Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

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

  5. Steven B says

    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

  8. Harald L says

    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.

  11. Lee W says

    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

  13. Imerio A says

    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.

  17. Tom M says

    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.

  19. Brent N says

    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.

    • Daniel H says

      I felt that way when I started with Brian 7 years ago. Don’t give up, take away what you can from each lesson. He has repetition so you can pull the knowledge together over time. Its worth it! Active Melody has transformed my playing.

  24. rainmon1 says

    Thanks for this series on playing out of the CAGED positions, Brian. Your pointing out long ago the “Keith Richards shift from the 1 to 4 was a lightbulb for me, and these patterns continue the trend. Appreciate you!

  25. Lesley O says

    Thankyou Brian, another great lesson. I understand the logic behind your very clear explanation and demonstration, but would struggle to remember it all well enough to put into practice myself. Little by little!! However I just love trying to memorize and play your little compositions like this one, and also love the rhythm suggestions for the D chord….the sliding from 6 to 9 and the call and response ideas with the pentatonic scales in between. Sounds so cool, and not so hard to do

  26. Georg B says

    Hi Brian,
    Your explanations are great! Thank you very much. Sometimes it’s the things you mention in passing that help me make real progress in my learning. For example, in the video for premium members, you said that the Mixolydian scale is just the overlapping major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales. I use the same numbering system as you do for the pentatonic scales. Which numbers of the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales would result in the Mixolydian scale?
    All the best,
    Georg

    • Rob N says

      I found this a bit confusing. D Mixolydian is: D E F# G A B C. D major pentatonic is: D E F# A B . Minor is: D F G A C.

      There is no F natural in D Mixolydian – so combining the two pentatonics doesn’t strictly fit. I guess because it’s the blues you can play that flat 3rd no problem, but it still isn’t the Mixolydian scale – it’s a sort of hybrid.

      Or am I getting this wrong? Corrections are welcome.

      A simpler way is just to learn the Mixolydian patterns in all CAGED positions. If you already know the 5 patterns for the Major/Natural minor/pentatonic scales then this isn’t too hard. For example, D mixolydian when the D chord is in the A shape is pattern 3. It’s also pattern 3 in the G major scale – which is another way to think of it (D is the 5th of G major).

      To answer your question though – the pattern numbers depend where you are playing. When the chord in question is in the A shape (as in this case) the major pentatonic is pattern 5, minor is 4. The rule is: whatever the major is the minor is 1 below.

      • Rob N says

        …and if you follow that rule then the Mixolydian pattern is 1 below the minor! For example, if you were playing a blues in A around the fifth fret – your A major pentatonic is pattern 2, A minor is pattern 1 and A Mixolydian is pattern 5. As long as you know the 5 pattern shapes, this formula works every time (and this is the massive benefit of Brian’s numbering system imo).

        Hope that helps.

        • Rob N says

          … there is a Mixolydian Blues Hybrid scale. The formula is: 1 2 b3 3 4 b5 5 6 b7. This might be what Brian was hinting at?

          Then there is a Mixolydian pentatonic scale apparently. This is the Mixolydian scale removing the major 2nd and the major 6th to give you: 1 3 4 5 b7.

          • Daniel H says

            Brian’s advice is solid: forget about the numbers (labels) of scale patterns, just memorize the patterns associated with the chord shape. Remember what the key of the song is and the associated chord shape in your “neighborhood” has the pattern you need… unless the song is on the V chord, then you use the pattern associated with that shape as if it is a new 1 chord! Works for me anyway … I don’t have time to think about pattern numbers when I perform,

          • Rob N says

            Reply to Daniel H (below),

            I don’t think we disagree – just have slightly different approaches. I did say to Georg that the simplest way to learn the Mixolydian scales is just to learn the patterns in all the CAGED positions. The numbers are mainly just ways of communicating which pattern we are talking about, but I also find them helpful as ways of memorising. Brian’s advice is always solid, but everyone will learn in their own way.

        • Georg B says

          Hello Rob,
          Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my question. Great. There are so many different perspectives from which to look at the same phenomenon. All perspectives are valid. One perspective works better for some people, and another perspective works better for others. Your rule “[…] then the Mixolydian pattern is 1 below the minor” makes perfect sense to me. Thank you for your help.
          All the best,
          Georg

  27. Rob S says

    Another incredibly helpful lesson and a good reminder to think about the full major/mixolydian scale around the chord shapes and pentatonic shapes. You do such a great job of making both the major and pentatonic scales melodic which makes playing your lessons so satisfying. As always, thank you for what you do for all of us. I’m looking forward to the next lesson if you’re considering briding this mini series into horizontal playing.

  28. Michael J says

    G’day Brian,
    Michael here! I’ve been around for a long time now, and just at the end of part 2, you made a remark about people becoming bored with it, which is a possibility I suppose. But for me personally, it’s the same as my golf game, I just want to get better. I began playing guitar when
    I was 14, self taught (now 77), but as you also said in effect, you NEVER stop learning, and that is so very true .There are always things that need to be explored and accomplished on this confounded instrument, and with sincere gratitude to your good self, I have kicked more than a few goals along the journey. Looking forward to many more golden nuggets.
    M.J., Oz.

  30. John H says

    My biggest problem is trying to remember all the little tidbits Brian throws in -each lesson – I always come away with a set of notes. I love his, “if you only get one thing from this…..” well all those one things form a master class !! Thanks Brian –

  32. Rob M says

    It’s not immediately clear to me which pentatonic pattern fits. This is blues in d, using the a-shape. Is pattern 4 the minor pentatonic shape of choice because it’s the 4th pattern from the a-shape? The rest of the lesson was absorbed pretty well. This one item, I’ve gone dense!

