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Using Minor and Major Pentatonic Scales in the Blues – Blues Guitar Lesson EP368

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, I’ll explain how to easily find the minor and major pentatonic scales, and how to connect those scales to basic chord shapes. You’ll then learn a stand-alone blues composition that uses both of these scales so you can understand how they relate to the blues.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  1. jimbostrat says

    July 3, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    I beat John from over in the old country!!! Amazing!! Great sounding old school blues lesson intro from Brian!! Jim C.

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    • Shawn N says

      July 25, 2020 at 7:30 pm

      I don’t get this lesson it looks like what you’re showing dose not match the tablature? Ep368

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      • Eric B says

        August 5, 2020 at 5:05 pm

        I agree with Shawn N. The tablature doesn’t appear to match up with this lesson. Trying to write it down myself (sucks) because this is an important lesson … (for me at least)

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        • Jacob B says

          August 11, 2020 at 4:50 pm

          Ive found that on several where tab makes no sense ..gave up on looking at it

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      • JohnStrat says

        September 29, 2020 at 6:49 am

        Shawn I just ran through the Soundslice tab on this and could not see any errors at all. So I am wondering if you have now worked it out or if I have missed something. Either way I would be pleased to help. JohnStrat

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      • Dean C says

        March 12, 2021 at 11:47 pm

        Hi Shawn, I was having trouble too and couldn’t get the shuffle rhythm right, I blamed the tab but it was me. I put the soundslice on a loop for a dozen or so times and have now got it down properly. I’m glad that I persisted, it really opened my eyes to the relationship between the minor and major scales and the chord shapes. Good luck 🙂

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    • Ian R says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:56 pm

      Great blues lesson. Any backing track to this one. Also could we please be able to download tab fox file to assist our practice offline in guitar pro app. Please ! 🎸 🔥

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    • Ian R says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:57 pm

      Great blues lesson. Any backing track to this one. Also could we please be able to download tab fox file to assist our practice offline in guitar pro app. 🎸 🔥

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    • Ian R says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      Great blues lesson. could we please be able to download tab fox file to assist our practice offline in guitar pro app. 🎸 🔥

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    • Ian R says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      could we please be able to download tab fox file to assist our practice offline in guitar pro app. 🎸 🔥

      Log in to Reply
    • Ian R says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:59 pm

      could we please be able to download tab gpx file to assist our practice offline in guitar pro app. 🎸 🔥

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    • Ian R says

      June 13, 2022 at 10:00 pm

      could we please be able to download tableture gpx file to assist our practice offline in guitar pro app. 🎸 🔥

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  2. JohnStrat says

    July 3, 2020 at 5:09 pm

    Only just Jim! Great lesson Brian again all will want to get this under their belts

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    • jimbostrat says

      July 3, 2020 at 5:44 pm

      Superb lesson!! Hey, John…………here’s a trivia A. M. question……………which guitar has Brian used most in his lessons over the past two months!!

      I can’t say that I blame him as everything sounds better on that fine old vintage sweet sounding instrument!!!

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      • JohnStrat says

        July 3, 2020 at 6:47 pm

        Only just Jim! Great lesson Brian again all will want to get this under their belts

        OO I aint a clue!

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  3. Michael Allen says

    July 3, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    Another favorite to celebrate the Fourth! I love it ! Thanks Brian

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  4. Steve M says

    July 3, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    Love it, can’t get enough of this. I can see working up a vesion of It Hurts Mee Too with this!

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    • DertyHippieFeat says

      July 10, 2020 at 6:58 pm

      That’s what I thought right away. There were a few licks that sounded like Jerry. Pigpen on vocals

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    • Todd H says

      August 2, 2020 at 7:28 am

      Yeah, reminds me of it hurts me too but is slide or played further up the neck

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      • David D says

        September 29, 2021 at 4:43 pm

        Reminds me of pledging my time

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  5. Todd B says

    July 3, 2020 at 6:06 pm

    Really like these lessons… awesome

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  6. Theodore J says

    July 3, 2020 at 6:53 pm

    Absolutely beautiful, thanks again Brian…

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  7. mritalian says

    July 3, 2020 at 6:57 pm

    Ok Brian! That sounds like something Clapton would play, Great job. I love this web site for learning to play guitar.

