Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

MicroLesson: ML108 – Want better rhythm chops? Learn These Must-Know Blues Rhythm Ideas!

Description

In this MicroLesson (ML108) you’ll learn essential Blues rhythm techniques that will elevate your rhythm and give it a more polished, professional sound.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

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Comments

    • Brian says

      this is something new that is caused by Safari (not sure why it’s happening to some people and not others) – it’s caused by 1 of 2 things.. 1) if you’re using a VPN, it will happen… you can just change your VPN location to solve it. or 2) it’s something w/ the version of Safari… the easiest solution is to just use a different browser – Firefox, Chrome, etc.

      Sometimes your antivirus software is the culprit (web root, norton, etc) – if it uses a VPN… you might try disabling and see if it works ok without – then you’ll know it’s the culprit (or the VPN within the software is the culprit).

    • Bob B says

      lol I’m sure you had cyclone ALBERT KING in mind – what blues player wouldn’t – but cyclone ALFRED (or Alfie, as we know him) has now thankfully been and gone… hope you weren’t too badly affected mate. We got away with just rain, a little wind – but no damage here in Middle Park.

  12. Brian D says

    Love these Rhythm lessons and would love to see more as I feel I have really missed these fundamental rhythm ideas which has slowed my whole guitar learning journey . I would also like to get your take on the timing of chords so I can break away from the typical 12 bar blues pattern.

  13. Andrew A says

    Brian , this was a great lesson for me-clear and basic, making a lot of connections I didn’t know how to do before. A part 2 in a future lesson would even be better. I also wonder if you’d look at the the kind of solo you’d construct around this progression. Thanks for all your work.

  16. Daniel H says

    I was going to ask you the difference between a ML and an EP lesson until your closing comment LOL!
    Whatever you call them, the occasional short lessons are awesome for us to really focus on one or two ideas. It’s OK to publish a short lesson.
    Good review of previous material in this lesson and that is totally OK too. Many of your lessons are so thick with ideas they need to be revisited multiple times.
    Please continue the great work as our teacher!

  17. Guy H says

    awesome lesson, this ties everything you teach together and is much fun to play! Round 2 of this would be appreciated, Love the 6’s & 9’s; the 7’s & 9’s; the 11’s & 13’s; the chromatic runs inside chords as turnarounds, the runs up and down the neck in-between chords; the use of diminished chords; the 7’s & 9’s off of triads; its all great! Terrific phrases and the way you use them in sentences to make a story is awesome! It is starting to click, keep em coming:)

  18. Laurance K says

    Holy Smokes Brian! For me – this lesson is literally WORTH THE COST OF A WHOLE YEAR of membership to your site.

    Thanks so much. So Much! I’ll be jamming on derivatives of this lesson all year….adding to my toolbox!

    Well done!

  22. Paul N says

    Not a Micro Brian! I like that everything you showed, I’ve seen a dozen times before, at least. But now having them all in one lesson really made things stick. Awesome! Thanks!

  23. Patrick J. G says

    Wow! All those blues chords you hear when listening to the blues. This is a great study lesson to learn the shapes and where they come from. I can feel the excitement coming out of your explanations and I think it’s contagious. Thanks for a full packed blues lesson, again.

  29. Bruce G says

    Great lesson, and I always can benefit from working on rhythm ideas…

    Perhaps another way to think of the D7 chord you show us on strings 5-4-3….using the same shape as the D7 open chord on strings 3-2-1:

    I see it as the “bottom” of playing the D7 chord…using the C7 shape. In other words, make the D7 chord using the C7 shape, but only fret/play strings 5-4-3.

    (this was the way I figured out the B7 chord played across the the first two frets in all of those E blues lessons)…

    Cheers

  30. mritalian says

    Brian , another Great lesson for myself. I really like the idea you of just concentrating on a limited area of the fret board. Keep up the great work, I will be a lifetime member and hope one day I can be as good as yourself. Look forward each week for something new. Ron T

  32. John I says

    Been off the grid a couple of weeks and this was a very fine lesson to find on return. Full of great take aways and connections to add to the quiver. Very classy shuffle opening with that A6 to A9 you picked up.
    Thanks again Brian!!

  33. Steve says

    I was struggling to remember the fingering for diminished chords, but then realised it’s just one less note that the dominant 7th, so for A dim I can simplify by playing E7 (Hendrix chord). Then I can play diminished chords 3 frets above or below, and I’m still playing something close to A dim but only having to map my fingers to a 3 string Hendrix chord.

    Great lesson

    • Nick Ll says

      Hey Brian,

      Am I the only one who finds the walk up in bars 20 and 21 extremely challenging? Firstly it is quite a stretch this far down the neck and the finger switch for the diminished seventh does not come easy to my fingers. I guess the saving grace here is that it is all done at a fairly leisurely pace.

