Electric Guitar Super Master Licks

Electric guitar Super master licks

Compile: Babak salek mahdi

Face book/babak salek mahdi

Here we have a stylised lead break, taken from Jeff Loomis‟s solo on The Learning from the album The Politics Of Ecstasy. In the first bar we have some melodic alternate picking in E Harmonic Minor R 2 b3 4 5 b6 7, which develops into a pedal tone phrase before exiting in bar 2 with a nice semi-tone bend into an Em Pentatonic type lick. A consistent and even picking tone will be needed, with all notes very lightly palm muted. On the exit bend in bar 2, be aware of the tone of the note and the subsequent vibrato as these elements are the key in gaining the modern rock sound needed for this style.

In bars 3 and 4, there is a continuation with the melodic alternate picking phrases. Try to make sure that the tip of the left hand index finger is muting the string above the one being played as that is where most unwanted noise will come from. Also try to work on the right amount of palm mute needed to achieve good clarity and note separation. The phrase ends on a note which is presented with heavy tone-wide vibrato which should be pulled downwards in direction using the wrist.

In bars 5 and 6 we have a semi tone bend into a wide vibrato note. Be very careful with the intonation of any semi tone bends as they can sound dreadful if executed poorly! Then the open string at the end of bar 5 sets up a glorious sounding Em add9 arpeggio R 2(9) b3 5 which uses a sweeping technique in bar 6. Your left hand thumb will need to be positioned at the middle of the back of the neck in order to stretch out for the notes on the A string. Practice this bar as an exercise, slowly at first while you gain the accuracy. The pick should pull up through the strings when descending and when ascending rest on the next string before pushing through. The left hand should fret one note at a time so as to get good note separation.

Finally bars 7 and 8 carry on the momentum of the previous phrase with a series of sweep picked, 3 string E diminished triads leading to a tension and release E minor to Eb diminished cadence, outlined by some classic 4 and 5 string arpeggio shapes. Especially with the last two arpeggios, it will be necessary to practice very slowly at first as they are positioned at the very end of the fretboard where there is no room for error! Lastly the exit note bend in bar 9 finishes the presentation of this solo with wide vibrato.

Ex 1a, b, c: Here we have the three main shapes and their fingerings. All major scale / modal shapes have only three main fingerings. Exercise 3a shows the fingering 1, 3 and 4, exercise 3b shows the fingering 1, 2 and 4, and 3c shows the 1, 2 and 4 fingering applied to a wider shape of two consecutive tones. Try to memorise these general scale rules as they target the strongest combinations and are the standard for most of the highly proficient players. Remember the pick direction is accented on the beat and memorised by tapping the foot with it.

Ex 2: This exercise is in sextuplets and takes our three main fingerings and applies them to a repetition fragment which should be practiced continuously for 5 minutes, taking breaks where there is any build up of tension in which case shake out. Mute the string above the one being played with the fleshy tip of the fretting hand index finger. The remaining strings should be muted by the palm-edge of the picking hand. This position will also serve as an anchor of stability from which the wrist can freely move back and forth in an even arc over the string.

Ex 3: Now we have a lick made from the pattern that we have been working on. When repetition exercises are practiced, we improve our timing, tone, accuracy and stamina, but not necessarily our musicality and understanding of the context. Listening to players that use this technique is essential in order to learn how best to place the technique. Also the exercises can be shortened into smaller, more localised bursts which include an exit, or finishing phrase which is often a

4 bend or vibrato. This example is a quick burn up the neck from the 5th degree of A Dorian up to a finishing half step bend from the 9th up to the b3. Check for signs of tension and try to remain relaxed moving from the wrist with no arm motion or signs of muscular movement on the top of the forearm near the elbow. Also check your jaw/facial muscles aren‟t moving in sympathy to the exercise and your breathing is normal! –seriously, I see it all the time, watch out!!

Ex 4: This next exercise applies our “outside” the string picking pattern to 3 symmetrical scale shapes in A Dorian (ii in G major). These shapes are great to start off with as they use the three main scale fingerings. On the first beat, we use fingers 1, 3 and 4. On beat two, we use fingers 1, 2 and 4, and on beat three we use fingers 1, 2 and 4. The thumb should be in the upper area of the back of the neck which you may notice yields a slight forward angle on the fingers. The index finger mutes the string above the one being played, the picking hand palm mute takes care of unattended strings on the bass side. With the exception of the index which lays fairly flat on the pad, the remaining fingers should be arched at the pre-knuckle (first small joint below the nail).

