Sharing 3 simple guitar breakthroughs ("Lightbulb" moments). What are some of yours?
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- I thought it would be fun to create a little series of "breakthroughs" that we experience on guitar. We all have them, and it's magic when it happens! Share some of your breakthroughs in the comments below and I'll pick a few and use them in the next video!
You are such a natural teacher. Honestly, probably the best I've encountered on either UA-cam or in person. Thank you.
Perfect video for someone like myself, who has been playing for a while without a solid grasp of theory, and completely self-taught. I know some of these things intuitively, and have the playing ability, but each "breakthrough moment" leads me further down the path. Thank you
Oh....my....god! duuuuuuuuuude I so had a breakthrough from this video! I liked and subscribed. Hoping to see more of this. Fantastic.
My biggest breakthrough? Discovering Active Melody. 👍🏻
I second that!
Awe
Ditto!!!
Me too !!
Yep
It might sound odd to others, but learning that triads were just snippets of open and barred chords. I thought they were their own chord patterns that you had to learn on top of other chords. It wasn't until I watched a video just a few months ago that I actually discovered this. After that I could picture where they were, what they looked like, scale pieces, etc. Triads are something that aren't taught to beginners in a way I think they should be. Any beginner book or video is "Learn this C, this barred chord, that Fm" where triads are smaller and easier to do, especially for kids, so can then be extended, they can be taught simple pentatonic lines with three strings. They kind of help sew together all these pieces you pick up. So please stick with teaching with triads. It has been invaluable 🙂
I have many breakthroughs from your lessons Brian. A really big one I learned from Mark Smith teaching bass was chord tones. Not just learning the tones, but learning 3 shapes by starting on the tonic with the pointer finger, the pinky or the the middle finger. Each starting finger walks you through the same cord tones in 3 directions. Wow
Hi Brian, these lightbulb ideas are very helpful.
What has been helpful for me was focusing on the high E, the B and G strings for solo phrasing.
Texas blues alley has a 5 part phrasing lesson that was great.
He started with first position pentatonic
Then Albert King Box
Bb box
Clapton box
Major box.
It was great! Looking at the b and g string as roots was eye opening. I recommend it for mid level players like me.
Brian, your videos Have helped me a lot! Thank you.
Would you be open to doing your version of these lessons too?
You are appreciated Sir!
This was great, thanks!
My breakthrough? I don't use a flat pick... just fingers. First one was learning the five string banjo. It sent my fingers to the moon. Second one was learning a bluegrass FLATPICKING SONG by using my thumb and pointer finger as my "pick". Then, my single string runs went into overdrive. Finally, something a flat picker can never do.... Play a ragtime tune with counterpoint. That creates your melody AND baseline at the same time. Then run with it throughout all of your playing. It's like three dimensional chess.
Chord manipulation for me was massive. Instead of memorizing shapes for all these different chords...sus2, sus4, dominant 7, maj7, etc...i learned to just "manipulate" either the 3rd, 5th, or 7th... Which can be done at different areas of the chord for different sounds.
Learn to play triad scales diatonically up and down the neck, then in the same position for example, 4th to 7th fret.. then learn to play the scales/modes in the same 3 frets and up and down the neck after that.. you have mastered a very strong foundation to adapt to any style of music. Also, you can play any mode using the same fingering.. just make the 1st note the 1st note of the mode you want to play in
My Light Bulb moment was when,after about 3-4 years of trying I’m just gonna have to sit back and Listen to the Slow Blues and Forget learning to play the Electric Guitar 😩😩
😂Lol! I feel your pain man, don’t give up!
I had a recording engineer once tell me “Remember that silence is music too.” Man was he right! It is often that the spaces between the notes that are what make solos great. Watch (and listen to) BB and Eric Clapton and you’ll see and hear what I mean. Guitar players are often guilty of playing “too many notes”. Relax and let it all simmer!
CAGED was my biggest breakthrough, by far! I felt like a blind man suddenly able to see. I believe “The CAGED System” to be the manual that should be included with every guitar.
Bought a new acoustic amplifier. Discovery ? My playing is not ready to be any louder than it is for now.
LOL. The beauty of music lies in the ears of the beholder. If it sounds good to you turn it up! If you want to get your wife out of the house for a few hours turn it up!
That the three bass strings are E A D. Combined with the triads you have a really simple 1 4 5 progression. Add a capo and wow, you can supply a simple bass line to most songs.
