Description
In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn the how to play both the rhythm and the lead tracks for a minor key blues composition. The rhythm track using a percussive fingerstyle technique that makes playing a solo rhythm sound so full (includes the bass, percussion, and melody). In addition, you’ll learn a bluesy lead to play on top of the rhythm track. The jam tracks allow you to practice either rhythm or lead parts.
Part 1 (Rhythm) - Free Guitar Lesson
Part 2 (Lead) - Free Guitar Lesson
Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Register for premium access
Slow Walkthrough (Rhythm)
Only available to premium members.
Register for premium access
Register for premium access
Slow Walkthrough (Lead)
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.
Thaddeus W says
Love it, very cool. Can’t wait to try it.
MANUEL M says
Bravo, vous êtes un musicien formidable, Manuel Wollman,
Michael Allen says
I dig the Mule! I can always use a good rhythm and lead lesson combined. Thanks Brian
Eik M says
When brain says middle and body lifts pinky… this will take some time … Love it 😃
kennard r says
beautiful guitar. awesome sound.
Jim M says
Your versatility makes you awesome as a mentor, Brian !!!
Mike R says
The rhythm part is challenging but the entire piece sounds a little spanish and bluesy like. Very cool. Have to work on this one.
Don R says
Congrats on the new guitar. Is it a vintage instrument or built to look that way?
Brian says
new build
George R says
Great sound! Which Mule model?
David H says
Brian, is that a wood body or is it finished to look like wood? I’ve never seen a Mule like that before.
Brian says
it’s a wood body.
Kevin L says
I think the riff you referred to is reminiscent of “I heard it through the grapevine”. Thanks for a catchy new tune to play, Brian.
Jeff H says
Great lesson, nice laid back feel. Good having the Rhythm and Lead to work on. Thanks Brian.
Malcolm D says
Super sweet and cool, happy weekend hear again 🙂 much appreciated Brian..
Kevin S says
Nice groove, can’t wait to get to work on it. Thanks. I get up early and Saturday mornings are my check out what’s new at A-M, you never disappoint
guy g says
Beautiful guitar!
Harry B says
I have a resonator although not nearly as cool as that one and don’t play it much. I’ll pull it out and work on this lesson. I love to check out your lessons every Saturday, Brian. They keep me inspired.
Lawrence B says
having trouble chewing gum and making a sandwich at the same time. maybe this lesson will help.
Patrick J. G says
Oh no! I want a Mule resonator. Gonna be hard to get this by the wife. Love that sound. That guitar is beautiful. Oh ya, pretty good lesson Brian.
DAVID G says
Love everything about this: The groove, the minor vibe and especially that sweet resonator. Great choices, Brian, and something really fun to work with.
slopace says
Brian definitely a nice sound. Is that a wide neck guitar? I know the camera can make it appear that way.
Brian says
average size i would say
Lennart v says
I found the ryhtmn in Amy Winehouse version of monkey man live .great lessons..no thanks really .:)do i get higher grade ?greetings from the netherlands
Lennart v says
not rhytmn but the hook .and no points here just personel growth .
James G says
Great Lesson Brian! It has a little David Gilmore in the rhythm…
Lars S says
Well I got the rythm down but the only sound i hear is that i imagine in my head. I guess its therfore you use resonator becouse its easyer to bar?
Othetwise i would like to get some good tip for that.
/Lasse
Steve says
I really enjoyed when you showed the same scale shape tied to different caged patterns leading to different modes. This might make an interesting lesson where you say take one scale shape and show it in E Major, Mixolydian, Minor and Dorian for example. Not sure if it can be made into a song or just a practice routine, but it reminds me of what I heard about Miles Davis using modal interchange on A Kind of Blue.
Victor M says
I too would like to see a lesson on moving the shape
Victor M says
I bet all the information is in your archives I just don’t know how to find it
Joel R says
Great guitar, nice sound, great
Teaching. Jerry Garcia
Sounds
Joe
Kevin S says
Hey Brian,
I’m hearing “I’ll Take a Melody” by Jerry Garcia
John I says
A lovely enchanting duet for this lesson. Perfect choice for introducing the Mule.
Thank you Brian. Bravo!
Michael J says
G’day Brian,
I’m on a Fender(Yes Fender) Jumbo 12 acoustic, and I am lovin’ it.
M.J., Kilmore, Australia.
Philippe R says
Bravo Brian, very good lesson !
Neil f says
Love the guitar and the Lesson!! Thank You for what you do.
J. Michael T says
That chord change remind me of something by the Vaughan Brothers
John H says
Love it. Sweet, dulcet and just grabs a hold of my soul.
Jax says
Really nice lesson Brian, thank you.
Tom D says
Hi Brian,
I cheated and learned the melody first. I love the tune combined with the Rhythm. but the rhythm is the problem. I can’t play fingerstyle using steel strings, so I am now searching for my classical guitar which is hiding somewhere in the house. Hopefully I can handle the rhythm using nylon strings.
Thanks for the lesson,
Tom
Lawrence B says
Great lession..
There was a key moment where you turned a picking patteren around….(12:49). You mentioned that you didn’t really know exactly what you played until you went back to explain it… which tells me..
You were playing in the moment! Which i think is how most good players work…
There is a discipline to the techniques you’re using which is important to try and master… I have my own style of finger picking… (thumb and 2 fingers) that seems to work well for me.. But learning note for note… not my strong point…. So at some point I have to adapt it to my own playing style… Or I’ll never get anywhere. 🤣
I believe you’ve often alluded to the idea that… There is room for variations on these themes!
Thanks again for a great lesson!
Brian says
Yes, exactly! well said.
Michael G says
Absolutely brilliant rhythm guitar. It’s a nightmare, I’m still working on bars 3 and 4. I don’t see myself getting this anytime soon. Please provide more of the percussive playing., I love it. Another great lesson
Pierre L says
I’m really enjoying these rhythm + lead lessons! Please keep ’em coming!
Robin S says
This really awakened my enthusiasm after a slack period. Doubt that I will ever get there but it still sounds good with enormous simplification !
Best wishes to all. Brian is THE BEST !
Robin
Tony T says
Great melody & percussive rhythm, which is added to by the resonator A cracker of a lesson!
Robert B says
Brian – There is a lot of new stuff on this lesson that I am not familiar with. As much as I love the sound and the guitar I feel like an idiot trying to learn it – the slap and the finger style is kicking my butt. But I am determined. Also the last bar when you quickly bar and slide from G to A to B then back again to G. I can try it 20 times and maybe 2 tries is almost passable. I may have to modify that. Frustrating, absolutely! but I will keep trying!
Daniel H says
Wow. It took me just over a week to get just the first two bars down. On hearing the rhythm for the first time, thought it wouldn’t take too long to learn… Nope, getting the percussive slap on beats 2 and 4 made my brain hurt, trying to think and do multiple things at the same time. About halfway through the past week, my brain suddenly re-wired itself and my right hand started to automatically slap the correct beats. Really took away a lot from this lesson and felt like a new skill had been learned. Thank you.