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Funk Blues Rhythm and Lead Guitar Lesson – EP090

Description

In this guitar lesson, learn how to play an up-tempo, funky blues rhythm in the key of F#m, along with a Hubert Sumlin inspired lead (in the second half). I’ll break down this rhythm and lead note for note and show you exactly how to play it. This lesson is intended for beginner – intermediate players. I’ve also included 2 tempos for the MP3 jam track, one normal tempo and one played much slower for beginners.

Part 1

Part 2 (For Premium Members)

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Slow Walk-Through (For Premium Members)

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Comments

  1. Brian says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Live

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  2. Bluesman68 says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Thanks, Brian, another winner and a great tribute to Hubert.

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  3. massa says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    awesome Brian   like always your explanations make these blues easy to follow

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  4. massa says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    ignore my last comment its there ok brian

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  5. massa says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    part 1 is shown twice instead of part 2

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  6. Giuseppe Cucco says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Tank you Brian, great lesson and as usual, you always wear beautiful shirts.

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  7. pheartscott says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Another outstanding lesson!  I get overwhelmed with all the content as I’ve not yet mastered anything here yet……. But always want to try new stuff.
    As I’m a newbie so to speak, my biggest problem is my lack of rhythm while strumming. This kind of lesson oughta help a bit. Strumming doesn’t feel comfortable at all while picking individual notes feels fine.

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  8. jluke says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Lessons just keep getting better.  Thanks again!!

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  9. maradonagol says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Perfect lesson…..needed a funky one…thanks Brian!

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  10. Papie says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    This song makes me happy! Can’t wait to learn it. This site is just the best period!

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  11. maradonagol says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    BTW, great add with the Soundslice!!

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  12. Terryd23 says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    @maradonagol - honestly, that’s a smart way to do it.  I’ve never been effective with wrapping my thumb over the neck and playing those base strings but I know a lot of folks do that.

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  13. maradonagol says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Hi Brian, question…..on those changes where you’d like to hit the F# base note… but didn’t have time to get there, are you against using the thumb? I don’t usually, but just seemed very natural accident to use my thumb, and then ended up using it for the main rhythm riff…..first time its been effective for me, but very useful.

    Thanks

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  14. maradonagol says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Thanks @Terryd23

    My thumb happened to be there, so why not?….then I found that during the main riff I could just keep my index finger on the barre on the B&G strings and less moving around….I’ve never really used it much before, so certainly a good reason to practice it….

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  15. tom902 says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Brian, really like the added Guitar Pro player and thanks for including a print option so it can be studied in more detail.

    Tom

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  16. Tofttofly says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    I like the SoundSlice addition as well. It’s great that you have so many ways to view the notation, notes, tab, and fretboard.

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  17. doug.balch@gmail.com says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Cool lesson.  Got to get me an electric guitar!!

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  18. tom902 says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Hey Brian, measure 10 B#7 chord?  B7 perhaps?

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  19. clickdiddy says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Great tutorial.

    Thank you.

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  20. Mikeatmartel says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Thanks, the sound slice is a great addition.

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  21. CliffordLance says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Hi Brian, it’s hard to overstate the quality and value of your lessons. Not to diminish the free sites that teach individual songs, you are giving folks the tools and licks to compose their own. The technical stuff is explained in ways most folks will understand. I think you have the perfect mix of easy and hard techniques and I’m always impressed with your ability to craft such beautiful lessons so quickly.

    I would encourage those folks who haven’t signed up for the premium site to give it a try and see how much more is available for such a modest fee.

    Keep up the great work and thanks for your hard work!

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  22. allenmorales230@gmail.com says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Great jam Brian!

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  23. scattercreek says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Another great lesson Brian.  Thanks!

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  24. A. Minor says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Nice groove

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  25. Jimmybond says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Nice lesson, still trying to get to grips with it. I like the addition of sound slice too!

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  26. jrei@aon.at says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Hello Brian:

    Here a question regarding down/upstroke beginning with the first bar:

    Why do you use down strokes for the third and fourth notes. According to the 16th (1e&a 2e&a …) shouldn’t it be done in upstrokes?

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  27. jluke says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Brian, what kind of guitar picks do you use - gauge, brand, sticky / slick?  Some of the quick upstrokes, rythm playing, etc.can be difficult to play and sometimes hard to hang on to the pick.  Do you think it’s more about how you hold the pick vs. stickiness of the pick?  Thanks for any response.

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  28. Brian says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    I use Fender medium gauge picks.  When you hold it, be sure you’re holding between the thumb and index finger.  Here’s a couple of videos I created a few years ago on how to hold / use a pick:

    https://www.activemelody.com/courses/beginner-guitar-course/3_2_using_a_pick_strumming

    https://www.activemelody.com/courses/beginner-guitar-course/3_3_using_a_pick_single_notes

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  29. nicky says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    awesome thank you for great lessons again and again then it gets even better with sound slice i love my membership with activemelody

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  30. Jimmybond says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    I have finally nailed this one and love playing it. The little lead parts are not very technical to play but sound amazing, more like this please!! 🙂

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  31. Rock Star Daddy says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Brian, a fun lesson for sure. Like Maradonagol said the thumb on the six string seems natural, I went to it at the start.  Good option?

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  32. Don D. says

    December 10, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    Beautiful lesson, got here the long way around.

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  33. Patrick van Rijn says

    January 7, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    Brian, I can only repeat the other comments: a great lesson, and using the thumb came natural for me as well. Any chance there will be another Hubert Sumlin lesson within short?

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  34. Don D. says

    February 9, 2016 at 6:29 am

    This is still a great lesson! I’ve been playing around with it for a couple months, long enough to find similarities or other compatibilities with other tunes. One is the Bluesbreakers F# version of “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which also sounds like key of A (it’s funny how that riff works). That main 6-note hook can be nicely fit into this, and this main 7-note riff can be twisted to fit into that rhythm.

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