Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Minor Blues Lead Ideas – Use these ideas in your leads when improvising – Guitar Lesson EP517

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn several minor key lead ideas. You’ll learn how to connect them to chord shapes so they can be used in any key going forward.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  11. Mike R says

    Another must to learn. Love all of your minor blues progressions. I really like the sound of the major six chord and the dynamics in this tune are really dramatic without being too difficult. I really appreciate how you build drama or tension in a tune and then release it. You have gotten better and better at this over the years and I am really trying to learn it. You don’t charge enough for what I’m learning. Thanks Brian!

  12. David Walker says

    I absolutely love this lesson and for that matter; all your lessons. as a relative new older player I must admit I find myself a bit lost. Getting to know all the pentatonic patterns and working on the major ones as you recommended But you have so much material I find myself bouncing around too much. Like you stated happens on YouTube. I have gone through your lessons and I find I’m working on something and you put out another one like candy.
    I guess I have to lower my sights. But the bottom line is you are a fabulous instructor I can see why you guItar collection has grown I wish you continued success
    Any advice to help me focus.?
    The cool part though is each lesson I find the material is much easier to relate to. But don’t forget you rookies I try to take bits from each lesson.
    Dave, Canada
    A senior that is finally becoming a guitar player thanks to you.

    • Guo, Tao says

      Same here David. I was lost as rookie player when I started to explore the site. Then I find a ‘Start Here’ button on the top of weekly lessons. It took me to all beginner lessons in a quite organized way. It’s super helpful for me. You might want to take a look.

  14. Mark H says

    Not only is it an educational piece, it’s extremely catchy too. The intro is perfect, and just when you think it can’t get any better it keeps on building.

    Thanks for sharing this amazing piece of music.

  20. Andy N says

    As soon as I heard this I thought “This one’s for me” Hearing your intro with references to Gilmore and Knopfler etc and I realised why! You do have special, melodic way with minor blues.
    BTW Are you deep faking yourself again this week? 😮

  21. Mark C says

    Brian,

    Sometime I wish you would have a lesson on hearing and anticipating the changes. Even in your two chord backing tracks, I get lost, and on the others, I’m often half a measure behind. Please give us tips on hearing the changes and anticipating the next one—and how to think ahead on what to do next. Thanks.

  23. steph_70 says

    This is a Great one! one thing to learn it, but knowing where and when to fret a note is not the only thing…. I feel like this one, dynamics, vibrato is key to sounding great. Those are what is struggle most with. Anyone can suggest a course on dynamics. That is one thing that is hard to teach

  27. Susan D says

    Another great lesson, i think its all coming together and making much more sense to me now regarding the major scale. I love the way you present your lessons, your explanations are concise and informative, and to the point, you also talk at a normal pace ! I appreciate that. Your lessons have everything needed to learn guitar, and the bonus is i love this kind of music. Thank you Brian.

  28. Austin T. Walden says

    Can somebody help me understand the second voicing of the E7? The 7 5 7 (e B G) strings.

    That would be from lowest to highest D E B. It’s an e7 without the G# but what form does that come from or chord shape that makes me understand that?

  30. Robert G G says

    Thanks Brian. You always seem to give me exactly what I need at the right time in the fight key. I don’t know how you stay so creative but keep it up. You are appreciated.

    Blues Bob

  36. Steven L says

    Playing in a “garage” band with guys from high school (55 yrs ago). We play The Beatles “Things We Said Today” in Am and include a keyboard and a guitar solo in our version. I want to “freshen up” my guitar solo and this lesson sounds like it has plenty that I could use. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

  38. Geoff says

    So, I have now gotten through half of this lesson and I absolutely love it. I am really enjoying the sound of hovering on the Lydian note after breaking into that A natural major scale – that just sounds really lovely.

    Sliding those E triads up the neck is also a very nice touch. That just sounds great on any steel string guitar.

    Thanks Brian for another very enjoyable and inspiring lesson.

  41. Tom Gordon says

    Also very nice. I learned a lot. In the second half I was first confused by the analysis of one of the licks in terms of an F minor pentatonic scale. It seemed to me to be an F mixolydian scale, because of the slide from the minor into the major third. But then it clicked to me that it probably can be viewed both ways.

  42. pan054 says

    As always, great lesson. What makes your playing here so attractive (imo) is your crescendo/decrescendo (e.g. bars 6-8) and other tone control techniques, (apart from the normal embellishments like slides, bends, etc.). It seems so easy, but it is actually quite hard, at least for me.
    I guess there are element of where and how to hit the strings, how to hold the pick, or even how to best use the pickups.

    Maybe you would be interested in creating a lesson + exercises explicitly addressing this kind of soft/sharp/high/low volume-control tone vorming?

    Cheers from Oz

  44. Mark O says

    This is indicative of the sweet spot of all your postings. As a 70 something year old who has been playing nearly all my life, it is really great to hear and learn new riffs and compositions which become fresh additions to a sometime stale feeling repertoire.

  45. Selina R says

    this is the last lesson I received. I didn’t get one last week or this week. Usually get them on E Mail on Tuesday around 2 PM.
    Loved the last 2 lessons. I love how you connect everything back to the cord. Makes it very easy to understand. Thanks Brian.

  46. Dublin Paul says

    Brilliant lesson again Brian – Thanks
    Definitely hearing Robert Cray in here too as per other comments.
    Great melodic licks and guitar tone. Always like hearing about your guitar tones.
    I love checking in to your lessons and I’m really enjoying playing guitar at the moment – thanks to your tuition.

  47. Alan S says

    Hi Brian… I just signed up again after taking a hiatus for a short time… I’m so glad I came back, I didn’t realize how bad I was “jonesing”in for a lesson!… As for less than 517 can you tell me a little bit about how you’re getting the sound out of your guitar I really like that sound and I’d love to be able to dial it in… Any suggestions?

  49. charjo says

    The lick over the F7 chord at 10:00 minutes in the part 2 video didn’t make sense until I pictured it as a major pentatonic/myxolydian lick out of the C shaped F7 chord.
    John

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