Description
In this week’s lesson, you’ll learn a solo blues composition (no accompaniment required) that isn’t the typical 1, 4, 5 blues format. This has a jazzy chord arrangement to keep things interesting and give you ideas for other ways to play the blues (similar to Lonnie Johnson’s approach). This also uses the “call & response” technique to allow you to alternate back and forth between chords and lead. Los of takeaways in this one!
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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Biker13 says
Really beautiful Brian. One of my favorite solo lessons you’ve ever done (and that’s saying something). I honestly don’t know how you do it – week after week. Always another beautiful composition. Happy New Year!
Joe W says
Hey Brian, this is a great lesson. I have learned a lot from it. Love the blues, It will take awhile to get it down, but most importantly I’m learning different ways to look at things.
Ricardo V says
Amazing again Brian. Probably my fav ever, love this blues/jazz ones. Happy new year mate.
JohnStrat says
Very Nice Brian a good finish to the year. Wishing you all the best for 2019.
willem v says
I’m stoked.Thanksagain
gbhstrat says
This is the reason why I keep my membership. I have been a member since 2011 and it’s these solo call and response lessons that I enjoy. Another good one!
MYRX says
Excellent! I love the solo lessons
luc p says
Love the great lessons you send us every week Brian.
From Belgium…,all the best for 2019.
Colin L says
I love the 1940s and earlier blues and jazz, this is exactly what I was looking for. Can you do a Charlie Christian inspired lesson soon? BB King often said his two biggest influences on how he played guitar were T-Bone Walker and Charlie Christian. Unfortunately Charlie died very young from TB, so we only have a few dozen recordings of his music.
Leonard U says
another great lesson. I’ve been playing guitar for many years but with each one of your lessons I improvise and since I signed up I’ve become a completely different guitar player. thanks.
JoLa says
Hah, you thought about taking off during the holidays (nice try 😉) and then you just noodle around the night before and come up with something so delightful?! Only an incredibly talented song writer can do that, not to mention the fantastic lesson you made for us! And then you actually have done it every single week for the last 6 or so years! 😲Brian, you will never cease to amaze me and I LOVE the fact that you are just as addicted to your weekly lessons as I am (as many of us are). Hope you are enjoying the holidays and looking forward to another amazing year with Active Melody! Thank you, Brian, you rock! ❤️
Jay Guitarman says
Incredibly good and beautiful…
brian-belsey says
Very interesting! I can’t wait to start on this.
Buster89 says
Love those jazzy compos ! They are my favorite types. So much to learn at the right pace. Thanks so much Brian and looking forward to more exciting compos in 2019 !
mike jams says
another amazing lesson , can’t wait to learn this one.
i’m very glad to be part of the Active Melody music train.
i have learned more in the last couple of years than i have the prior 25 years.
the theory and logic behind the songs really helps me be more creative on my own.
keep up the great work, looking forward to a fun 2019
Michael Allen says
Thanks of another great lesson! Happy New Year!!!
sunburst says
very nice, another nice soft melody which reminded me Chet Atkins , going to enjoy this!
Jim M says
Long Live Active Melody !!!
San Luis Rey says
Sweet way to wrap up the New Year Brian! This is a great sounding progression that leads up to an ending that I can’t play enough.
Thanks and Happy New Year!
sunburst says
wow, you are some composer! Just went through and noticed how really good you are Brian! So lucky you enjoy sharing as you do! bless you sir!
mritalian says
Wow! Another Great lesson, Yea Folks out there this is the place to learn to play. Thanks SO MUCH! Happy New Year Brian continued Success.
Don D. says
Great lesson, thank you, Brian! Here’s to a happy, healthy 2019!
Chuck W says
This really hits the spot!
Thanks Brian.
Mirabel S says
Love it,
Happy New Year, to all at Active Melody and thanks Brian for another great lesson.
Myra.
phil l says
that is good!!!!
it can be played bluesy or jazzy too, keeping the same stucture of chords with jazzy notes
I really enjoyed
thanks Brian for all your good working.
the best for 2019
phil
from France
charjo says
So many takeaways in this little lesson! It occurred to me that your little X pattern is a 1-6-2-5 turnaround. Thanks for another great year. All the best in the New Year and looking forward to another year with Active Melody.
John
Mark M says
What a great lesson. I agree with many of the other comments. You wow me week after week creating lovely melodies and little leads with a minimum of effort. Explaining how the licks come out of chord shapes has taken my playing to another level. Playing doesn’t have to be that complicated if a person understands where the tune is coming from, and where it’s going next. Thanks Bryan
Michael H says
Smooth Brian real smooth! Love this lesson sounds to me like baby please come home for Christmas progression by the Eagles. Not sure if I am right. Thanks again. Happy New Year!
Andre L says
Another great lesson and amazing one.
I will polish this one until I get it all.
Thank you and Happy new Year
Lights says
Sounds very Christmas. Happy New Year!
Lights says
Be somebody so kind and creating a soundtrack for this melody, it’s even as asking it!
Raymond P says
What a beautiful sounding lesson.