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    • Pierre D says

      July 5, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      It Hurts Me To, a Tampa Red original, covered by Elmore James, then Clapton on Craddle, and many more.

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  8. ken muso says

    July 3, 2020 at 7:09 pm

    Another gem of an acoustic lesson! Very much like Eric Clapton. Have a great 4th of July!

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    • Michel B says

      December 25, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      I’d like to know where I can find the lessons that discuss positions 3,4 and 5 in the pentatonic scale, I’m having a hard time finding them. Thanks.

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  9. jimberna says

    July 3, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    Had just re-strung my Taylor – time to play!

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  10. Jim M says

    July 3, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    Nice arrangement Brian.

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  11. PJR says

    July 3, 2020 at 10:24 pm

    Brilliant song and explanation. Thanks Brian

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  12. Frank B says

    July 4, 2020 at 1:24 am

    Hey Brian,

    Part 1 wasn’t so much a lightbulb moment for me , it was like turning on the lights of the whole stadium !
    Part2 is like looking directly into the sun !
    Thanks so much from Downunder.
    FB

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    • William D says

      July 10, 2020 at 8:58 am

      Perfect lesson thanks

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  13. Alan S says

    July 4, 2020 at 4:13 am

    Great Stuff!

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  14. Mirabel S says

    July 4, 2020 at 5:13 am

    Hey Brian, Brilliant lesson, Thank you so much, to all, Happy 4th.

    Myra.

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  15. Frank N says

    July 4, 2020 at 6:03 am

    Brian, This lesson is so good. It’s all starting to make sense now. You are such a great communicator of concepts which have heretofore eluded me.

    Thanks, and happy 4th.

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  16. James M says

    July 4, 2020 at 6:13 am

    Nice one Brian. Great break down.

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  17. Malcolm D says

    July 4, 2020 at 7:51 am

    Thank you for another great lesson my lightbulb is starting to brighten up on my guitar journey 🙂

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  18. Alan D says

    July 4, 2020 at 8:01 am

    Thanks again Brian,

    This lesson, along with past major minor pentatonic blues has brought back the joy of playing guitar again.

    Alan

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  19. charjo says

    July 4, 2020 at 8:34 am

    Never get tired of these lessons, Brian. It’s why I came here in the first place.
    John

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  20. Jim says

    July 4, 2020 at 10:35 am

    Thanks Brian – loving the major/minor pentatonic mix. Also loving that guitars sound – what year and model is it? I know it’s in another lesson but not sure which one.

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  21. Brad F. says

    July 4, 2020 at 11:11 am

    Like many I heard and felt Clapton(It Hurts Me Too). Brilliant stuff. My head’s exploding with all the insight Brian is able to explain.
    Keep’um commin’.

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  22. John H says

    July 4, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    Brian
    Key To The Highway?

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  23. Ben A says

    July 4, 2020 at 5:41 pm

    So if you need a great example of using this Easy or using this Hard. Look at the Easy in Looking out the window…. and the Hard… Life without you. Both by SRV. Listen to the solo in Life without you…. you will see Brian lives under that F#m chord… or A maj Penta… So this lesson can be easily seen throughout the greats. Super building block!
    Remember SRV never read a note….

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  24. Dennis S says

    July 4, 2020 at 11:15 pm

    Very good stuff, Brian.

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  25. Chris says

    July 5, 2020 at 11:09 am

    Great lesson to understand the shift between the shapes.

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  26. Barb S says

    July 5, 2020 at 1:13 pm

    Thank you so much, Brian. I have been wanting to learn “You Got to Move” for years and this lesson has made me so excited. Can’t wait to learn it.

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  27. Bruce G says

    July 5, 2020 at 2:59 pm

    What’s not to love about this? Fantastic lesson, and Brian is the best! Great lesson and the lights are bright!

    Question–I’ve heard other instructors talk about “target notes” in the context of picking notes of the root pentatonic scale that live nicely in the other chords… Maybe I’m not saying that correctly, but is there any other thought around the choice of these licks in the context of the current chord? Some of the licks seemed to land on notes other than the root that seem to fit better with the IV or V chord?

