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Blues out of the “A Shape” from the CAGED System – Blues Guitar Lesson – ML133

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a 1-4-5 Blues out of the A shape from the CAGED System. I’m going through each of the 5 shapes and showing you how to connect the 1, 4, and 5 chords as well as the Major and Minor Pentatonic scales in the same region of the fretboard.

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. Michael Allen says

    February 13, 2026 at 5:11 pm

    Nice floor up to the lesson last week. It sounds great on the Odell! Thanks Brian

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    • Michael Allen says

      February 13, 2026 at 5:14 pm

      Not a fan of auto fill. that’s meant to be “Follow Up”

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    • Ken L says

      February 14, 2026 at 4:53 am

      I can’t believe how much I have learnt from you over a few years membership. I love everything you do so I will be a member for a few more years.
      Thanks Brian.

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  2. Brendan G says

    February 13, 2026 at 5:52 pm

    GREAT LESSON.

    Brendan

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  3. annekaz says

    February 13, 2026 at 6:40 pm

    I am really enjoying this series .Thank you

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  4. Jeffrey S says

    February 13, 2026 at 7:59 pm

    Brian you just get better and better at talking to the camera like it was a student sitting in front of you and the content is sooooo amazing .

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  5. Steven B says

    February 13, 2026 at 8:26 pm

    Iv’e been with you a long time Brian and this is one very good lesson. Simplifying the approach to making the melody is so useful. Seeing how the change of one note in the chord makes helps us understand its not as complex as we think. I still have trouble knowing when to use major or minor pentatonic to best effect though. Is it most common for players to stay in the key scale most of the time ? I heard you say it happens often in the fifth. Thanks for your great work

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  6. Steve M says

    February 13, 2026 at 9:23 pm

    This series has been so valuable to my understanding of the fretboard. And I so like relating the scales to chords instead of pattern numbers.

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    • Harald L says

      February 14, 2026 at 4:23 am

      Exactly. The chord shapes aren’t an abstraction like a number. You can see the scale in relation to something real/concrete that you already know. I completely agree with you Steve

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  7. Joel R says

    February 14, 2026 at 2:49 am

    Nice and very useful lesson( as usual)
    Thanks?

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  8. Harald L says

    February 14, 2026 at 4:18 am

    Great idea to systematically go through the shapes. Very useful in enabling an overview of the entire neck and seeing different kinds of ideas and connections generated by thinking in terms of the different shapes. Looking forward to the next one (E) and then connecting the 5. As ever, Thanks Brian.

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  9. Michael W says

    February 14, 2026 at 4:53 am

    Great lesson.

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  10. Willem S says

    February 14, 2026 at 5:27 am

    Another nice & helpful lesson!

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  11. Lee W says

    February 14, 2026 at 5:43 am

    Loving this mini series Brian. I’ve been looking forward to A shape and it lived up to expectations. I use A in combo with E a lot so next week will be very useful again. I think my playing and understanding has improved massively as a result of this series. Taken together its a stand alone course/master class in CAGED.

    Thanks

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  12. Daniel H says

    February 14, 2026 at 8:09 am

    Brian, what is that minor lick at 12.48 in Part 1 over the A shape? Great sound! Can you explain that in a future lesson?

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  13. Imerio A says

    February 14, 2026 at 8:58 am

    Hi Brian. This series on the CAGED shapes is a real game changer at least for me. Your explanations are so clear and easy to follow. Even if I am following you for some years, each week I learn something new and this makes me happy. Keep it going please.

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  14. Olivier P says

    February 14, 2026 at 9:21 am

    We’re all already looking forward to the next blue in the E shape.
    A truly beautiful series of lessons. Thanks a lot Brian.

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  15. Stephen M says

    February 14, 2026 at 10:03 am

    Loving this series. A great follow up to an earlier series on the CAGED positions and associated scales. Now if only my mind and fingers would work better together.

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  16. Aj M says

    February 14, 2026 at 10:12 am

    Brain – truly love these ML’s breaking/dissecting the shapes.
    Cannot wait to get to work on these and looking fwd. to the set where you pull them all together.
    Thank you.

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  17. Tom M says

    February 14, 2026 at 10:50 am

    Shape lessons are great. Really helps connect a lot of riffs and leads.

    I notice that the in full screen modes the videos tend to stop/hang on the Edge browser. Switched over to chrome and did not have an issue.

    I find on measure 10 on this lesson that I just grab the a note on the open 5th and then grab the A-7 hammer. Lazy I guess, but I like the sound of it.

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  18. Mike C says

    February 14, 2026 at 10:55 am

    I’ve learned so much from your course. Thank you. You are an unbelievable teacher.

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  19. Brent N says

    February 14, 2026 at 11:22 am

    Hi Brian. Thanks for another great lesson. I understand your logic with the naming of the pentatonic patterns, it makes a lot of sense. The reason for the other numbering system is so that the patterns for major and minor pentatonic patterns are co-located. That may help some of the other students/followers understand where that system comes from and decide which to use. Thanks again, you are an awesome and dedicated educator.

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  20. Michael K says

    February 14, 2026 at 3:14 pm

    Hi Brian, I love the way you have us work on the CAGED system starting with different positions but I really like the way you show the variations of the 7 and 9 chords too. Thanks! Mike

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  21. Martin P says

    February 14, 2026 at 3:57 pm

    Nice, but it’s getting way out of my reach.

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Recent Lessons

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