a current lesson.

        Brian – these CAGED related lessons where you explain the ‘what and why’ are GOLD! It’s finally starting to come together and make sense to me and I’m beginning to actually play/make music instead of just memorizing a lesson.

        You are such a great teacher and your lessons are exactly what I need to progress towards becoming a musician

  10. Patrick J. G says

    Great lesson Brian. Gets the fingers moving. I have a question, not so much this lesson, I am very familiar with the 1-4-5 chords but when it comes to the 2-3-6 chords I’m kinda lost. Is there a lesson or way for me to practice on understanding those chords? Hope I explained it ok.

  15. Wil W says

    Brian your explanation in measure 20 how you look at the improvising while playing the C7 is a really light bulb for me. Knowing b7 (from C7) leads to the F, without analysing but just playing C-Mixolydian and going to the F. Just the sound not the number behind it is important. Great explanation!
    When you go to the next chord p.e. 16-17, 28-29, 29-30 a.s.o. G7 to C the last 2 to notes of the first bar to the first note of the second bar, can you also call this enclosure of the target? I see this as 7 – 2 going to 1 in the key of C. And measure 24-25 I see 4 – b3 going to 3.

  16. Scott R says

    Backing down to the dominant 7 of the 1 chord and then sliding from the flat 3rd of the 4 chord to the major 3rd and then resolving to the 1 of the 4 chord is what I have been working on lately. Then I alway think what is the 4 triad that I’m in now and what licks can I play before going back to my 1 chord. This lesson seems to be very similar to that exercise. P.S. Love the Jerry lick.

  18. David H says

    Hello Brian. Enjoyable lesson, as always.
    Perhaps you recall from years ago (I’ve been a student of yours for quite some time) that you often would end your first video with a run-through of the piece in total up to that point. I always found this very helpful as it cemented the rhythm and and overall organization of the first half of the composition as a whole, as a song rather than a string of disparate parts. I wonder if you would consider reinstating that practice. And, truthfully, it would also be helpful, at least for me, if you would likewise end the second video with a run-through from the beginning.
    Thanks from the excellent work you do and the obvious effort you put into composing each lesson.

  21. Brian F says

    Maybe it was reference to memories learning C scales over and over, but this lesson was real breakthrough for my playing chords and licks. Also enjoyed improvising on the theme. It has given me more freedom to relax and play…

  22. daniel M says

    First this lesson was great I have no idea how it led to me thinking in modes and how to apply them but it did and as I worked on them in the dawn while lying in bed I thought of the scales each would apply. I’m probably way past your looking at responses to lesson 508 but I’m all over all your past lessons and wanted to say that you are a great teacher and should never apologize for the background to the lesson that you give.

  24. T-Bish says

    One of the most wonderful things about your standalone compositions is the ability to alter the tempo and match whatever emotion you’re feeling at the time. All versions sound great. Slowing down, allowing space between the notes allows me to discover sections of your compositions with a new emotion. Sometimes I overlooked how amazing the sequence of notes sound.

    My father in-law asked me to bring my guitar over for his 91st birthday last week. It was my wife, daughter and his wife celebrating during a lunch. Knowing I had to get back to work soon and that the only way to play for him was to sit between him and the others at the table, I played lightly so the others could engage in conversation. He sat and listened as I played for him many of your compositions. He later said it was a wonderful memory. It was for all of us.

    As in this forum, your compositions touch a lot of people. This is another great one.

  27. Kathryn L says

    Thank you! I go away from playing, and I keep coming back. LIke others that have commented, I agree with it all. You help me think there is hope in having credible playing ability – some day!
    Kathy

  29. Juan Carlos P says

    In this video you mix styles in such a brilliant way that even allows us to fill in some improvisation too. This simple and beatuful lesson helps me so much to play along this summer heat wave in Spain.

  31. DAVID M says

    Great lesson – I find it useful when you mention the note names, and explain the underlying scales, triads, CAGED shapes and the like – ‘seeing’ the architecture behind the melodic etc decisions taken is the key, and I thank you for explaining it so clearly 😀

  32. Timothy M says

    Great lesson Brian!

    I am a newer member and I am learning so much from your lessons.

    I particularly liked the point you made in Part I at 11:10 about the G-run. I am trying to learn how to incorporate runs into my playing and your instructions are helping a lot.

    Tim Moran

  34. Timothy M says

    Greeting Brian!

    I learn so much from all of your lessons, but I think I have learned more from this lesson than any other as of yet.

    I struggle to play (in the chord shape) like you do. And, finally, this lesson enabled me to start doing that much better.

    Thanks for your help!

  38. Michael S says

    My only comment is that this is a pretty advanced lesson, at least for me. I learn so much parsing through them measure by measure. One thought is that where a simplification is available, maybe mention it as an aside?
    Thanks!
    Mike

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