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    • Brian says

      July 5, 2020 at 5:20 pm

      I always just use my ear to find notes to land on – I’m never specifically thinking about a root note, or even a note within the chord when phrasing like this… it’s always just done by ear. You can hear if you land on a wrong note – so you learn (over time) what to avoid

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  28. Raymond P says

    July 5, 2020 at 3:19 pm

    Great lesson Brian,

    Some great ideas on major and minor penta licks.

    Thanks
    Ray

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  29. Allan says

    July 6, 2020 at 2:22 am

    Excellent Brian a real mix of a few great tunes all tied up in your inimitable style cheers.

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  30. Peter B says

    July 6, 2020 at 8:42 am

    Sitting on top of the world.

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  31. dave t says

    July 6, 2020 at 11:43 am

    Hi Brian, such good info. Love the way you spell it out. Just wish I had your touch. Please stay safe.

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  32. Adrian H says

    July 7, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    Hi Brian, Excellent lesson! I agree wholeheartedly with your statement regarding finding the right note using your ear.Training your ear should be a continuous, active process. . Intuition is something we develop over time as we become more proficient and experienced.

    Keep up the great work!!!
    Adrian [ Ireland]

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  33. Michael M says

    July 7, 2020 at 1:30 pm

    Brian- Hopefully this ‘Sittin” blues lesson is a ‘Part 1’ of a two part lesson.

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  34. Viet H says

    July 7, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    Excellent lesson, Brian. Thanks a lot!
    My name is Viet, a new member here. I have a question:
    As of right now, I can download file with tab only. Is there a way for me to download a tab together with its notation as shown in a “On-Screen Viewer”?

    Viet
    Portland, OR

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    • Peter B says

      July 8, 2020 at 7:27 am

      hello Viet
      on tab viewer click on the 3 dots, open settings – print.

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      • Viet H says

        July 8, 2020 at 10:04 pm

        Got it. Thanks, Peter.

        -viet

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      • pan054 says

        February 15, 2021 at 5:36 pm

        Excellent info, no more screen dumping the tabviewer and pasting bits together. Thanks Peter!!!!

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  35. jseppi says

    July 7, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    Another fine lesson, thank you! Question: How do you keep timing so well? Lived played several of your lesson tracks and turned on my metronome. Your timing is right there. I tend to slow down and speed up witout a metronome or drums & bass.

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  36. Rick Z says

    July 7, 2020 at 3:46 pm

    Would be great to have lesson on blues tempo using some more complex rhythms ie triplets, eight and 16th notes with rests, count in introduction etc. Thanks

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  37. Chris K says

    July 7, 2020 at 4:24 pm

    Hi Brian, The best lesson yet ,EP368 , to come across the pond to Blighty. I love it. I play the pentatonics as most beginner Blues guys do, but your twist to blend between Major and Minor using the ‘ E ‘ bar cord shapes is so simple but really effective. Thank you. Chris K.

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  38. clay says

    July 7, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    Yeah this was an excellent lesson. I know you rarely do a “part 2” but this would be an excellent candidate for a part 2. So many building blocks here…..

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  39. Randy G says

    July 7, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    Best lessons out there Brian – thank you! Love those Blues and mixing of Maj / Min. When I saw your email earlier today, I was so looking forward to getting to the lesson. It all makes sense and I’m also figuring out how those bends work by blurring the lines between maj / min. It’s as much fun for me to follow your descriptions with a bit of theory as it is to actually play the music. I blame the engineer in me for that 🙂
    Would really like to see a bit more complex ‘following the chord changes’ too with a Bluesy feel.
    Well worth (and then some) the investment as a Premium Member.
    Your hard work is appreciated!

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  40. Steve P says

    July 7, 2020 at 10:28 pm

    what Martin guitar ya’ll playin’

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  41. Joseph V says

    July 8, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    Terrific lesson which goes back to the basics of the acoustic blues. And great for beginners or experienced players.

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  42. Walter Bearse says

    July 8, 2020 at 7:36 pm

    Another fabulous lesson!

