Description
In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play lead on acoustic guitar over a ragtime piano rhythm backing track. Even though the backing track has lots of chords, I’ll show you an easy way to improvise a lead over it.
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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Brian, very good lesson for observing arpeggios voicing with the chord progression,, this is very interesting and cool!
Thanks for yet another variation how you keep it up amazes us all but we are glad you do well done and thanks
JohnStrat
Ask and you shall receive, I just made a comment today asking for a ragtime groove. Wow pretty cool.
Very nice! Some great takeaways!🎶
Another great learning opportunity. Brian your musical inspiration is endless.
Our compliments to the ragtime piano player 🙂
I’ll be sure to let him know 😉
Ha!! 🙂
Thanks for a full song Like this one
Brian I wanted to mention I thought it would be a great idea to put the chords over the video screen as you do the slow walkthrough. That way when you’re playing the viewer can understand better why you played a certain riff over a particular chord. I know most times you can hear the changes through the solo but sometimes for example when you go to D7 to G7 to C7 to F etc. It would be pretty cool to see the coordinating chord up on the screen , perhaps in the corner.
Paul whilst I agree it would be cool it would most likely be quite a bit of extra work. So why not use Soundslice which has a toggle on off for the chords option where you can choose between tab or regular notation.
JohnStrat
I do that on occasions but I thought it would be more convenient just to have it viewed while watching the video. The advantage is you’re visually watching while having a guitar in hand. Most players learn from watching other players and of course using their ears. It is also nice to watch the phrasing and technique behind Brian’s playing. I appreciate your reply!
I like Paul’s idea of having the chord text on screen. This is the first instance where I am having to pay attention to what chord is being played and I have my hands full keeping up so it would be great to see the chord changes. I just retired from the video biz, it’s really easy to add one letter on screen as long as the editor knows the name of the chord being played.
And Brian, thanks for this lesson! I just finished all the beginner lessons I found relevant and then was stymied that the rest of the offerings are too advanced for me, but this ragtime lesson, wow, it may take a couple of weeks but I like the backing track so much I will learn it. A nice departure from the regular blues I lead on. Thanks!
Announcing the ActiveMelody weight loss program! The secret is you won’t have time to eat when you are trying to keep up with Brian’s fabulous weekly lessons. Thanks, Brian, for making my stomach growl, my fingers sore, and my head spin with pentatonic possibilities!
You’re so dang good and inspirational.
Wow. Love it!
Great lesson Brian. I love the way you break everything down. I’m am now able to use and understand so many of your licks. By the way, it might be me but when you’re playing the G to C lick at about 17:49 on the video it sure did remind me of Gershwin’s blues.
Thanks again
Ray P
I’m curious if after the b-flat chord if the next court is b-flat diminished or should be listed as b diminished
Hey Paul, good catch! Yes, it should have been a B dim7, not B flat – I have corrected both the soundslice and the tab PDF now – just refresh the page 🙂 Thanks for the heads up!
Hey Brian for everything that you bring to the table a small mistake means nothing I was just curious because I’m pretty good at music theory. I have learned so much from your site and enjoyed all the different styles of music you have displayed. It’s definitely made me see the fretboard better and made me a better musician. I can’t thank you enough.I would encourage anyone who has an interest in Guitar to join your website as you are hands down one of the best teachers out there and has one of the most well-designed websites with so many learning tools. I think it would be cool if you could somehow display the chords over the video footage as you do the slow walkthrough solo. Thanks again. Paul
Couldn’t put the guitar down once I started this. Just another great lesson Brian. You are the best!
Sounds like nobody knows when you are down and out by clapton. Brilliant lesson
One of my all time favorite solos ever “Unplugged “!
Hi Brian! This is a great one. I just the site in August and have improved so much this then. Thank you for how consistent you are with posting content and keeping things focused on what matters most.
I have noticed that you dont play much in Pattern 3, and I was wondering why that is. Can you comment or explain why that is? It seems like you jump from pattern 1 and 2 to 4 and 5.
Hi Brian,
This could be totally coincidental, but my band is learning a classic Bonnie Raitt song “Women be wise” and I’ve been practicing a solo for the song. This lesson seems to fit right in with that song. Thanks for your continued weekly lessons.
Boxes. Triangles. Connective Tissue. Love it!
I’ve been a member for 3 or 4 years. As others have stated, I’m amazed at how you keep coming up with such terrific ideas. It’s really great how you always make points of “why” you play a certain lick and relate it back to a chord or a scale. That speaks volumes to me. I sometimes think of you sitting by yourself in front of a camera relaying these great lessons…. but to me it’s like you’re in the room speaking and teaching directly to me. I love the friendship we have… no matter how one sided it may seem. 🙂 Thank you and Keep up coming!!
Loved the lesson Brian, like the others can’t stop running it over and over on both acoustic and electric. Any chance of Micro Lesson on rhythm? thanks for the Bdim7 correction as well as I was working with original tab as now the chord change makes sense.
Love your Ragtime lessons Brian!
Gene
Brian. I would really LOVE it if you gave us the chord progression, not only for this piece, but in general so we could jam along with friends and not just the recording. What do you think?
Actually, I just saw that it’s written on the tab download. So…thanks.
Thanks again for another awesome lesson. I like the challenges every week and enjoy you’re teaching method. We all out here appreciate what you do and we are all becoming better guitar players each and every week. Just wanted to say thanks Brian.
