Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Slow Minor Pentatonic Scale Blues Lead Guitar Lesson – EP327

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a slow blues lead using the 5 notes of the minor pentatonic scale (in multiple positions). This lesson is perfect for those that are interested in blues phrasing ideas!

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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Comments

  10. sunburst says

    wow ,, great explaining in this intro slow bpm.. cool guitar too sounds awesome.. yes you certainly intrigue me, what a different lesson from 326 which i enjoyed lots! ..totally looking forward to starting this fun slow blues next week

  13. PB says

    I really liked how you had your large album collection in the scenery in the last micro lesson. It really created a cool vibe. Thanks as always for another great lesson. Studio is looking really good…..congratulations on it!

  16. John T says

    Yes! Slow blues says it all and is what got me interested in playing in the first place…. I heard a Johnny Winter piece 25 years ago and went out and bought an electric guitar. More of this would be awesome.

  18. Brent C says

    That beautiful (kinda fast) 2nd phrase….., at first listen I thought this might take a while. As a 15yr (former) drummer, the timing feels natural, just need help putting all those notes together in a run. But your instruction is so crystal clear, everything just comes to life. Some good practice-time will make it smooth but man, this is EXACTLY the kind of blues lead I want to grow with. Man, what fun!!! Thanks Brian, just fantastic!!!!!

  21. John H says

    Hey Brian,
    I love this style… backing track really cool too. Very SRVish and this is right up my wheelhouse. Thanks for your prolific and creative performance worthy lessons. Much appreciated.

    John H.

    • JohnStrat says

      Steve yes Ronnie earl and Muddy came to my mind on hearing this. It’s going to be a while before I can get that second lick up to listenable! Brian certainly has some nimble fingers when he needs them. Can you get it any way near his take ?
      JohnStrat

  34. Bill C says

    Hey Brian.

    Just wondering if you can come up with a few more songs from ” the public domain “. Your compositions are great but sometimes its easier to learn a song where the tune is already in my head. St. James Infirmary was a good one.

  35. Graham F says

    I have tried Jamplay, Guitar tricks, Texas Blues Alley, Justin Guitar and one or two other sites for lessons but yours are for me the best. Everyone is different so I appreciate what works for me might not work for others but your music is original, broken down well and easily playable if you apply yourself.

    The embedded tab and looper/video/audio software is also great. I know I can also put the fretboard at the bottom of the tab but what would make things perfect would be to have the minor/major pentatonic positions shown with the phrases highlighted over them so that it would be easy to relate the phrases visually back to the patterns. This visualization would also help to move the music to different keys and solidify the riffs and chords notes in my mind. It’s much easier to learn visually than by saying put your fingers down on this fret and bar this one, etc.

  38. Mike H says

    That guitar is awesome, it just looks killer. I think this is the first time in my life I’ve seen a new guitar model and thought, “I want that!” I’ve seen other guitars and thought, “that would be nice”, but I really have fallen in love with that shape. I’m sure it sounds as good as it looks too (a bit hard to tell from the little speakers on the computer). And last but not least Brian, that is a beautiful bit of tasty blues right there brother. I’m reminded of SRV’s Tin Pan Alley. Thank you so much 🙂

  39. Brian M says

    Love this lesson, two months now being a full member, my playing has grown, I was lost in the morass of just scales , but your courses have taken me to the next level, what I love so much is your not just literally copying someone but you put a variety of players in your lessons, this really helps at least for me in expanding my knowledge ,

    Brilliant

  49. Michael vdh says

    Brian … nice playing, nice groove. A good reminder that emotional playing can guide you, apart from your lesson “structurally” I see another lesson here … and that is LOVE what your doing, dont be afraid to rattle off a few extra notes. HAVE FUN. And that to me is what your site is all about. Thank you.

  60. David G says

    Another great lesson – thanks Brian! BTW, I believe the Meteora has a 9.5″ radius. I thought maybe it would be a short scale since you mentioned bending was so easy, but it’s a standard Fender 25.5″. I have an old strat that I’m thinking about putting a new neck on – maybe going with a 24.5″ superwide with a 12″ radius if they’ll make it for me. But I digress, this is a killer lesson!

  63. Jim K says

    Brian,

    Reminds me of that early music in Chicago from Chess Records. In the 50’s , I was just a kid, we used to shop on Maxwell street and there would always be a few guys (on the street) playing “exactly” this sound, as I remember it. I’ll spend some time on this and reminisce. Thanks Brian.
    Jim

  64. RNArizona says

    I’d been wanting to take my playing in a new direction, learning more blues, and I came across this. I loved it so much I signed up as a new member 12 hours later. I agree with everyone who wants to see more lessons like this.

  65. Douglas c says

    What’s up Brian I was trying to play what I think was your first lesson” blues rhythm in E” and I can’t seem to get it to sound like yours? It sounds like a back up rhythm but it’s hard for me to capture that beat and sound at the same time. I’m usually really good at keeping rhythms in my head like after you hear a song I can’t get it out. Have any suggestions?

