Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Jam With Just 2 Chords – Solo Guitar Composition – Blues Guitar Lesson – EP254

Description

This week’s guitar lesson is designed to show you how to jam on just 2 chords (Cm7 and F7). You’ll be alternating back and forth between those 2 chords while playing chords, fill licks, and rhythm fills, to create a fun, funky stand-alone composition. It’s like having a jam session with yourself 🙂

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

  4. Aussie Rick says

    Love these stand-alone rhythm and lead lessons and particularly love this very catchy funky composition.

    I’m proud of you Brian – doing the right thing and giving the Strat a good home.

    Rick

  6. JoLa says

    It sounds like a great lesson, Brian. And so nice of you to adopt this “poor” guitar ha ha, that made me laugh! Well, it’s in good hands now, that’s for sure. 😉

  12. obie123 says

    Nice lesson have learned so much from your lessons even though just a old beginner,. Your kind heart also shows when you did the right thing with the strat, will try and follow your example.

  15. sunburst says

    Nice Brian, reminds me dark side of the moon! I ordered a pedal today looking forward to using it,,be interesting on a fender strat too.. that is certainly nice guitar glad you are happy and it sounds like it is setup already! good deal!

  17. charjo says

    A rescue guitar…….I don’t think my wife bought it. Very pretty guitar, love the rosewood fretboard. Everybody needs another stratocaster, just another colour is reason enough.
    John

  19. Bret S says

    Brian, is it possible to add a feature to allow us to slow down the “slow walk through” section? I realize the premium stuff isn’t on youtube but they have a feature that allows you to slow or speed up the playback. I would love to have a bit more control so I can play along with you and gradually speed up. If that feature isn’t easily available would you consider allowing us to download just the slow walk through? this way, I can playback on my Mac using the free VLC player to slow it down and it even stays in pitch.

    thanks. Bret

    • Brian says

      Bret, you can do this on the on-screen tab viewer – you can see the playback speed control at the bottom of the player window – that shows the same video as the slow-walkthrough

  22. Alexandre F says

    I´m starting today with this lesson and love the simplicity of the two chords C minor 7 versus F 7 … I´m at the beginning indulged by this groovy kind of rhythm, it really pops out from your fingers through the guitar vibe that variation of C minor 7 to the Robet Ford lick …hammer on then a pull of…simple notes , simple song …Another great lesson I feel great with this

  26. Tim F says

    Hey Brian,

    Love the new lesson, also that was a really sad story about you rescuing the poor lonely Jeff Beck signature guitar. All I know is I’m in guitar stores every week and never see any deals like you get (wiping tears away here). Thanks, Tim

  33. timothy9 says

    I’ve been subscribing here for 7 or 8 years and I’m becoming aware of how much this stuff is sinking in. The way you build everything around the chord structure has opened up the instrument for me. The fills or solos, whatever you call them, make sense.
    Fortunately I’m not very good at memorizing things note for note, so nice surprises happen from time to time.
    To quote the late, great John Hartford, I hurl myself at your cosmic excellence!
    Best
    Tim
    Toronto

  34. Craig35 says

    Great lesson of course but cool guitar. Always like that sea green color – My parents had a car that was that color so guess that might be why I like it. And yes I too am always explaining to my wife why it is we have to do “the right thing” and provide homes for all these wayward guitars floating around.

  36. Kindablue says

    My first reaction to this when I saw the email was: “No kidding!, Brian, just TWO chords? I mean, really?” But having watched and listened to the wonderful rich sound this idea produces I now beg forgiveness 🙂

  39. freddie h says

    This 2 chord groove sounds great but can somebody answer a theory question. The 4 chord in the C minor scale is F minor not F so why does this work? Is it common to switch back and forth from minor to a major and is there a rule on which chords sound good together in 2 chord rhythms like this? It sounds awesome!

  41. dr-d says

    I LOVE the way this piece sounds. I want to learn to play it just like you present it but in order to do that I need a little help figuring out how to get the muted sound on the rhythm strum. Is there more information about how to accomplish this somewhere else on Active Melody or could you perhaps post a brief addendum video to this lesson about this technique? Thank you.

  42. wrightclick says

    Well behind this week which is causing anxiety lol , it’s amazing what you can get out of the 5 patterns i couldn’t understand where one note came from at 11 secs Eureka its the blue note . A backing track where the Brian plays lead and then Rhythm type thingy and you play the opposite would have been a big bonus but you can’t always have jam on it . Great stuff and not too difficult for my level too. Thanks Brian for all your efforts .

  44. rob y says

    Brian, you’re killing me here. Now I am googling Jeff Beck strats and watching Jeff Beck strat video reviews on YouTube…sigh. I am sure I need one. It just never ends.

  48. Alexandre F says

    Finally I got it , and feels so good … it´s another great lesson to learn how to improvise using the minor pentatonic scale and the blue note in this case Cm7 plus F7 this one has a lot of information and like the others it will take some time playing over and over to achieve that comfort and joy when you´re playing like a real musician…

  50. Kent Schneeweiss says

    This particular lesson, because the chords are so simple I’ve learned & progresses so much. Additionally I have benefited greatly from Youtuber Michael Bradley in England who gave a lesson on using a looper pedal, so I have looped your Cm7/F7 and then did your jam on top of my own loop. No need for you to do a video on making loops; your lessons are uniquely yours and are so powerfully realizes on Active Melody, don’t change a thing. But I thought I’d send you a link to the only other person I’ve come across who, like you, have helped me gain confidence and become a, dare I say, a musician. The looper lesson link from the UK… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsqdj_wVFzM

  51. Tom says

    When I first heard this I kept hearing a jazz element. Another great one. There are so many little things in this it is a great watching TV one while you endlessly go over the little runs. Learning it isn’t hard, executing another matter. Which is a good thing. I don’t see how learning this well wouldn’t make you a better player. So many take aways. People have commented about this lesson shooting off a bunch of light bulbs. So true. And….it’s a nifty little ditty to boot.

    Thank you Brian. You put a lot of work into this….. above and beyond….. and it is so appreciated.

  54. Klickitat Jim says

    Regarding unanswered “what key” comments. I am deeply curious too. Since I’m having trouble thinking of a key that would have a Cm and a major F, and Cm relative minor scale… my thoughts is that the best “key” to call it would be Eb, with Cm as the relative minor. That would make F7 technically a borrowed or substitute chord, but it works due to the flat 7 adding a “minor sound”. If this is true, its a vi-II7 modulation (if that’s using the term properly), which means it could resolve to Eb if someone were to try building a chorus or bridge onto the song. I might have to try that. Maybe having it go jazzy for the change, like ii-V-I… and back to the vi-II7 bit. Amazing how a simple little noodle can work your brain so much LOL.

  56. Trevor P says

    Hello Brian,
    Thanks for this – these two chords work well together- but why?
    What key is this?
    You mention C minor and you play a C minor pentatonic lead that works well – but the 4th diatonic chord would normally be F minor (not F nor F7).
    Or would you classify this key as C dorian (which has a C minor and an F major)?
    I ask the question because I would have liked to add a different couple of chords for a guitar break – but can’t find anything that sounds right ………….

    Best regards,
    trevor

  58. Daniel S says

    It’s probably me, but the tab really didn’t support the premium member lesson.
    I could have used a more specific explanation of each lick.
    Considering that the first lesson spent the entire time going over two chords.

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