Description
In this MicroLesson (ML116), you’ll learn how to take a few basic Triad shapes and mix them with both the minor and major pentatonic scales in one small area of the fretboard (on the top 3 strings) to create some amazing sounding Blues lead ideas – including highlighting chord tones!
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Very Good, Very Informative Lovely Jam Track. Myra.
Brian, this lesson is simple, yet so full of info. For me, triads have been a game changer, but the ability to utilize scales/patterns within these shapes is where it’s really at. I would love to see more of that in future lessons, please! Or, if I’ve missed this in other lessons here, please let me know which ones apply. Thanks, again, as always!
Even though you called this a short lesson there’s a lot for me to work with. I love it! Thanks Brian
I really like these short lessons. There is a lot in this one yet it still feels focused and manageable.
User friendly lesson
This lesson is a sleeper, it looks at first to be pretty basic and simple, but as you start to dig in…. wow! there is a lot of depth here and it will be worth digging into. Great lesson!
This is a great lesson hope you can do more on how to use the pentatonics and triads together
Great application of triads coupled with practical use of pentatonics. This would be good basics to build upon
What a clever and enlightening lesson. Short sweet and loading with cool info. Thanks Brian
Cool lesson, thanks Brian,
Brian.. this has to be one of the best short lessons. All these concepts are starting to coagulate and make sense.
Less is more!
Where was this lesson 30 years ago? LOL. Brian your teaching gets more succinct and better each passing week. Newcomers to Active Melody are getting you at the top of your craft. I am just grateful I found AM when i did (6 – 7 years ago?).
The micro-lessons are awesome. I think future ML’s covering the C, G, and D shapes with their associated pentatonic scales would help the AM community… maybe include the major, mixolydian, and dorian scales as well but confining it to the top three strings like this lesson. As always, thank you for your incredible teaching!!
Same thing for me, Daniel. I found Brian about six years ago. I was always the song writer/ rhythm guitarist in bands. I could always write decent 3 chord songs but felt bad about my guitar limitations until Active melody took me down a path of increasing competence and confidence. Good luck on your journey and thank you, Brian.
Brian,
This is great – several light bulbs came on like that 7 to 6 to 9 chord sound laid right out and easy. I find these micro lessons to be of tremendous value vice the full up ones which take me weeks to fully digest and play.
Thanks,
Chuck
These little tips are great to learn. They all add up.
I can definitely manage these lessons in a week or two, and they’re really fun and great for getting to grips with the fretboard. I don’t think you’ll find better than this. Cheers, Brian.
Love this short lesson. I’d love more lessons on blending the chord tones and pentatonic scale across blues and rock progressions.
Thanks!
Valuable lesson, you always get right to the point making it clear to see , use and connect to other concepts.
Thank you!!
Blending the pentatonic scales with chord and triad notes creates a great pallet for more interesting and harmonic soloing. Thanks for your great insights. makes playing more fun.
Bob
This lesson is one of the best yet, ties it all together. Follow this and you can’t not improvise! Just awesome 👏❤️ Thanks so much Brian!
I’m looking for software that I can download to my computer that will allow me to :
1. Slow down a u-tube video while I view the video so that I can see exactly what the musician is playing… Exactly what Soundslice does for your lessons…
For instance: I also am a member of Fretboard Confidential/ David Hamburger. I can use the setting button to slow down the video lesson, but it is difficult to slow down and/or loop exact segments.
Suggestions???
I love these shorter lessons that concentrate on a small area of the fret board. It makes learning much easier for me. The longer lessons are very educational and full of information but more like trying to drink from a fire hose. The short concentrated lessons are much easier to absorb and retain for me, keep up the good work!!!
These MLs like this one and ML115 are perfect for me. Showing a concept and breaking it down into a simple form. Thanks
Another fantastic short and very practical lesson.
Bonjour Brian,
Dans la leçon ML116 vous nous montrez la triade de A formé de E plus les pentatoniques majeur et mineur. Pouvez faire les deux autres triades restantes et leurs gammes pentatoniques majeur et mineur dans une autre leçon.
Manuel,
This could be (and is) a lesson on phrasing and creating melodies within the basic I. IV. V. and chasing the sounds you hear in your mind.
I believe a lesson not to long ago takes a common well known melody and shows how u can modify it.
I would like more of that. For me and I imagine a lot players would like to be able to move beyond scales and shapes and play what they hear and feel. I don’t know if that’s possible without natural talent.
So great Brian! Love these exercises and the mount of information! Thanks
The simple things are the best. Thanks Brian
Extraordinaire ! Merci pour cette simple et excellente composition.
Thank you
It’s good to have an easy one after a hard one. I tried applying what already know to make it more interesting. I don’t want to forget anything! This was a good test.
So fun fun fun until daddy takes the guitar away
AND cool 2
Hallo Brian,
Your lesson is absolutely great. I am not a native English speaker, but I understand you very well. I only have one question about an expression that is not clear to me. You say “finished strings” at 1:51 minutes. I know what “finished” means and I know what “strings” means. But I don’t know what “finished strings” means. What do you mean by that?
