Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Slow and Easy Blues Composition That You Can Play By Yourself – Blues Guitar Tutorial – EP307

Description

In this week’s blues guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a blues composition that is slow and easy to play and works on acoustic or electric guitar. This lesson is full of useful blues licks that you can apply to other things and as always, I’ll connect everything back to familiar scales and chords so that you can easily transpose and play these licks in anything.

Part 1 - Free Blues 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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Comments

    • naftali k says

      Another winner. The music sounds delicious. Can’t wait to learn it plus the takeaways. In your blues pice 314 the use of the Dm on the fifth fret shape but have the open d tring for the deep drone effect worked out beautifully on a song i started working on. Chopin was famous for his etudes you should be too.
      Thanks again for all te work you put into your weekly lessons
      Rabbi Kalter

  2. JohnStrat says

    Brian That really is some stretch even with the pinky from fret 5 to fret nine . I will be able to make it in due time I think but its at the limit. So Its seems a good alternate to use the A note on the B string at fret 10. May help this will help some with a difficult span. It really is a nice lesson too.
    JohnStrat

    • Mark N says

      I’ve found using Brian’s tab as it is, best if I slide my my second finger from the 6th fret C# to the 7th D and then use my third finger and pinky for the 8th and 9th frets. I can play the stretch this way far more comfortably than the way Brian plays it in the video.

      • magicrising says

        I often work out slightly different ways of playing some bits. Even adding in little pull offs or finding a blue note that works better. I used to get really hung up on copying Brian exactly then noticed the slow walk throughs can be a bit different in places which gave me the green light to do the same. There are one or two little muted stabs that Brian doesn’t mention in the lesson but are in the tab, which are crucial to the timing. I found this lesson quite challenging and after a couple of weeks on it, I’ve got it free flowing now at last. If there was only more time for guitar practice!

    • Laurence D says

      I have been seriously stuck with this stretch also, and I thank you for your suggestion. I have it down now and can keep moving forward. Brian’s great compositions and teaching paired with some great inout by others on the forums are a perfect combination. Thanks again for the tip.

  12. Arnold M says

    Lordy, some great stuff in this one! Not sure my old fingers will do those stretchy ones ( thanks Johnstrat for an alternative). Definitely like these slow blues, “playing on the porch” lessons (Speed I can handle). Like the various chord changes this has too. Hope to get to this one soon- maybe have to move it ahead of a few other likes.
    Brian, with these added chord changes, would you please consider a rhythm lesson to support this one? I’m sure there are a number spices you could do with the rhythms to learn and also to provide an alternative backing track to play these leads over. Thanks again for a terrific lesson.

  13. rainmon1 says

    Brian, just a suggestion – when mentioning Premium membership, you might want to point out some of my favorite features of the online tab viewer – the fact that you can loop a section to practice it and even slow it down. I find this very helpful when there’s a section i need to do more work on. I didn’t find this right away when i joined, but i use it all the time now. Great lessons! Keep up the good work.

  16. Ian C says

    Sensational !
    I do like the way you are building a number of sequential lessons on blues in A. This way the takeaway ideas are developed on with others from previous lessons whilst still fresh in the playing mind.
    I know this may get some players frustrated as the style is not their bag, but the reinforcement and building up of of the ideas is, I think, invaluable and does obviously transfer to other styles and genres.

  17. Cliff R says

    Hey Brain! Or ist it Brian? As far as I’m concerned….BOTH of em are right! You did it AGAIN!!!! THIS is yet ANOTHER absolutely fantastically beautiful arrangement! So I already dumped all my plans and am going to work on this with my NEW GUITAR all day today!!!! And you know what a really crazy coincidence this is???? I wanted to write to you about this anyway, but Geez…THIS is almost SPOOKY!!! I have been doing a lot of looking around and researching for quite a while and finally decided on what I believe will quickly become my favorite guitar, and I have a pretty good collection already! I just got it yesterday. Anyway, it’s VERY similar to the one you are playing here!!! And I am in LOVE with this guitar!!!! The sound, the tone, the feel, the vibes….I mean everything about it!!! It’s one of those new Epiphone Masterbilt Century Olympic’s with a Honey Burst. It’s the smallest one of the series, very comfortable to hold and play, and also has a very good pickup in it. And THIS TUNE is the first one I am going to learn on it!!! Now if THAT isn’t a good Omen then I don’t know what is!! I really NEEDED a good quality, quiet guitar, with a big FAT sound, because I just can’t play very loud in the apt. This guitar, coupled with my Yamaha THR 10C is like a marriage concieved in heaven! So I figured out the “Sweet Spot” to muffle the strings, and got the tone n volume dialed in on the guitar and….all of a sudden….THIS IS IT!!! THIS is what I have been dreaming of! I am feeling like I just hit the jackpot today!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH BRIAN!!!! You have created a veritable Gold Mine of Tunes here and I didn’t know where to start! But THIS tune is EXACTLY what I was looking for and absolutely PERFECT for the occasion and it will always remain very special to me!! Just can’t thank you enough!!!

