Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Play an Easy Guitar Solo with Just 2 Notes – LEG020

Description

In this lesson we continue our look at the major and minor pentatonic scales, however this lesson focuses on a very important intersection of those two scales. This “crossroads” that happens on the neck of the guitar is one of the most important spots on the neck to understand because it allows for lots of combinations of solos. In this lesson I don’t show you note for note how to play any of these solos, but instead try to demonstrate how easy it is to create your own solos using this intersection of the major and minor pentatonic scales. Be sure to download the jam track for this lesson (below), it’s an up-tempo blues in the key of A.

Guitar Solo With Just 2 Notes

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Comments

  1. brandonian says

    I just registered here thus I’m not up to date on these lesson. Would you provide a link to the lesson preceding this one? You reference a couple of things that I’d like to review. Thanks!

  9. jamNchris says

    very awsome stuff on here an u r pretty easy to follow along with i have played drums for about 19 years an i played gutiar for about 5 or 6 years but last year i didnt play at all or even pick a gutiar up for that matter but a few months ago i broke out one of my gutiars a fender strat. an put some new strings on it an started playing agen really got back into it fast i play alot of rock lead an a heavy rock rethem style riffs. an also have a mello side but when i found this site it open up a new door to blues an jazz for me iv downloaded a few of ur jam tracks an ben playin along with them i have ben givin the lead some of my owne touch on a rock stand point an also brought some blues out of me. // this site is cool keep up the good work an i will keep watchin 🙂 /// u know it would be cool to be abel to download vids to thit site kinda like putting it on youtube so u could see the people learning this stuff an others can see an hear how people r playin to ur jam tracks ???

  10. Kamaros says

    Thank you for this excellent lesson 🙂 This bit finally helped me to understand how to blend the major and minor pentatonic scales together. Keep the good stuff coming!

  11. ameintjes1@gmail.com says

    I am really glad I saw this on Itunes!

    I’ve been playing for years and in the past few weeks I have learned so much and started enjoying playing electric again!

    Great site and well done Brian!!!

    Andre-South Africa

  13. FransP says

    Great, Fantastisch, for me a new experience. just 2 notes.
    But: I think i am missing that experience or creativity to make a good solo. Is it passible that you (brian) can make som tabs with this notes. For example just make a tab from the notes you play on the video on major en minor notes.

  14. saffordj says

    I have been playing for about 2 years now and just since I got my new IPOD and got your podcasts on ITUNES. The last three weeks I understand more and play better than the last 2 years. You are an awsome teacher and I will be following your videos and website for any new material from now on. Thanks so much.

    Jay

  20. mrbreeze55 says

    WOW I HAVE LEARNED MORE IN 2 DAYS FROM YOU THEN I HAVE LEARNED IN 1 1/2
    YEARS OF OTHER TEACHER ON LINE.WOW THANKS AGAIN JIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. rogersix says

    dont want to slow your work down brian, but for us beginners tabs would be handy.

    thanks again for your great explanations about pentotonic scales

  25. Darby says

    Brian, this is one great lesson!  I’ve been trying to play the Clapton version of Freddie King’s “Tore Down.”  Been kicking my butt, so I moved the key of this lesson and then added notes from the chords to move through and resolve.  WOW! what a difference…  Thanks for this lesson…you may have hit on the fastest way to get a person playing the guitar!

  26. FransP says

    again Brian,excellent wat you doing.    please make the tab for this solo. I have not the experiens to do that. By myzelf It is realy great.
    Thanks FP

  27. vinsonde says

    awesome… i was playing for 5 years .. i found your lessons so great .. and makes me to learn many techniques.. u are rocking man …. ! i suggest can u put some lessons for the beginners to learn finger practices that would be so great-full . .!

  28. dankoch says

    This is an incredible lesson! You really show it’s not about how many different notes you can cram into a solo, but the phrasing with a few notes! Combining the major and minor on just the top 2 strings with bends, hammers, and pull-offs can give incredible complexity and beauty.
    Thanks, Dan

  31. Vyctor_ozzy says

    I got one les paul guitar and it was on the dusty for years, and from the very clear blue sky i met u Brian on the youtube and everything changed, thanks.

  35. glorjgar says

    Brian;
    i just joined the premium lessons and it don’t let me download
    taps or jams can you please help me out?

                      Thanks Ralph

  37. fkustaa says

    Brian,

    Can you please clarify the issue of using the pinky vs the third finger. I think that many guitarists don’t explain this issue very well.

    I have searched for explanations on this issue on the Internet and especially on Youtube, but so far I have not found a satisfactory explanation on this issue.

    I have been learning the guitar basics such as the pentatonic scales from guitarists who emphasize the use of the pinky.

    I noticed that at some sections of the guitar’s neck you use the pinky, but at other sections, especially around the seventh fret, you use the third finger instead of the pinky.

    I thought that if one learns to play with a pinky it then would be difficult to later switch to playing with the third finger. 

    I would appreciate it very much if you can explain your take on this issue?