When I started playing the guitar I was overwhelmed by the idea that I “had” to learn all five shapes of the pentatonic scale at the same time. It took me a while to understand that you can get a lot of mileage out of smaller concepts (1st pentatonic position and extension/slide into the “house shape” of the 2nd position or just the “BB box” itself). Now I love these little concepts that I can use as a starting point, in learning and playing, and venture out into bigger things.
I had uncountable lightbulb moments from your lessons in the last year alone and your teaching style inspires me. Keep up the fantastic work!
I subscribed to a guitar site and gave up on theory when I was told in the first lesson to practice the major scale in 1st position, naming the notes, AND the number of that note in the scale, for each of the 12 keys... smh.
Totally agree. It's all about mental mapping. Me too.
Some great blues players pretty much only play in the first minor pentatonic box. Anson Funderburg and Jimmy Vaughn come to mine.
I’m a slow learner and don’t really have breakthroughs. However, I recently came across some video I had made of me playing about a year ago, and I was amazed at how far I had come. I’m still not very good, but at least I’m better than I was.
@CrasherXtreme Xoxoxo same here only it’s because I retired so it’s been really slow for me considering I started playing at 11 years old.😉Anyway I love active melody!!
I second that thought...my issue is How do I develop tone? I have a tele....
@@cindyziegra2596 l
Thank you for your support...I won't give up,!
@@dpmahoney125 regardless of the guitar, can I suggest you try and play really softly , i mean really soft, try that, it was a recent light bulb moment for me, the notes still shine through but almost zero chance of any fret buzz and less missing strings or playing more strings than u want to by accident. Also the string can breath so to speak and the tone will be there. If u find a really sweet sounding note you can easily accent it by striking it a bit harder, then go back to quiet mode , or whatever you feel. Believe me i ain't no expert, but it is working for me so far. cheers
Hi Brian, an aha moment for me was when I learned that you can play a major pentatonic in the same shape of minor three frets down! I’m an Active Melody member and love your lessons!
Aha!!! 🤩
Waaaaaaaaaaait...
What?
@@custerranch thats about the relative minor, so if you are in major scale song, find the root note on the E(6) string and move down 3 frets and play the minor pentatonic shape from there. , so in say a song is in B flat major, OMG , dont panic , find B flat on string 6, being the 6th fret, then move down to the 3rd fret on E string and play the minor petatonic ( G Minor P scale) the relative minor of any key is always three frets down , and vice / versa . If u play the minor pentatonic say in F# starting on fret 2 , ( 1 st position ) you are also playing the A major pentatonic scale, they are the same notes, Brian has lessons , great lessons, covering this topic. Ignore me but he nails it , hope that sort of helps.
cheers
It was ten years in that I discovered the major, minor, and modes exist as one pattern on the fretboard, just starting on different notes.
Biggest breakthrough for me to date.
I’m kinda glad I figured that on my 2nd year of playing. It’s all connected.
Same here, the relative major and minor relationship! Then the targeting of the root note! Then the smile!
@@EngRMP hello. What do you mean by 2-1 ? Can you give note examples from low e string on up ? Thanks for the insight
I was 20 years in !
Fantastic video, as always, Brian! I would love it if you continue this series -- call it Breakthroughs or Lightbulb Moments, something else; whatever you like -- and share a couple insights like these each time. As you see from the Comments here, a lot of your fans have great lightbulb moments of their own to share, so maybe you could try to incorporate at least one fan insight per installment of this series.
One of the most important lightbulb moments that I had in my learning journey is about harmonized major scales. By that I mean once I learned how to find the chords in each major scale -- start with a major chord in the root note, then go minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished, and back to the root note's major chord -- it really opened up and connected the neck for me. Now whenever I practice scales, I almost always take a moment to play the full stack of chords associated with it. Makes it fun for improv and noodling, too. Sometime I'll just do something real simple like go from the ii to the I back and forth, nothing else, and embellish with little licks and riffs...even something with just a few ingredients can be a whole lot of fun!
The biggest "lightbulb" moment for me was when I discovered triads-small 3 note chord shapes. Before then I always thought you had to play the entire barre chord and that was difficult at best for me. Another was a trick to learning the notes on the fretboard...you know the one about going two strings down and two frets over to find the octave...that opened up the door to making it easier to learn the notes on the fretboard.
Same for me. I can't think of anything I've discovered that, from which, I've got more mileage. BTW, I noticed Brian's next lesson is exactly on this subject.
