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Rock, Blues Rhythm (with fill licks) that you can play by yourself on guitar – Blues rhythm guitar lesson – EP281

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a rock, blues rhythm that sounds great on it’s own (no accompaniment needed). This lesson is designed to give you rhythm strumming and fill lick ideas to make you better at writing and improvising rhythm guitar.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough

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Comments

  1. JohnStrat says

    November 2, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    Hi Brain
    This one will go down very well thanks. Just the sort of lesson to help me get fluency up very useful and straight into the favorites
    JohnStrat

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    • Ted P says

      November 6, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      Very good lesson

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    • Victor P says

      August 12, 2023 at 9:58 pm

      This is a great rhythm. Really appreciate it. I thought for a possible new video might be to work through different types of lead guitar riffs and ideas over the top of this rhythm.

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      • Michael B says

        August 22, 2023 at 6:39 pm

        +1 on that idea.

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  2. Jim M says

    November 2, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    Hey Brian. This one is already inspiring my bag of licks !!!

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  3. Aussie Rick says

    November 2, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    Love these stand-alone compositions that help us with improvising and writing rhythm guitar and fill licks. Thanks Brian, for another great composition and lesson.
    Rick

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  4. JoLa says

    November 2, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    Great lesson on the rhythm, Brian! I find playing rhythm guitar the most difficult (never did my guitar rhythm 101 🙂 and this just reminds me that this is something I need to work on in the nearest future. Thank you for giving us such a variety here, something for everyone!

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  5. Michael Allen says

    November 2, 2018 at 10:02 pm

    Love the rhythm and can’t wait to get into this one. thanks Brain!

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  6. 6thstring says

    November 2, 2018 at 11:33 pm

    Love this one….

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  7. Lefteris B says

    November 3, 2018 at 4:43 am

    Every time you end your first performance of a song there’s a smile on my face. Every time for three years now. Thank you for that smile.

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  8. Ian C says

    November 3, 2018 at 5:26 am

    Brilliant, thank you!I have been playing for years, and in all that time have fudged my way around this type of playing. I never really thought my way into the detail as it wasn’t really my thing and I just managed to cover up with something basic if needed. This sounds great and should really put some confident sounds into that rock 101 which I’ve been missing.

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  9. Meaks says

    November 3, 2018 at 5:33 am

    Awesome lesson Brian, thanks so much

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  10. sciencefiction says

    November 3, 2018 at 7:43 am

    Awesome! This one has everything. Another essential rhythm lesson for me. Has Monthly Challenge all over it.
    SF

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    • sunburst says

      November 3, 2018 at 2:12 pm

      Yes indeed Larry and as humble as he be devotional to the forums too..he is doing great with this site… keeping at it my friend learning here😀

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  11. sunburst says

    November 3, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    Thanks again and this lesson is so cool.. understand the ways you you are impliment weekly lessons too both forums and lessons.. simply outstanding balance Brian😀

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  12. San Luis Rey says

    November 3, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    Simply great! Ian said what I was thinking. Now I cant’ wait to get into part 2. Thanks for another happy week Brian!

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  13. drlknstein says

    November 3, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    yeah nice!

    nice tribute to tony joe white ..the swamp fox.

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  14. Terry M says

    November 3, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    Love it, so soulful and reminds me of the mid sixties!

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  15. Terry M says

    November 3, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    So soulful, reminds me of the mid sixties!

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  16. Terry M says

    November 3, 2018 at 5:23 pm

    I love 💗 this, brings back reflections of the mid sixties!

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  17. Raymond P says

    November 4, 2018 at 9:55 am

    A great rhythm Brian, with lots of great takeaways

    Thanks
    Ray p

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  18. clay says

    November 5, 2018 at 9:40 am

    Nice. I really think this would be a good candidate for a “Part 2.” You could add/expand more fill licks-including some more in closed positions that would be moveable to other keys.

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  19. sunburst says

    November 6, 2018 at 8:24 am

    RIP Tony Joe White ,, man I remember his tunes but never knew who he was(guitarists/singer/musician/artist) anyway he looked alike like Elvis Presley and with those sideburns especially,, played good harp good deep vocals great song writer artist rhythm guitarist,, reminds me a bit of John Fogerty and like to see some more John Fogerty extensions too! Enjoying this lesson now! thanks Brian!

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  20. Terry M says

    November 6, 2018 at 10:13 am

    Love the vibe and thyrhmic energy, another eight bar blues?

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  21. Rodney W says

    November 6, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    I am convinced that Brian has got a second guitar going that he is playing with his toes!

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  22. Gilles C says

    November 6, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    Annother inspiring micro lesson to help me play and practice at the same time to get back on my standard tunng playing routine after playing in open E for so long…
    Great

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  23. terry the elder says

    November 6, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    Brian great lesson (as always); can I get a copy of this piece in standard notation?

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  24. Duane S says

    November 7, 2018 at 2:35 am

    Brian, you really made my day with this lesson! I used to play this sort of thing back in 1977 using the open strings to add notes and volume to the piece. I did not add that much fill but only because I couldn’t. I can and will now though. The background in your theory explanations was of real benefit to me, and I soaked it all up. Wondering if you can add a very long Southern rock type solo an octave up the neck beginning in the 12th fret E scale position and maybe chase the cordal changes while the rhythm plays just the melody without fills? I am a member of your site and I would really like to see an explosion of the lead guitar soloing like Blackfoots Hiway Song to make this an overly exceptional rock song to remember the old Southern Rock days for the premium members? For me, this would be a really big deal especially packed with theoretical explanations of what could be possible. It could even be a paid lesson video you could offer/sell to all those interested. Do you understand what I mean? Like an anatomy instruction of building the structure for a song, lead, rhythm, theory etc. I would buy something like that in a heartbeat.

