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Rhythmic Acoustic Blues Guitar Lesson – Call and Response Blues – EP192

Description

In this acoustic blues guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a driving rhythm as well as lead licks, and will go back and forth between them using a “call and response” technique. I’ll break down the strum pattern in detail and have included a bonus video focusing solely on strumming (strum patterns are included in the tab as well). I’ll also explain where the lead licks come from so that you can improvise in this style.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Bonus - Strumming Breakdown

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  1. JohnStrat says

    February 17, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    Brian thank you a particularily instructive lesson for me it will be lots of help. Johnstrat

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  2. adam-quin says

    February 17, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    Brilliant Brian, Love this one its really helping my overall technique and rhythm playing

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  3. Don D. says

    February 17, 2017 at 3:08 pm

    Thanks, Brian, that sounds great, kind of reminds me of something by Delaney & Bonnie.

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    • Brian says

      February 17, 2017 at 4:09 pm

      Cool! Yeah I can hear that. Never thought of it that way

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      • Don D. says

        February 17, 2017 at 4:39 pm

        If I can think of the song, I’ll mention it. May just be a general feeling though.

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  4. [email protected] says

    February 17, 2017 at 5:27 pm

    Another on my list to play on top of Hundred haha, to much on my brains…Aloha!!..

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  5. Jim M says

    February 17, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    Love those Acoustic Blues Brian !!!

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  6. mike jams says

    February 17, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    Awesome!! I always look forward to Fridays.
    love the acoustic stuff

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  7. Jason B says

    February 17, 2017 at 9:36 pm

    Great lesson Brian ! Also enjoyed the jam lingo insight of “tag the end”.

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  8. madams says

    February 17, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    First thing that came to mind was: Bellamy Brothers, Let Your Love Flow.

    Looking forward to digging in to this lesson.

    Best,
    Michael

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  9. Badger (4FingerPhil) says

    February 18, 2017 at 1:45 am

    Love it Brian, oh, so can’t wait to get on to this, so much material, so little time!! Cheers Phil

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  10. Johan L says

    February 18, 2017 at 5:17 am

    Nicely done Brian! Not only is the rhythm part cool, but I got a huge takeaway regarding different chord voicings when I started playing this piece. So much in fact that I’m now playing something completely different and need to start over to be able to play the lesson! πŸ™‚

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  11. San Luis Rey says

    February 18, 2017 at 3:04 pm

    Thanks Brian! This is another great lesson that is unlocking the door to strumming a rhythm and a response. I’m loving the sound coming out of my guitar this week!
    Mike

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  12. genedivincenzo says

    February 18, 2017 at 4:50 pm

    Great lesson Brian. Funny that strum pattern sounds a little like “She talks to angels ” to me.

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  13. mcnessa says

    February 18, 2017 at 8:56 pm

    I like this one a lot! Just added it to my favorites.

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  14. Jeff Y says

    February 18, 2017 at 10:00 pm

    Sweet groove , and super nice Taylor

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  15. Allan says

    February 19, 2017 at 11:08 am

    Hi Brian just finished learning this little beauty great the way you can add your own licks in there and keep it going great lesson cheers mate .

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  16. Ashley B says

    February 19, 2017 at 11:28 am

    Every lesson I study on here ,I end up going off on a tangent for hours, it’s like eureka Friday for me. I love these lightbulb lessons πŸ’‘.. the acoustic lessons I’m really digging as I see my self as a rock player and this is making me think outside my rock box . Thanks Brian.

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  17. Michael D says

    February 19, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    Great teaching and a good lesson

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  18. Greg H says

    February 19, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    Another great sounding tune! Love learning these fun little riffs. I’m happy to finally get to the second half of the videos now that I’m a premium member! So much to learn and never enough time-and why does it have to come so bloody slowly? I guess I’m just glad to finally be on this journey! Thanks for being a huge part of my guitar education and fun Brian.

