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Electric Blues Guitar Lesson that you can play by yourself – Staying in the key of a song – EP299

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a Chicago blues style lead by yourself (no accompaniment is required). Instead of focusing on “playing the chord changes” like we did in last week’s lesson (EP298), you’ll be playing in the key of the song, only focusing on the pentatonic scales.

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. John V says

    March 8, 2019 at 10:25 pm

    Awesome lesson……..I love Fridays!

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    • Grant G says

      March 10, 2019 at 8:10 pm

      I love this……and appreciate your lessons. What is the metronome set at? Thanks

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      • Grant H says

        March 12, 2019 at 3:46 pm

        55

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    • Frank S says

      March 13, 2019 at 8:57 am

      What an awesome lesson , thank you Brian . My favorite style and not overly difficult.
      Regards,.
      Frank

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  2. roco says

    March 8, 2019 at 10:46 pm

    Great!🎶

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  3. Robi Raw says

    March 8, 2019 at 10:49 pm

    Friday Night Jam with Brian, Yes!

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  4. Aussie Rick says

    March 8, 2019 at 10:59 pm

    Another beauty thanks Brian. Love these no accompaniment lessons.

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  5. Phil W says

    March 8, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    Lovely, Brian. Thanks

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  6. Maradonagol says

    March 8, 2019 at 11:07 pm

    Excellent as usual Brian thx!!

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  7. John B says

    March 9, 2019 at 12:29 am

    Perfect addition Brian. I’m starting to get it. Love it!!! Thanks

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  8. Gary W says

    March 9, 2019 at 2:24 am

    Saturday morning here in Wales uk!
    New lesson, new challenges.. thank you Brian 🙂

    Always love your guitar choices;
    but you are not going to be too popular with my missus
    ..as I keep adding more to my collection!

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    • Thomas G says

      March 9, 2019 at 10:01 am

      yeah im starting to have the same issue haaha

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    • Michael G says

      November 11, 2019 at 8:54 am

      The ubiquitous answer to the historical question..”how many guitars to you actually need?”….”one more!”

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  9. Nick S says

    March 9, 2019 at 6:34 am

    Most of the lessons posted recently appear to me to be more geared to the advanced player, some of them I spend weeks on and I learn a lot but never really master the jam . I go back through the lessons and find stuff thats suits my level but it would be nice to see some new stuff thats not so advanced. I am not trying to be critical I love the site and have learned a lot.

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    • kenford says

      March 12, 2019 at 7:57 pm

      Hi Nick, I used to have the exact same problem! Have you gone through Brian’s Blues Course? Well worth the time and effort. If you can’t get up to speed an any one lesson, take whatever you can from that lesson and incorporate what you’ve learned there into your bag of licks. YouTube (and AM) have a lot of useful backing tracks at slower tempos. Listen to each lesson and when Brian says, “Here’s a great takeaway”, he’s quite right, they are! Bottom line: practice, practice, practice. There’s no other way. You might be surprised to find that you’re better than you think. Just go slow, give it time and (once again) practice, practice, practice. Without a doubt Brian offers the best lessons available on the internet. Hope this helps a little….

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      • Nick S says

        March 13, 2019 at 8:00 pm

        Thanks.

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  10. charjo says

    March 9, 2019 at 6:50 am

    Exactly why I joined in the first place. Thank you, Brian.
    John

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  11. blues46 says

    March 9, 2019 at 6:54 am

    Hey Brian,
    Another great lesson.
    Thanks

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  12. brian-belsey says

    March 9, 2019 at 8:12 am

    Terrific! Great stuff!

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  13. Michael Allen says

    March 9, 2019 at 8:26 am

    I love it!

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  14. Jim M says

    March 9, 2019 at 8:34 am

    Nice blues Brian.

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  15. Steve M says

    March 9, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Another great lesson ( particularly love the stand alone ones ). I do have a question Brian. If you were attempting to play this on an acoustic, would you do the bend on the first lick on the 7th fret ( and force yourself to build more strength ) or modify it to the 8th so it was only a half bend? BTW, I have a guitar playing bud from the east coast in town for a visit, and he has been quite impressed by some of the material I have been learning here, as well as some of the solos I have been coming up with for songs.

