Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Simple chords with melody composition that you can play by yourself – EP479

Description

For this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to use intervals and the 5 major scale positions to be able to improvise in any key – using this composition as a basic guide.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 (Theory) - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  12. blues46 says

    Nice lesson. I do like the theory you add to your lessons. I will admit that providing the theory in a separate video
    has its advantage. It does not break up the continuity of the song. Sometime I do get a brain overload when too
    much is add all at once. To be clear, I have been with you for many years because you do explain the theory with your lessons.
    It would be nice to hear from other members.

  13. klox says

    Nice lesson as usual Brian.

    On the theory side I would see this more simply as being in D Minor, that is Aeolian mode of B flat. All the chords are still legit ( diatonic) and it is common for the V chord to be made a dominant 7 th. ie A7.

  15. Peter H says

    Lovely piece of music and great explanation of the theory behind it – thank you. Also not a bad idea to keep theory in the second half for those who want to follow the logic of the sounds in bit more depth. And of course if got me out looking at Cornell Dupree vids so that’s a bonus. 🙂

  18. Greg W says

    Wow! Great lesson, love this style! I’ve really enjoyed a few of your other lessons that I would consider latin-flavored (EP205 and EP444) – this Spanish lesson is a nice addition to those!
    Brian – would be excellent to see more like this! Perhaps an acoustic lesson for Afro-Cuban (Afro-Cuban All Stars, Compay Segundo, Pio Leiva, etc.) or Mexican (Lila Downs, Lhasa De Sela…)?

  19. Daniel H says

    Good marketing move Brian. The gold you offer us is explaining the theory of how/why the song works. That skill is what sets you apart from everyone else. People should pay for it. The downside of this change is that very same skill is an amazing “hook” for new students. It certainly got me hooked on AM and I promptly subscribed… for three years now. On a separate note, I love the Spanish sound.

  20. Nick Ll says

    Another tour de force Brian. I would though be interested to hear why you didn’t choose to play it finger style on a nylon strung Spanish guitar? Surely this would be more in keeping with the feel and style of the piece?

  23. cloughie says

    Love it! I got a bit confused when G Dorian was mentioned but the Dorian note E was never played in that run. So really it was only G minor & G harmonic minor that were actually played. I know technically F major is G Dorian but if the sharp 6 is never played are you playing Dorian really? I guess if you don’t play E or Eb you’re playing both.

  24. Keith S says

    Been an AM Premium member for 2 years. REALLY like the separate lesson format. Doing the playing with the theory does get a little confusing and too much information for me at one time. Very much like the theory part of a lesson, as I use it other places. Having the separate theory lesson apart from the playing allows me to focus on one thing at a time. And I can have a cup of coffee rather than my guitar and focus only on the theory. Thanks, Brian!

  25. john a says

    This lesson’s theory part tied so many things together mentally for me that really opened the fret board up. I don’t if it was new format, or everything just clicked but thanks.

  27. Paul J says

    Great lesson Brian as always. I was wondering if it would be possible to show chord diagrams with the tab? I sometimes think that if I just played through the chords alone first, the rest would fall into place a bit quicker. Anyone else have any thoughts and this?

  28. Chris R says

    A nice change of flavour Brian. Very refreshing.
    It seems to me like it’s written in D Natural Minor with the A7 chord being coverd by the D Harmonic Minor scale to accommodate the C# (major 7th tone). A very common sound in Spanish music.
    All the other chords are straight out of the D Aeolian chord family (same chords formed from the F major scale). The factt that the piece starts and finishes on the Dm chord tends the cement Dm as the tonal centre.

  29. Thierry V says

    Hi Brian, thank you for the new course, l appreciate a lot.
    I approve of the novelty of the format because, as said above, mixing practice and theory in the same video brings confusion and slows down the perception and understanding of the theme.
    Thanks again.

  32. James W says

    Hi Brian,

    I like this format a lot. Having the theory in one video without too much walkthrough is a lot more interesting for me. I don’t know if that plays as well for your subscription model but does work very well for subscribers. You can always go back to the walkthough video if there is a tricky part in the tab or maybe a fingering or picking tip, etc.

  33. Dan B says

    Just tagging along with some of the comments above….it helps me to learn the composition first then go through the theory. I retain more of the theory that way. Thanks again !
    Dan

  36. Brian B says

    Brian – Really like EP479, and ALL your lessons lately. Question — More a music question than a guitar question: Can you pinpoint what makes a Spanish melody so recognizedly Spanish? Asking more about the melody than the rhythm. Brian Burke

  37. Michael G says

    Love it. When I saw ” Spanish” I was expecting something Flamenco sounding (Which I love too). This reminds me more of a Spanish-y sounding classical guitar that a 70’s classic Rock group might have done.

  40. Robin S says

    Not sure about this, or indeed several recent lessons, they seem to be drifting in no particular direction. and to be frank sound somewhat ordinary.
    Would it be possible to get back on track with some jazz based chord structures with the huge variety of startling sounds to be derived from the type of chords used in jazz music

    • Brian says

      Hey Robin, I can see that you’ve been a site member since 2016 (thank you !) – but just thinking about the amount of lessons I’ve created in that time – I do one a week, so 52 a year x 6 = 312 full lessons (approximately). There is bound to be several in that many that you don’t like. I can’t bat 100 for every single person and do the best that I can with them each week. Maybe, the reason these last few seem “ordinary”, is because you’ve gotten better.

      Now, if lots of people were complaining about the format, I would have to change direction, but can’t change everything that is working so well for one. Hope you understand.

  41. Robin S says

    Thanks Brian, maybe it’s just my current mood and I’ve certainly learn’t a lot since I joined and would never dream of leaving. Could be that I’ve been a bit seduced by the number of sites chucking out jazz chotds recently which seem to be a big and incomprehensible change from what I’ve been immersing myself in. Your productivity and teaching is amazing and I woulfd love to see it applied to this new (to me) mystical world of jazz chords. No offence meant by my comments, I think your site is amazing value, long may you continue !

  43. Aaron P. says

    I always wanted to learn how to play a Spanish-style arrangement. This is perfect! I still don’t know how you come up with these awesome compositions week after week! Your style of teaching is top-notch. Keep it up Brian!

  44. Dave Shep says

    Just back from holidaying and saw this: I think this format is great.

    I really like having the more theoretic stuff kept more separate. I think it helps consolidate my understanding much more.

    I don’t usually comment on lessons but be assured you’re doing a great job (if you didn’t know already!).

  45. Aaron P. says

    I like how you put the Theory lesson in the 2nd video this time. Another light bulb went off after you explained what goes through your head when creating these lessons. Love your teaching style!

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