  27. Gary W says

    Definitely hit the jackpot this time Brian.
    Gets even better every time I listen 🙂

    Absolutely oozes maturity played super slow.

    Must be worthy of consideration for Part II and even Part III at some instance
    …what do you reckon?

  35. timothy9 says

    Hey Brian
    Have you ever thought of building a guitar from a kit? I’ve built two from Precision Guitars in Vancouver Canada. One is a Les Paul Jr. style with a P90 Seymour Duncan pup. The other is a tele style with a a Jason Lollards Charlie Christian neck pick up and a Lollar tele bridge pick up.
    These kits are perfectly milled and the necks fit like a glove.
    I’d go crazy in Nashville with the guitar stores there. I can’t even imagine.

  36. Brent N says

    Kia ora Brian, greetings from New Zealand. This another great lesson, awesome composition. And, as you say, so many takeaways (and we’re not talking fish n chips!).

    Nga mihi
    Brent

  41. Cliff R says

    Hey Brain, I am addicted to working on, around, and with this arrangement! I just thought of something that might be very interesting to work into this tune, like someone else here suggested, for a part 2 and 3 for example. How about moving this whole arrangement into another key…..and back? Just a suggestion. I am going back and working on some of the other lessons I already learned and playing them now on the archtop. You are SO right when you always say that your arrangements will work on electric as well as acoustic. It’s like comparing apples to oranges though, and they seem to take on another color, or identity when you change instruments, and/or pick vs fingers. Thanks again Brian!! You and your “Active Melody” have changed my life!!!

  42. Collins E says

    Thank you so much Brian, i just play this son all day (and night) long. It is a real pleasure to play it.
    I would like to find how to make a loop with this song. I dont know exactly when start again from the beginin when i arrive at the end of it. Could you explain to us ? It would be perfect because i dont want to stop it to play too early 🙂
    ( sorry in advance for my bad english i hope i made myself understood)
    Collins from France

    • Mark N says

      The tune starts again or loops into the second bar if you played round again from the very last bar on the tablature so you see the A of the very last bar where he finishes on 7th fret 4th string would then continue into the A of bar two. So you could just continue with the D and A chords in bar two. Or alternatively as Brian actually mentions in the video you could ignore the last two bars on the Tab (remove the little run after the E7 chord and replace that with the very start of bar one.

    • Ken Sheppard says

      Learned this tune to the stretchy resolve, but my wife ended up in hospital over Christmas so had to call a halt on guitar playing!
      Back on it now using my acoustic Alvarez Blues 51 CSB. and it sounds great, what a lovely slow Nashville feeling blues. Many thanks for another great lesson Brian.

  44. Michael C says

    Brian, “The hits just keep on coming.” The annual membership is the best investment I’ve ever made in my music. Just wish my ability to learn could keep up with your output. I have to agree with the guy who said you’re a genius. (I’ll leave off the superlative. ) Half the memory of my computer is filled with downloads from your site because I fear that one day you may burn out and all this will be lost. Have you ever considered putting out CD’s? It seems like since you passed the 300 mark the quality of your material has risen to another level. Thanks for what you do.

  45. Michael C says

    I’m a big Tony Joe White player …. I would love more “swamp rock” lessons….I’m really enjoying your lessons… You are the best online guitar teacher I found….video and sound excellent job… I like how you can go and scroll down and get the video to play over and over with the tablature if you need too…very helpful at times… Thumbs up..

  47. Les Brown says

    This is brilliant. Your choices of what to teach on any given lesson just resonate with me EVERY time. Brilliant phrasing, excellent instruction and explanations. My absolutely favorite go-to site when I want something fresh and different. Great music. Thank you!

  50. Stewart D says

    Brian, I echo all the above comments re the quality of your lessons. This is my 6th one … just starting it. Each lesson gets a little easier.
    On top of that, I want to add that you seem like a really likable guy. So thanks for that, too.

  51. sunburst says

    All I say say is splendid ,,, these stand alone blues solos are such a treat and definitely a most solid foundation for any level. Started this today and enjoying this very much!