Ex 5: This next exercise is using “Inside” the string technique, and you‟ll see the motion of the pick, rather than moving around the string as in the “outside” version, remains between the two strings. Many top players have commented that this is a more difficult motion than its “outside” counterpart and as speed starts to develop, may need additional work. Both “inside” and “outside” the string are used in equal amounts in the majority of runs that modern rock players frequently use. At first you should strike the first note per string as an accent, to really feel the distance between the strings. As the speed develops you will need to refine the motion, picking lightly and with even velocity.

Ex 6: This lick is a Paul Gilbert style idea. This time after the same initial fragment, we have a shift on the high E string with the little finger followed by a shift on the B string with the index, which rapidly ascends the 2 string set. The lick finishes with a half step bend from the 9th to the b3 and places our destination within the boundary of Position 3 A minor Pentatonic.

Ex 7: Here we have another Paul Gilbert style run, this time over all 6 strings. Make sure the motion is from the wrist and there is no tension or muscular upwards movement in the area between the upper forearm and crook of the elbow. Aim to lightly mute the bass side, right back at the bridge where the strings pass over the saddles and open the notes as you move to the treble side. As you will want to keep the angle of the pick the same on each new string, be aware that although the individual pick strokes come from the wrist, the arm does move down slightly to maintain consistent pick angle and mute unwanted string noise. The fretting hand index finger mutes the string above the one being played with the fleshy tip. So between the two hands, the runs should be clean and defined.

Ex 8: This next example is a long run which moves from the low F#, across the entire fretboard, through all positions. In bar 1, we have a 12 note interlocking symmetrical shape made from position 6 and 7 A Dorian fragments. This initial 12 note phrase is then repeated an octave

6 higher. In bar 2, the run develops on 2 strings, ascending with a series of shifts before descending with a 6 string run in A Dorian position 4. Then from bar 4, we have two 4 string runs up to the finishing half-step bend from the 9th up to the b3rd in position 1 A Minor (caged). This run is made from concepts used by players like Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci. As well as being a test in accuracy and stamina, long runs like this can then be spliced down into a whole vocabulary of shorter ideas with the addition of an “exit” note.

Ex 9: This next example is a quintuplet six string run down the A Dorian mode in position 4 (A- shape Caged). Try to keep the run at an even velocity of tone by swinging the pick wide over each string with contact right on the tip of the pick. Accent each string, noting the downstrokes on beats 1 and 3, and upstrokes on beats 2 and 4. The exit or finish note, uses “pull downwards” tone-wide rock vibrato. Use the wrist pivoting from the heavily angled index finger/ thumb over clamp and pull downwards using wrist rotation, the fingers themselves should remain rigid.

Ex 10: Here we have a descending septuplet run across all six strings, finishing with tone-wide “pull downwards” rock vibrato. Try to ensure that on the fretting hand, you are aware of the index finger muting the string above the one you are currently playing by stubbing the flesh of the tip of the finger into the string above. The index should also rest flat over any strings underneath the one being played in order to mute off any unwanted string noise.

Ex 1a b c: Here are 3, ½ roll repetition exercises that are sub-divided into „a, b and c. ‟The significance of this system is that all the „a‟ exercises concentrate on the low strings with a stretch of 2 tones between each finger. These exercises should be played with the first, second and fourth fingers. The „b‟ exercises concentrate on the middle string set with a semi-tone and a tone, played again using the first, second and fourth, and the „c‟ exercises are on the top strings with a tone and semi-tone between the first, third and fourth fingers.

In all these exercises be aware of the following things: Fretting hand: follow the rule that in order to keep the technique clean you set up the first finger to mute the string above the one you are playing, most noise will come from this string. The first finger will make contact with the string that you are playing lower down on its pad, compared to the other fingers that should be slightly arched and making contact nearer the tip. As a result of this you should see that the first finger is lying over any higher strings and muting them too. When you do fig 1a, all the strings would be muted by the first finger except the low string being played, as you cross onto the A string, the tip of the index finger then mutes the string above (the previously played low E string) and all the higher treble strings underneath the finger. The right hand starts to mute as you move up to the middle two strings, so when playing on the D string for example, the right hand will mute off the low E string by resting on the heel of the hand, which may also involve the fleshy thumbpad

8 resting lightly on the front of the guitar. So between the two hands it is possible to obtain a completely clean technique with no string noise in the background.

