Description
In this short 7 minute video, you’ll learn a simple technique for playing blues guitar (works in any key). By using just a few notes on the first 2 strings.
Lesson
Sample Composition
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Thanks so much for these videos. I may never be any good at playing the guitar, but I’m having fun learning how!
I don’t know how to play but man I wanna learn now!
You will,!stick with A.M. and watch it happen! The secret ,,,,,, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!! Good luck to ya!
Do I have this right?
Sometimes, as in this lesson, the call is a lead fill, and the response is a chord. You can flip it around the the other way and the calls can be chords and the responses are lead fills. It’s simply a matter of which comes first in the bar (starting at the count of 1).
Correct
At the risk of bringing the dreaded modes to the party, I notice those notes would be the E Dorian mode.
The only note that isn’t played is the 4th which is the A, but that’s often avoided anyway ( except over the 4 chord ).
I guess Dorian makes sense because it’s a minor sound but kinda upbeat and driving so it fits the blues really well.
Great simple lesson Brian, thanks.
It has the flat 7 in it which fits the Dominant E7 chord, and the E minor pentatonic..
Thank you, Thank you, Thank You,, Love these little lessons.Keep it up!!!!
OMG! Brian, Pardon my ‘dramatic enthusiasm’ but once again – you’ve blown me away with how much you can teach even in a simple short lesson!! While I’m enjoying the information contained in your Blues Lead Course – This one VG34 was a magical little find for me today!! How simple yet powerful are those simple little notes! I learned to play basic guitar over the years on my own by the old ‘trial and error’ method. Once I began following your lessons, then my playing has improved so drastically it still amazes me! For years I’d been playing simply by the ‘feel and sound’ and had actually tried my hand at writing a couple of Blues songs: “I Don’t Know” / “SheepDog Blues” and “20th Century Blues” – all of which got there chord progressions simply from the way the chords sounded. I’m thrilled with this lesson because it was exactly the sound of A7, E7 and B7 that brought me to “I Don’t Know.” I’ll be recording that onw sometime soon to post under Showcase.
Your patient, efficient and thorough simply explanations – without trying to simply “show-off” your own guitar prowess – is what puts you at the very TOP of the guitar instructor list!
Thank you once again,
Marie
PS; Now I can work to add some of the bluesy riffs you’ve presented here into my own blues tunes.
You’re quite right, the final ‘sound’ comes from our individual sound and how we ‘address’ those notes. It comes from the heart but first I have to have the road map and that’s exactly what you generously provide.
Yes I did ‘stop the video’ as you suggested and was thrilled that I could actually play those notes just as you said!
Having so much fun!
Marie
You are God sent its all I can say.
A real natural instructor/teacher.
SIMLPE BUT GREAT STUFF TO SIT AND PLAY THANKS AGAIN
I just noticed this lesson on Facebook, thank goodness I came across it. This was a power packed 7 minute lesson that I can’t praise enough. You make understanding the guitar neck so much easier. I have one question, how do I find all the VG lessons? I searched on the home page and only found 3.
As always, thank you Brian, you’re a wonderful teacher.
Ray P
Many, many great lessons here, but this is one of the very best! Cuts through so many roadblocks, and your comment that we never get to the fun part is right on target. We constantly get bogged down in details.
I like it! I added an A#dim7 after the IV chord and before the I, as you had explained many times, and even a turnaround
As Always Thanks for your teaching gift. I recently quit all of my other on line guitar web sites and stayed with yours only. Not only because of the tremendous value but I am actually learning as you like to say to understand the neck and not just memorize a song, this quick lesson once again is a great example.
Absolutely fantastic Brian. I just love these type of lessons you do. The great thing about these short instructional is that I learn so much from them. Thanks again Derek W
This is probably as stupid question but can someone explain Brian’s numbering system please. VG 34 stands for what? EP123 stands for what? thanks.
EPxxx are the weekly Friday lessons. I’ve always thought the EP was short for episode – but I’ve been wrong many times in my life.
