Description
In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a Jerry Garcia / Grateful Dead inspired rhythm that is as fun to listen to as it is to play. You’ll be. playing chord shapes, triads, and harmonized 3rds to create this rhythm.
Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson
Part 2 - For Premium Members
Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Register for premium access
Slow Walkthrough
Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Register for premium access
Video Tablature Breakdown
Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Register for premium access
You need to be logged in as a premium member to access the tab, MP3 jam tracks, and other assets.
Learn More
Add to "My Favorites"
You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content.
Tony says
Nice
Angelo I says
wow…that was so awesome. Total lightbulb moment & so much fun. Thank You!
David D says
Great insight here Brian thank you so much
Boomer says
This is superb, Brian, thank you!
kurt neumann says
A little Steve Cropper here?
Andy N says
Hi Brian,
Think soundslice has got the “Minus Guitar Part – Slow” Backing track assigned to it.
But great lesson. Lots of useful ideas in this one, especially those thirds in part 2.
Cheers
Andy
ALAIN L says
On the black bar below Soundslice, you can choose between Video, Audio with guitar or audio minus guitar. Enjoy.
Andy N says
Thanks Alain. That was it!
Cheers
Andy
JohnStrat says
Hi Brian,
This is a great lesson for me as a ‘right hand loosen up’ is what i am trying to achieve amongst much else.
And being a bit of a Dead Head I love this stuff.
JohnStrat
Ralph P. says
Very “Infectious” groove Brian. Might have to call Dr. Fauci. Full of good rhythmic and chordal ideas. Any lead guitarist would love to improvise over this kind of vamping. Very fun and loose and funky.
Ralph P.
charjo says
Brian,
A good rhythm lesson is so helpful. The bonus is such a great review of chord shapes and double stops representing chords. Thanks for this one.
John
JohnStrat says
Here Here John
JohnStrat
Michael Allen says
A lot of great stuff in this one! Thanks Brian
Daniel H says
Bertha don’t you come around here anymore! Thank you for your lessons Brian, they have helped me fall in love with guitar again and it feels great!
DertyHippieFeat says
Heard that as well. Maybe a bit of Franklin’s Tower.
Gordon C says
Thanks. this one is fun.
Blaine L says
Lots of fun. And a shout out to the greatest “rhythm” guitar player ever, Bob Weir.
Henry G says
Well yes, BW could pocket a groove with the best of any group, but, uh,, Cornell Dupree, Grant Greene, Eddie Cochran, James Burton, R. Wood, K. Richards and numerous others? We’re not talking chicken salad with the others. I’d say BW, another great musician amongst many equally impressive artists ; music’s not a competition. Just my opinion and it might be wrong, but there it is.
Jim M says
Bo Diddley Groove……..
Michael W says
Garcia lesson was a HUGE eye-opener full of light bulb moments and new ways to see things. Was really hoping you’d expand on those concepts and here we go! Peace Brothers & Sisters
Ralph B says
I have a question regarding the Soundslice notation. Soundslice shows the tune being in the Key of C, with the first chord played being the A chord, which is how Brian plays it in the video. However, Brian says the tune is in the Key of A. If I use the Soundslice Transposition to change the notation to the Key of A, then the first chord played is shown as F#. I don’t know why Soundslice isn’t showing the notation as being in the Key of A, with the first chord played being the I chord for the Key of A. Any help would be appreciated.
jgreen says
Hi Ralph – Reading your question prompted me to look at the transposition function in Soundslice which I had not used before.
I took a look back at different lessons in different keys and everyone, regardless of the actual key, shows the starting point on that transposition slider as C. As you note this song is in A. So wonder if something may not be working properly here?
As you point out if you move the slider from C to A dropping it 3 semitones, because the song is actually in A, you are are seeing the first chord now as F# (three semitones down from A). Again, my best guess, maybe a problem with the program?
Stephen M says
Greart lesson! Thanks.
thomokel says
“She’s so fine my 409.” Love rhythm lessons. How about some funk?