      Absolutely love this stuff though and that certainly sounds a good alternative way to effect a turnaround – I might even manage it in another key 🙂

      Slightly disappointed we haven’t had the ‘suggested’ part 2 to this micro lesson yet. 🙁

  36. Raymond P says

    Really enjoyed this lesson and a follow up would be great. If possible can you make a sheet with chord shapes you used as a reference. Sometimes it’s easier as a reference sheet for this lesson and future use.

  40. Jim Dog says

    Awesome lesson. Stuff I can use every day. Yes, continue along this course with a follow up! I love lessons that allow me to improve on songs I already play. I’ll say it again, AWESOME LESSON.

  41. Chris G says

    Another great lesson, thank you Brian. The A6 to A9 is so simple but effective and then I went from the 3rd fret to 4 th fret A9 with a move of the first finger.
    The way you relate what is happening to chords / CAGED has really fuelled my learning.
    I too get a lot out of the rhythm lessons. I like the fact that as between lessons there is sometimes repetition- because it’s helpful to get reminders for the average joe like me who wont necessarily master or remember an idea (e.g harmonised 3rds /6th/ 5ths) in a first go.
    I am very appreciative.

  43. David S says

    I got a lot out of this one. Yes, please do a Part 2 sometime! (P.S. – I finally figured out how to do that stretchy A9 chord – all I need to do is plant my pinky first, then the rest falls into place. Don’t know why it took me so long to get that.)

  44. Peter B says

    Hey Brian,
    I don’t drop in as often as I used to, because you have really helped me play a lot better, so thanks. Timing of this post is great, I have been working on this stuff. You explain it so well, it really shortens the learning curve.
    Keep up the good work!
    Pete

  45. Mark H says

    I’m really liking the new format, make them shorter when it makes sense, and longer when that makes sense. I’m sure we all trust your intuition on this.

    This one really helped me tie several things together that I’d already discovered at some point but had not really understood why they actually worked. I aso learned a couple of new moves. Many thanks!

  46. Bob B says

    Coincidentally, this lesson came out just as my annual subscription ‘came out’ …. haven’t been playing as much lately (or more accurately, have been just doodling on YT) and this lesson is awesome.

    I always appreciate it when you say ‘if you just take one thng away from this lesson ….’ because I rarely understand all of it. Bit by bit, it sinks in. Thanks Brian, I’m re-inspired again after this lesson.

    Cheers!

    • Mark H says

      quote, “if you just take one thng away from this lesson …”

      I know exactly what you mean there Bob. Particularly if I’m tired or have limited time, it’s good to have something to latch on to until I have more time to focus and can replay the lesson. And particularly when that ‘one thing’ is something new to me.

  47. Stephen A says

    Some excellent ideas. I especially like that little Robert Johnson trick. Why didn’t I think of that one before? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have taken so many little fragments from these lessons and turned them into my own compositions. Here’s a recent sample for anyone who is interested: https://youtu.be/KGHf_4btqGk. Almost everyone of these is based on some little idea I picked up from Brian.

  49. Charles R says

    You started with a call and response between chord voicings (like A6 to A9), and a basic blues shuffle with 2 note chords. But the 3rd piece is lead, which for me would most likely be pentatonic. So there are three pieces, and that’s the direction for my noodling. Any thoughts about how to integrate the three pieces, a micro lesson, or whatever, would be quite useful. Thanks, great lesson, a ton of ideas.

  53. MICHAEL B says

    Really great stuff Brian! This is right up my alley and I do hope there is a sequel. Along that line, would love to see this lesson possibly develop into some added improv ideas around these voicings…taking simple blues to new levels 😉 Yes, you’ve done things like this before, but an “attached” new chapter would be so cool. Thanks again for delivering week after week such insightful instruction and guidance.

  55. Tom S says

    Hi Brian, I’ve learned a lot again in this lesson, thanks. The theory behind the chords and voicings really explained, is so important to understand the matter and apply to other keys. Maybe a part 2?
    Tom

    • Michael D says

      I’m not sure if this is a trick question or if Brian added a segment to the video after its release, but he discusses the brand of guitar starting at 1:36 of the video including details on where you can find out more information on this guitar, now priced at $4500.

    • Michael D says

      I’m not sure if this is a trick question or if Brian added a segment to the video after its release, but he discusses the brand of guitar starting at 1:36 of the video including details on where you can find out more information on this guitar, now priced at $4500.