Picking hand : follow the rule that legato is a technique that is based on the principle that you only pick the first note on any string and all subsequent notes are either hammer-ons or pull-offs. Follow the picking directions on the tab and make the strokes light enough that they do not interfere with the fluid sound of the technique.

Ex 2 : After the repetition fragments, we can explore the next level and apply our skills to 6 string runs. In bar 1, the technique is applied to the scale shape and in bar 2, the run is applied over 3 octaves, Octave blocks are very common visual pathways on the fretboard in modern rock. Simply take the first 2 strings (6 notes) of any scale shape and then play up in octaves rather than following the scale position. You‟ll notice that the pattern that is established on the first 2 strings is identical as it moves over the string sets. This is good for potential speed. Once you have become accustomed to this example, do the same in all 7 positions. It‟s a great way to memorise your scale/octave patterns whilst practicing your technique.

Ex 3: In this example, we are joining position 6 and position 7 symmetrical 2 string patterns together before applying over the fretboard in 3 octave blocks every 2 beats. The last note uses tone wide rock vibrato. The linking together of symmetrical shapes is common in modern rock as it facilitates longer fretboard coverage and lends itself more readily to faster ideas than the more offset, unsymmetrical areas. The “Exit” or finishing note uses tone-wide/ push-upwards rock vibrato and is played on the index finger. In order to get the aggressive vibrato happening, it is important as you ascend onto the high two strings, that your thumb moves to the top of the back of the neck and over upon hitting the finishing note. The vibrato comes from a rotation of the wrist similar to turning a key in a lock and pivots from the thumb over the neck and index finger

9 jammed just above the main knuckle under the fretboard. The fingers themselves must remain rigid.

Ex 4: These next repetition fragments give a workout for the development of groupings of five. Try to tap your foot on the metronome and strive for an even velocity with the picked notes being the same dynamic level as the hammer-ons and pull-offs. The first example has three notes on the lower string and seven on the higher string. This equals ten, so despite the string change after three notes, we still feel it as two groups of five. Therefore concentrate on tapping your foot on the high fourth finger hammer-on and try to hit harder slightly in order to accent it. This will help lock in the five‟s feel. Imagine a pendulum swinging and you are accenting the lowest and highest notes and reinforcing that feel by tapping your foot. Keep your thumb in the middle of the back of the neck with your hand wide open and close to the fretboard in order to mute.

Ex 5 and 6: These next two examples are odd note groupings played through with the full roll legato technique and are in the style of highly influential rock virtuoso Joe Satriani. Highly recommended is Joe‟s legendary guitar instrumental debut “Surfing with the Alien,” released in 1987. The first example is in quintuplets and the second example is the same run applied to septuplets which is a roll and a half. Listen to the slow audio demonstration to feel the timing and learn and memorise slowly with good tone and timing before applying any speed. Try to keep all notes equal in velocity and even in tone. This style of legato requires more stamina than our earlier ½ roll examples and will need short but regular daily practice sessions to gain familiarity over a week or so. When any tension builds up in the forearm, it is critical to shake off immediately. The licks both exit on a bend from the b7 to the root note A. After the bend, lodge the pick into the string above to ensure a clean tone wide rock vibrato.

Ex 7 : Here we have a run that uses a combination of ½ and Full roll technique all played as sixteenth notes. Again, try to really feel the accent on each beat, and tap your foot to reinforce the feel. It is challenging at first to get the absolute smoothness and timing to make a 3 note per string scale sound as strict sixteenth notes.

Ex 8: This next example is a sixteenth note phrase with the slide every two beats. The slide enables us to glide through the positions seamlessly. Aim to play the pick strokes as lightly as possible and maintain an even velocity through the positions. Try to perfect the time keeping by playing along with the slow version, building speed gradually over months of daily practice. I have recorded the remaining examples firstly at our slow “learn” tempo of 60bpm, then at standard top sixteenth note speed of 160bpm and then to demonstrate the freeform effect I have kept the tempo at 160bpm and played as fast as possible trying to feel the nearest and most convenient target exit note. This may seem haphazard, but most modern rock players use this technique as a fifth gear and are often more conscious of the effect that it creates rather than strict subdivisions. Once you can play sixteenths at 160bpm, you‟ll find that you can easily

11 accelerate the technique and play freely over the pulse whilst still being aware of the beats underneath.