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  25. Mike B says

    November 7, 2018 at 3:06 am

    Another great lesson, Brian. The more of this stuff I play, the younger I get!

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  26. Freda says

    November 7, 2018 at 4:44 am

    Is it just me, but the audio seems to stop in the on-screen tab viewer over halfway thru.

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  27. nitecrawler says

    November 7, 2018 at 5:24 am

    EP 281 is so awesome & I can’t wait to learn & master it . It is right up there with EP 254!!!!! This is the NIGHTCRAWLER & I love them both !

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  28. William L says

    November 7, 2018 at 10:34 am

    This is a fun lesson. Any chance of recording a snippet of it, or more, on an acoustic? I would love to hear how it would sound.

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  29. olplucker says

    November 8, 2018 at 7:12 am

    At 13:36 in part 1 isn’t that box the bottom part of pattern 2 Maj. Pent.?
    Sorry but I do try to get this. I love what you do!!

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    • Michael H. says

      November 8, 2018 at 1:12 pm

      Pattern 3.

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  30. Robert B says

    November 8, 2018 at 8:30 am

    Hi Brian , l am a bass player and been playing in bands for almost 50years !! And looking at your web site has inspired me to buy a Les paul traditional and a fender strat and start learning lead !! I am really grateful to you for your excellent web site which is also great value for money too. So l would just like to say thank you !!!

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  31. Gordon G says

    November 8, 2018 at 11:31 am

    This is probably the best lesson I have seen and used in a very long time! The Tony White lick, the harmonized thirds, and the I IV V transition lick are excellent tools!
    Thanks for this lesson Brian!

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  32. Marcus Widmer says

    November 8, 2018 at 12:25 pm

    Hi Brian and all you other happy guitar players. I am 62 and would love to play this piece of music but I really struggle with this B (fingers spread over 4 bars). I just physically can’t do this. Maybe I have arthritis. Is there an alternative to this chord? Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Cheers
    Markus

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    • Sharon C says

      November 9, 2018 at 1:58 pm

      Hi Marcus,
      I also can not make that stretch, I jump down to the 7th fret, 6 string root position.
      Hope that helps.

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      • Marcus Widmer says

        November 10, 2018 at 12:16 pm

        Hi Sharon – yep, helps. Much appreciated! Thanks a lot.

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    • --Steven-- says

      November 9, 2018 at 2:18 pm

      Hi Markus, You can always play it on the 5th and 6th strings at the 7th fret.

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      • Marcus Widmer says

        November 10, 2018 at 12:17 pm

        Great – thanks ever so much, Steven. Cheers mate.

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  33. Henrik says

    November 10, 2018 at 9:41 am

    Super lesson 🙂

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    • jboy says

      November 11, 2018 at 12:34 pm

      This one is REALLY good. Even my wife likes it
      ….and she is extremely hard to please2😎

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  34. Frederick B says

    November 10, 2018 at 10:56 am

    Hi Brian. I would like to see something like this or the Muddy Waters lesson in the key of A. I like these kinds of sounds and feeling but it doesn’t transfer well to other keys – at least for me. Thanks.

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  35. Brian R says

    November 11, 2018 at 10:53 am

    This rock/blues type of sound is out of this world for me to play and at a similar tempo Brian. This was the sound I tried to play back in the early sixties!! (shows my age!) with my group, but failed miserably………. Now I can with confidence, many many thanks Brian.
    Loads more of this please.

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  36. james b says

    December 3, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    What do I do to find lesson 2 of posting. For example, lesson 281 part 1 I have finished but how do I access part 2?

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  37. Roy M says

    April 2, 2019 at 8:21 pm

    Simply Amazing. Brian, your teaching style is crystal clear. This episode is jam-packed with goodies to use. I really like the way you have put your composition out there to demonstrate different licks that can be called upon later. Bravo Brian. BTW. the bar by bar replay, slowdown, speed up. WOW! Thank you. I already feel as I’ve gained so much knowledge and confidence!

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  38. Lawrence H says

    November 5, 2020 at 9:41 am

    Brian,
    This is a great rhythm lesson.
    Thank you very much.

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  39. RANDY M says

    June 15, 2021 at 1:24 pm

    Polk Salad. Seems as though it was yesterday. Time flies.
    I’m enjoying learning this episode, Mr. Brian.
    As usual,
    Thank you,
    Randog1951

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  40. Alfred Dowaliby says

    October 12, 2021 at 3:51 pm

    I’m quite late to the party on this one, but very happy I circled back and added it to my stand-alone quiver. Rock on!

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  41. Stan says

    December 31, 2021 at 12:02 pm

    Hey Brian I am enjoying my membership Gives me something to do and i am always learning new things to my playing Thanks for all the time you put into your lessons. Stan

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  42. Allan S says

    February 8, 2024 at 10:12 am

    Great lesson Brian. Your lessons are amazing. Thanks

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