Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

  • Log In
  • Weekly Lessons
  • Take The Tour
  • Forum
  • Hear From Our Members
  • Membership Sign Up

Learn a Classic 12 Bar Blues Guitar Composition That You Can Play By Yourself (Easily Transposable) – EP328

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a classic 12 bar blues composition that you can play by yourself (no accompaniment needed) on electric or acoustic guitar. There are no open strings in this composition so that means you can easily transpose this and play it in any key (I’ll show you how in the video).

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Slow Walk-Through

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access

Video Tablature Breakdown

Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Curious about the benefits of
Premium Membership?
Try it for FREE!
arrow_downYou 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.

Comments

  1. Strykerward says

    September 27, 2019 at 10:39 pm

    I love New lesson Fridays!

    Brian, another terrific bunch of take-a-ways! Thank you.

    Log in to Reply
    • Eamon B says

      October 11, 2019 at 5:43 pm

      Hi
      Great lesson again Brian. I know you’re a blues player and I love the blues but would you ever consider doing something a bit more jazzy (I’m ok with that word) in the future.
      Eamon

      Log in to Reply
  2. jimbostrat says

    September 27, 2019 at 10:39 pm

    Hey Brian!! Here’s a thought………..maybe this guitar once belonged to Bob Segar or a member of his band………….get it???!! OK…………the best I could come up with late Friday night!! Jim C.

    Log in to Reply
  3. parsonblue says

    September 27, 2019 at 10:44 pm

    Wow…an early comment! It’s10:30 AM here in Chiang Mai, Thailand and I’m loving this lesson. Blues with no open strings, gets me away from keys E and A.
    The Slow Walk Through makes me want to spring for a resonator guitar, but I guess I should try to rein in my guitar acquisition syndrome.

    Many thanks for the great tunes and awesome lessons.

    Log in to Reply
    • Ken U says

      September 28, 2019 at 11:42 am

      Nice Lesson Brian! Always like the little extra bits and side notes! Any chance you could do some slide???

      Log in to Reply
  4. Tony says

    September 27, 2019 at 11:06 pm

    I just love Saturday afternoons here in New Zealand when another awsome lesson appears,
    Great syuff Brian, AGAIN !!!

    Log in to Reply
  5. scattercreek says

    September 27, 2019 at 11:07 pm

    Brian,

    If any of us on Active Melody decide to shoot our guitars what caliber do you recomend?

    Great lesson BTW. Enjoyed the story behind the guitar.

    Log in to Reply
  6. Lights says

    September 28, 2019 at 12:36 am

    Another great acoustic blues Brian, but this lesson is screaming for soundtrack by my opinion. Maybe I would do it with my bandmates.
    Thanks, Brian!

    Log in to Reply
  7. JohnStrat says

    September 28, 2019 at 1:42 am

    Well I think you will have to rename EP328 to 45 Blues! That’s a large calibre bullet hole! More importantly it’s a great lesson Brian
    Thanks as Always
    JohnStrat

    Log in to Reply
    • john m says

      November 13, 2021 at 5:10 am

      Totally agree. That looks like .45 ACP if it’s a pistol which it almost surely is. But if it was decades ago, could be .45 long colt or even .44 I guess. Crazy. What kind of trip to the bar ends with, “And then I shot the guitar”? Hilarious. Unless you’re the guitar, I guess . 😂

      Log in to Reply
  8. charjo says

    September 28, 2019 at 6:51 am

    Well shoot! That was a great reinforcement of so many concepts you have touched on in the past. I think they might be starting to sink in. Thanks, Brian.
    John

    Log in to Reply
  9. Alex says

    September 28, 2019 at 7:16 am

    I was noodling yesterday afternoon in the same key, a 12 bar blues, between 4 and 5 pm EST. I guess we were shooting for the same thing! I did add open strings at times, but I think your composition will help spice mine up. Thank you!

    Log in to Reply
    • ts says

      September 28, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      Don’t say you are SHOOTING!

      Log in to Reply
  10. Don D. says

    September 28, 2019 at 8:06 am

    Thanks Brian! G is my guitar’s favorite key.

    Nice Silvertone!

    Log in to Reply
  11. Michael Allen says

    September 28, 2019 at 8:21 am

    I love the lesson and the Silvertone. Thanks Brian

    Log in to Reply
  12. sunburst says

    September 28, 2019 at 9:04 am

    I see first time the tab indicator for the muted up /down on the shuffle .. some sites use the up down v indicators especially for blue grass flatpicking tutorials.. but you explain it well enough in the intro..
    I caught it naturally after watching you explain it as a SRV shuffle..works for me!

    Log in to Reply
  13. Raymond P says

    September 28, 2019 at 9:27 am

    Great lesson Brian, lots of take aways!

    Thanks again
    Ray P

    Log in to Reply
  14. Blaine H says

    September 28, 2019 at 10:40 am

    WOW.. what a great lesson… really helps an old guy like me progress by playing an entire composition that I fully understand why I am playing specific notes over chords….

    Thanks…. Great Teacher…

    Log in to Reply
  15. San Luis Rey says

    September 28, 2019 at 1:31 pm

    Love the lesson and the guitar/story. By the way, does Nipper get along with Arlo?

    Log in to Reply
    • Brian says

      September 29, 2019 at 12:06 am

      I keep them separated 😉

      Log in to Reply
  16. sunburst says

    September 28, 2019 at 2:00 pm

    Well let’s just say you are a high “caliber” player pilgrim!.. Best highlight of this lesson is the SVR strum measures everything is also great to holster

    Log in to Reply
  17. Phil B says

    September 28, 2019 at 2:02 pm

    You could rename it your Magnum Opus in memory of the possible weapon!

