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MicroLesson: 028 – Country Blues Solo Composition

Description

In this MicroLesson (ML028) you’ll learn how to play an country blues composition that’s played solo guitar (no accompaniment is required). Learn both the fill licks and the strum pattern in this composition.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walk-Through

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  1. johnmartin says

    August 8, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    I’m becoming a fan of your micro lessons. The regular lessons are not difficult to play, but I have trouble remembering what comes next. The micro lessons are easy to remember and improvise my own licks.

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    • Conroy G says

      June 3, 2019 at 9:52 am

      Brian, I’ve been with you a year and I’m just figuring out the importance of your Micro lessons. They are exactly what I need right now. Just starting to tie chards and scales together. Thanks

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  2. Tom l says

    August 8, 2017 at 2:55 pm

    fantastic tune, thanks !

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  3. Stephen E says

    August 8, 2017 at 4:47 pm

    Great lesson thanks

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  4. JRG says

    August 8, 2017 at 6:54 pm

    Very fun lesson Brian, thanks!

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  5. Vojtech says

    August 9, 2017 at 1:53 am

    Brian, the tablature seems to have a bad heading – it says Soulful Lead Lesson

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    • Brian says

      August 9, 2017 at 4:25 pm

      Thanks for catching this – I have fixed it 🙂

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      • Ched Y says

        November 12, 2020 at 1:46 pm

        I am a recent sub scriber and enjoy your mini lessons’ Just curious. Where are you located??

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  6. charjo says

    August 9, 2017 at 5:45 am

    Very cool lesson. It took me a while to realize the licks were G minor pentatonic using the open G & D strings. Thanks for another great fretboard trick in G.
    John

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  7. Bluesman68 says

    August 9, 2017 at 6:38 am

    Brilliant, Brian, such a wonderful little bluesy tune. Thanks for making my day!

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  8. Anton D says

    August 9, 2017 at 9:44 am

    I say Brian, do you play that electric mandolin I see on the wall?

    You might think about doing some special mini lessons for all us very many mandolin players out here.
    I have been wondering for ages how to adapt your guitar techniques for the mandolin. Your slipping and sliding techniques, double stops, fresh takes on pentatonic scales,… have really helped to put some sparkle into my jaded guitar playing. I need to inject some of that energy into my mandolin playing.

    Just a thought!

    Anton

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    • Brian says

      August 9, 2017 at 4:24 pm

      I do play mandolin – still working at it… trying to be “proficient” in it. There are some basic principles that you can apply to mandolin playing as well – which involve tying scales back to chord shapes. I use that same technique on the mandolin

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      • Anton D says

        August 10, 2017 at 3:50 am

        Thanks very much for your answer, Brian. Could you elaborate upon your “there are some basic principles… scales back to chord shapes” statement please? I don’t want to be a bore but I would love to hear more about this. Are there any recordings of you anywhere.? How much would you charge to rustle up a quick lesson on these principles, if you were prepared to do so of course?

        Anton

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        • Brian says

          August 10, 2017 at 10:29 am

          I just mean that a G chord is a g chord – same 3 notes, whether they’re played on piano, guitar, mandolin, etc. Scales are the same as well – major, minor pentatonic, major scales, modes, etc. They’re the same notes no matter what instrument you play them on – so I’m just using the same techniques I use on guitar of connected scales to chord shapes, but playing them on mandolin.

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          • Anton D says

            August 11, 2017 at 4:02 pm

            Thanks Brian. I appreciate that a G chord is a G chord irrespective of the instrument but some chords, riffs, patterns, … lie easier under the fingers, according to the instrument. Up until now, I have not applied your “connectivity” approach to the mandolin (sidetracked with the guitar for moment) and tend to use only two positions, if that, for blues tunes. And of course, G, A and D are the keys that are the most user-friendly keys on the mandolin.
            I look forward to see what progress you have made sometime in the future.

            Anton

  9. Robert C says

    August 9, 2017 at 12:12 pm

    Hello, and glad to be a new member.
    I have a lot to learn, so I apologize if this is a dumb question:
    I’m just getting started learning the blues and have learned about the12 bar blues form, but this seems to be something different. Is this an 8 bar composition? I’m not sure if I’m counting properly.
    Thank you for all you do!
    Rob

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    • Brian says

      August 9, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      Hey Rob, you’re correct, this is an 8 bar composition.

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  10. BeachBill says

    August 9, 2017 at 3:43 pm

    So cool. Thanks.

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  11. San Luis Rey says

    August 9, 2017 at 5:32 pm

    I enjoy all your lessons but the ones you have been doing with the Martin lately just put a smile on my face! Have you shared how you came by this guitar?
    Mike

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    • Brian says

      August 9, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      Hey Mike, nothing special really – just walked into a guitar store.. saw it. tried it out and realized that I HAD to have it 🙂 It felt special

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      • gulewich says

        August 11, 2017 at 11:31 am

        Hi Brian im back subscribeing and just wanted to say how much I liked your micro lessons. I hope you do a lot more !!!!

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  12. JRI says

    August 9, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    Fantastic Brian, simple but very cool you could really expand on this

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  13. Eddie M says

    August 10, 2017 at 4:07 am

    In a word ……….. Great !!!!!!!!!!!!