Thanks Brian
Ray P
Nicolas R says
Love it! Would love if it’s possible to have more Jazzy Blues in the future. Really love this lesson, thank you!
Bruce B says
Great!
Michael vdh says
Shwiiiiing love love love … this is great work Brian. Worm tone, delectably deliciously warm.
Ted D Boy says
Brian, you have done it again, I absolutely loved this lesson!!! I couldn’t put my guitar down till I had it completely sussed out..
Keep up the good work, you are my guitar teaching Hero.
Thank you once again & a happy New Year from Safety Bay Perth Western Australia.
DerekBlue says
Thanks Brian. I know its a labor of love. I’m sure the composition for you is the easy part. Then you have to produce it into a lesson. Appreciate your work ethic. It pays off or all of us out here in the happy struggle. Great piece this week.
Geoffrey C says
Great lessons every week. Brian a Happy New Year from across the pond.
Randy G says
Brian thank you for another wonderful lesson. I know it is crazy I feel like we ‘re friends. love spending time with you every week Buddy. happy new year
Brian says
I suppose we are friends – in a virtual sense 🙂 Happy New Year
Iman A says
Brian,
Happy new year with best wishes for you, your family, Students and followers.
More than 2 years i have been your follower and learned lots of things
Appreciate for your kind attention and teaching.
Mike H says
One shot of “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”, with a twist of Brian. Nice work and Happy New Year 🙂
Michael M says
This is the Right Stuff! Love the jazzy tones in this. The lesson is just chock full of fabulous tones and takeaways. More like these please. perhaps even a Pt. 2 to add to this super piece????
ben4given says
I love these call and response type lessons. They are especially good for me since I primarily play alone. Unfortunately my acoustic guitar gets a bit crowded for my dainty fingers to make bar chords that far up the neck. I’ve been working on transposing down a few frets.
John F says
Cool little lesson, Brian, and fun to play. Good techniques to add to my limited repertoire!
Ian C says
What a fabulous lesson. Cool sound and introduces lots of learning points. Also, I really love these lessons which address chords across the fretboard and ‘force’s us to put caged into practice.
Helmut F says
Beautiful composition and lot of stuff to learn. Great job!
gary foster says
Great lesson. Something new to work on. What guitar are you playing?
rjwheeler says
Really lovely; thought it would take longer to learn because it sounds so cool. Thanks for not taking the week off.
Bob
Olivier P says
Another great lesson. Thank you Brian and Best Wishes for 2019.
Mike H says
Hi Brian, would that little pattern you show in the beginning of part 2 be a 1-6-2-5 in D? (Just trying to get my head around that Nashville numbering system)
Cheers
Mike H
john l says
What a nice way to start the year! So tasty!
dkt says
ever been asked this question? can you play a guitar. yeh…little bit. play something then! and you don’t know what to play? I just found my “song”. thank you xxx
Eric Y says
To this point, this is my favorite. The chords and the accents. It is beautiful and i enjoyed learning this.. Thanks a million Brian.
Frankie Cole says
Always “GREAT Lessons”. This is the reason I’ve kept my membership . Even though, I haven’t been able to play my guitar for little over a year (15 months).
So, I just filed ALL of your lessons for future USE. Yes, was GOOD and now “GREAT Stuff”, just keep it coming and Happy New Year. Frankie Cole, Prime Member
Andy N says
Very, very nice Brian! Love that jazzy laid back feel and a great way to end the year. Happy New Year to you and all the family.
Terry H says
Brian,
In the 8th Bar.
The A6 moving down to the A9….
Isn’t the the same shape we learned
in an earlier lesson as a minor shape?
Very much enjoy the lessons!!
Terry Harper
lost says
Thanks Brian. You nail it every time . I hope you and the family have an incredible new year.
philippe aka philswolf S says
… a really classy little jazz flavored blues, Brian …and really instructive at that !!!…I really dug the X trick, and how one can shift the chord around a note …as the 6th of the D becomes the 9th of the coming A chord…enlightening, and so well illustrated…I’ll definitely keep my premium membership…
…All the best to the ActiveMelody team for the new year…
…A wish : – more jazz, please !!! “My Funny Valentine” is worth a lesson, don’t you think ?
Greetings from Geneva, Switzerland…
Sergio L says
Really beautiful. Fantastic composition.
Rudy Kubasta says
Definitely one of my favorite lessons! So glad I’m a student of Brian’s, learning compositions like this one! You’re the best! Happy new year to you and all the Active Melody community!
Best
Rudy
Dalton H says
One of these days i’m going to learn an entire lesson and on that day we are going to have a forum party.all these little tips and tricks really help a lot.Thanks Brian
John G says
Hi Brian, thoroughly enjoyed this weeks tune. Can’t stop playing it. While I can see the ‘back cycling’ i.e. 6, 2, 5, 1, I’d be grateful if you would share some insight into the progression. Thanks, John
Frank M says
@ 19:25 is that a dmin cord shape you call it a a9? I don’t understand where the root is. Thought it would be the E note on the B string?
Mark G says
Fantastic lesson – I just rejoined after a long hiatus. Best teacher on the net
Dennis R says
I am a new member. I really like what you are doing and especially lessons like this that teach a composition. It’s nice to be able to play a cool song. I hope you do more of these.