Tom
Raymond P says
Great Rhythm lesson Brian,
Thanks
Ray P
Charlie L says
Your teaching method is just right for me. Thanks so much Brian
jabadead says
Thank you Brian…Guess I don’t expect you to cater to all us DeadHeads all the time but you have made me a very happy picker this week. Muchas Gracias from Ecuador!
San Luis Rey says
Really fun to play rhythm lesson Brian! Connecting chord shapes is an eye opener. I’m so Grateful for this lesson.
Keith C says
Great for me that you’ve chosen to do this lesson as I’ve currently been working on studying Bob Weir’s rhythm work (yeah I know – a lifetime job!) This and the previous lesson on Jerry type rhythm licks have been really fun and helpful for me. One thing – whenever you are playing a strat the first thing I’m doing is trying to look round the edge of the screen to see what switch position you’re on, perhaps on vids where you use a strat or tele you could just mention it at the beginning for all us fender players.
Blaine L says
Great idea!
jabadead says
melodic triads brought a lot together for me….wow
Dr Skins says
Greetings from Oregon. Thanks for the lesson. Really enjoyed getting into the groove on this one.
Steven F says
More rhythm lessons please! This was terrific, fun and expanded my skill tool kit.
Tremelow says
Such a fun lesson. So much in there that I can use for both rhythm and lead playing, particularly the harmonzed 3rds and the chord-shape playing. And good to get used to the Greateful Dead/Jerry Garcia style that I never really paid much attention to (mea culpa).
DertyHippieFeat says
I love how simple, at times, their music is. Countless songs with the exact chord progressions with only a slight rhythmic change. Bobby playing all these inversions and sus chords. Jerry allowing Bobby to become Bobby. Gave him his space to come into his own. Neither one ever stepping on each others toes. Or fingers.
Derek H says
This one and VG30 – great!! So much useful stuff!
Vincent K says
Great, you took me back to your guitar lessons, after a while playing by myself, trying to find my own style. I might have hit a wall in terms of repetition 🙂 thanks! Loved it, And I also like the way you now tab the 3rd video, I went straight into this one.
sunjamr says
I can just see Bob Weir standing up on stage playing that in his short-shorts and sandals, and Jerry next to him noodling away while Bill K and Micky H work out the rhythm section.
Michael W says
And Phil brings the thunder…
Robert K says
Hi Folks Cool lesson Brian! People are so focused on Garcia’s solos that they miss the rhythm work he was doing most of the time he was out there, but let’s not forget Bobby’s contribution to the Dead’s rhythm. After all, for years, before people realized his worth, he was known as their rhythm guitar player. This lesson seems to concentrate on Jerry’s (huge), contribution. Bobby both did the “meat & potatoes” rhythm stuff but when he could, he was much more lyrical. To this day, many of my deadhead friends, (and I’m old…), are surprised to learn how many of the great Dead licks that they figure were played by Jerry were in fact Weir. Also, Brian loves chord inversions and Bobby was a true inversion-meister. There were a bunch toward the tail end of this piece but it seemed very Garcia oriented in tone and feel to me. Let’s get Bobby some love. He’s nobody’s lead/solo guitarist, (see Wolf Bros…), but he was a VERY good rhythm/2nd guitarist.
Justin B says
I had been through two different online guitar courses.. learned the theory as head knowledge but did not have any practical uses taking that knowledge from the white board and applying it to the fretboard. I love that each lesson involves theory application. You are apt to teach Brian, some people are just good at teaching and I’m glad I found your jam on youtube .
Jeffro345 says
Great lesson… about that fill, the Bm or 2 chord between the A’s…
It’s more consistent with the previous revelation of the 4 chord’s availability if we think of that Bm bit as a D6…
Barry L says
Great Lesson Brian !! Lots of fun to play around with. (gets me to reggae too). thanks much… Barry
Clark E says
Hey Brian. I get so much out of your teaching style. A lot of light bulb moments since I have joined only a couple months ago. Please keep it coming. I can see myself being where I want to be sometime in the future and I did not see that before. Thanks.
drlknstein says
excellent lesson
very helpful
Richard B says
You keep me learning and growing on the guitar. Your lessons are awesome. Thank you.