VGxxx are random short lessons. Here though, the numbering scheme remains one of the mysteries of the universe.
There are also Microlessons which are MLxxx. This I find easier to understand.
Thanks.
EP could be Elvis Presley xxx lesson.
Where is the link to other similar lessons.
If you click the link to “YouTube” her on Brian’s site or simply find it on “YouTube”, they are all shown if you click “read more”.
Great lesson, nice and simple. Fits nicely with the Blues lead guitar course
Once again money well spent. Thanks
Priceless simplicity. Amazing teacher.
Thank you!
This is such a brilliant short lesson… brilliant in its simplicity, and yet with so much depth…
As with all of your excellent lessons, Brian, there are unexpected golden nuggets to be had! In this one, it is the combining of the major and minor pentatonic using those notes that you showed us. Also, as Cloughie days, Dorian mode… you have quite a few lessons on Dorian mode, which Imam now going to re-visit (which is another thing that I love about your lessons… they have threads in them which take us back to other lessons… the AM site is a wonderful “place of exploration and learning”..
I agree with Cloughie: I have always thought of EP as episode. And at School, VG on my homework always meant very good!
By the way, this lesson reminded me of another online lesson that I was learning some time ago, by “The Secret Guitar Teacher”… I would like to share this with you all, as this is a nice complement to what Brian is teaching in this lesson. It would be good to combine these lessons.
This is the first part of this teacher’s beginners blues song… if you search on part 2 etc, he builds up something similar to Brian’s lesson here. Hope this is useful…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs4oFM9MqIc
Excellent lesson yet again, big thank you Brain
Hi Brian, I’m not seeing those links to other similar lessons you mentioned in the lesson. Checked the description and most of these comments. Am I missing something? Wouldn’t be the first time….
They are on YouTube.
Just listening to it again… just realised it reminds me of Eric Clapton’s Key to the Highway…
Brian, thank you. THIS is exactly what I am looking for.
Thank you Brian. I love this. It’s also a great practice routine. Awesome as alway!
nice and easy lesson. thanks Brian.
Sorry Brian, I can’t see the links to the other videos you referred to.
BTW excellent lesson!!
Visit the video on YouTube.
See, Brian, THIS kinda stuff (whether real simple or more involved) is, IMO, the difference between ‘learning’ guitar and ‘playing’ guitar.
THANKS! 👍 🙏
Are you playing a Gibson B-25?
Thanks Brian for this lesson. The composition is real fun to play (adding my own accents). To be honest this type of rather easy but beautifull pieces are given me the courage to continue playing guitar.
And at the end, masters as John Prine & others recorded beautiful songs with simple fingerpicking patterns and chords.
I’m blown away by everything I’m finding within my premium membership. My wife just reminded me to slow down and take one lesson at a time lol. There just so much to learn and the eagerness to be the best. Anyways I’ll post again upon new learning
great lesson. In the video you mention links to similar courses but they dont seems to be there.
Great stuff Brian, made simple as always 🙂
Tugs at my heart. Thanks , Brian your a great teacher. Thanks and keep em coming.
Mike
Hey Brian, thank you for keeping it simple. Some of us (me) need a little simple easy blues like this one. I actually was hoping for a step by step follow up to this lesson. I hope I can encourage you to do more simple composition with full instructions. You are awesome and I appreciate the hard work it to put into these lesson plans.
Thank You
Bill
The tools on this web site are amazing
What does the VG stand for?
Very Good
Anyhow, I found this lesson very good in that I was able to isolate just a few notes and make it sound ok. I have a very hard time with barre chords, moving up the neck . I get some notes to ring true, but mostly 4 strings at best. Great lesson!
Joined a bit ago. Love this simple piece, because it opens up a door I didn’t know existed. My PROBLEM IS there are so many great pieces and things to learn on this site, I have to really resist the urge to jump all over the place. Back to this piece/lesson, even though it seems simple, there are a lot of things to be learned from it. I really am glad I found this site.