  66. Risto M says

    Hey Brian,
    after more than a year being with you in my living room it’s time I say something…
    I am 48y.o. and first time I grabbed the guitar with good 40+. Really being serious learning guitar started with 45+ after I got my first electric guitar.
    What can I say. If I was able to get where I am today (being able to decently follow Brian’s pieces), than everyone can do it. And on top on my age handicap, I am right handed with serious damage to my left hand fingers. Initially I wanted to beat my handicap and tried to play a right handed guitar however I hit the limits of my fingers. Then I switched to left handed guitar because of the love for music and the instrument was way too strong and giving up not an option. So now I continue this journey and never thinking on quiting. I love it every day coming home from work and turn Brian on and learn and play along.
    So Thank You for giving all your knowledge to us!
    Risto

  68. Craig F says

    Going through this lesson now; man, it’s great. I went out to youtube to find a teacher, went to a couple of other sites, just keep coming back here and this lesson is an example of why. I’ve been a member for years but, after looking around, I’m a full blown “believer”. If there is a better teacher in this genre out there, I couldn’t find him/her. The playing is great but what I really appreciate is that you ALWAYS explain how you can use this in other keys and on other parts of the fretboard– which means I spend half my practice time playing around with your lessons in other keys and in other positions. (Same thing happened with this lesson; only half way through but I could spend easily twice the time I’m doing with different variations of what you are teaching, different positions, etc.) On top of that, I’m still trying to practice what I learned LAST week and the week before that. Like one member put it, sometimes its like drinking through a fire hose. I don’t know if it’s possible or not, maybe not, but have you thought about splitting a “study” up into two weeks? lol. I got half-way through this one and another one comes out and I’m thinking, “Holy crap, I’m barely half-way through this one and I’m still trying to get last weeks lesson to the point where it’s a part of my own playing.” I know you have a responsibility to keep putting out lessons each week but, for example, I really am enjoying this lesson as, I think, a lot of people are, could the “study” be stretched over two weeks by any chance? Just a thought. Sorry, hope I don’t sound like I’m complaining, that’s not at all the case. The recent lessons on the CAGED system (major and minor), the playing lead over chords, Man, just about everything I’m enjoying immensely. It just feels a bit overwhelming at times trying to keep up with all the great stuff you are putting out and, I’m not even a new player; I would probably consider myself an intermediate player– not great by any means, but able to follow along and learn consistently. (I understand that I could be “tighter” with my practice time and get through the lessons faster; spending less time “canoodling” with the concepts you are teaching but, that’s most of the fun of playing and learning with you, as I said above, you explain it in a way that invites “canoodling”– not just memorizing the licks and techniques, as you say often but, trying to incorporate them into my own playing. i.e. trying it down here, up there, in this or that key, etc..) At any rate, thanks once again for a great lesson.

  69. glen s says

    OH BRIAN ,
    That was a most excellent lesson. Quality at it’s finest…. I learned so much from many of your video’s over the years. But this one in particular, the emotion of those licks and patterns… you just opened the door for me….. I can’t explain how this lesson just just elevated my guitar playing ….
    THANK YOU SO MUCH….G

  70. Philip H says

    I love these hairball licks like the second one here. At first they sound like, well, a big hairball. But once you tease them out and understand where they’re coming from and get them under your fingers they’re fantastic. This is the stuff I like.

  74. David H says

    I’m terrible at counting in. This one is particularly challenging to come in on the right beat.

    I’m counting, ” One and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 and a. Seems most of the phrases come in at 2and a, in the measure? Comments from any smarter music theorists out there would be appreciated!

  77. Rebecca B says

    You’re speaking my language, Brian. Still playing on my baby Gibson (3/4 guitar) 1961 . oh yeah

    Who says a little ole’ white lady growing up in the 60’s can’t play the blues??

    I’ll post my playing sometime. You’ll see…….tube amp

    heading towards a vintage “Jesus blues worship band”

    um-hmmm

    Rebecca

  79. sunburst says

    I think you taught this very well,, one thing for sure is your video instrutionals made it way so much easier than just trying to go directly to the soundslice

    I’m going there now to memorize what you showed here in the videos.. much easier and fun this way!

  82. RIFF DIGGER says

    Coming back to this tune in my Favorites, this guitar tone is getting me, so good. Single coil pups are not me, so this humbucker tone I just love and on a light body that is not just an SG type. Having said that, I’m thinking of an Artist Series EC Strat which has singles albeit enhancements and it will work well with Blues. For me. Scrolling down, this lesson generated a large number of comments! Excellent playing and licks on this one, it’s a total win all the way around!

  83. Eli P says

    love all your lessons.
    one thing I would really like and I think will help everyone is if you also post your tone settings for each lesson.
    awesome site and material.

    thanks.

  87. James R says

    Need more like this! slow, badass and learnable! And I’ll add. To those that say Brian talks to much. That what a teachers does. some of us want to hear it and are listening. Thanks, Brian! Pay them no mind!

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