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  43. tjl1274@verizon.net says

    July 9, 2020 at 8:47 am

    Thank you Brian, this particular lesson has also opened some doors for me. When I first heard it, I immediately thought of “IT HURST ME TOO”, so I will also be looking to match this progression with that song.

    I have been a memeber since 2012, when I first started on a new journey into the blues and theroy. I came across your lessons and I spent considerable time working on various lessons only to not progress very far with them. My saying all this is to comment on “this” particular lesson and how I plan to try to make it part of my repertoire.

    I think also, I will go back to some of my saved lessons and take another look and perhaps change my thinking a bit on how to apply them. A ton has changed in the past 8 years with sooooo many subscription based music sites, and free stuff, that one cannot subscript to all of them (well, you could) but I think that would be a bit much. So I have three sites that I subscript to and I will continue to enjoy your lessons, again thank you and rock on!

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  44. Anthony L says

    July 9, 2020 at 9:33 am

    another terrific lesson, thank you! i have found the past few months of lessons so helpful – beginning around ep361 Gospel Blues up until the present. i’m in the middle of my second year subscribtion so perhaps things are beginning to click a bit more, but i’ve found the recent lessons to be more manageable and fundamental. i would recommend anyone new to the site to start in around ep361 and continue on up to the current lessons. one can always then pick and choose your style/favorites from the large, just as brilliant, catalog of previous lessons.

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  45. paul t says

    July 9, 2020 at 4:37 pm

    Relatively new member from Durham England, receiving a second education here. Enjoying and (slowly) learning. Many thanks for all of your excellent teaching.

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  46. john l says

    July 10, 2020 at 12:49 am

    sweet stuff! looking forward to jumping into this one. can’t get too many turnarounds! well, maybe you can – me – I live for turnarounds. well, that and nine holes in the morning…and then back for more turnarounds!

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  47. Phil B says

    July 10, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    Thanks Brian. So much came together for me in this lesson. It was gold for me!

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  48. Phil B says

    July 10, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    Just one question. Is the major scale to be used just over the one chord or can it be used over the iv chord too?

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    • Cardo says

      October 8, 2020 at 9:15 am

      I see that you didn’t get a reply. I believe that the safe approach is to stick to the pentatonic scales, major and minor, because the beauty of these five note scales is that there are no bad notes, although some do sound better than others and it’s best to let your ear guide you with that. In this lesson Brian is again showing how mixing the major and minor scales adds a lot of color as opposed to just sticking to one or the other, although a lot of great music does only stay in a single scale. Another point he continues to make is that the pentatonics sound good over all the chords in a key so although one could “play the changes” it’s not necessary to do so to sound good. I hope this helps.

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  49. Two Below says

    July 10, 2020 at 7:52 pm

    Another favorite piece tied together with great explanation.

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  50. Phil K says

    July 12, 2020 at 6:06 pm

    Another great lesson! Thanks Brain!

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  51. Bill R says

    July 14, 2020 at 10:47 am

    EP 368 – really liked this lesson. Would appreciate more like this!

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  52. Dan Murray says

    July 14, 2020 at 10:59 am

    Outstanding! So much fun. Thanks!

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  53. barnet g says

    July 18, 2020 at 7:17 am

    is it possible to also get the music sheet in standard music notation apart from tablature

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    • Hugh P says

      August 1, 2020 at 3:48 pm

      Hi Barnet g, you can get the standard notation from the on-screen tab viewer by going to settings and de-selecting tab and chords and only selecting notation, or any combination. You can then print this to pdf. Give it a go. Best wished. HP

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  54. Les Brown says

    August 25, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    It’s funny how my learning progresses through your teaching method. When I learned my first song from you I picked up some great ideas, but could only play the song by rote. But then, as I began to learn more of them they started connecting together and my visualization of the fretboard took great leaps forward. The neck began to gel in my mind and ears, and the notes I “heard” in my head found their way to my fingers with greater speed and dexterity. It came through the songs, and the way you combine theory with actual music and incorporate melody into EVERYTHING. I have found nothing like it anywhere else.

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  55. Bradley F says

    September 5, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    Question re the tab – when it says ‘full bend’ does that mean a whole step (2 semitones) or a half step bend?