Hello Brian,
Thanks for all these fine lessons. Is it possible to get the music for the piano? A Friend of mine can accompany me then.
Koos Abbas (Holland)
Another great lesson, and the music has a lovely feel to it. Can’t wait to get started on it.
Merci Brian…. super intéressant …..j’adore…
You have done it again. You still amaze me with fun tunes to learn.
Keep it going Brian!
Brian, every time I sign on to your website, it feels like visiting a very good friend and when I read the comments posted on your forum, I feel, I am part of a wonderful family. I have visited so many other guitar tutorials on YouTube and some of them are good but when I sign in to ActiveMelody, its like coming home. Bless you, Brian, your family and all other subscribers of this truly inspirational website.
Thank you Marcus. That made me smile
“The poor mans version of Jazz” Ha ha!
Too Many Word. Edit it down to half as long. Gets really boring and hard to watch
Brian,
Just got to my email and opened this little tune. Great!! More like this please as it hits the sweet spot for me!!!
Randy
Brian, recently joined Active Melody and I am very happy I did so. I am about halfway through this lesson, and have found many takeaways. Anyway, thanks for the very well done lesson. Fantastic.
I’m new to this site. Love it. Problem is, I am having a hard time staying focused on one lesson. I browse around and find a lesson I like better, and there I go…..
I get you. One of the blues lessons caught my attention and I’m off….I do love this lesson though. I plan on keeping up with it….
Love the Ragtime feel of this lesson.
I am about half way through….can not wait to see and play more roots kinda Blues!! Memphis Minnie perhaps??
Thanks Brian, you are my guitar hero!
CC (West Coast Canada brrrrr)
So good.
This is a great lesson, lot of great bends, i blew out my fingers late in the day, *fret board on Alvarez with 12 gauge bronze elixirs finally started feeling pinch nerve in my index finger,, had to stop bending on acoustic,, I’ll be on this tomorrow on the tele.. Brian am wondering about those B&G guitars ,they both sound terrific,, little Martin still around? ,, All your guitars sound terrific but wondering if you have and threads comparing your guitars or even with gear like you do in some of the video lessons.. just wish to hear reviews again and guess I could look for them first reviews but was wondering maybe you can give another review update on the latest acoustics?
A lot in common with Rockin’ chair, by Eric Clapton
Hi Brian,
Great lesson, just love this acoustic blues stuff. i notice the melody starts on beat 2 of the measure. i was wondering what the impact of doing that is on the flow and the rhythm of the song. for example, if you started on beat 3or beat 4 of the measre, would the song have a different feel to it? I was wondering if you could address this question in one of your lessons or if you have already covered this in a previous lesson if you could point me to do that lesson that would be great.
Hey Dave, I tend to start on the 2nd beat because I’m reacting to the music – I hear the chord, then respond to the chord. You could start on beat 3 or 4 though and still be effective – it would have a different feel but you can do it.
Brian‘s Play ing is just so beautiful I find myself just listening to the tracks all the time Even when I’m not at home trying to learn them. I’m simply amazed how he puts together his phrasing and how impeccable this playing is. As well as his knowledge of all the different styles This is been the best guitar are course I ever had in my life thank you Brian And all the other people who help you. Sorry for the punctuation and grammatical errors I’m driving now
Hello, Needless to say, another amazing lesson. Brian is just a creative jukebox! Can’t imagine how he does it. He must have just grown up just listening to all these music. Speaking of which, this chord progression sounds extremely familiar. Could anyone suggest some very well known songs that use this chord progression? That way, I can apply this lesson to these songs. Thanks in advance!
A beautifully melodic composition. It’s taken me a while to learn it, I have downgraded the full bends as my acoustic guitar strings won’t cooperate!
Congratulations Brian on your 300 guitar lessons your lessons are making a difference in my life . Thank you 😊. Frank Galea.
Such a tasty solo…….Loved it!
What a fantastic composition! I get a Randy Newman feel, in addition to some of the Clapton tunes referenced. I love how the major/minor pentatonic and chord/arpeggio plays over this awesome chord progression. Thanks, as always for such great teaching over such an amazing variety of compositions!
Now I want to play this song together with my son at the piano 🙂
Hey Brian and friends, EP295 is one of my faves and I learned the entire songs in a couple weekends. The only problem I had was at the end on the last closing riff I find that stretch to be extremely difficult due to my rather small hands. I can’t seem to get that first string to ring out and that sound is what makes it so good. Is there another way to play this to get that bluesy ring to it that may not be as difficult for someone with smaller hands?
My new favorite
I struggle to understand where the chords come from…are we in the key of F, does it change keys? Or are they altered chords or something?
It also looks like each iteration some of the chords change how long and in what measure they are played…cool song, just don’t understand the arrangement
Brian, thanks for another great lesson! One question: Doesn’t it start with Pattern 3 of the F Major Pentatonic, rather than Pattern 4, on the low strings?
Hey Brian I caught a tiny typo both on the PDF and the interactive tab. On measure 18, second string should be fret 1, not 2. It still sounds good by itseld, but on the video you’re playing the 1st fret, so it sounded weird when playing over your track.
any information on that B&G brian? or another video where you talk about it
Great lesson Brian! I am trying to learn this one with my mom playing the piano part. She’s been playing piano for over 50 years and never played a blues chord. Any chance you can share the sheet music for the piano part?