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    • Walter D says

      March 12, 2019 at 9:09 am

      Steve, a little tip I use for transposing bends from an electric to acoustic: slide up 1 fret for a half-bend, slide up 2 frets for a full-bend. Doesn’t work 100% of the time, but I would say maybe 99%.

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      • Steve M says

        March 23, 2019 at 1:54 pm

        Thanks, tried it and mostly like

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  16. Raymond P says

    March 9, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Love it, great lesson, fun take-away’s

    Thanks Brian

    Ray P

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  17. justin N says

    March 9, 2019 at 11:40 am

    Awesome composition Brian! I love these Chicago style blues no accompaniment lessons. Great way to transition from last week too!

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  18. San Luis Rey says

    March 9, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    Sweet Home Chicago! Well not mine but I do love this style of blues with a bit of an edge. There are some very cool things in this lesson that I want to get down with.

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  19. San Luis Rey says

    March 9, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    Oh! Thanks in advance for another milestone about to happen. I remember EP 100 with a bonus for premium members, and EP 200 rolling out micro lessons and next week, Episode 300! Congratulations on making this such a success!

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  20. Robert R says

    March 9, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    This and all of the other lessons are tremendous. You have a real genius for creating very playable tunes that are a real joy to learn and play. And I find I am learning a lot from these lessons.

    I have tried other lessons but yours are the most enjoyable way to learn. I spend most of my playing time practicing your lessons or just noodling around with them.

    Keep up the excellent work. And thanks for making a reasonably priced, yet very high quality service.

    I too now have another very good reason to look forward to Friday.

    Rob

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  21. Francisco Javier C says

    March 9, 2019 at 1:30 pm

    Thanks Brian, another great lesson in A, like ep235.
    So nice

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  22. madams says

    March 9, 2019 at 3:52 pm

    Another soon-to-be classic! I love these Chicago blues solo lessons.

    Michael

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  23. sunburst says

    March 9, 2019 at 6:23 pm

    man this lesson sounds great, going to start this tonight!

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  24. sunburst says

    March 10, 2019 at 9:54 am

    Well explained basic theory and simply chord shapes and scale patterns/concept in Video part 1, enjoyed,, now to part two and off to the soundslice than jamtrack!

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  25. Jon B says

    March 10, 2019 at 10:50 am

    I’m digging it the most, like.

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  26. JohnStrat says

    March 10, 2019 at 11:43 am

    Brian,
    A great lesson for us and more in this vein would be very welcome. No doubt you will have something a bit special for your EP Tercentenary lesson next week. Thanks for all the wonderful the lesson to date and all the takeaways.

    JohnStrat

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  27. John D says

    March 10, 2019 at 12:59 pm

    Good one!…that’s awesome…great riffs ,That’s why I joined , this type of lesson…love all of it

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  28. drlknstein says

    March 11, 2019 at 6:03 pm

    Solid Chi-town blues- excellent lesson with a lot of great things to learn and presented well-

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  29. Walter D says

    March 12, 2019 at 9:15 am

    Very enjoyable lesson – like a guitar buffet, so much to chose from and easy to mix and match depending on your appetite. I enjoy mastering (or trying to) the timing in these pieces, and by changing the timing you can really change the lick. In this lesson, mostly licks in the first half, mostly chords in the second half. Now try playing the halves in reverse, then try mixing some of the licks with the chords. You could play this all day…

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  30. TomBot says

    March 12, 2019 at 2:13 pm

    Thanks Brian! This lesson is loaded with ideas and techniques for moving through a blues progression—an ideal “next step” after your recent Call and Response lesson.

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  31. bernie-blues says

    March 12, 2019 at 2:54 pm

    This is it!
    Thanks Brian

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  32. tonylolli says

    March 12, 2019 at 6:14 pm

    299 already? Can’t wait for the next 300.

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  33. john l says

    March 12, 2019 at 6:24 pm

    was almost hoping I wouldn’t like this one…just getting started on ragtime blues…but, you’ve done it yet again…you’re just wired differently – thanks !