Ex 9 : Here we have a sixteenth note example which takes the previous pattern concept and applies it to a greater range. On the exit notes on all these runs, as we are in A Dorian we will try to target notes that can be viewed as within the Aminor Pentatonic framework as they will be strong against the backing Aminor chord. So we could say that the runs are using the mode to cover distance and the pentatonic scale acts as the resolving point whereby we can carry on improvising with our basic blues vocabulary, but presented in a modern rock way with aggressive tone wide vibrato.

Ex 10: This next example is a descending run in the style of rock virtuoso Steve Vai. Highly recommended is his instrumental album “Passion and Warfare,” released in 1990, as well as his earlier albums with David Lee Roth. The example moves down through the positions using full roll Legato and slides. Notice the absence of the pick on the way down as fretting hand hammer- ons lead onto the new string each time. This enables a smoother more fluid sound and is common in modern rock players of the mid to late 1980‟s. Try to strive for an equal balance in the velocity of the hammer-ons and pull-offs. The hammer-on is slightly different sounding to the pull-off and so we will try to minimise this difference with clean accurate technique.

Ex 1: This example is in the style of rock guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen who released his incredible debut album “Rising Force” in 1984. This Sweeping pattern targets the upstroke motion and descends through the A minor inversions, before ascending back up A diminished. On the A minor triads, the second beat is fingered 4 and 1 on the high E string, followed by finger 2 on the B string and finger 1 on the G string. On beat 3, you will need to barre and roll the fretting hand index finger across the three strings The A Diminished retains the same exact shape as it ascends and is fingered 4 and 1 on the high E string, followed by finger 2 on the B string and finger 3 on the G string. On the upstroke Sweep, try to feel the pick pulling up through the strings, like a stick through park railings, all in a single motion. The fretting hand articulate each note individually rather than holding the chord shape. This technique is finger on, finger off and you should listen out for clean note separation.

Ex 2: This next example is another Yngwie Malmsteen style lick in sextuplets that utilises a quick succession of ascending A minor Sweep triads into a bend on the high E, fifteenth fret from the b7 up to the root note A. Follow the picking directions, gently palm muting the Sweep

13 downstroke and target the first note of each beat by very quickly sliding the little finger into position.

Ex 3: Here we have an example which descends our sextuplet pattern in A minor and ascends with F diminished triad inversions. The F diminished triad can be played over E7 and implies an E Phrygian Dominant sound (R b2 3 4 5 b6 b7) E Phrygian Dominant is the fifth mode of A Harmonic Minor scale (R 2 b3 4 5 b6 7) Remember as formula that you can play diminished a semi-tone higher than the root note of a dominant 7 chord and you will have access to the Harmonic Minor sound. This is because the notes of the F diminished triad viewed from the perspective of E makes an E7b9 chord which is the V chord which leads us back to our resolving Aminor. On the example, try to tap your foot and sync up the metronome click to the upstroke on all except the first beat which is initiated with a downstroke.

Ex 4: This next example is again in the style of the great Yngwie Malmsteen and is comprised of A minor and F diminished (same as E7b9) inversions and is a V – I progression in A minor. The diminished triads will provide tension as they are functioning as a V in the key of A Harmonic Minor, which is resolved to A Natural Minor with the minor inversions. Exits on a half step bend up to the b3 of the resolving A minor chord. Altogether, the sound is classically based and would be influenced by classical single line instruments like violin and flute. Learn slowly by concentrating on a couple of bars at a time, gradually expanding until the whole piece has been memorised and after a couple of weeks of practice at learn speed, increase the tempo on a weekly basis.

Ex 5: This first example lays out the three main forms for the A minor triad (R, b3, 5). The first form starts from the b3rd and is in position 1, relative to the CAGED system. Starting off with a downstroke and hammer-on, all notes from the D string down are played using a sweep stroke or single motion. All notes should ring out evenly and separately with no dissonant clashes, finger on finger off. The second and third notes in bar 1, use the 4th finger to roll over the adjacent notes, however if you are higher up the fretboard in the key of Dm for example, it would be more common to use the third finger to execute the roll.

