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Learn to play blues guitar.

Simple Blues Lead Guitar Lesson Using Just 6 Notes and Phrasing – EP219

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, we’re going to be eliminating complexity that is often associated with improvising lead guitar by focusing on only 6 notes (4 fretted notes and 2 notes that are bends). We will create an entire 45 second solo with those notes while putting the emphasis on simple phrasing. This lesson includes 12 versions of the same MP3 jam track (one for each key) so that you can practice playing this lead in any key.

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Comments

  5. Tim Lee says

    Brian,

    Great lesson that I was looking for and I think others will find really helpful. It’s a terrific building block of information. Thanks for doing this one and maybe you can do something similar in the future with different levels of complexity so that beginners to advanced can get something out of it. Love this lesson!
    Tim

  6. JohnStrat says

    I just want to add to the comments above that I think this lesson is absolutely core stuff relating to playing the blues. It is the phrasing that defines the greatest players in so much.
    A wonderful lesson Brian.
    JohnStrat

  13. Radar says

    Great lesson. I think many of us get distracted my the “shinny coin”. I am committed to finished one piece of music before going on the the next.
    This may not be the place to ask, but I want to download the audio file to other devices – Boss eBand or into Song Surgeon – and I am have trouble doing
    it. Any suggestions. Thanks

    Allan Schick

  18. Andreas D says

    Brian,
    Great lesson, and full of “a-ha moments” for lots of us. I think this type of phrasing is key to good blues and rock solos. Would love to see a follow-up lesson on this.
    Thank you !
    Andreas

  20. Bradley B says

    Love the lesson Brian! I’m really starting to understand to play lead. I’m not all that Google yet but soon it’s really going to come together. You have the best lessons out there! Could you do some more good country rythem and lead lessons, really like cosine Kenny Marty Stuarts guitar player and Marty Stuart style, also Merle Haggard style.
    Thank you again Brian, love your blues lessons!!

  21. justin N says

    Amazing what one can do with so little. Great lesson. And your so right about how with so much information available now its good to remember to stick with something before jumping around and not really understanding what your really doing.

  26. Don D. says

    Exactly what I need explore, one of the main things anyway. I hear a lot of players who bounce around between maybe four, maybe six main notes in their solos. If you can pick up the rhythm, six notes is enough.

    It’s often hardest choosing the first note, the first few notes.

  28. Bill K says

    Thanks so much – this is a really helpful lesson, full of “ah-ha!” moments, bringing together earlier work on major and minor pentatonics (e.g. EP174, EP025, EP130). And your commentary about the temptation to dash from learning about one thing to another without getting sufficient depth on any one technique applies to me 100%. Which I why I appreciate the linkages between your lessons.

  34. John s says

    What to say about this… I feel compelled to make a comment about the “artistry” of this teacher/instructor. None better; as good as it gets; one of the “greats”! Definition of artistry: creativity, art, skill, talent, genius, brilliance, flair, proficiency, virtuosity, finesse, style, etc

  36. Warren G says

    Hi Brian – that was a great lesson which I got a lot from, thank you.

    The only thing that I thought that could be expanded was the chords in between the solo….

    I find it fun trying out other A chord positions to see how it sounds with the three and four note solo.

    Thank you. for an excellent lesson.

  37. Paul H says

    Hi Brian and all of you who read this. I don’t post a lot on here but feel moved to comment on this lesson. Over my long, frustrating but necessary guitar journey it has seemed to me that phrasing is the one skill that separates the good from the great guitarists. I can only mention the ones I listen to : Clapton, Warren Haynes, Gary Moore- in his slower moments, Carlos Santana, Sonny Landreth to name a few. I’m sure those of you favour a different genge will be able to add to the list.

    Well done Brian for a lesson on the most difficult of skills to learn; some would say you can’t learn it – I disagree and think Brian has started a ball rolling here that should continue. Please Brian move this forward. I hope all of you will encourage this topic. I hasten to add that I struggle to sound competent…..still.