Thank you and best regards,
Georg
I said, “thinnest strings”
Hello Brian,
All right. Now I understand. I know that the automatically generated subtitles can sometimes contain errors. Sometimes this results in quite amusing sentences. Anyway, the subtitles said “finished strings” instead of “thinnest strings”, which confused me. I’m not that good at English yet and my listening comprehension can still be improved.
I wish you all the best and I am really looking forward to your next lesson on Saturday.
Cheers,
Georg
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Brian, the short lessons allow us average punters to do the lesson in a week-that is critical for me. Many thanks for your patience and empathy.
I like the short lessons, when you explain a couple of relatively simple concepts and illustrate them. Some of the lessons become a bit too convoluted for me to put into practice although the lessons always make a lot of sense.
I have been following your lessons for a few years now, and there’s nothing I can say except, “Your the Man”
It seems that lesson help me or don’t help-based on where I’m at in my learning. They ALL help in the sense of repetition drives learning and hearing about any of these details from a slightly different angle is always progress if I absorb even a little. This micro lesson was focused on a few things and that keeps me focused. I always challenge myself to stay up with what you’re saying, and bigger lessons take me all over the place. They’re eye opening but take me less deep. If that makes sense.
Please keep it up! I don’t often use your paid content, but I enjoy investing in the continued creation of fundamentals you share with everyone. Thanks much.
Brian, great lesson! I’d love to see a longer more in depth lesson on this subject. I’m trying to learn triads and how to integrate them with scale play. This was a breakthrough!
Michael,
Check out EP485 and EP486.
Loved this – I usually try and play in the A Pentatonic scale on the Low 3 ( E-A-D). This really helps me broaden that. Great Lesson !
What app do you use to tab your music (… if it ‘s not proprietary) ?
Love
. . .
“and, it looks good on the video. “
Hi Brian, great lesson, especially as I am concentrating on triads at the moment. I’ve been following you for years now and I love everything you do. The one thing I find difficult though is that there is so much information, I sometimes feel overwhelmed. I want to work on things but don’t know where to start.
As I mentioned I’ve been working on triads, so I’ve been going through the triad lessons one by one. I think it would be incredibly helpful if you were able to create learning paths from your lessons for students. Maybe grouped in either levels or certain theory lessons etc.
Anyway I love all you do and am extremly greatful for your website and lessons each week.
Thank you Brian.
Really enjoyed this lesson. Through it and the recent ML111 on triads, my understanding of the CAGED system and its application has grown exponentially. It’s really beginning to click! Thanks!
It may be short but it is HUGE on useful information. Great job Brian.
Brian, Love this kind of lessons.Easy to understand. Just keep them coming Really like your positive way of teaching. Dave
Beautiful – in some other lessons you included double stop . it works here very well when placed w/ sliding , bending …
merci !
I really like these short lessons. Helps reinforce pieces of the CAGED series that you did a while back (EP556, etc) which is something that I am working to master.
But we could play the open d-string with the D6 and D9 so we will have a root !?
I loved this lesson. Please more triad lessons and leads connecting the triads. Really one of the best lessons. Thanks Brian.
These types of lessons are so practical and musical!!!!
Excelent teaching, I never encounterd before such useful infos!
Many thanks from Austria !
Toni
OMG. this valuable mini Lesson is brilliant! So helpful! Thank you, Brian
Very helpful lesson especially using the 6th, 7th and 9th triads . It helped me see connections clearer.
Great lesson for hopeless improvisors like me!!!
I am always amazed at the depth of knowledge Brian demonstrates. In essence Brian’s Channel is like a University of Guitar. Best Value on the Internet. 4 yrs on – and still look forward each week to what nuggets of guitar gold will be revealed in his lessons.
Another great moment of insight to the relationship of chords. Love it1
I love this lesson! I know that the purpose is not to learn the licks note for note. But I learned the licks and then moved them to fit over lesson 610 jam track in E, keeping the triad shapes and pentatonic scales in mind. I also took some licks from lesson 610 and moved them to fit over this jam track in A. Mixing licks from each lesson and trying to picture the pentatonic and triad shapes is opening doors. Sometimes I almost sound like I know what I’m doing. Thank you so much.
love that
Epic Lesson! Finally somebody made it simple!!
Thanks Brian. This is what I am looking for. Lots to work on, but seems accessible.
What a great little lesson! Deceptively simple and I’m loving playing along with the backing track. Perfect for easing myself back in after a long period of not playing. Thanks as ever Brian.
Hi Brian the 6th & 9 chord; the 6th is three frets down from the one chord & 9th is 5 frets down from the one chord. Does this formula work the same for all keys? Thanks Charles
Absolutely brilliant! This lesson opened up my mind and created all kinds of musical possibilities.
As a follow up to this, I am wondering if the progression was in Am. I recently was jamming with friends on Dylan’s Things Have Changed. So a similar Chord progression with Am to Dm into E7. I know you have talked in past about when you can use minor or major pentatonics over major or minor chords.