Description
In this MicroLesson (ML040) you’ll learn an awesome chord lick that will transition you from the 1 to the 4 chord. This is easy to play and I’ll show you how to transpose this and play it in any key.
Free Guitar Lesson
Slow Walk-Through
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Video Tablature Breakdown
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Craig K says
Thanks, Brian, for these micro lessons. I just discovered them and they are really cool! BTW, I loved the sound of your CEO-7 so much I went and bought one. Love it! Does yours has this really cool smell that must be the lacquer or something? It’s intoxicating and really works cuz I can’t wait to pull my CEO-7 out of it’s case and play it when I get home so I can smell it …lol
David P says
Thanks Brian,
It would be nice to have the names of the chords on the tab.
banjopaul says
Brian ! Could you give us lessons on how to Introductions to songs. Thank You, Banjopaul
6stringer Pete says
Wow, Brian! This one really hits home with me. Glad you did something like this one.
Martin W says
Love this , just tried it in reverse with open A bass line , love these little lessons you can do such a lot with them .
Michael H says
Great lesson what do you mean by harmonized 6ths?
Brian says
A harmonized 6th is when you play a note, and then play the note that is 6 steps up from that note (within the major scale) at the same time. So if you were playing a C note, to find the harmonized 6 of that note, you would play an A along with it – the A is 6 steps apart from C in the major scale (do, re, mi, fa, so, la). Hope that makes sense
William D says
I have a question. Starting from the octave “E” (I) and walking backwards to the “A” (IV). That would be 8 or (1) -7 – 6 – 5 – 4. In the “E” major scale, the 7 chord is D#dim then the 6 chord C# min to the 5 chord B on to the 4 chord A. How did the 7 chord become D major?
The chords sound great as you walk down to the 4 just confused about the 7 chord.
WarrenB says
The lesson is walking from the V (E major) down to the I chord (A major) passing through IV (D major), iii (Cminor), ii (Bminor). The title should be from ‘V to I’ IMHO. You are right, if it was I to IV, it would include a D# diminished chord (vii*), then vi (C#minor), V (B major), and finally IV (A major).
WarrenB says
I listened to Brian’s explanation, and he’s using the A major scale (the IV chord as he states this is in the key of E major) and he walks from I down to IV using the chords from the A major scale. My ear hears the A major as home base so I would naturally put this lick in the key of A major. However I suppose it can just as well work the way Brian has laid out.
Robert J says
I like the concept but I’d like to hear it in context, cause when I try it, it sounds like the “song’s” key changes to that of the 4th, because that change is so potent.
TonyM says
if you want a cool jam track to work this out on, try 10,000 pesos from Beck. Follow that E to D to A format hence I to the 1V chord.
StratPlus66 says
Hi Brian,
I would like this lick in context. I play it through and it seems to resolve to A rather than just transitioning to it.. Where does it go after reaching the four. If you played it in a twelve bar how would it fit? I know I’m thick but I play the one – transition to the four and then it seems to want to stop there. Hope you can make sense of this.
Brian says
wow, i just re-watched this… i’m confused by it as well – Try using it to go from the 5 to the 1 chord… is that what I meant? good lord!
StratPlus66 says
I thought that might be it. It works fine from five to 1 so that the tonic is the A and not E. You must have taught me something otherwise I would never have known. Thanks.
Brian says
I was just.. umm.. testing you.. yeah, that’s it.. it was all a test! 😉
Jay Guitarman says
Hi Brian, a good test!
I was almost about to write you a question. But then I saw the comments of the other community members. It must be a good trick to apply, but I think mostly at the end of the blues, i.e. the beginning of the turnaround starting from the 5th (E), passing by the fourth (D) and ending on the one chord (A). Isn’t it? Do you some other examples where we could apply this trick?
Jay Guitarman says
Add-on: when you go from E to A its 4 notes apart (circle of forth clockwise direction). And when you go from A to E its five notes (circle of fifth counterclockwise). Can we take advantage of this knowledge….?
Lynne R says
Question:
In the Key of E with a walk down from 1 to 4, why isn’t the walk down in the key of E in which case the walk down triads would be :
E D#mi C# mi B A
I don’t understand why you use the key of A to walk down instead of the key in which the progression is in