Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Play a lead using the Pentatonics and chord shapes over a Gospel Blues – Guitar Lesson – EP567

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a Gospel Blues style lead where you’ll be playing over the chord changes, all while using basic chord shapes and the pentatonic scale.

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

    • Jane B says

      Hi Brian,
      I was just listening to your lesson EP567. Absolutely beautiful. When I watch your lessons I always suffer from too much info. If you could give us the numbers of your lessons that all pertains to a certain scale that would really be helpful. This way I could concentrate on just one scale and all the different ways you approach it with your melodies that would be super.

      Thanks,Jane

      • Robert M says

        All lessons can be searched by category. Start on Weekly Lessons page and look for menu with all the various subjects Brian covers. There are numerous scale categories to select.

    • Mel T says

      BRIAN is the best i love this i some how made 3 versions of this and added some to it ..it ant perfict but man i love them double stops and do a little sitting on the dock of the bay there thank you Brian

    • James W says

      After playing with this all week, there are so many take-aways from this lesson. Great hybrid practice but also how they are tied to chord shapes and how to quickly relate to the next or previous CAGED chord shape. Also good to tie in the chord shape to scale pattern. Really good material.

  7. Max d says

    Hi Brian, good you mentioned in your free lesson available on UTube the many, many years of (~600?) weekly lessons available on your website. Together with your relaxed style of teaching, this is the great asset of your “ActiveMeldy.com’, all lessons (weekly/special/micro… available for less then a dollar when you join as a member. Thanks again for the past three or so years of excitement each Friday.. For me it is like getting a present each weekend, Max

  8. Rob N says

    Echoing Max’s comment (above), I really look forward to these little gifts of lessons each week (in England it’s usually Saturday by the time I check in). I love this Gospel Blues with touches of B.B. and the pace gave me a chance to work on my vibrato.

    As a relatively new member, it’s like discovering a treasure trove with those 600+ lessons – thanks for giving away all your knowledge over the years.

  9. Daniel H says

    Brian, I always appreciate your closing comments. Your comment this week about focusing on one idea was especially important because you put so many licks and ideas into each lesson I feel compelled to try to learn all of them which usually ends in failure (i.e. I don’t remember them and can’t use them when I play). I have learned that by focusing on one or two ideas I can lock them into memory for instant recall. It feels counterintuitive to let so many good ideas in a lesson slip by, but your advice is so valuable about trying to own an idea or two each week (or month if I am lucky lol). Your repetition of “work horse” licks/ideas in your lessons is greatly appreciated since over time I do eventually learn them and they have helped define my playing. Thank you for the awesome lessons and your passion in teaching.

  18. Charles M says

    Brian, this is just one more example of a delightful little song that is so fun to learn. I’ve only been working on it for about an hour, but I look forward to a week of practice and learning. You are the best.

  19. R S says

    Thank you Brian. Another great lesson packed with useful melodic licks around the CAGED shapes. Your lessons/melodies are always incredibly satisfying to play

  21. James S says

    Great lesson and this style is really your wheelhouse. In Part One when you do the 6th licks over the B and resolving to the E, you say it’s the B major scale harmonized but I believe it is the E major scale.

  28. Michael G says

    Another wonderful lesson Brian, I’ve had it on repeat all week. Thank so much for your music theory delivery with these lessons. Your breakdown of the licks and how it relates to chords and, especially to the CAGE system. have helped me recall and understand them.

  31. Keith S says

    Just can’t get my fingers into the C and G shapes, but the D shape gives me enough to information determine where the licks go from that D shape. I’m using AM now more for theory than trying to learn each lesson specifically. Really helps with gigs. Thx!!

  32. pschlosb says

    I was thinking how about a lesson or tips about making a basic backing track just for us to get started composing. Because I think youve been teaching us how to compose songs but it seems like all the songs that you make have backing tracks and so that seems to be the ground floor or foundation to composing.

    I mean you do teach us the rhythm section but if we can’t make a simple backing track based on the rhythm section it’s hard to also compose the rest of the song

  35. Kerry F says

    Great tune, but there is an issue with the PDF. It is formatted to fit a 12.7″ x 11.7″ sheet (look at the properties of the PDF file) and when I print it to 8.5 x 11 it has to shrink the original to fit and the staff lines become thin, bordering on disappearing, and the numbers get too small for my 60-year old eyes. Can the original document be reformatted to 8.5 x 11? That would be very helpful.

    Keep these coming! I’m a subscriber for life!

    Kerry

  37. Dolores "Dee" G says

    Brian… thank you sooooooooooo much! I have been working on the pentatonic scales this year… Always hated scales but now that I understand them better…I truly appreciate them and the way you include the explanations in your lesson. is really helpful. I wish I had started learning the CAGED system earlier. Understanding what I am playing is much better than memorizing followed by forgetting.!!! A bad pattern to I got into and a great waste of my time.

    I like this piece and it fit right in with the blues I have been working on in E.. Thank you again. Dee

  38. Kathryn L says

    I really appreciate your lessons. I jump into some of your lessons, but I fail to make my melody sound anything like yours. With this lesson, I am determined to go over sections – piece by piece. I understand most of the theory breakdowns, and then I get to wondering if I really have to learn all the different scale positions. I didn’t mean to “wail”, I am always so excited to try to accomplish some nice rhythm and licks. I’m in it “for the long run”. I’m so glad others give you appreciation in their commnets.

  39. Kathryn L says

    Just an “after-awhile” thought – for me. Now, I really get the value of the CAGED postions to make the harmonized sweet sounds. It’s just difficult to actually use a C shape bar chord, if I had to use it. I just had to say more, and that I will get this melody to sound good for me .

  40. Scott S says

    Brian, your approach to “here’s what I’m thinking” as chords pass by has been both approachable and fun to learn. I’ve been a premium member for a long time now and your lessons are the ones I keep coming back to. I just wanted you to know that what you do is great and appreciated. 👍🏼

  43. David S says

    Brian, Everytime I think leesons can’t get any better you come out with another better.Fantastic lesson .Hope you continue with more like this. You da man when it comes to teaching.You hit this one out of the park.Can’t thank you enough.Keep up the good works. Dave

  47. Millar L says

    I like this lesson …great vibe
    However I am cofussed..
    On the 8th stave the run finishes on 6 fret G sting. ( C#) I cant get this to sound right.
    Looking closely at the video it appears Brian does not play this note . Am I correct

  48. J A C D says

    Great melodic music in a style which I appreciate. There is nowhere to “hide” with a slower track which encourages accuracy in picking and in timing. More like this please when you get time Brian!
    KR
    John

  51. Ben D says

    This simple lesson changed me for good. I’m going back over songs that I’ve memorized and forcing myself to see the scale and chord shape at all times as I play. The ideas for improvising are going off like fireworks. You are a creative musician and a gifted teacher. Thanks for sharing it all with us.

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