Finger choices may vary depending on where you are on the fretboard in some small cases such as this. On the top three strings, the fretting hand index fingerpad will roll across the strings with a slight pull back from the arm as well as a slight roll from the index finger pre-knuckle (last joint on finger under the nail). For the second form which starts from the 5th degree in bar 2, in order to play the first two notes without the hand jerking from side to side, position the thumb on the lower half of the middle of the back of the neck in order to maximise the stretch. This form covers both position 2 and 3 of the CAGED system territories.

Fingering wise, after the initial 1 and 4 on the low A string, use fingers 2, 1, 2, 1 ,4 for the remaining notes. On the third form, which is position 4 of the CAGED system, starting from the root in bar 3, again you will need to utilise the fretting hand rolling technique on the third and fourth notes which are played with the third finger. Once you have rolled from the third to the fourth note, the fretting hand third finger will serve to mute the previous note with its very tip, so careful and accurate positioning of the finger responsible for the rolling technique is vital to ensure good note separation. Likewise when descending to the roll, the third finger arrives on the G string muting the string above with its tip, before pinching onto the D string and raising up slightly from the previous note. All bars should at first be considered separate exercises,

15 practiced for 5 minute at a time daily. After a week or two, try joining them all up and practice them all as an overall exercise.

Ex 6: Here we have an example in the style of rock virtuoso Jason Becker. Notice between the third and fourth notes of beat 2 in both bars 1 and 2, that there is a hooking round of the pick as the direction of the triad changes. Try to apply very light palm muting to the three downstrokes on the 3 string sweep triad. As the picking hand moves slightly from the arm downwards across the strings, try to mute off the notes that are left un-played with the side edge of the palm. Also bear in mind the usual advice of muting the string above the one being played with the tip of the fretting hand index finger as well as all strings underneath.

Ex 7:This next example, expands upon our 3 string ideas, and presents the full 5 string position 3 (C shape), Amin and Gmajor triads. They are both voiced with the root note on the low A string and along with the Right Handed Tap are 3 octaves in range. After the initial Sweeping stroke, Left Handed Tapping is utilised for the descent. Hammer down on the fretting hand notes hard and from a height at first, all notes should be even in velocity. Use the 2nd finger on the right hand to tap, holding the pick as usual so as to combine fluidly the Sweeping stroke which takes place over the actual fretboard.

Ex 8: Here we have a sixteenth note cascade of Sweep/Tap arpeggios superimposed over a static Amin7 chord. The line ascends one arpeggio and descends the next via a position shift on the high E string. Starting with position 4, Cmajor7 arpeggio, the line ascends with a Sweep stroke before a Legato and Tap full roll takes us to the second Right Hand Tap in beat 4 which must be executed with the fretting hand 4th (little) finger. At this point the hand moves back into a descending D7 arpeggio. From here the same kind of move applies to an ascending Amin7 arpeggio moving into a descending Gmaj7 arpeggio. To finish we move from an ascending Amin7 arpeggio in position 3 (C shape) to a descending Emin7 arpeggio before exiting on the 5th relative to our tonal centre of Amin7/ Dorian. Again this lick will need to be memorised in 1 bar phrases, gradually building up the lick in sections. Practice very slowly until a feeling of inner accuracy and tone develops before applying speed.

Killer Sweeps! – How to Play Guitar Solos

When learning how to play guitar solos there are quite a few flashy techniques that can make you stand out from the crowd, and all have varying levels of difficulty. There is however one technique that is feared by the masses, and if you can tame it, will make you stand out in any crowd as being an expert on your chosen instrument!

That of course, is Sweep Picking.

Sweep Picking is simply the technique of playing the individual notes of an arpeggio in a „sweeping‟ motion, and is one of the quickest ways around the neck while playing individual notes. An Arpeggio literally means „broken chord‟ and can be used with any chord shape. In essence, you sweep (technique) over the arpeggio (notes) to create a devastating assault on the listener…

Let‟s take a look at some examples and then we‟ll get into the nuts and bolts of it and get you on your way!

Key points to note when learning to sweep:

1. Keep a firm grip on the broom!

2. play around with different picking positions – i find it much easier to turn my picking hand slightly to the right and cut through the notes rather than playing with the pick level with the strings.

3. As with all techniques practice slowly with a metronome or drum machine, and only speed up once it‟s fluid and you have clean notes (This is one technique that it pays to learn properly and take the time to get it right, the rewards are well worth the effort!).