    Paul…

  39. Phil B says

    Hi Brian This is one of the most helpful lesson for me. I am premium member for some time and although you always mention it I just found you blues course lesson with all patterns and licks and how they are supposed to sound .with jam tracks in blues rock and funk This by far is best lessons I have every had and it is all I will probably every need Thank you so much fot the time and effort you put into all lessons

  43. dr-d says

    This was a terrible lesson! It completely exposes how much I suck. How will I ever play that fluently and beautifully? Seriously: one thing that would make this lesson even greater (and would help me with phrasing) is to explain and demonstrate the chords in-between the phrases. Could you please add that as a short video for us? I’d like to learn this lead with the chords.

    • Blake N says

      I think hes playing dominant 7 chords, the one chord is A7, 6-5, 5-7, 4-5, 3-6, 2-5, 1-5, four chord is D7, 6-x, 5-5, 4-4, 3-5, 2-x, 1-x, and five chord is E7, 6-x, 5-7, 4-6, 3-7, 2-x, 1-x, normally you would play the 2 string a fret lower than the 4th string is being played at but hes omitting it

  45. john l says

    Great lesson, Brian…have struggled with this concept. Knowing a couple of scales and trying to make this sound good ain’t easy. But this helps and I look forward to working on it! John…

  50. Art M says

    Brian, this is just what I needed. Your comments at 2:40 … is exactly right. I’ve always had a problem bouncing around when something new shows up and I really never finish learning what I started. SO, thank you very much for this particular video as it had a lot of meaning, message and helped me to understand what I need to do.

  51. Jason M says

    Hi Brian,

    Could you tell me/us the chords you are playing along with the lead please? I think I have got it but you pass over it very quickly and I think knowing them would be great for an overall understanding of this great lesson.

    Jason

  53. jerryeaton says

    Hi Brian. I just wanted to thank you for all the lessons over the past 7 years. I have been a member since 2010 when the first lesson I learned was LEG 022 major pentatonic in key of E. This is another great lesson and quickly reminded me of another of my favorites (EP160) “how to find the key a song is in”, which I had to go back and review because I remembered that you also included the jam tracks for ever key. If you are ever pondering what lesson do do next I would like to suggest a lesson in the major pentatonic based on the short demo you played in EP160 at the12:08 to about the 12:30 mark. I also fine that as I become a better player, the more I realize how much great information is these past lessons that I didn’t see at the time. I now learn more from some of the older lessons than I did when they first came out.
    Jerry

    • Brian says

      Thank you Jerry, that’s a great testimonial and congrats on 7 years. You’ve really been there from the beginning. I had to look at EP160 to see what you were referring to. I will definitely work that into a lesson. Same backing track, with a few major and minor licks and show how to use them. Great idea.

  57. bruce s says

    Brian like all others I appreciate the immediate and tangible results. Thoroughly enjoyed the buffet analogy. I had to spend some time on moving between the major and minor scale degrees. Thank you for the superb physical and theory workout.

  58. Bob W says

    I’ve been here for a while, I started lessons just a year ago at the age of 60, and I joined you not too long after, maybe a few months. Testing out my new found knowledge. In this lesson did you mean A Major for the key? As learned the Pentatonic scales and the five positions, A Major would have it’s 4th position around the 10, 11, and 12 frets, not A Minor. I find so often that keys are given their alphabetic name, but often major or minor is left to the player to figure it out. By the way, Brian, you have a lot shiny babels around here as well. I do find myself distracted by all the cool things to try. Love your lessons and seems everyone here is very nice and friendly. Thanks for the safe port in the storm!

    Bob

  62. Deane J says

    Thanks Brian, great lesson. Google seem to have blocked the videos from full screen pushing us to use Youtube. But that doesn’t have the lessons. So I’m struggling to see it on ipad. Any other video formats out there that you could use?

  63. james s says

    OMG i can play lead guitar ,, all them years of grabbing the turntable styless (needle) placing it back centimeter or two and scratching the record ,, no internet in my day ,, always been a rythm player even in me old band ,,, gave up on trying to play lead ,, now two months with brian and wow ,, thanks loads ,, happy chap great lessons ,, and all them backing tracks in various keys

  65. Rebecca B says

    Brian says in the intro this could be a ” breakthru.” I think nothing of it. Then, after putting some time and enjoyment in this, it occurs to me, “I am definitely having a breakthru.” In terms of flow and ease and improv…….oh yeah

  71. Art M says

    Being a slower learner of sorts (memory wise) I have to take short bits and pieces and really study the videos. That said, I love your teachings and always look forward to each teaching. Some I can’t keep up with, BUT will always try!!!