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  14. Jonny R says

    August 10, 2017 at 4:26 am

    Fairly easy to pick up… and lots of fun to play, cheers Brian

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  15. old man says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:19 am

    Hey Brian ! This lesson really hit home for me, very very cool!! Would it be possible to do a follow up lesson to ML208 ? Possibly a little harder

    or pertaining to it?

    Thanks Dan

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  16. James C says

    August 11, 2017 at 4:07 am

    Brian, I don’t know how you do it. This is a great tune, fun and easy to memorize and add to my collection of playable songs. It is a great way to practice improvising. Thank You. JamesC.

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  17. Raymond P says

    August 11, 2017 at 10:16 am

    Another great micro lesson Mike.
    Thanks
    Ray

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  18. eames28 says

    August 12, 2017 at 10:11 am

    Just awesome ! Could you expand this theme on your Friday lessons ?

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  19. sunburst says

    August 12, 2017 at 5:54 pm

    nice country bluegrass lesson!

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  20. Vincent P says

    October 5, 2017 at 9:54 am

    Love your lessons Brian. Now my challenge is to put some lyrics to these compositions!
    Thanks for all you do. I really love logging on and seeing the new material weekly.

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  21. Bosc T says

    October 30, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    Merci beaucoup Brian

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  22. David P says

    November 2, 2017 at 5:16 am

    Brian,
    These micro lessons are great, I feel that I have at least a good chance of learning these And they are things I want to know. The full songs are great too, just takes me much longer to learn.
    I hope you will continue with these!

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  23. cbuck says

    November 2, 2017 at 10:06 am

    I am having trouble downloading pdf any suggestions?

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    • Brian says

      November 2, 2017 at 10:22 am

      This is probably a browser setting / issue. Try using a different browser (Google Chrome / Firefox) and see what happens.

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  24. Iman A says

    June 21, 2018 at 8:47 am

    Hi Brian. Thanks for this great Micro Country Blues Lesson, exactly great like Grand Canyon

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  25. Douglas O says

    August 10, 2018 at 3:57 am

    Thank you for all your good work Brian. I have been a strummer for while now and this is just the level I need to coax me into trying something new and to add variety to my repertoire.

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  26. Rob p says

    August 26, 2018 at 7:16 pm

    Hey Brian! Just want you to know how much I enjoy learning from the lessons. I play every day and have improved so much with your lessons. I especially like being able to slow the music tabs down! Keep up the good work and take care!

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  27. FRANCK V says

    October 19, 2018 at 9:56 am

    Very addictive indeed! You are bringing me to country music.
    Merci Brian.
    Franck

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  28. Thomas L says

    November 14, 2018 at 9:08 am

    Hey there Brian,

    Became a full member a few weeks back and started learning this ML. Learning to play guitar all over again. Where do you suggest I start from here? Thomas

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  29. Benedikt says

    January 4, 2019 at 3:52 am

    The little lick in the beginning of part 2 is also used similarly by Cat Stevens in Wild World right before the chorus

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  30. Stephen C says

    June 9, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Well…. stuff just keeps getting better, I keep busting these out for my teacher who has been playing for 50+ years, he always says “well that’s cool!”.

    Thanks, Brian!!

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  31. Rawle L says

    June 14, 2019 at 4:48 pm

    Hello Brian you are great I have watch you over years AND HAD ALWAYS LIKE YOR Style of teachI have learned a lot. I wonder IF you can go off grid a bit And show me how to play the lead to Red River valley an old cowboy song some people call it red river rock thanks brian.

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  32. David R says

    May 3, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    Brian

    What gauge of strings are you using on that darling martin in this lesson

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  33. Dale G says

    November 9, 2020 at 2:20 pm

    Brian, beginning on beat 2 of bar 8, I see a F double sharp instead of the G which correctly sits in the C chord. Yes, I know the F double sharp is the same enharmonically but it isn’t correct. Is there something I am missing?
    Thanks Dale

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  34. Douglas C says

    November 11, 2020 at 8:53 pm

    SURE DID ENJOY THIS ONE!

    DOUG COLLINS

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  35. Jeffery E says

    March 6, 2021 at 3:04 pm

    Hey Brian, what model is that Martin acoustic guitar you are playing, here on Micro Lesson (ML028) Just curious ! Jeff

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  36. Richard C says

    March 12, 2021 at 6:19 pm

    Thoroughly enjoy your micro lessons. I’m relatively new to your guitar lessons. You have an excellent platform. Easy to navigate and wonderful material for all levels of guitar players.

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  37. Rich F says

    August 2, 2021 at 2:42 am

    Just discovered this cool lesson, after Dave posted it on the July 2021 monthly challenge.

    Brilliant lesson: love it! I was just trying to work out the scale that the licks were coming from, and then Charjo enlightened me: G Minor pentatonic. Thanks, Charjo!

    I notice that Old Man has asked for a follow up lesson, something a littel harder. Try EP131: that is a great country song in this vein… but quite a bit harder…

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  38. Thurman M says

    January 20, 2022 at 10:04 am

    Another great micro lesson. Thanks!

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  39. Richard C says

    February 8, 2022 at 3:06 pm

    Enjoy the micro lessons.

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