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Understanding the CAGED System with the Blues – Blues from the E Shape – Guitar Lesson – ML134

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play the Blues by yourself, both chords and lead licks while staying in the same 4 fret region of the fretboard, starting with the E shape.

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Comments

  1. Kevin D says

    February 27, 2026 at 6:59 pm

    great lesson as always how about some hill country blues sometime

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    • Michael Krailo says

      February 27, 2026 at 7:19 pm

      That style is really good stuff. So that is a good suggestion for sure playing on acoustic.

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  2. Michael Krailo says

    February 27, 2026 at 7:21 pm

    We have come full circle and back to the ever popular E shape. This encapsulates the idea of the E shape played in any key which is the whole point. Great lesson.

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  3. Garry H says

    February 27, 2026 at 8:26 pm

    It helps me so much when you break down and out the Major and Minor Scales for these Chords on the screen. I spend lots of time just practicing these scales, and patterns, trouble is, remembering them. This is easier for me to associate all the possibilities up and down the neck once I learn where these patterns are. I see what you are saying about the Caged System. I have so much to learn. About everything! Sometimes it can be discouraging but I’m loving it. Now I have the task of learning the Scale Notes so I can identify the Flat 7 so my blues sound like the blues. I’m not sure if this makes any sense to anyone but…, Thanks Brian you inspire me.

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  4. Michael Allen says

    February 27, 2026 at 9:37 pm

    I love it! Thanks Brian

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  5. RIFF DIGGER says

    February 27, 2026 at 10:54 pm

    That was fun. I enjoyed slowing the tempo down on the Slice and playing along with the Tab. Just the right length for a lesson with alot of meat on the bone. Thanks, Brian!

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  6. T-Bish says

    February 28, 2026 at 4:31 am

    Really enjoyed this series. I found them to be very inspirational to noodle around and discover new sounds. It’s easy to go back to them, watch a few minutes, start creating while upskilling in each shape.

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  7. Lee W says

    February 28, 2026 at 5:16 am

    Totally lived up to expectations. Great lesson rounded off the sequence perfectly. Looking forward to the session where you pull it all together..

    Thanks Brian

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  8. Stephane R says

    February 28, 2026 at 6:01 am

    Brian, the CAGED ML serie was such a good idea. As a long time member, this was the biggest eye opener videos for me. I am interested to see what “put it all together” video this will lead to

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  9. James G says

    February 28, 2026 at 6:50 am

    For me, you are definitely on the right track. No need to elaborate.

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  10. Olivier P says

    February 28, 2026 at 7:12 am

    Another great lesson with the CAGED which is really starting to get under our fingers thanks to these last few weeks and our eminent teacher.

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  11. Daniel H says

    February 28, 2026 at 8:30 am

    Great series Brian! I thought last week’s EP 630 was your hint on how we might move these chord shapes up and down the neck playing a I-IV-V blues.
    Your lessons never cease to amaze me … but more importantly they never cease to teach me. God bless you for sharing your awesome gift of teaching.
    Between your series on attaching scales to the five shapes and this series of clustering the chord shapes around the I chord you have given me an amazing set of tools to improvise! You have helped me elevate my playing to a level I once only dreamed of… so cool. Now if I can only channel John Mayer or Garcia lol!

    Have you considered a tribute lesson to Bob Weir?

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  12. Rob S says

    February 28, 2026 at 9:35 am

    Another excellent lesson! Thank you. i love these MLs. They lay the framework to understand the I, V, IV around each CAGED shape so well. They form the background to understand the major/minor pentatonic in such a clear way. Each of the CAGED MLs has been a lightbulb lesson for me. Just excellent!

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  13. Andreas W says

    February 28, 2026 at 10:12 am

    Danke, danke, danke diese Serie ist extraklasse. Ich freue mich auf die Zusammenfassung.

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  14. Slimpicker says

    February 28, 2026 at 10:33 am

    You have explained the principle of the playing the 4 chord of the 1 chord six ways to Sunday. This concept finally clicked with your explanation in this lesson.