  59. michael f says

    Another great lesson. Love that 4 chord sequence where you start on a different A9 chord inversion (the hideaway chord) and end up on the A7. Sticking it in the middle of the progression for the 1 chord sounded tasty, but you also said it works great as a turnaround. Have to go back to your earlier T-bone walker lesson(s) after you used that chord here. Thanks for flashing previous lessons on the screen (ML025) for a deeper dive . I don’t always remember them and more of that lesson sticks the second time around.
    Soundslice really helps with the timing. I am not of the generation that would lift the needle on the record player to get the lick; I’m more of the cassette generation that would hit rewind again and again.

  60. Dennis F says

    Brian, I’ve been a member here for at least two years (maybe more), I’ve learned a ton, but I have to rate this lesson as the most valuable (to me) yet. It’s taken a lot of loose threads that I “kind of” knew, but now allowed me to get them flowing and integrated into blues improvisation. It’s another level up for me. Aside from your playing ability itself, you have an exceptional and uncommon talent for teaching.

  62. Noel G says

    Thanks Brian. You’ve taught me so much and I really appreciate how you explain where the shapes and voicings come from but this time I’m flumoxed by the A9. I get the A6. I see that as an E shaped A chord with the 5th interval raised to a 6th but I don’t understand how the A9 shape is an A chord.

  64. Scott W says

    Hi Brian,
    Thanks, turns out play the shuffle and the chords already. But, not like you demonstrated so had a somewhat easy transition playing you demoed. It’s rough yet but I’ve got. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

  66. Jerry P says

    This is why I have been a member for so many years! Pure gold. I might even play this next time I’m in a guitar store. Fair warning. Very, very much appreciated!
    Jerry in Colorado

  68. Kenneth K says

    I don’t understand the A6 to A9 down 2 frets with Same fingering. Going from the A6 at the 7th has A, C#, F# (6th) and A. Sliding 2 frets is G (7th), B(9th), E(5th), G(7th). How is that an A9th? What am I missing ? Thanks.

    • Brian says

      you’ve got the 7th, 9th, and 5th of the A9 chord – that’s enough to spell out or hint at the chord. You do not need the root to make a chord when playing over a jam track – the bass player is already doing that. You do not need the 3rd either, it’s not mandatory that you have each of those 5 notes in the chord to represent the chord. even without a backing track – if you can create the SOUND of the chord, then that’s all that matters. The labels are just that. It’s sound that you’re chasing, not numbers or letters.

      • Kenneth K says

        Following up with another question in this regard;. The A9 chord is also the G6 chord (actually to me that seems more obvious than A9). since G is not diatonic to the Amaj scale could we say this piece is A mixolydian based on the flat 7 (G) harmony? Trying to piece it all together. Thanks!!

  70. William B says

    Fantastic! I had to keep learning so many new ideas that I dwelled on little parts to think how they fit together with what I knew. I’m astounded. Please continue with the rythumn lessons.

  72. Michael G says

    Awesome Brian. Can you maybe do some micro lessons of just simple rhythms that we can jam with others with? Like one time through a 12 cycle then maybe show how to vary them. But it would be nice just to have a little library of simple rhythms to pull out of my hat when I get together with others. We can take turns playing lead.

    • Brian says

      you’ve got the 7th, 9th, and 5th of the A9 chord – that’s enough to spell out or hint at the chord. You do not need the root to make a chord when playing over a jam track – the bass player is already doing that. You do not need the 3rd either, it’s not mandatory that you have each of those 5 notes in the chord to represent the chord. even without a backing track – if you can create the SOUND of the chord, then that’s all that matters. The labels are just that. It’s sound that you’re chasing, not numbers or letters.

  81. Ray V says

    Instead of working on all the lessons I have decided to focus on about 4 at a time but to learn all I can from those. Since I don’t play guitar in a band, I just glance over the lead guitar lessons. Usually I learn enough to improve my knowledge. This lesson, however, is one I will work on for weeks.

  82. David H says

    Brian:
    The one thing that would have been even better would have been a chord chart with the names of the chords on it. Obviously, I can see the chords on the tab, and get a general idea whether they relate to an A, a D, or an E, but a handy chart spelling out what to call the particular chord voicing would have been helpful (to me anyway). That said, I got a ton out of this lesson, so thank you very much.

  83. John M says

    I’ve been “taking lessons” with Brian for more than four years and this one is one of the best. I love that Brian always explains where each phrase originates, through the CAGE method. It’s finally sinking in. Great teacher!

  85. John M says

    I am trying to understand chord composition and structure. Can you help me understand what is meant when you said that moving the A6 down two frets makes it a 9 chord. A9? If I’m right moving it down two frets plays a G, E, and B. Thanks for the help!

    By the way I’m new to your work. It’s challenging but very interesting. I’ll be 70 in May, so I am late to the game. Thanks again.

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