    Freddy

  38. fkustaa says

    I very much appreciate this lesson using two notes and bending to make a nice soloing combination in the key of A. However, to me these types of lessons will be much helpful if you go slow and demonstrate step by step how you combine these few notes in a song to make a nice sounding soloing in a particular key as in the other lesson where you use three notes for soloing in the key of E.

    I can only do part of what you are demonstrating there and solo along, but there is still parts where you go fast, and I cannot keep up soloing along with you.

    Going slow is important since you don’t provide a tablature for this lesson.

    Some of us are basic beginners and would like to see in slow motion how you go from note to note in all parts of the whole soloing piece.

    Freddy Kustaa

  39. Brian says

    Freddy, i rarely ever use my pinky (not sure what video I was using it on) - I don’t think there’s a set formula for it.  It really depends on the reach of your hand to be honest.  I know there are a lot of “formal” guitar instructors that would disagree with that.. they would say that you use your pointer finger on fret 1, your middle on fret 2, your ring on fret 3, and your pinky on fret 4 - and use that combination up and down the neck… but I’ve never had much control over my pinky - so I rarely use it.  Look at footage of Eric Clapton playing, you’ll notice he doesn’t use his either.

  40. DaveS says

    That was an awesome lesson,and just with 2 notes, makes it so easy and with a bit of thought it’s amazing what you can come up with, just playing around in the scales, you have to hit a bad note to get a good one. At the end of the day it’s all down to practise.
    Cheers Brian.

  41. Dr Paul UK says

    Brian, I really appreciate your input here. I find blues guitar quite difficult to get the grasp of, all of those little subtle notes and techniques you talk about, but with perseverance, I’m getting there.
    I love the way you teach and thanks again for your help. Dr Paul UK.

  42. Brian says

    Thanks DrPaul - it’s a lot like learning a second language… seems overwhelming at first, but once you realize that you can carry on a conversation with a handful of phrases… it becomes apparent to you how powerful that is.  Don’t let it overwhelm you (using the language analogy) you’re just learning to speak.. basic communication… you’ll work more elegant phrases in over time and they will come, just stick with it!

  44. Sephen says

    Thanks so much your lessons are greatly helping me.I have always wanted to take my playing to a new level and you have made it possible. I like your style of teaching very clear and simple. Keep it up! you are doing a great job in helping guitarist to understand important concepts.

  45. arcee says

    After 45 years of being the rhythm guy I decided I want to play lead. Your lessons are really easy to follow. When you explain things I realize I know them from many years and chords. Now to break it down to single notes. Thanks for this site.

  47. bbguitar says

    love the lesson..great work….I have one question…when you did the minor and major just by moving one fret?…does that apply to just the A major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scale or does that also apply for the E scale that’s on the 12 fret? I really hope that makes sense…Thank you!!!

  51. Dr Paul UK says

    Hi Brian, I’ve been downloading the backing tracks and find them sooooooo useful especially when I play the major and minor pentatonic scales over them. Beginning to sound like something now. Thx for your wonderful inputs which I watch every night when I get home from work and start to practice guitar.You are very inspiring young fella!!

  53. Dr Paul UK says

    Brian i love your stuff and really am beginning to take shape with things now. Do you have anything on power chords/barre chords and chords which are recognised as being in the blues mode? Thank you sooo much , Doc.

  56. mkiriman says

    All I can say is DAMN..! I slept late last night jumping around the GREAT stuff on this site .Best $$$ I ever spent on a guitar course. THANKS YOU SIR !

  57. Sleepy Sam says

    Great theory stuff - thought I had it nailed but now I’m confused. I though the overlap point for the A minor and major scales was the 5th fret. I don’t see how the 7th fret high E is part of the A major pentatonic.

  58. UMB says

    Hello

    Thas sounds great and look pretty easy but I dont reaaly get how you play that little solo, is it possible that you can explain how it is played?

  60. double-stop says

    Hi, You make this a little confusing by saying your playing in the key of A. When you play the 5th and 8th frets, A and C you are playing am pentatonic which is in the Key of C. When you play the 5th and 7th you are playing the A major. When you play frets 2 and 5 F# and A you are playing the F# minor pentatonic which is the relative minor in the key of A.

  62. taoset says

    Love this lesson! Learned more about the feel of soloing, phrasing, bending a whole step, then contrasting with a 1/2 step, what note to end on, and rhythm in this lesson than all the lessons on licks and scales. Explaining where we are is essential. But then focusing on the feel and phrasing that you did here was great. Can you do more of these in different positions still limiting the notes, 3 notes, five notes, and so on so we focus on phrasing and the feel? Very helpful.

  64. Paul O says

    Brian thank you, this is so cool. You make it all look so easy and you have a way of passing on your knowledge.
    Much appreciated.

    One question though.

    For now, I am focused on the Pentatonic scales and I note that you have a lot of teaching material on them. Is there a way of arranging them in a way that they are of graded complexity? That way, relatively inexperienced ones like me can start from scratch and grow from there. (The course “The Ultimate Guide to the Pentatonic Scales” , was brilliant btw).

    That said, I am really enjoying your lessons. Many thanks

    Paul

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