Do you have a link for said learning fretboard? TY.
I would do this practice routine where I'd loop a single chord usually played fairly slow so to leave alot of space. So say I used A chord and then I would solo and find where all the A notes were on the fretboard and spend time playing all kinds of different licks around all the different A notes. Then the next day I would do a B chord. It was really helpful for knowing all the different places I could go to play the same note and understanding how each key is related.
Agreed. Probably the most important "lightbulb moment" in my guitar life.
I've had many "breakthroughs" but the biggest was realizing tablature was holding me back, by only teaching me how to copy. I avoid it, and wish most teachers would too. I learned to learn by ear and knowing the notes by name, which means knowing the notes and intervals of chords, which means "playing the changes." This makes it far easier to find chords all over the neck without having to memorize them, opening up my creativity. Ditch the tablature, listen to the players you admire, especially horn and sax players, and learn by imitating, just like we learn how to talk.
Why horn and sax players? Is it bc they imorovise alot and leave a room for us to leaen by ear or...?
Agree hundo p
Nobody has played horn or sax for 50 years. You must be old af with this outdated advice.
@@jamesball5743 Your ignorance is exceeded only by your rudeness.
@@jamesball5743 alot of the 80's and early 90's ditched the guitar solo for sax.. wasn't that long ago..
seems that I'm first. Wonna tell you here from Europe: for me you are one of the best on YT! 😘 Learned so much!
Active Melody is a gem 💎
This lesson COMBINED with this comment section is pure gold! Thanks!
Another breakthrough. When I started learning scales and soloing, I would noodle through scales and wonder why it didn't sound as good as many of the tutorials on line. Then one instructor told me something that most other videos don't mention. If you start and finish your licks on the Root note, you solos will sound soo much better. Also focus on the 5th as well. This may seem like common sense to seasoned players, but I think it gets lost in the shuffle to less advanced players.
Jack, what exactly is the 5th ? is it the 5th note in a 12 note scale, also is the 1st the root note ?
@@CommViewer The first meaning the root note. And yes the first meaning the 5th note in whatever scale you are playing.
This is a very important point. I was doing the exact same thing and wondering why. I also figured out that if you hit the route note twice instead of once at the end of your lick it’ll sound pretty cool. Eric Clapton does that a lot.
After way too many years it was also pointed out to me that starting a solo on the 6 is also a pretty safe bet. It’s a note that has a lesser impact on whatever chord you’re starting with. If you’re playing in G, try starting your solo on the E above, for example.
I’ve just started with some home-made backing tracks - and I’m finding this as well. It’s great fun to solo - but I keep reminding myself that I shouldn’t worry about not keeping up with the manaiacal shredders out there… I have no need of that type of soloing!
Mine was to take a breathe between your phrasing in a solo, much like a singer - rather than continuously playing your lead without pause.
one bulb was finding modal patterns in the pentatonic patterns by just adding the missing 2 notes to the scale, they are all there -hiding in plain sight! (HINT: Draw Fretboard Diagrams) Another bulb was relative major and minor scales being exactly the same. Brightest bulb, triads!
My biggest break through lately is seeing chords inside of the 5 pentatonic positions.
Ive been playing 22 years. I feel i wasted the first 20 years. UA-cam wasnt around when i was starting. I literally no excuses for not progressing. Great channel.
Breakthroughs finding active melody 5 years ago.
My breakthrough- combining CAGED chords and pentatonic scales
"You're drinking out of a Fire Hose"... ROFL !.. Cleverest Metaphor I've heard in Ages !.. !!.. Love it.. :) :)
southern expression ;)
1. Every note is either correct or a half tone away from correct. 2. The experience of the listener has zero to do with how my ego thinks I should or do sound. 3. My shortcomings can inform my style rather than being a subject of self recrimination. 4. Rhythm is KING!!!!! The pocket is all there is!
Rest notes, i figured out after 30 years, are the best notes!
That's it right there.
Totally .... when our band started we were just playing some simple blues tunes. One of the things that we would periodically do is hold a note for 12 bars, then the second verse you could tell the tension was there and melodic creativity would take over. So yes ... I'm a firm believer in rest notes!
@@jrbird7571 a rest note is the silence inbetween the notes.
@@pcb8059true .... duh ... don’t know what I was thinking.