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  34. Dennis O says

    March 13, 2019 at 2:12 pm

    Like the song though you whipped through the licks in this lesson a bit too quick for me. Be being able to adjust the speed of the lesson makes all the difference; I’d be lost without it.
    Grins

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  35. Edward L says

    March 13, 2019 at 3:41 pm

    I really enjoy your lessons and have learned much. I practice on my acoustic and when I slide I get an excessive amount of string noise. Are you using flat wounds, or some special kind of strings to reduce your slide noise? Thanks.

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    • Brian says

      March 14, 2019 at 1:52 pm

      No, those are round wound

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  36. Kindlylight says

    March 14, 2019 at 6:24 am

    How good is this lesson wow! love the way you teach, starting to understand music, your changing lives Brian thank you

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  37. Eric S says

    March 14, 2019 at 1:26 pm

    Another great lesson Brian, you explain it just the way I would explain it. You speak my language, or I speak yours, or something like that. Anyway, great job!

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  38. furynut69 says

    March 15, 2019 at 5:54 am

    Fantastic lesson, 5 Stars!!!!

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  39. drlknstein says

    March 15, 2019 at 5:43 pm

    wow- there u go again…thats a great liltle gem at 17 mins on part 2–the riff…. d7 with the f sharp base. and that 3 chord progression —i m going to impress someone with that soon..thanks

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  40. Emil D says

    March 15, 2019 at 8:01 pm

    You may want to put the comment at the top so we dont have to scroll to the bottom. Just a suggestion. That was a great lesson man thank u so.

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  41. Joseph V says

    March 16, 2019 at 10:52 am

    Chicago blues is my favorite style. And this is my favorite lesson so far. A lot of takeaways for improvisation. And not too difficult for the intermediate player. Keep up the good work.

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  42. Thomas P says

    March 19, 2019 at 8:48 pm

    Starting my second year as a member. Love your lessons. They keep me interested in learning an trying new tunes rather than replaying my same old Led Zep licks 🙂
    BTW…..Brian you say Chicago like a native. I know you’re a Tennesseean now but makes me wonder if you were a big city boy at one time.

    Thanks for inspiring this old axman

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  43. Paul D says

    March 21, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    Great lesson – Thanks!

    BUT you might want to tweak the tab that doesn’t show the hammer-on pull-off in bar 7.

    😉

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  44. karn p says

    March 22, 2019 at 1:52 am

    Excellent lesson and I thoroughly enjoy it. Some chords towards the end of 2nd half do sound a little odd but they all add to some different flavors I suppose. I love to do that quick pentatonic run just ti wow family members as it sounds rather sophisticated. Cheers

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  45. Blues55 says

    March 25, 2019 at 1:59 pm

    Working hard to get this one.

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  46. Lance R says

    March 31, 2019 at 7:46 pm

    BB would be proud Brian. Learning this is my new prime directive – Thanks!

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  47. Cor Kleijn says

    April 9, 2019 at 4:45 am

    Thanks for another great lesson Brian!
    I have a question, in part one, and in some other licks as well, i’m always confused when to use or not to use my pinkey.
    Is that something that sorts itself out after a while, or do i have to learn myself to use it, or not. I see a lot of great players rarely use their pinky, where others do.
    I guess i’m not the only one with this “problem”
    Grtz Cor

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  48. Alexandre F says

    April 15, 2019 at 7:23 am

    Wow! this lesson on chicago blues made me pull it out the beautiful powerful sound from my les paul even though a epiphone can reach the gibson and this is one of those cases so I´m happy with the result on my efforts to make it through improving my vibrato , pull offs, hybrid picking on which I´m getting even more used to it especially from the 6th to the 9th …moreover blending the major and minor pentatonics I guess with time , praticing , analysing all I´m doing I will get it through later someday to express myself with the guitar making great solos.
    This one is hard but at the same time feels good to play and understand music and by the way this is my favourite style in blues.

    Thanks

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  49. riteus1 says

    April 15, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    Hey Brian, I appreciate that you go into theory so that I can take what you teach and come up with my own versions? Keep up the good work. Hopefully you will go over playing octaves sometime.

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