Thanks,
D.
DaveR says
Brian, this lesson is a beauty – working my way through it. Could you do a Part 2? It feels like it could use another section or bridge to follow about measure 17.
Thanks for all these lessons – much appreciated!!!
maurice e says
Hi Brian, I really love this one and I shall do my best to extend it to a longer version it`s so relaxing to play
riteus1 says
Another great lesson! Thanks for taking the time to explain the theory behind the song. Quite helpful in creating my own songs.
john b says
awesome lesson enjoying it best regards john
patrick m says
Lovely arrangement, I love this one! Perfect difficulty level for me although I am struggling memorizing it…
Dirk V says
I just love this very nice lesson. Thank you Brian
Robin S says
This is a really great lesson, Brian. Even if that D6 is killing my fat fingers. 🙂
Alexandre F says
This is a beautiful song to end this winter and start with a lovely spring afternoon or at least it´s what it comes to my mind so emotively with the variety of chords and composition sure it´s a pleasure for me being able to play this song for now to amuse myself as in the future for my personal growth as a guitar player.
Hung L says
An extension and more jazzy/blue please.
Rich B says
My favorite lesson so far. I really feel that I’m learning something that goes beyond the song. I’ve been improvising with the arrangement to make something that suits my ear.
Dag J. says
You can do MORE like this one, Brian–love it!! After Classic Rock and Blues, my love for Jazz guitar is growing (as is my vocabulary of Jazz-style chords and licks, and this dovetailed nicely into what I’m learning now. I recently adapted this piece to a fingerstyle acoustic version, with a few embellishments, and slowed it down a touch–soul music! Keep it coming, Sir!
Dag J. says
You can do MORE like this one, Brian–love it!! After Classic Rock and Blues, my love for Jazz guitar is growing (as is my vocabulary of Jazz-style chords and licks), and this dovetailed nicely into what I’m learning now. I recently adapted this piece to a fingerstyle acoustic version, with a few embellishments, and slowed it down a touch–soul music! Keep it coming, Sir!
helmut says
Cool piece of music that I like a lot. This will be my
starting point at ActiveMelody. Very nice and moving chord structure.
Brian, Thanks for the great work I will ddig into it.
Helmut
Jim K says
Brian,
Every once in a while I find myself tapping my foot to your compositions, this is one and definitely one I want to learn, just great Brian. Thank You, Jim
Les Brown says
Stunning lesson. I use several online teachers, and they’re all great in their own way. But yours is by far the best value for the material, and the most compelling and fascinating method of instruction. Original compositions that are filled with fretboard understanding and navigation. You open up the neck like no one else. “First let me show you how to play it, then I’ll show you how to think about it.”
Excellent. And the material is always beautiful. I can’t sing your praises enough, Brian. But you play them VERY well…
Brian says
Thank you Les!
donna p says
Brian, Love when you bring back these really cool compositions! Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised that I could not play them the first time around,
but this time they make sense and I can play them:) Thanks for all your work on this great website!!!
pschlosb says
More like this one Brian, please
Nam N says
Being able to create such a piece by just chilling, no doubt you’re a genius.
Peter B says
I absolutely love this lesson, as I can see do many others. It is probably my favourite so far, although there are many rivals. I am learning so much from your lessons Brian. You explain everything so simply and well, so that what seems difficult at first becomes easy to grasp. It’s rare that someone as obviously gifted as you is able to pass on their knowledge in such a modest way. You treat your students as equals and your enthusiasm for music and the guitar is infectious. Please produce more lessons like this one.
Bill says
One of my favorites…I play this most everyday!
Darrell Arnold says
What a treasure trove of lessons you’ve got here, Brian. Thanks so much.
Robert F says
Sweet & smooth Brian – love it :^D
Peter D says
Love pieces like this to where you can sound good by yourself. Thanks Brian.
Cliff Carbaugh says
Brian, I am already ‘booked-up’ for the next several years trying to learn a few of your lessons and now you just added another several months on me to try to learn this lesson as well! Don’t you ever take a break from coming out with beautiful lessons to extend my sentence of months and months of fumbling? I try to get my playing to sound like something that you make look so easy but takes me months and months to resemble what you play just a little bit! I already have several years’ worth of lessons from you that, being a little elderly already- don’t know how much time I’ll be able to keep struggling with them!
Harry G says
Cliff, rather than thinking of it as a struggle, think of the progress you are making, however small . We all learn and progress at different rates. I am in my 70s and I know I will never reach the skill level of Brian and many other great guitar players like him, but I get great enjoyment and satisfaction from Brian’s teaching and if I can play a little bit better today than I did yesterday, that’s great! Good luck with your practicing and your progress and enjoy every moment.
Harry G says
Brian, I keep coming back to this lesson and every time I do I learn something new and bits that I can use elsewhere. I like the jazz blues lessons and although challenging for me when I first hear them, you make it much easier for me to learn and understand them. Thank you.
Chris H says
This was a gem, Brian … cool chord progression and tasty phrasing. Explanation was first rate as well.