@@jrbird7571 Thats cool, Took me 30 years to figure out why my guitar playing always sounded like unmelodic shit, and that a rest note wasn't where i play the rest of my notes. lol.
Break through moment: When i realized their is no trick, shortcut, or substitute for the thousands of hours of practice it takes to have those lightbulb moments occur. If you still think you are not good or improving, the way you practice and what you practice is why.
Holy fuck this comment section is a brilliant learning resource (Video too ofcourse)
Great lightbulb moment for me ~ discovering the “reverse” drop D, or “fake G,” tuning. Drop your 1st string down to D,
which gives you the top four strings of an open G tuning. Slide is mainly played on strings 1-2-3-4 so when you drop
the 1st (instead of 6th) a whole step to D you have that to work with. In the meantime, chords, power chords and other
formations are still easy to play. Figuring out how to incorporate that 1st string with the others is not difficult. Upside?
If you don’t want to bring two guitars, you can flip into that fake G real easy and get some nice, bluesy/country sounds.
It’s also called the Memphis Minnie Tuning, so I guess she played it a lot. Cool and easy trick.
My lightbulb moments:
-FOR MANY, IT IS PLAIN STUPID TO PLAY THE GUITAR IN STANDARD TUNING. P4 TUNING (e-a-d-g-c-f) CAN BE THE FAST TRACK TO MUSICAL SELF EXPRESSION WITH THE LEAST FRUSTRATION...
-there is no "ONE proper way" to play/hold/pick/etc the guitar, most have their uses...
-you don't have to play "that" song "that" exact way...
-...don't have to learn and understand everything than play, it can come the other way round...
-...don't even have to learn all the notes (see Buzz Mann's comment a week ago on number system), better focus on numbered scale grades and intervals...
-patterns and shapes (consistently) exist and make everything easier and quicker through muscle memory...
-...so it pays to think (a lot) about them and where they interconnect...
-any "wrong" note is often only 1 fret away from a good one...
-3 note shell voicings are pure gold
+1-ing Buzz Mann
on this truth about any ole fret position:
E: Dominant root (V)
A: Tonic root (I)
D: Subdominant root (IV)
with VI, VII, II and III just a slide of 2 frets (or 1 fret in minor VI) away.
Was lost in the Forrest for many years. Using you for a guide, I am now recognizing many of the trees ✌️🎸
For me, it was when the 5 pentatonics shapes fit and finally made sense
Triads, 3rds and 6ths have never been explained so easily.
Check out his lesson on 6 and 9 chords too EP 362
My breakthrough came when I stopped treating playing guitar as a task and chore and started to just playing and learning and having fun ..at ..my own pace...
I can relate to that............a wise man once told me to "enjoy the journey" and that has stuck with me for years :-)
I’m embarrassed to say that the eureka moment for me was discovering 1-4, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 1-4, 1-4 - just find the key and go. Mind blown 😀 No kidding.
And after two 1-4's there are always three 1-3's
@@laurensedenburg8144 - I can only take on so much 😀
Is that the 'shape' of the first position pentatonic?
@@richardross4747 It is, but it's key to recognize that it is contained in the other 5 positions as well.
Pat Cleary- Yes! Things became more clear to me when I stopped thinking about fret numbers, and started thinking about finger 1-4. Also that similar shapes are contained in each of the 5 positions, just starting from different spots.
Less is more, listen to brass/wind instrumentalists and the way they phrase. They know when to stop and when to run, because at some point they have to breathe :D
My biggest breakthrough ever was listening to Jerry Garcia for the first time. Totally changed the way I thought about lead guitar.
I stood ten feet from Jerry several times over the years, I soaked a bunch of great licks from him and many other top players over the years at concerts
Indeed!
Hi, I need to get into Grateful Dead - what would be your recommended album? Cheers.
@@bungalowbluesman Easy. American Beauty. One from the Vault and for some good mind melting Live/Dead
@@walkingtal4157 Thank you - I’ll look it up. 👍🏻
One of my breakthroughs involved learning notes on the fretboard. By learning where the B and C notes are and the E and F, which both pairs are the only natural notes a half step apart, I had a nice set of landmarks to make learning the other note locations much easier.
I asked my buddy (who is one of my favorite guitar players) if he could give me a guitar lesson in six words (in honor of the Ernest Hemmingway poem).
He responded:
Major, minor, minor
Major, Major, minor,
(diminished)
e.g. C, d, e, F, G, a, B(dim)
He didn't get it in six words, but it has been a valuable resource to me in learning the chords in the major scale.