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  56. Mike K says

    October 16, 2020 at 3:42 pm

    I also have the wrong tab. Can anyone help? Thanks.

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  57. Timothy H says

    January 2, 2021 at 6:22 am

    This a great lesson… first real epiphany moment of mixing major and minor pentatonics. I noticed a couple of discrepancies in the tab vs. the videos but nothing the prevented me from working through the lesson. I use the tab in the player most of the time anyways.

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  58. Philippe P says

    January 12, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    Hi everyone, Hi Brian,

    I am a new premium member and really appreciate the « hard » work you’re doing for making guitar affordable to everyone.
    And the EP368 lesson is awesome and useful.
    Ps: you guitar sounds af if you are using nylon strings.
    Maybe you have some information on this.
    Greetings from France

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  59. Matthieu M says

    January 19, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    Thanks Brian !
    Your lessons are great and so helpful.
    I’m glad I took my premium membership.
    Greetings from France too!

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  60. gdellisola says

    February 18, 2021 at 11:32 am

    Sounds somilar to Come into my Kitchen?

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  61. john p says

    April 1, 2021 at 6:46 pm

    I’ve learned much from you. I can’t stop playing this and I can’t pull myself away to learn that awesome clapton acoustic Im eager to learn. I like the use of major with minor even though clapton doesn’t typically do it. Its really awesome the way you teach us “B”! I’m so grateful to you. Thanks a million

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  62. Steve R says

    April 26, 2021 at 2:37 pm

    Oh, now I see said the blind man.

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  63. John says

    May 3, 2021 at 7:30 am

    I also hear clapton’s Sitting on top of the world in this

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  64. FergalT says

    August 4, 2022 at 5:11 pm

    Just checking if tab notation for the bend on measure 10 is correct
    I think it is just a half bend, not a full bend, from the B note to the C – which is the same as the opening lick but just an octave higher.

    I could be wrong though.

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  65. Ernest C says

    August 12, 2022 at 6:57 am

    Is there any way to download the tab for this lesson?

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    • Ernest C says

      August 12, 2022 at 6:59 am

      Never mind. I found it… 8(

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  66. Pillarcat says

    August 27, 2022 at 10:41 am

    OK, I’m new at this, so please indulge me. This is a great lesson, and has become part of my daily practice, but I have a question: It is all for the key of A. What would the root fret be for the major scale in the key of G? Would it be the nut? Or at the high end of the fretboard? Both are extremes. Is there a place midway?

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    • Pillarcat says

      August 27, 2022 at 11:41 am

      OK, I researched this. G Major in pattern one IS either in open position, or at the 12th fret. Moving up the neck from open position, other patterns are employed, so they are worth learning.

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  67. Carter P says

    December 14, 2022 at 11:18 pm

    Where is a good source to find all of the pentatonic scales

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  68. William F says

    August 13, 2023 at 2:45 pm

    I love this video and, as with most of Brian’s lessons, I have to watch them several times to get it down–which is an important advantage of premium membership.
    One question I have relates to his description of pattern 1 of the major pentatonic. He implies that it derives from the A-shape by showing the link to pattern one from the first position A chord. In the CAGED lesson using the G major scale, pattern 1 derives from the G-shape–right? Anyway, I just found it confusing.

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  69. Tom W says

    January 19, 2024 at 5:27 pm

    Warning – I’m new here!

    “Full screen mode is now available! Just click on the gear icon and scroll down until you see “View Full Screen”

    What gear icon would that be? I don’t see one. I’d really like to take advantage of the full screen but don’t sse it on the screen

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    • Mike H says

      October 18, 2024 at 7:25 am

      Yeah, the gear icon is in lower right corner but the “full screen view” is the box icon. I think the gear icon gets you to the speed options. At least that’s how I work it.

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  70. Mike H says

    October 18, 2024 at 7:21 am

    This is the prototype of all blues prototypes. The reason it starts out in the major scale is,… he’s happy because he stole his best friend’s girl. Then the “joker” got lucky and stole her back again so… that’s a very serious turn of events and therefore minor. Love it. Very well done. Thanks, Brian.

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