4. Make up your own patterns and when you feel a little more comfortable with it, throw in a slide or a hammer on here and there (see video for examples of this) and spice it up a little.

5. Always push yourself with new patterns and don‟t let yourself get too comfortable.

WARNING: Hammer-ons and pull-offs can kill! Warm up and take frequent shake-off breaks. Try to pull outwards and downwards away from the string lightly so you can hear the resonance of the pull-off.

Ex 1: Here we have the ½ roll tapping technique that stunned the world in 1978! The example is a single string A minor triad with the root note on the index finger, the b3rd played using the 4th finger, and the 5th degree is tapped at the 12th fret. The main consideration of the technique is clean and timely execution and you will need to be aware of the interplay between fretting and picking (tapping) hand muting techniques. Follow the rule that the fretting hand index always mutes the string above the one being played. In this case we will be on the high E string, so mute the B string above, all remaining strings are then muted off with the tapping hand as the thumb pad/heel of the hand rests gently on the strings. Hold the pick as usual and use the second finger to tap firmly. I would advise that you pull off from the tap downwards and outwards and try to get all notes equal in power and velocity to achieve the smoothest tone. Pulling off in an upwards direction is also common, so try both if you are new to the technique.

Ex 2: Here we have an A minor triad with the 6th as a melody note in bar 1, moving into bar 2 with a B minor triad on beats 1 and 2 and a G major triad on beats 3 and 4. Then in bar 3 we see a G diminished triad in beats 1 and 2, followed in beats 3 and 4 with an A major triad, finishing in bar 4 with an A diminished triad resolving to a B major triad. This example ends like a lick with an “Exit” or finishing note. This is the key to integrating the technique into other areas of your vocabulary. This particular “Third Finger Slide Exit” is one of several common in EVH‟s playing. I would advise that the fourth finger is used up to the very last tap, and then quickly swap to the third for the slide and wide vibrato.

Ex 3: This next example is a rapid fire lick in E minor, and can be viewed within the territory of the Minor Pentatonic scale, with the 9th on the B string Tap added as a colour note and in order to keep the lick symmetrical. The examples demonstrates a method commonly used by EVH to exit from ½ roll Tapping licks, the “Reverse pattern to Bend” exit or finishing note, which effectively turns the lick around and allows for an easier landing on the final note which is then immediately bent from the b7 up to the Root note, ending on tone-wide/ push-upwards rock vibrato.

Ex 4a, b, c : Here we have the three main full-roll repetition fragments in A Dorian, starting in the first position caged area at the 5th fret. On the first exercise, fingers 1, 3 and 4 are used on the fretting hand. On the second, fingers 1, 2 and 4 are used and on the third, fingers 1,2 and 4 are used. Try to keep all the notes even in velocity, aiming for a smooth and fluid tone. The pick

21 which starts the exercise off, is written in a bracket to indicate that there is no re-pick on the repetition. Try to keep the exercise repeating continuously and always shake off when any tension occurs. The pick will play the first note over the fretboard near to where the tap is executed and will then rest, muting the lower strings in that position, there is no need to bring the picking hand back to the conventional bridge position. On the audio example, these initial fragments are played at a “learn speed” of triplets at 70bpm, followed by an intermediate speed of sextuplets at 70bpm, finishing with a top standard speed of sextuplets at 140bpm.

Ex 5: This next example develops our 2 string fragment over three strings starting in position 1 A Dorian. Both bars can be isolated at first and are very good static repetition exercises in their own right. Once the descending and ascending patterns have been memorised, join them together to form the whole example. The phrase ends on the b7, with tone wide, push upwards rock vibrato. As with this technique in general, the timing and tone are the most important factors, no speed can occur or be of any quality unless timing and tone through accuracy are firmly in place, so practice slowly and build speed on a gradual basis, often staying at a certain speeds for weeks especially as you get to the faster tempos.

Ex 6: Here we have an example in the style rock virtuoso Reb Beach(Winger/Dokken/Whitesnake). As we are fairly high up in position 5 (3-notes-per string) or starting in position 4 from a caged point of view around the R5th A minor chord, it is common to see rock players use fingers 1, 2 and 3 on the fretting hand for this particular shape and this also lends more of an angle to the hand which in turn sets up a good position for the “exit” or finishing phrase. The traditional classically based “correct” fingering of 1,2 and 4 should also be developed as you will see both commonly used in different circumstances. Regardless of the fingerings used, I would advise that the exit phrase uses the 3rd finger for the fretting hand Tap

(or hammer-on from nowhere), setting the hand up at an angle for the final bend on the b7. Once the lick is played, visualise yourself in the high position 1, A minor Pentatonic scale and continue improvising. This way you will start to integrate these new licks in with your present vocabulary.