      • Rob N says

        Hi fellow Rob,

        Not sure what you’ve read but here is my basic understanding (with the reminder I’m still a learner):

        The CAGED system is primarily about chords not scale patterns.

        The pentatonic scale can be broken down across the fretboard into memorable ‘chunks’ or patterns – the most common being the 5 patterns.

        The numbering of the 5 minor pentatonic patterns relates to the first note in the pattern. It is nothing to do with chords.

        For example, in pattern 1 the first note played is the root note or 1st note of the minor pentatonic scale. Pattern 2 begins on the second note, 3 on the third and so on.

        When it comes to the major pentatonic pattern numbering – this is where the two numbering ‘systems’ differ. One system follows the same formula as above – with the number of the pattern corresponding to the first note played in that pattern. In this system, pattern 1 of the major pentatonic is a different shape to pattern 1 of the minor.

        In the system Brian is using patterns 1 to 5 are identical in both major and minor – they just appear at different areas of the fretboard. So, pattern 1 of A major looks the same as pattern 1 of A minor. (If you looked at an image of the pattern without any reference to note intervals or frets – you wouldn’t know if it was major or minor – it’s just a shape.)

        The major is played with the first note on the bass E string second fret (an F# note) whereas the minor has the first note of the pattern at the fifth fret (an A note).

        Following this system, whatever the minor pattern is – the major pattern will be 1 above.

        For example, if you’re playing between the second and fifth frets – A minor pentatonic would be pattern 5, major would be 1 above – which is pattern 1 (since the patterns go around in a loop). At frets five to seven it’s pattern 1 for the minor, 2 for the major….and so on.

        (If there is some other logic to the numbering of the major – then someone please explain….I am keen to understand)

        Now, having said that CAGED is about chord shapes not patterns it still becomes clear that when playing certain chord shapes certain patterns will always ‘relate’ to that shape.

        For example, if you are playing a standard barre chord for A major at the fifth fret i.e. you are playing an A chord in the ‘E shape’ (or playing some part of that chord) and you want to play some A major pentatonic in that same location then pattern 2 of the major pentatonic will fit.

        It then follows that wherever you play an ‘E shape’ barre chord the corresponding major pentatonic pattern – in that location – is always the same (pattern 2).

        This is why experienced players say things like ‘the numbers don’t matter’ – they’ve memorised which pattern fits with which shape (in which context!) and the numbers then become irrelevant (unless you’re trying to communicate – without images – what pattern you’re talking about!).

        The same rule applies to the minor pentatonic patterns and corresponding chord shapes. You just have to remember that the shape of the chord will be its minor form. Repeating the example above, the Amin chord played as a barre chord at the fifth fret is in the ‘E shape’ (but think of it as the open Emin shape ‘cowboy’ chord – moved up and barred). The corresponding minor pentatonic is pattern 1.

        So, to answer your question: If you are playing a D or D7 chord in the ‘A shape’ (with the root note on the A string at the fifth fret) and you want to play some minor pentatonics in that area the corresponding pattern is pattern 4. The first note of that pattern is an A note, played at the fifth fret on the low E string. The A note is the fourth note in the minor pentatonic scale.

        You may be tempted to think, ‘why not just call that pattern the A shape pattern?’. You have a minor ‘A shape’ pattern and a major ‘A shape pattern’. Great.

        But what if you want to play from the Mixolydian scale or some other scale?

        That D7 chord stays in the same place, but which pattern of the Mixolydian are you playing? Do you play the minor ‘A shape’ pattern? The major?

        It’s neither. You could say the corresponding pattern for Mixolydian (pattern 3) is the ‘A shape’ for that mode, but it gets a bit confusing when trying to communicate to others….so the numbers are handy (if you can’t just show an image).

        I hope that helps. As always, corrections are welcome.

  34. Fran M says

    Hi Brian,

    I really enjoy the CAGED series you’re doing. The biggest issue is I have is that you present so much great stuff I suffer from the “squirrel” effect and jump from one piece of gold to the next. This series, coupled with the per shape CAGED deep dives gives a solid place to focus. A bit of theory, a bit of creativity/improv and a lot of enjoyment!

    I had recently went to the forum and basically asked for exactly what this series and the deep dive courses are providing.

    Great stuff! Thanks.

  38. Leonard C says

    Good Lesson, Thanks !! I had to add the A Blues Scales in there too because I print everything for a binder labeled: Active Melody.

    Wanted to group, A Blues scales, & B, C, D, E, F, G Blues Scales separately for future reference. Same with grouping Rockabilly, Blues, CW, Etc….just me, (Old School..like to see the printed copy while watching your videos).

  39. Thomas A says

    Thanks, Brian, great lesson as always! I very much appreciate that you spend a series of videos to cover the CAGED-shapes pointing out options and licks in each position. However, when I tried to figure out the rhythm section in video 1 (around min 11-12) I put the tempo slow and realized that you play constantly dead (or ghost?) notes to keep the rhythm going. Do you have a lesson on that?

  40. ian m says

    Brian – I’m really learning a lot from the initial CAGED series eg. EP 558 to the current refresher on application to one section of the fretboard. I like the idea of the diagonal and/or applying the CAGED system as one progresses up the fretboard. I’m trying this on my own but would value your instruction. I value your lessons, communication style and encouragement. Thank you.

  42. Thomas A says

    Great lesson! Thank you so much!

    I love this CADGED series I feel like this is opening up my world.

    I understand the CADGED system but this is showing me how to use it to make music!

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