  77. Gary D says

    This is absolutely amazing and I have to say I have you are as good as it gets conveying information. II have been watching you for years now. Why, to begin with , I’m slower than whale bla, bla , bla! At almost 70 years old I’m finally started to understand some things. This particular lesson was amazing and when it was done I had the hugest smile on my face. Thank you I am so indebted to the way you teach. I have followed several of the more acclaimed on-line guitars teachers. Most should sign up and watch you for a while. Thank you, Brian this old man is deeply grateful

  81. jeremiah d says

    I am 71 yrs old and bought my first guitar at about 50. I have struggled to play something meaningful on guitar. I tried a couple of teachers and many books. It all left me with parts and pieces, but nothing complete.
    Brian is literally changing my life with his teaching.
    I wish to God I had found him 20 years ago. I would be an amazing player by now. I just hope it’s not too late.

    Thank you Sir

  82. Craig M says

    Hi Brian, I am one of those people you refer to; I know some scales, I’m gradually getting on top of the 5 positions for minor and major pentatonic scales. I can even throw in some Dorian but my solos (to me at least) always sound like scales. They lack the musical quality. The phrasing is absent. I record myself soloing and I’m always disappointed in the way I sound. Then today I happen to find in my inbox your Throw Back Thursday lesson. I plug my guitar in, I Iisten to your intro and I copy your first phrase. #@$% it’s sounding like music! The scales are being replaced by melody. I knew the theory behind this and the importance of phrasing but haven’t been able to put it into practice. The “light came on”! Using just a few notes but making the most of bends, hammer ons, pull offs, vibrato, space etc transform my scales into music. Once again your lesson hit the mark for me and gives me the encouragement to keep going. I am looking forward to a more melodic weekend! Thank again.
    From Craig in Melbourne Australia

  83. Phil H says

    Hi Brian, just noticed the mp3 Download With Guitar filename is prefixed with ep218, not ep219, and all the others with ep160, not ep219 – seem to be the correct backing tracks for this (219) lesson, though…

  88. George B says

    Thanks for making EP 219 so easy to follow ..Brian your probably one of the Best on line instructors i have ever found online….Heading to Nashville in Aug . Taking my old ES 335 to try to get new frets put on it…Might check out the gentlemen you suggested on working on it . George

  89. Gary C says

    Brian, I have this down and it is a good lesson in the course, but how showing us how to do our own background chords as played in the different keys. Then we can do our own back tracks, record them, and then record over them. That would be a complete course that I would really like. Thanks again for understanding, and sorry that you work so hard. Take care of your self.

  92. Dennis Y says

    At around 15min of this lesson B goes to the 5 chord. I know chords don’t always need the root, but I can’t see how this is an E chord although it sounds right. I see the slide to the F# the A which would be the 6th of the E and the bend of the B to a C#. I just don’t see how the mirror and E chord. Thanks to anyone who can assist in my understanding. DennisY

    • Michael J H says

      Dennis…a year later with this question; I just became a member. I love this lesson, but I agree with you about confusion re. the chords. I know all the bar chords and others, but I can’t see what Brian’s doing here. Did Brian address your comments? I don’t see a public answer here. Thought I’d ask before pinging Brian. Thanks!

  95. Sanjeev B says

    @3.00 minutes mark in video.

    Brian, you hit the nail on the head!

    I haven’t had a full meal in a year! I’ve been just sampling at the buffet table! lol

    And this is a tasty, hearty meal.

    Thank you!

  96. Gary C says

    Brian, you can teach faster than I can learn, but I am getting there.
    Question???? Will you give us a micro-lesson on how to play this jam track. This particular one is real moody, and I have heard it behind many grooves, but I have no idea how to get that sound. Greatly appreciate it if you would give us a short look as to how to get a good sound track like this that we may bring to the table with our own soloing. THANKS

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