Ex 7: Here we have an ascending D major scale, but as you‟ll hear an E minor pad on the audio CD, we will be viewing the E note as the root. This means we are looking at our D major scale from the perspective of its second mode, E Dorian, therefore the first note of our scale shape will be viewed as the b7. Anytime you are playing over a minor chord, simply move back a whole step and play the major scale shape and you will access the Dorian sound starting on the b7. As you play through slowly at first, try to be aware of any string noise, with all notes equal in velocity. When ascending, the first note on each string is hammered down with the fretting hand index finger, on the descent in bar 2, the right hand Tap leads the pattern across the strings.

Ex 8: Here we have an unusual sounding idea which uses 5ths to create a colourful, intervallic sound, followed by a fast left and right handed scalar passage in A Dorian (R 2 b3 4 5 6 b7). Again, try to pay particular attention to the muting of un-played strings so as to keep it clean. Learn the lick in small sections at a very slow speed until memorised before applying speed. The fretting hand index generally will be weak unless you are already familiar with this approach, and much time in the early stages of development will be focussed on the strength, accuracy and muting using this all important finger.

Ex 9: This first example is an ascending and descending roll through an A Minor 7 (R b3 5 b7) arpeggio in position 4 of the Caged system (visualise the position 4 “A” shape barre chord for Am). All these arpeggios should be visualised around the corresponding Caged minor chords. Hammer down the first note with the fretting hand index finger from a height, and practice landing so as to mute the string above with the index tip, and all underneath. Fingering wise I would advise fingers 1 and 4 for three fret (minor 3rd) stretches and 1 and 3 for the two fret (tone) spacing. Some players will also use fingers 1 and 3 throughout so there is room for experimentation. The thumb should be in the middle of the back of the neck with plenty of space around the guitar neck, the hand in a dropped position with the fingers fairly straight and square to the fretboard. Once the shape is memorised, practice slowly and continuously for 3-5 minutes, breaking only to shake off any accumulation of tension.

Ex 10: Here we have an example that utilises a sliding right hand tap on both the G and high E strings. Try to hit the Right Hand Tap hard and shift up and back from the arm, paying particular attention to the timing of the slides. The right hand thumb pad/ heel of the hand will still be effectively muting the lower bass-side strings and you will need to rest on the strings very lightly so as to minimise the sound of the right hand mute as it shifts. The “exit” or finish note is a pull- off from the previous Right Hand Tap. To get the most aggressive tone for the exit, try to pull the Tap off quite hard and follow up with tone-wide “pull-downwards” rock vibrato. Once the exit has been hit, move the picking hand very quickly back to the pick-up area and lock all the strings above the exit note by lodging the pick up into the string above and bringing the thumb in to deaden the un-played lower strings. This lick is demonstrated on the GT CD at “learn” speed, followed by a standard top sixteenth note speed and then as fast as is possible using feel to target the exit on the nearest beat. This is the more common approach in improvisational modern rock. Written solos tend to lean more towards strict sub-divisional lines.

Ex 11: Here we have a 4-notes-per string, string skipped Pentatonic example, with slides on the high E string. It is worth isolating the string where the slides are and making up a separate repetition fragment to hone in on the timing. Try to maintain the pressure on the tapped note as it slides back and forth or it may die away. The motion of the slide may feel fairly jerky and robotic at slow tempo to get the timing precise and moves from the elbow pulling back slightly. Meanwhile the fleshy part of the thumb pad on the right hand, rests lightly on any lower, unattended strings so as to mute.

Ex 12: Here we have a lick that features a sliding Right Hand Tapped note as well as a fretting hand index finger slide on the G string, which takes us from position 4 Am Pentatonic up into position 5. With all the sliding going on, be careful to mute the string above the one being played

25 and all underneath by setting the index finger fairly flat. When you are playing the high E string, the right hand thumb pad/ heel of the hand mutes the lower strings. The lick finishes on the root note with a downstroke, followed by push upwards tone wide rock vibrato.

