Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Do THIS to make a boring melody sound more interesting. Tips for improvising a guitar melody – EP497

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to take a boring melody and enhance it by using notes from the major scale and notes from chord shapes.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough - Level 1

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Slow Walkthrough - Level 2

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Slow Walkthrough - Level 3

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  12. Harry B says

    This lesson is another example of why I keep looking forward to your weekly lessons, Brian.

    Your lessons always push the boundaries of my learning potential while keeping the concepts on a simple enough level for an intermediate (at best) guitar player like me to understand. Your lessons represent what good teaching is all about.

    Not sure that I will ever get much beyond the intermediate stage as a player, but your lessons are one of the big things that keep me working at it.

    Have a happy holiday season.

  19. charjo says

    The connections you help me see continue to astound. The harmonized 3rd move from the major to the 9th sound is a gamechanger. Tying the mixolydian licks to the chord shapes is another one. Thanks, Brian and Merry Christmas.
    John

  27. Michael K says

    Love it because it’s on an acoustic it sounds freakin great. Unfortunately, I’ll have to work on this one later because I woke up to frozen pipes this morning and have no water in the house. Pipes burst open and need to be repaired immediately. I guess it could be worse so I’m not going to complain too much. Merry Christmas everybody.

  32. David S says

    Brian, This has a lot more to it than I originally thought. Level 3 is just what I need. You seem to know just what I need. Thank you for your great teaching ability. Your the best. Dave
    Level 2 was also great!!

  34. Mark H says

    Great practice for the major scale. I liked the efficient switch to mixolydian achieved by just playing the same major scale position over the V. I’m wondering if the same trick would work over the IV (Dorian) but I suspect not since Brian didn’t go there(?), played a phrase over the IV if I recall correctly.

    I need to go through it again with guitar in hand. Have been studying-up on modes today as a result.

  35. Paul M says

    Thank you Brian for yet another remarkable challenge. Each week you ask us to take a step beyond our zones of safety-this is your gift . Thank you ad blessings over this special time of the year.
    On a seperate note what about all of us in the Active Melody community put up our home town, city, country next lesson just so that we really get a sense of what a wonderful and eclectic group we are a part of.
    Best wishes to you all.

  38. David S says

    Brian, Any way to get PDF of the different scales in this lesson? After going over lesson 2 or 3 times found a lot of gold gems in this lesson. Thanks again for all the good lessons this year. Bet the new year will be as good if not better. Looking forward to new year.

    • Mark H says

      I think it’s all the major scale with some pentatonic minor excursions for feel. During the V it’s still the major scale in the I position, but since the bass is in the V it’s the Mixolydian mode of the major scale.

      So major scale with lick excursions all the way.

  39. swampy says

    Hello to Brian! Happy Christmas to you and your family
    Thanks for all you do for us at Active Melody, I’ve improved so much thanks to you, but beside that it’s just been a very enjoyable experience.
    Best from Oz,
    Swampy

  40. Phillip F says

    I want to wish you a happy New Year’s ahead and thank you for all that you do for the members.
    You have positively impacted my advancement playing guitar. You have helped me to do what I have always wanted for decades. It is for me to pickup a guitar and play something other than someone’s song. I have not reached to where I can play what I feel. To express myself via an acoustic guitar.
    Thank you so much

  41. Phillip F says

    I want to wish you a happy New Year’s ahead and thank you for all that you do for the members.
    You have positively impacted my advancement playing guitar. You have helped me to do what I have always wanted for decades. It is for me to pickup a guitar and play as I feel
    Thank you

  44. John H says

    You must have been reading my mind. Next on my bucket list was to try and figure out how to do this based on and earlier lesson EP390 where you used ‘Happy Birthday’ as the melody and embellished it with fills using major scale licks in every position up and down the neck. This lessons adds some clarity to the previous, but gives the idea a little different context. Very cool. Time to get to work.

    Thanks and Merry Christmas

  45. Chris H says

    You never cease to amaze me, Brian … you came up with the coolest lesson that teaches theory and musicality at the same time … the musicality makes the medicine go down easy! Happy holidays!

  47. Ronald L. M says

    Great lesson Brian. I’ve been doing this for a while but you make to all fit together. Couldn’t help but going on tangents during video. Could hear many other songs, especially on the first A walk down I could hear Bob Dylan’s Rainy Day Woman. Can’t wait to do more of these. Hope you had the best of holidays. You sure gave us a lot!
    Ron

  48. Bruce G says

    I’d like to 44th (?) what everyone else has said already….great lesson! I continue to walk right along the edge of improvisation (versus just learning the lesson by rote) and each lesson gives me another push over that edge. Please keep reinforcing how to take these lessons into something creative and musical!

    Your positive approach is very helpful and motivating!!!

    Happy Holidays!

  51. Marcel v says

    Happy new year to everyone!
    Thank you Brian for this great lesson.
    Like many said before: this is what I was looking for right now. I am trying to play Gypsy Swing and Western Swing lately, and this seems to fit in perfectly.
    I know you did more lessons on how to embellish chords and melodies. But I hope you give us many more of these insights, both in major as in minor scales and chords.
    Thanks again, Marcel

  52. JULIAN C says

    Brian

    This is a great lesson – playing a wonderful and simple song and moving it in many directions – it helps bring out the practice and discover modes that we have learned and can assemble into this and other songs. Check out on line from the movie Amadeus 1984 – go to “Amadeus Mozart Plays for the Emperor”. Its only 3 minutes and it relates to your lesson

  53. George B says

    Well here it goes. I love Active Melody . My problem is i have problems with learning how to improvise. I have listened to the lessons on Pentatonic Scales Major and Minor and am overwhelmed with moving from one to another. Combining the Scales . Is there maybe a simpler way of explaining it to me ? Sorry for my lack of catching on . I want to learn to play better . and improvise is my Goal and objective . Please help . I will pay extra to learn…Thank you George

  54. Robert W says

    One thing I did here on Level 3 is to not use the hybrid picking, but time the same pattern of 6ths in sequence. It made that part easier for me (until I learn to use hybrid picking acceptably.

  55. Todd B says

    This is so darn cool! I can’t wait to get on some of these lessons. After about 4 years of playing, I was looking for something to guide me onto a higher plane of playing. Tired of misc. you tube lessons. I believe this was the perfect time for me to join you as a premium member. Almost like it was ordained. I AM SO EXCITED to get it on.

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