Brian is a Magician as I am not an English-speaking guy, but I can understand him very well and his teachings are awesome. Thanks a lot ;)
the pentatonic light bulb was awesome when it came on but the best is when i finally understood the concept of keys and chord progressions, 1 4 5 etc. it was then i started writing my own melodies with out having to guess what chords would sound good together.
So glad I learned about the circle of 5ths. I feel very fortunate that I was taught about keys and how chords progressions work, in one of my very first guitar lessons. It's the foundation of everything else.
I have been playing 59 years. I still play. I quit trying to learn new stuff. Quit trying to "get better." I just play ... sometimes the same stuff over and over ... I just play whatever I like, over and over. Anything to keep the lights on ... and it's a lot of fun. THAT is what counts for those of us who are no longer making money with a chopper, but need to keep from pulling the plug ...
Light bulb moments- actually by realizing there are some must know concepts as they apply to music theory has opened my mind to playing the guitar better and creating:
1. Know the order of sharps- FCGDAEB- come up with a sentence to memorize this. And know that F is sharp in G, F&C in D, FCG in A, FCGD in E and so on- look at the pattern
2. Know the order of Modes- IDPLMAL- come up with a sentence to memorize this.
3. know that the I,V, IV chords are major and the rest minor with the exception of the 7th chord. The Minor scale- same thing- the i, iv, v are minor all else major but the 2 chord is Diminished. You can embelish all chords with 1, 3,5, 7,9,11 13's.
My break through was that in the key of Aminor the first pentatonic position the 5th fret has two extensions notes G A on the 6 string and C D on the fifth string same notes on 4th string 5 fret , 7 fret 3rd string 5 fret , 7 fret same notes 2nd string 8 fret, 10 fret 1st string 8 fret, 10 fret happens in any key great way to make your solo melodically up the fret board
Good stuff Brian. With regards to modes, I'll add a few tips. They seem daunting to many people for good reason. Just memorizing their names seems weird, because they are words most people have never seen before. Like you mentioned using an acronym to remember the names and order helped me a lot. I used "I Don't Punch Like Muhammad A Li". As far as remembering which modes are Major/minor, just like the chords in a scale, the 1, 4 and 5 modes are major and the 2.3.6 are minor. I ignore Locrian. :)
My breakthrough was when I started visually and physically finding the natural note E F & G pattern and the B C & D pattern everywhere on the neck; finding those two half step whole step patterns helped me memorize all the notes on the fretboard.
I’ve tried to get this across to beginning students, but they often don’t understand the value of the lesson. It’s huge!
@@aintnobfd-barrycrannell I don't understand the value of this - can you expand?
@@alanivory2459 Hi Alan. Provided you know the names of the open strings, this will let you figure out what the next notes are on a given string. If you’re on the D string you’ll go a full step to play the E note, but only another half step to get to the F, then a whole step (2 frets) to the G. Same on the A string - whole step to B, half step to C. This is all important for communication for one thing. If someone says play a C note on the B string, you can find it based on this information. When you want to find what makes a given chord, you’ll be able to deconstruct it to its individual components. Am is ACE for example. That leads you to what makes it a minor? Compare it to an A major and you’ve made a discovery.
Here’s what the low E looks like from being open to the 12th fret
E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D D# E
If this doesn’t help, I’ll give more you more information as needed
@@aintnobfd-barrycrannell Hi Barry, Thanks for the reply. I'm fairly proficient with knowing the notes but was just curious as to this aspect as I hadn't heard anyonme mention this before. I take it that it is a case of these two blocks becoming reference points to help anchor you or am I missing something?
Thanks, Brian for another enlightening video. Your lessons on slow blues were my major breakthroughs. The way you teach the CAGED system is unparalleled!
I have "Old Tubelight Moments" -- takes me 20 years to light up
my latest breakthrough : stop being a gear addict and actually start learning how to play guitar the proper way after 40 years of playing ( yes , including some musictherory , wich i always hated and could or would not understand ) , so bye bye to all the nice gear that is just overkill ( it's a human nature thing this collecting guitargear or whatever , i know , and although it's nice to have , it doesn't make a person a better guitar player ) .
