Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Super easy spacey lead using SUS chords without even thinking about scales. Guitar Lesson EP507

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play an easy melodic lead without even needing to think about scales. You’ll be using suspended (Sus) chords.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Spacey Lead

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Country Lead

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  5. Mark H says

    Great focusing on suspended chords. I like to use them, and as usual I picked up some new angles and insights.

    Crazy simple lightbulb moment, minor pentatonic scale position 1 includes the sus 4 on string 3, double stop it against the same fret on string 4 to get that sound while improvising. Dang I’ve been searching for that trick forever. My ear training just went up a notch.

  6. Jeff H says

    Another great Easy Concept lesson, I love these, it gives me so many ideas to expand the composition. Beautiful sound, reminds me of The Shadows. Thanks again, Brian, always Inspiring.

    • John C says

      Thanks for another terrific lesson Brian. Also can I add a special note of thanks for the advice on amp settings. As a beginner I have struggled with getting the tone right when following the lessons. Amp settings is a life saver for this elderly strummer!

  13. Paul L says

    So basically you can create a melody using them triads suspended chords using the caged system in the key your playing and then improvise the tune with the whole major scale

  14. Brad S says

    Another really unique take on playing. It’s so darn just plain musical. Brian, you are like the off stage guy that pulls the curtain back in The Wizard of Oz to reveal the ‘Wiz (music here) as not all that complicated at all.

    Thanks.

  16. James S says

    For the country jam track simply alternating two bars of each chord would have been way easier to play along with than throwing in the single measures with zero context to follow.

  18. Andrew A says

    Brian, this lesson helped me understand how you used many chords and their variations in past lessons. Often they were called embellishments, and I thought they were coming out of thin air. Many good insights, and somehow I’m starting to see the connections with intervals, as you explained in a few lessons back. Thanks , Andrew

  23. Peter H says

    Great lesson, Brian. I especially like what you said about not limiting what you play based on the genres you enjoy listening to. I started out as a bass player in a metal band and my love of all types of music (and music in general) has led me to becoming a guitar player and learning music of all styles. Keep up the great work, Brian. Also, would love to see you play some metal sometime! Might be interesting.

  24. Tim Moran says

    I don’t know if this is a “light bulb” moment – more like a slap my forehead and think, “why didn’t I know that before…” I’ve known sus chords in open positions forever, but never thought of moving them up the neck. Good stuff.

  30. jontyblu says

    I loved this lesson on sus chords. Some of Brian’s older listeners may remember the Who’s Pete Townsend and his use of sus chords in Tommy the opera eg also the acid queen much in D and Dsus.

  34. Greg W says

    I’ve recently been improvising with the 6th and 9th chords to spice up my rhythm playing as well as lead. I’ve finally getting comfortable with using 6ths and 9ths in relation to the A, E and D shapes. This is an approach you have used across many of your songs & lessons and it really sounds great. EP034 is a nice example of this. Now, I look forward to using this lesson in the same manner – to add to my bag of tricks by bringing Sus chords into the mix. I’ve done this for the D shape a bit – but haven’t really explored Sus for A and E shapes. I’ll echo what others have commented here for this lesson… I also really dig these types of lessons because I can quickly start to play and improvise and it adds so much texture and dimension to my playing. Playing leads without focusing on scales… go figure. 🙂

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