Bjen says
Brian another great lesson, I have been a Premium member for about 5-6 years now. I have to say adding the tab at the bottom of the screen helps me to associate what I playing with what it looks like in Tab form and vice versa. Please continue to do this with the Slow Walkthrough and Part 2 in future lessons.
Michael Lunny says
Great lesson Brian, this is also awesome to harmonize with another guitar player so you don’t sound the same.
You are right about the memebership with you, one gets a lot for so little!
Be well and be safe!
Michael
Tim Moran says
Great lesson – On the shift to the four chord as a Jerry Garcia thing, I hear Buddy Holly – Not Fade Away. Although I confess to being a Deadhead. I’ll get to work on it!
Alexander G says
Brian, you are simply amazing.
jiffy says
Hi Brian,
A great lesson as always while being totally absorbed & watching your hands I couldn’t help noticing the 6th string on the Strat is very close to the edge of the fingerboard & not quite right over the pole pieces on the pickups? is the bridge a bit to one side or saddles pushed over?. still a lovely sound on the guitar though!.
Charles C says
I find that I want a bit more space on the side of the No 1 string. Somehow it works better especially for the blues bends. Anyone else?
John H says
Brian did it again. I like how you introduce a concept (eg E6 off of anchor A-shape and slide down for E6) in a lesson and revisit it a few times weeks later to cement the idea into my brain and eventually fingers. BTW, often I get to Part 2 days or even weeks after doing Part 1 so I wonder if you could on the video at the start of Part 2 call out the starting measure number. That will save me 10 seconds or so of reorienting and for 70+ yo future guitar heroes like me, those seconds add up!!
Charles C says
After starting to learn about 7 months ago I switched from some heavy strings (13-56) to much lighter. Suddenly I’m managing he bar-chords. I know everyone tells you to start on light chords but I can be obstinate… Anyway, now I can really get into this lesson. It is pulling me in. Thanks Brian.
Josef K says
What a great rhythm-lesson! Even as I belong to the group, Brain mentions, for whom rhythym is hard work, this one makes a lot of fun
Josh P says
Hey, Brian! Thanks for the lesson just wanted to give my input – this is just the type of lesson I need right now, I would love if you could continue doing Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia style lessons! Perhaps you could do a lesson in the style of Jerry using the Dorian mode?
Lawrence H says
Love it!
Greg W says
Thanks Brian – Excellent lesson! Really helping me to tie together CAGED and harmonized 3rds practices in a fun and lyrical way – with a song that I want to jam with friends.
JULIAN C says
Brian
Great rhythm lesson – I need more rhythm in my play AND
This is what I needed – ONE BITE AT A TIME (:
Elad L says
Great Lesson Brian. Thank you. But I think there’s an error in the tablature: Bar 23. Should it not be: |D\GD| rather than |A\DA| ???
Elad L says
cancel comment.
What I meant was….
Elad L says
Bar 22 should be |D\GD\ rather than |E\\\| ???
terry b says
I am learning so much from you… The best teacher. Im so glad that I joined active melody….
Paul E says
Excellent. Lots of nuggets of interesting rhythmic and chordal bits and bobs, would be possible to replicate with different harmonic progressions 1 ii V IV, ii V 1 etc.
Steven M says
Well it has been around two years since I starting watching videos that you make look so easy. I having finally reached the point in my guitar journey that I can actually follow along and play with you. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Max d says
Hi Brian, I like the way you said “That’s the way I DESIGN all my lessons….” . Great stuff! Thanks again for the wealth of your website. Best for the festive season 2023, Max
Lance W says
Great lesson Brian. Thank you!