  53. Tom D says

    Hi Brian,

    Hello from Australia – This is a great number to show off with in a music store. I’ve learnt it and I love playing it. I love the blues, so do you think I should concentrate more on blues numbers? I put Eric Clapton into your search field and it came up with a lot of your songs. Should I concentrate on learning these instead of doing your weekly lessons, or should I try doing them both?

  55. Tim Q says

    Brian, You hit it out of the park with this one!!! I’ve been following you for a couple of years now, and sifted through most of your archives, and this one stands out as a masterpiece! I love everything about it: so many take-aways, nice and slow for my 66 year old hands, and it sounds beautiful!!! You have a gift, no you have at least two gifts….one for composing these sweet guitar pieces, and the other is teaching them. Thank you so much for everything that you do.

  56. Rich F says

    Hi Brian,

    This is a brilliant lesson… it reminds me of ‘Key to the Highway’, a song that I love! I searched back on the AM lessons, and discovered EP129, your “Key to the Highway style” lesson. So I am now comparing these two lessons for more of your wonderful insights!

    Cheers,

    Rich F

      • Ray B says

        Sounds a bit like bring it on home to me by Sam Cooke. This is slower, and it has the minor 6th that Sam didn’t use, but I tried substituting the one chord (A major) and suddenly it starts to fit better.
        It was a “light bulb” moment for me to learn that the minor pentatonic of the 6th is the same as the major pentatonic of the root. It was a great “take away” from this lesson, fun for me to put it into practice with my little experiment.

  62. John T says

    Hi Brian

    Can you please explain how I can add lessons to my “Favorites” ? I was able to add one lesson but can’t seem to add any others. Help would be appreciated.

    Also as a huge fan of Dire Straits I really enjoyed a Lesson 318. Do you have any others like it. If not I would be grateful if you can have another in a similar vain, very soulfu not overly technical. Thank you

    Lastly I love the Odell Vega guitar you used in Lesson 307.

  64. Mark N says

    Just spent the whole of Christmas learning and perfecting this piece and just about there with it. Have to say it’s a lovely composition and one of my favourites yet. As Brian says in part two it’s one he loves to do also so more of these please. Love all of those little ‘take aways’ we get from each lesson and I have to say my theory understanding is coming on leaps and bounds since joining. So thank you.

  66. James M says

    Hey,

    I’m pretty new here. This is only my 3rd lesson but I am learning so much and enjoying the change from playing rock power chords and solos. I am definitely finding this bluesy style of playing challenging 🙂

    P.S. Odell Vega Blues has a cool ring to it 😉

  67. Joe K says

    Hi Brian,

    I’ve been playing for over 50 years. Dabbled with different online lessons. Once I saw this lesson and your explanations of how to play it, I WAS SOLD. Thank you so much for all your time and effort, and following your dream. I’m sure you’re an inspiration for many of your followers.

    All the best,
    Joe

  71. Peter B says

    I have enjoyed all the lessons of Brian’s I have tried so far, but none more than this one. If you got as much pleasure from creating it as I did from learning it, Brian, you must have had a great time. My playing is coming on leaps and bounds since I found Active Melody. Wonderful stuff!

  77. Howard H says

    Just wanted to say thanks for this and your other lessons. You give an old guy hope of finally learning how to play not just copy. The lock down gave me plenty of time to think about bringing out the Washburn collecting dust in the closet. I read a lot of guitar theory, watched many YouTube videos, and been on a couple sites in the last year. I didn’t really begin to understand how some of that information connected until I committed to learning this lessons. Great title…Slow and Easy Blues drew me right in. Glad it did.

  79. IrishDirtydog says

    Re-joined again because of lessons like this. Connecting things in ways like this really opened my eyes. It sounds so simple but its clever. I look at the tab and can SEE what you say. Making connections which can be used again and modified, sounds exciting to learn. Thank you!

  88. Eik M says

    This piece is just wonderful. It has so many small bits that are ringing in my mind and soul. I just can’t lay the guitar out of my hands. Thank you so much for that intense lesson.
    Since it’s snowing outside, I call it … “The glow in the snow Blues”.
    Schönen ersten Advent aus Deutschland 🙂

  90. Les Brown says

    Thank you for posting this again! I’ve been playing it for years now and it’s one of my favorites to warm up with. I tacked on a little ending and it keeps my fingers limber, plus have used ideas from it in other things. It’s nice to hear it again to make sure I’m not slacking off in it as well!!

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