The first big break through for me was not playing "whole" chord. The second was your lesson on just working in a box or the one on the triangle and square. I learned that I was choking on too much information. Just need to focus on saying a lot with a little.
me too , i am in a duo and we are learning evil ways, Santana, so its G minor >C , Gminor minor >C for the main verse riff. I play the Gminor as a triad 3rd fret, then just move one finger to the A shape C major chord, and my piano playing amigo says , you aren't playing Gminor and I just played the triad version rather than the whole chord, and said ok what chord is it then ? he STFU soon after that. Probably thinks I know more than I do... ha ha , piano players that know main Guitar chord shapes ..... He is a very accomplished pianist though I must say , it was a fun moment and yes Doug the triangle and square lesson from Brian is a MUST see ,anybody reading this.
What kind of guitar are you using here you said? Thanks
I played for 20 years inbetween having teachers. I thought I didn't need one anymore. Having someone come to your home to teach you really helps because they can see stuff about your playing that you cannot. Learn the notes of the fretboard is a huge thing. Learn where the 3rd and the 5th and the 7th note are in relation to the root note on different parts of the fretboard.... Learn how to move your picking hand fast. Troy Grady videos are inspiration.... Thanks for your great videos. They are general too basic for me but I appreciate your enthusiasm and I do learn stuff...
CAGED and more recently, as Josh Smith says, that we shouldn’t play *over* the chords but THROUGH them
Nice phrasing that.
I learn a lot of these take aways from your lessons but what I still can’t do is pull out those example riffs and grooves you play spontaneously out of those spots. I can slow down and copy what you did but if I try to come up with something on my own it sounds limited in expression and not that interesting. Any advice? Maybe just keep copying until something just flows out?
I think a good point is to play think you like and that come into your mind. If its already in your mind than its a good startingpoint to play it. At the beginning it sounds difficult and it takes years of practice but playing without a plan is having as many connections between what your musical mind is thinking and what you can play from these thoughts.
Very cool thing I realized recently. If you take a 6th string root E shape A7, there are three areas of the tritone, ie. major 3rd, flat7, around that chord. They align in a diagonal from the 4th and 3rd strings down to the high E. Like wise if you take the A shape D7 and E7, there are three areas of the tritone around that shape. You can use the idea to comp a blues rhythm or use the tritone diads as very relevant chord tones in your solo. Charjo
Lots of breakthroughs throughout my experience but when I figured out the triad pattern groupings (root, 1st, 2nd inversions) it was a game changer. Opened up the entire fretboard and tied everything together.
First position A chord shape, and first position D chord shape moved up and down the neck was a big break through for me.
yeah the movable open d chord shape is big , so easy to go to and sounds can often sound brighter than the full open chord , cuts through frequency wise.... c shape moves well too
For me after many years it was realizing (because you have taught it to me many times..thanks you Brian) that it all comes down to chord shapes...I now look at lead and fills in that context and it has made the fretboard less of a mystery.
Hi Brian. Having played a lifetime of rhythm before tackling the unending lead journey, the three you mention were/are, also key for me. I initially started lead by noodling out of the E chord shape (often A major and the A triad) and very early on found locating Box 2 of the major pentatonic there, as well as good old box one from out of that shape/area, helpful. Also, learning the notes on the neck but specifically, getting string 5 down (knew 6 string from rhythm) so that all the shapes I had been playing for years, started making more sense and I could see the pieces of the chord. Then the other strings were easier to learn because of corresponding octaves. Third, I learned the basics of theory. Not how to read music (still play by ear) but relative to then understanding degrees of scales, creation of scales, why they are important and what they are useful for, which also naturally led to modes. Lastly, I am avid about rhythm in all my playing and over the years finger picking arpeggios out of the chord shape helped me translate that to lead as well. So, knowing the basics of theory and how and why scales are created, the caged system, and arpeggios...are a lot of what keeps me noodling. I know it's nothing new, just taking the opportunity to share because I know how much it meant to me when the internet gave me access to people willing to share the 'secrets' of their journey. I see a lot of your journey in my journey and your lessons are always useful. I'm always grateful to renew my subscription and keep learning and head nodding with you. Stay safe and keep creating, Brian. You get better in every way, with age. How bout that weather?! Musically, Sue
This demand at least a monthly "Light bulbs" videos series! You're the best teacher on the tube. Period
My breakthrough was Playing 1/3-1/6 ths by starting on a major chord then going up the neck in scale steps W W h W W W h AND....going Major, minor, minor, Major Major etc. You were doing it but didn't say. Or go minor triad then major major.... at least that's what I think I thought l meant....
