You NEED This to Make Jamming in 2026 SIMPLER Than Ever
You NEED This to Make Jamming in 2026 SIMPLER Than Ever
Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on a dead-simple five-note framework you can slap onto any major chord and start jamming. No endless scales, no complicated theory. Just a starting point so you're not stuck in one box.
We're using three chords:
- E major (open)
- A barre based on the E shape, fifth fret (or just the power chord)
- B same E-shape idea, seventh fret (or just the power chord)
Same five-note relationship on each one.
The Five Notes on E
Play your E chord. Simple rhythm: 1 2 3, and if you want, palm mute 1 and 2, then let beat 4 ring.
Then the notes:
- Sixth string: 2nd fret, 4th fret
- Fifth string: 2nd fret, 4th fret
- Fourth string: 2nd fret
That's 2-4, 2-4, 2. Play it a little quick. You can hammer on to the fourth fret with your third finger so you're only picking the 2s.
The skill to build: go from the chord to these notes in time. Repeat it. Pause the video and loop it until the muscle memory is there.
Same Relationship on A
You can play A as a power chord: first finger on the fifth fret of the sixth string, third finger on the seventh fret of the fifth string, pinky on the seventh fret of the fourth string. Full E-shape barre is optional: add second finger on the sixth fret of the third string, barre 5 for the first and second strings. I'm playing the barre in the video. Power chord is fine.
When we played E, the root was the open sixth string. First note after that was two frets higher, then two frets higher again, same on the next string, then the second fret on the fourth string.
On A, the root is on 5. So the notes are 7 and 9 on the sixth, 7 and 9 on the fifth, then 7 on the fourth. It fits the A chord.
Same job: chord, then notes, in time. Repeat.
Same Relationship on B
B power chord on 7 and 9, or the full chord. Root is on 7, so the notes are 9 and 11, 9 and 11, then 9.
Practice it the same way.
Put It in Time Like Music
On E (and then A, then B):
- Chord measure: 1 2 3 4 (quarter notes)
- Notes measure: 1 and 2 and 3 (eighth notes — feels twice as fast)
1 2 3 4, then 1 and 2 and 3. You can add those hammer-ons.
Once each chord is comfortable, string them together: E a couple times, A a couple times, B a couple times, keep repeating and changing. Super simple progression. You could go back to A, you could do a blues pattern, whatever. The lick tags onto these chords and sounds good right away.
Don't Always Play the Lick the Same Way
I want this to be a framework. On A, with those five notes, you can play anything you want with them. You don't have to only walk up. In the video I even added one extra note (9 on the fourth string). That's cool. Build your own licks.
Order of operations:
- Muscle memory: chord → notes, in time. That's critical.
- Then change the lick up. Make your own stuff. That's where it starts to change the game.
When I was first learning, if I was on E I would sit in E major pentatonic or minor pentatonic and stay there when the A chord came. I don't have to. These notes fit the A chord better. Same with B. Instead of one scale shape for the whole jam, you move with the chord. You don't have to understand all the theory. Use your ear. Play what sounds good.
This shape as I taught it today fits over major chords.
Two Ways to Use This on Minor Chords
Not every song is all major.
Easy way: stay right where you played the chord, but start the same pattern on the fifth string. Example on A: 5 and 7 on the fifth string, 5 and 7 on the fourth string, 5 on the third string, back to 7 on the fourth. Same idea on E and on B. Easiest because you don't have to shift.
Next level: instead of going up two frets from the root, go up five frets. On E, the major version started two frets up. Minor version: move first finger up and play 5 and 7, 5 and 7, then 5. Same shape we used for major starting on the sixth string, just five frets up instead of two.
- A minor version that way: 10 and 12
- B: 12 and 14
Example from the lesson: E major (major version of the lick), next chord G# minor (minor version), then A major, then B major. Simple starting point that sounds like it fits each chord. You're not stuck in a box.
Play around with it. If you've got questions, drop them on the video.
If you want a simple place to start, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.
And hang out with other adult guitar players in the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.
About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.
