Theory & Improv with Brendan Burns

Skill Building Guitar Course from Brendan Burns

Brendan Burns talks about the circle of fifths, intervals and more to help you in your playing.

27 Lessons

Complete course with step-by-step lessons and practice examples.

Multi-Camera

Course filmed with 6 cameras for the perfect angles.

86% Appoval

39 of 42 of our members have given this their approval.

Tabs & Info

Download tabs, helpers, JamTracks and docs included with lessons.

Included

Access this course, along with all other courses with Membership.

Full Course Breakdown

Brendan Burns talks about the circle of fifths, intervals and more to help you in your playing.

1

Cycle Five

Brendan Burns explains the circle of fifths and how to navigate it on the neck of the guitar.

11:22 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
2

Interval Workout Chapter One

Brendan Burns demonstrates an exercise that will help you locate and play octaves on the guitar.

12:35 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

3

Interval Workout Chapter Two

Brendan Burns focuses on the fifth interval in chapter two of the interval workout.

6:58 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

4

Interval Workout Chapter Three

In the third interval workout chapter, Brendan discusses and demonstrates the perfect fourth interval.

6:30 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

5

Interval Workout Chapter Four

In chapter four of his interval workout series, Brendan discusses and demonstrates the major third interval.

3:43 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

6

Interval Workout Chapter Five

In chapter five of his interval workout, Brendan demonstrates the minor third intervals.

4:10 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

7

Interval Workout Chapter Six

Brendan Burns demonstrates the tritone intervals.

3:51 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

8

Interval Workout Chapter Seven

Brendan Burns demonstrates the major second intervals.

3:02 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

9

Interval Workout Chapter Eight

Brendan Burns demonstrates the minor second intervals.

2:42 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

10

Interval Workout Chapter Nine

Brendan Burns demonstrates the major sixth intervals.

3:15 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

11

Interval Workout Chapter Ten

Brendan Burns demonstrates the minor sixth intervals.

2:54 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

12

Interval Workout Chapter Eleven

Brendan Burns demonstrates the major seventh intervals.

2:26 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

13

Interval Workout Chapter Twelve

The final interval workout from Brendan Burns features the flat seventh or minor seventh interval.

4:46 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

14

Modal Navigation #1

Brendan returns to show us how to navigate modes on the guitar using one string up and down the neck.

29:45 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

15

Modal Navigation #2

Brendan continues his navigation series by showing us how to play the modes on two strings.

23:33 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

16

Modal Navigation #3

Brendan wraps up his Modal Navigation mini-series by showing us how to play the modes on three strings.

37:14 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

17

Harmonic Pentatonic Improvisation #1

Brendan teaches us how to improve our improvisation using just the major pentatonic scale.

27:31 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

18

Harmonic Pentatonic Improvisation #2

Brendan continues in the Harmonic Pentatonic Improvisation series by showing us some exercises with the minor pentatonic scale.

11:30 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

19

Harmonic Pentatonic Improvisation #3

Brendan wraps up his Harmonic Pentatonic Improvisation series by showing us how it all fits together when improvising over diatonic chord progressions.

16:00 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

20

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #1

In this new mini-series, Brendan shows us various chromatic ways to approach triads on an arpeggio level. This first lesson deals with approaching the major and minor triads from one half-step below the chord tone.

20:23 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

21

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #2

Next up in Brendan's mini-series, Chromatic Approaches for Triads, he shows us approaches from one chromatic note above the chord tones. As Brendan would say: "Super fun, super easy, super awesome!"

14:59 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

22

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #3

Brendan demonstrates the next chromatic approach in the series: one chromatic note below and one from above the chord tone.

15:37 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

23

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #4

Brendan concludes the first half of the Chromatic Approaches to Triads series by reviewing the "one above/one below" approach to the chord tones.

13:57 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

24

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #5

In the second half of Brendan's series, he looks at double chromatic approaches to the triad chord tones from below.

17:02 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

25

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #6

Brendan continues to explore the cool sounds of chromatic approaches. Here, he looks at double chromatic approaches to the triad chord tones from above.

15:46 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

26

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #7

Brendan continues in his Chromatic Approaches series by showing us the double approaches from below and above. There are some great sounds here to integrate into your improv!

19:51 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

27

Chromatic Approaches for Triads #8

Brendan concludes this mini-series with a look at the last set of chromatic approaches: two half steps from above and two from below

17:37 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

Let's Start. Together.

Setup your account and explore our courses, teaching tools and resources.

Get Started
  • Nashville, Tenesse
  • Playing since 1988
  • 179 lessons at JamPlay
Brendan has been passionate about music since childhood. He began his studies on trumpet, in elementary school, and then moved to guitar as a teenager. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Berklee College of Music, and has studied with Norm Zocher, Joe Stump, Bret Willmott, Bob Pilkington, Jay Weik, Tim Miller, & Charlie Banacos.

While at Berklee, Brendan was a member of the Music Mentoring Program, teaching private lessons to gifted high school students. He is currently teaches, and is chair of the guitar department at Brookline Music School. Brendan also teaches guitar for Tune Foolery & privately at his home in Cambridge, MA.

Along with educating, Brendan plays out often as a Solo Guitarist, performing standards, pop, and classical repertoire. He has recorded and played with the chamber-fusion band Ra Quintent, and as well as Vessela Stoyanova's Eastern Stories Under Western Skies Project. Brendan also performs as a leader, director and sideman for various Boston art-rock projects, and is former member of MIT's Gamelan Galak Tika.
Reviews & Feedback 86/100 with 42 ratings
JakeRhodes

I'm learning the notes on the fretboard right now, so this fits in perfectly.

mariemusic

Improvisation techniques