    Log in to Reply
    • Brian says

      September 29, 2019 at 12:06 am

      hah – i like it!

      Log in to Reply
  18. dave t says

    September 28, 2019 at 4:46 pm

    very nice Brian, thank you!

    Log in to Reply
  19. sunburst says

    September 28, 2019 at 6:34 pm

    I am enjoying this much tonight.. so bluesy and cool double stops and all them cool blues licks in between. helps not only beginners to really focus on learning the positions/box shapes of the pentatonic scales with some bluesy chromatic notes too.. great to add to any serious players long term favorites!

    Log in to Reply
  20. James G says

    September 28, 2019 at 8:12 pm

    Awesome lesson Brian! You are like the guitar rescue!

    Log in to Reply
  21. Jim M says

    September 29, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    Love the lesson Brian !!!

    Log in to Reply
  22. Pat P says

    September 29, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    Nice lesson Brian – really enjoyed it.
    Question.
    You start off this lesson using the G7 shape at the 7th fret, using your middle finger (fret 7, string 3) (and index finger (fret 6, string 2) to play the two notes moving down to the G shape at the 3rd fret before playing the 5 chord (D7). At other times I’ve noticed you will do a similar run down using the middle and ring finger, both on the 7th fret (strings 3 and 1), moving down to form the G shape at the 3rd fret before playing the 4 chord (C). Just wondering if there is a rationale for doing it that way specifically, or would you also interchange those rundowns in going to either the 4 or 5 chord? As well, would you also do a rundown using the other two notes of the G7 shape starting at the 7th fret. i.e. ring finger on 7th fret, 1st string and middle finger on 6th fret 2nd string for the rundown. Just wondering if these are all interchangeable, or . . .
    Thanks Brian

    Log in to Reply
    • Brian says

      September 29, 2019 at 11:04 pm

      Pat, not really a rationale, and yes they’re all interchangeable

      Log in to Reply
      • Pat P says

        September 30, 2019 at 12:13 am

        Makes sense – thanks for the confirmation

        Log in to Reply
  23. sunburst says

    September 30, 2019 at 3:13 am

    Be good feature if you could set up some kind of self search for one of your existing jamtracks,, I’m going to see if I can search up a jamtrack for ep328 on this site

    Log in to Reply
  24. Paul S says

    September 30, 2019 at 6:13 am

    Might be a good blues tune here.

    “I shot a man in Memphis in the back room of a whiskey bar. Oh, I shot a man in Memphis in the back room of a whiskey bar. I thought I got him good, but I missed and hit his guitar.”

    Log in to Reply
    • Jonathan Amos says

      October 1, 2019 at 8:21 pm

      I thought he’d shoot me back but he thanked me for what I’d done
      he went off down the road to a pawn shop in the sun
      he sold the guitar for ten times the price he’d paid in sixty one
      and that’s the story of this old guitar they call the Smoking Gun

      Log in to Reply
      • Paul S says

        October 26, 2019 at 9:36 pm

        Way cool!!!!

        Log in to Reply
  25. Robert C says

    October 2, 2019 at 9:27 am

    Brian, maybe you should take it to your local police dept and have forensics check the back for blood, maybe it wasn’t sitting? Could be more interesting history?😂😎

    Log in to Reply
  26. Randy G says

    October 2, 2019 at 4:44 pm

    Every Guitar you hold I want to hold. I first started with purchased Alvarz AP 90.
    I wonder how many guitars you might own?
    you said you where going to post video on your guitars soon maybe on your Blog.

    Log in to Reply
  27. Ray L says

    October 2, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    A bullet hole!!!???

    Log in to Reply
  28. AndersDejenfelt says

    October 2, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    Maybe the bullet actually was fired, while he was playing it? It mast have hurt!

    Log in to Reply
  29. James J says

    October 4, 2019 at 8:21 pm

    I taught in H.S. For 30 years. I can recognize a great teacher when I find one!!! I salute you.
    What a bargain. Your lessons are superb. The way you tie things together, relate to previous knowledge, encourage future applications in new situations, it is not memorization but applied knowledge that becomes permanent. These lessons are just what I needed. Thanks

    Log in to Reply
  30. Steven T says

    October 9, 2019 at 7:55 am

    Great lesson. It would be great to add a few more sections in the future.

    Log in to Reply
  31. sunburst says

    October 17, 2019 at 4:49 pm

    This lesson alone to me Is well worth another year premium members subscription ! thank you too all the hundreds of lessons too!

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Don’t have an ActiveMelody account? Sign Up.

Links

  • Blog
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Refunds & Cancellations
  • Sitemap

Recent Lessons

Part 2 (of 2) How one note can help build an entire solo. Guitar Lesson – EP610

Country Blues by yourself! (seeing the chord shapes makes this easier) – Guitar Lesson – EP609

Is ONE position of the Minor Pentatonic scale enough? Use notes sparingly – Guitar Lesson – EP608

Contact

For all support questions email: support@activemelody.com
For all other inquires email: brian@activemelody.com
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2025 · Active Melody. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Free Weekly Guitar Lessons

Enter your email address below to have the weekly guitar lesson delivered to your email address. I take privacy very seriously and will not share your email address.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Active MelodyLogo Header Menu
  • Weekly Lessons
  • Take The Tour
  • Forum
  • Hear From Our Members
  • Membership Sign Up
  • Log In

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

    No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.