I like your presentation of a very relevant "light bulb" concept. And of course people who just blindly memorize shapes and copy tabs are really taking a very long dimly lit road (albeit important). So many ways to see this though. Very cool. And I like the way you throw in a few licks and runs so the student can see/hear how it sounds against what is happening in the underlying chord. Even if they copy and reproduce you lick, they will "feel/her" it under their fingers. (also nice CAGED reference nuances as well).
Alternatively - Another very related way to see/think how (what you have demonstrated) it works, is how the double stop fits into the chords' triads of the key:
EX: We have: --- > M m m M M m dim. When doing a double stop run ( up or down) sure, you could just memorize the shape pattern -OR- think about where you ( you fingers) are and the next chord to follow from the M m m M M m dim outline. Any 2 tones form the triad will work. Yet another way to see and develop a maturity of the fretboard, seeing shapes as chord elements, triads, voicings, inversions, "flavor". What I am saying is this... suppose your are in C. The diatonic chords will be C d e F G a Bdim. (uppercase = MAJOR, lowercase = minor)
If you start your double stop run up with a C, the next shape must be from the d, then e, the F, G, etc. the Maj will be the diagonal, the minor will be the horizontal ( from the highest 3 strings o f the bar chord). See what you are paying that way - as if you were just grabbing 2 notes from the chord triad as you run up or down your double stop run. This is really better than just blindly memorizing the shapes without seeing the shape as a part of the underlying chord. Listen to Fooled Around And Fell in Love solo, also I can Help is super cool for seeing and hearing this come to life.
This is possibly one of the best tutorials I have seen in years! My nemesis is spending too much time watching tutorial videos and not actually practicing. Breakthrough moment: Practice, practice, practice. Question: last part of the video - Why is it a 6th and not a 5th?
I didn't understand most of this. .you flew thru it. .
I had a “breakthrough” yesterday while watching your video where you explain the “box” idea! I’ve been playing for 20 years and have NEVER been able to get past the point of only playing chords…..not that that’s bad, I just want to grow. After watching that video I have begun writing LEAD guitar parts to all the songs I’ve written over those 20 years. I’m so excited and great full for that video. Other people have tried explaining what you said in the video and I have tried so hard to figure it out, but, you put it in a way that just opened my eyes and it was like suddenly seeing the light!
I want to tell you
I'm learning so much from you
I only watch your videos now
Please keep up the great work!
i) Planning what I needed to practice (which can be different to what I want to practice!) in 15 minute chucks and Implementing a timer 5, 10 or 15 minutes for focused practise on that one item you want to nail, repeat for the next item in your practice session. Helped me not get bogged down and made my practice routine much more constructive. ii) very basic knowledge of circle of fifths, just print out and keep a copy nearby iii) realising that the end of one pentatonic shape is actually the start of the next, like adjoining jigsaw pieces.
Spooky! I figured lightbulbs 1 and 2 myself TODAY! Actually, I’ve been following your videos for a while and those connections between the A shape and the Mixo scale and e major pentatonic are almost a logical consequence. I think it was episode 362 where you explained the triads: that one lit 💡 💡 💡 all over my head... Thanks for the lessons! Keep em coming. (Nice new 🎸 btw...).
My biggest break through was learning how major scales can blend with the pentatonic scale patterns, Active Melody has done more to help me since joining in December 2020 than anything I've tried. Brian speaks our language........
Come in strong on the one
Maybe this is more about theory than guitar, but, learning that the second, third, and sixth, chords in a particular key will be minor. Ex: harmonize chords up the neck: G-Am-Bm-c-d-Em F#
Helped figure out progressions faster, choose doublestops, see intervals, triads and chords up and down the neck. Also really helpful in composition to decide consciously when the "break the rules."
A good breakthrough for me was memorizing the respective 1st, third, and fifth notes in every CAGED triad shape so by extension then you can easily find the 4th, the flat third and the flat 7 in all of those shapes. This really then adds color to your soloing rather than just hitting triad notes all the time.
Great lesson.
Carol Kaye says “know your chords and how they’re made!”
As succinct as one can get. I agree absolutely. Chord dissecting.
Nice hat! That was my stomping ground for twenty years and I bought my first guitar in Cookeville. I enjoy your teaching methods. They inspire me. Keep on truckin.
i love your video's keep it up
@Active Melody..