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  19. sunjamr says

    February 20, 2017 at 1:40 pm

    This lesson really cries out for me to get into some serious improvisation. I started hearing improv licks in my head just as I was listening to it for the first time.

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  20. jboy says

    February 21, 2017 at 7:28 am

    Echos of ” listen to the music ” …by the DOOBY Bros ( think)

    GREAT job

    Jay

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  21. Robin S says

    February 21, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    Can you give some more tuition on muting please or have I missed it somewhere ?
    Thanks Brian, great lessons and tunes,
    Robin from Brexit Island

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    • Bratwurst says

      June 24, 2017 at 11:20 pm

      Palm mute with your strumming hand or slightly lift the fingers of your fretting hand. Play with it slowly, you’ll get it. πŸ™‚

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  22. Dan P says

    February 22, 2017 at 7:35 am

    Yep…. Like it too…
    Your call and response lessons are amazing!
    So are your other lessons of course but these are my favorite’s.

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  23. Deane J says

    February 22, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    Thanks Brian. Especially the strumming pattern. Thats great. (Love the beard btw.)

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  24. wrightclick says

    February 22, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    fantastic Brian one for locker ” go on then play me something ” great strummer

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  25. Andy N says

    February 23, 2017 at 5:56 am

    Hey Brian, no hat! I was enjoying the hat theme! Had money on this weeks lesson being a slow reggae decked out in an Rasta Tam:-)
    Great lesson yet again, lots to enjoy straight away and lots to work on going forward. Really like the additional video just concentrating on the strum pattern too. Thanks

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  26. DF says

    March 2, 2017 at 8:54 pm

    Brilliant piece, Brian -Thank you! I’m a terrible strummer and this is exactly what I was looking for !

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  27. zhaori b says

    March 9, 2017 at 7:45 pm

    Hey Brain, could please just teach us how to count the beat instead of the down up thing? Details about how to play down & up mess up my brain πŸ™‚

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  28. Alberto De Haro says

    March 15, 2017 at 11:34 am

    Hi Brian, what kind of prong did you use? Thank you.

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    • Brian says

      March 15, 2017 at 9:31 pm

      Prong?

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      • Alberto De Haro says

        March 16, 2017 at 2:17 am

        Sorry, pick

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  29. Sarah J says

    March 24, 2017 at 7:11 pm

    are you slapping the strings down for the mute or are you using your picking hand to mute all the strings?

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  30. cuvy says

    March 26, 2017 at 9:37 am

    Hi Brian

    Thank you for the great lesson. Can you explain how you are doing the string muting? Thank you

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    • Bratwurst says

      June 24, 2017 at 11:17 pm

      I use a combination of palm muting (with my strumming hand) and muting with my fretting hand by slightly lifting my fingers off the fret board while strumming. I think Brian may be muting with just his fretting hand, but I enjoy the extra percussive sound from banging my palm into the strings with my strumming hand. If you play with it you can get a full mute as well as tone ringing out, depending on how exactly you hit it. Sort of gives you a Neil Young – Old Man feel.

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  31. James S says

    September 1, 2017 at 10:37 pm

    What is that E voicing with the 4th (A) instead of the major 3rd (G#)?

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  32. Robin S says

    November 6, 2017 at 10:28 am

    There have been various requests for further explanation of “muting”. Bratwurst has given some explanation but nothing from Brian. I am finding it difficult too. How about a Micro lesson on the topic ?

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  33. Olivier G says

    November 17, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    Thxs for that one too !
    Interesting to get the connection between the chords and the scale position.

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  34. Phillip S says

    March 14, 2019 at 4:34 pm

    New to this site. I love the tune, but man the muted strumming is killing me. Any lessons designed just for that? Thanks!

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    • Phillip S says

      March 14, 2019 at 4:46 pm

      15 minutes and the palm muting is sounding a little better…..not quite “Brianesque” but better.

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  35. Robert C says

    March 28, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    Love the driving sound of this one! Great lesson!

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