    “YOU JUST HAVE TO PLAY THE CHORD ITSELF, AND THEN IT’S 4 CHORD
    THIS WORKS OVER all 3 chords of your I – IV – V progression.”

    It just took awhile but I am starting to smile!

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  15. Lesley O says

    February 28, 2026 at 10:37 am

    Thankyou so much Brian! Another excellent lesson which will take me a while to get under my fingers, but lots of fun and so well explained as always. I really appreciate the links to ‘shapes’ and ‘patterns’ from your recent lessons on CAGED as well. It’s all starting to fit together and becoming more familiar. I am starting to realise how huge learning to play any instrument really is….both understanding and also getting it ‘under our fingers’ so it becomes natural. A lifetimes work maybe!! For those of use who start at the age of 60, a long way to go!! But every step is fun and interesting and every progress rewarding. Thankyou again for your clear lessons and understanding of all levels of learning for us pupils out here! Our comments must be very useful and rewarding for you as well…..if you don’t get anything back it must be like teaching a brick wall!!

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    • Brian says

      February 28, 2026 at 6:29 pm

      Yes, the comments are super helpful – it’s the only way I really know what works and what doesn’t.

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  16. houliAK says

    February 28, 2026 at 10:49 am

    Absolutely love the ML chord shape blues series! Always nice to see the tricks on how to fit the V chord and stay the same neighborhood. The simple turnaround was a turn on too! I’m surprised I never saw that before! Thank you!

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  17. Paul N says

    February 28, 2026 at 12:12 pm

    The series was really a good idea Brian. Looking forward to you tying it all together. Those non-tradtional “7” chord triads were a light bulb for me. Very cool sounds from them. Thanks!

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  18. Michael W says

    March 1, 2026 at 12:15 am

    I really like this series.

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  19. Matthew G says

    March 1, 2026 at 10:28 am

    I LOVE THIS SERIES! You’re definitely on the right track. Thank you!

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  20. Raymond P says

    March 1, 2026 at 11:10 am

    Great lesson loaded with great ideas. Looking forward to the lesson when you pull it all together.

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  21. Calvin W says

    March 1, 2026 at 12:18 pm

    Great Lesson Brian! It’s really helps me located the cage positions and play all the pentatonics as long as you land on the root notes.

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  22. Siegfried M says

    March 1, 2026 at 12:34 pm

    Many thanks Brian for this cool lesson! I love these insights and the songs that you can play alone without company. Just one thing: seems that from bar 11 onwards there is no sound in the tablature breakdown. Could you please check?
    Best regards
    Sigi

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  23. Jonathan M says

    March 1, 2026 at 4:34 pm

    Brian, This pulled together 6 + months of bouncing around your various lessons -becoming more fluent in CAGED , modes, triads , certain scales in the process. Thank you. But this would be a cherry on top: Can you give us lesson numbers where you have jam tracks for each key/position in other lessons that we can use for ML’s 129/131/132/133/134 to jam against?

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  24. James M says

    March 1, 2026 at 8:19 pm

    Nice! I love these lessons! Thanks, you’re a great teacher! Find the flat 7s!!!!!

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  25. Two Below says

    March 2, 2026 at 5:39 pm

    This series really drove home the concept behind your often-repeated counsel to relate back to the chord shapes. And thanks for the licks.

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  26. Ian F says

    March 2, 2026 at 10:16 pm

    Fantastic learning tool, absolute Gold

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  27. Thomas H says

    March 3, 2026 at 11:24 am

    This weeks nugget for me: landing on flat 7th to get that Blues sound. I knew to land on the note of the Key but not about the flat 7th note. 🎶🎶

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  28. Charles W says

    March 3, 2026 at 11:45 am

    Feels like a firehose!

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  29. Robert W says

    March 3, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    Why are you blocking the fretboard with the black bar??????? logged in as premium member but can’t always see what is going on!!!!!!

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    • Michael D says

      March 3, 2026 at 5:06 pm

      Robert W: I have not seen the black bar you mentioned and I, too, am logged in as a premium member. The only thing I can think to ask is if you have closed captioning turned on and possibly have the text color set to black? I understand why this is an irritation and am just trying to help. Hope you can solve it,

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Recent Lessons

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