My breakthroughs are very similar to yours I find a lot the times its such a simple yet huge step it makes me wander how It took so long to appear for example I remember trying to learn Claptons unplugged first track the Bossa nova track after so long I gave in the chords changes and fingers were impossible about 6 months later practicing some other track I all of a sudden released the fingerings were actually very easy went back to the Clapton track 20mins later I had down perfectas literary moving on finger either off or on or moving the shape a step up or down. What I learnt though which was the most important breakthrough was something I had always used as a young squash player which made become one the top youngsters in the world at the time, this is 30 years ago, that lesson was never to only practice or only try what you've been taught ,told is the right or the only way it can be done and ignore what I was told was the wrong way. So my philosophy has always been never discard any idea or something unconventional you have seen work and go home and try that method out and see what comes from it, could be not only a new approach but also the solution however unconventional on paper it looks to your original problem. So what I try to do is learn a new style be it a picking method a different genre of music which is new and fresh, what I have learnt that 1 you learn something new to add to your style and also a lot of the times you back to an old track you tried learning or even something of your own that you have hit a brick wall with all of a sudden possibilities you never considered open up and you end up finishing off those old tracks and new one come much easier..My Philosophy is there is no right or wrong way only your way so never discard anything even a style or genre not to your tasting you might find that 1 lick that opens a whole new world! thanks you have been a great help in my devolvement always easy to follow the mark of a great teacher!
Learn your triads! They are food for your fingers. Learning the triads based on the CAGED shape chords was my biggest breakthrough.
Hey,
Sooooo, that bit about linking the a shape to the 1st minor pentatonic should work for all major chords using the a shape? I'll give this a go. Guess I should watch the remainder of this video first! Thanks Brian!
Dave in the Adirondacks 🤠
This is my first time here, I'll have to think about that. I've been playing (gigging) for 50 years. I learned the Nashville System very early on and it has served me well, now I'm trying to understand a little theory, more than Mel Bay book-1 anyway. LOL Thanks!! --gary
My biggest aha moments/breakthroughs: discovering the CAGED system and short scale guitars 😄
Yep - Short scale guitars like my Gibson HP415W (J45 w/a cutaway & walnut back & sides), & a Fender Mustang & Gibson style electric guitars do help. I love my Telecaster so much that I put a Warmouth Conversion neck on it to make it Gibson Scale Length. But the Mustang is really fun - 24” scale. So fun that it feels like a toy.
@@3cardmonty602 I would love a short scale telecaster!
Get a full sized bass and play it for a few weeks. Every guitar will be short scale after that.
But ya. Short scale is good for little people.
Finally memorizing every note on the fretboard was a breakthrough, for sure.
Seeing how you can play the same licks in different positions helps to show how the patterns are really all the same, just starting on different strings and accounting for the shift on the B string.
This particular lesson was bit beyond me, but thanks for all your output! Gorgeous guitar, a real beaut, enjoy, you deserve it!
My breakthrough came in learning where all the root notes are on the fretboard from which I can solo off of. Lessons EP342 & EP380 really helped me a lot in this respect. Especially since I love the Blues.
thank you ..but i find you speak too much ..just short explain would heelp more...blessings
Probably my biggest breakthrough was discovering that learning a technique then practicing on three different guitars (electric, nylon string, and acoustic) has helped me make chord adjustments on the fly. This has allowed me the freedom to explore a wide variety of new sounds on the guitar. And I'll have to say that your "bite-size" - try this concept - and explore has made a huge difference in my positive progress on the guitar. Thanks so much for your great lessons!
From the “Better late than never” file; (as I only stumbled across it recently) diminished chords and lines are a great sauce for blues.
Lightbulb was the harmonized 3rds and sixths...either skip a string or play adjacent...but seeing and knowing where they come from in the scale......ah HA
Honestly..... in my opinion you're one of the best music(guitar) teachers I've come across!
Yeah I do it.
Started accidentally trying to jazz up a sound.
Now I’m stuck in it lol
👋😂🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
One of my lightbulb moments was realising that the 3 different patterns in 3 note per string scales where always the same sequence. With time i came to recognise the intervals so i wasn't lost in scales. Then practising arpeggios in the scale to give me more bases to stop at.
It's always worthwhile changing the way we view fingerboard. I would really like to interview some topnotch guitar players and understand their approach to navigating fretboard HAHA!
After years of playing without understanding, CAGED is showing me everything about the fretboard, notes and intervals.
Reminds me of Robby Krieger. Great video, very useful stuff. Thanks