Riffs

Here we have an amazing sounding legato riff that utilises open strings in conjunction with a two note per string diminished arpeggio. Use fingers 1 and 4 throughout, except for the left hand hammer in beat 3 which is played using the third finger. Try to strive for an even dynamic tone. No note should be louder or weaker sounding than the next, and the pick strokes should be light so as to provide the smooth flow of notes. In beat 4, I gently palm muted the notes to give a more percussive quality.

This riff is played using downstrokes. The movement should come from the wrist not the arm and the pick will want to be angled in order to reduce string friction. The main challenge with this type of riff is in keeping the low open note nicely palm muted to get that chunky sound whilst opening out the power chord. Think of the open note as a bass drum and the chord as the snare and try to bring out that difference in dynamic. In the fourth bar, try to bring out the clash by letting the strings ring into each other.

Here we have a heavy groove, palm muted single line riff that opens out into a powerchord version. Use downstrokes for the eighth notes and alternate picking for the sixteenth notes. Try to keep relaxed, the picking motion coming from the wrist. Aim to get clear note separation with the palm muting and be aware of the importance of fretting hand muting for the rests.

Here we have a 7 string single line riff that features some pull-offs and a nice pinch harmonic before settling into a strict alternate picked idea using the open B as a pedal note. Practice this slowly to gain the articulation with some slight palm muting. Mute off any string noise by keeping the fretting hand index close to the strings as you play the idea.

Here is a riff that utilises some left hand hammer-ons. With this particular technique, practice slowly in order to develop the power and accuracy needed to sound the note clearly. Also you‟ll

29 notice the sixteenth note rests are as important to the groove as the notes themselves, so try to play as staccato as possible, using the left hand fingers to mute all the strings in the rests.

SOLO STUDIES

Here we have a stylised solo excerpt which demonstrates aspects of Michael Romeo‟s improvisational style. The first bar is a fast fluid diminished arpeggio that utilises the right hand Tapping technique. You‟ll notice that the shapes are, on the whole, symmetrically based so after some initial hardship it should be fairly straightforward to execute. Watch out and be aware of the various muting techniques needed to play through this idea cleanly.

In bar 2, the same fluid sound is carried on with a whole-tone scalar run which uses left and right handed Tapping. Aim to wack down on the left hand Taps whilst landing on the string and muting the string above the one you are playing. Try to get all the notes even in velocity. After some bluesy bend phrasing in bars 5 and 6, its Alternate picking to the finish line! The run is in E Natural Minor or Aeolian mode (R 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7). Move from the wrist and try to pick using the tip of the pick at a slight angle. The motion should be light but focussed, be aware of any tension

30 in the right forearm and practice slowly at first building the individual elements of the solo before linking all the sections and increasing speed.

Here we see another common element to JP‟s solos, alternate picked groupings of 5 or quintuplets. As an initial exercise to become accustomed to the odd note feel, try repeating the first 2 beats. The run develops into some string skipping so break it down into sections and practice separately before linking the elements all together. Relax the arm and feel the picking motion from the wrist.

This last example is a solo study based on some of Steve Vai‟s trademark techniques and improvisational devices. The backing track is based on C Lydian (R 2 3 #4 5 6 7 ) for the first four bars, followed by a change to A Dorian (R 2 b3 4 5 6 b7) for the next five bars. Both these modes are in the key of Gmajor, and in fact the same vocabulary of ideas can be used over both of these modal sounds. The first half of the solo is played using a wah pedal, the first four bars with the wah fully forward in it‟s treble position. This sharp and cutting tone especially helps to bring out the pinch harmonics that are featured in the first three bars. In bars 4-5, there is some whammy bar work, that serves to highlight the way Vai applies different sounds to each individual note of a melody line. I would advise memorising the line without any nuance, and then working on each note separately with the whammy bar, firstly a reverse slide into the first note of the phrase, then an upwards scoop on the second note, followed by a plain note then two gargles before finishing with a scoop/doop! Then in bars 5 and 6 there is an ascending three octave Gmaj7 arp which slides up to the fifteenth fret and descends a Cmaj7 arpeggio, both these arpeggios are in the key of G and are commonly superimposed over both C Lydian and A Dorian progressions.

Bars 7 and 8 contain a semi tone bend, so good intonation is required and this leads to a phrase that utilises a left hand hammer. It is very common in modern rock solos to see this feature as it saves extra pick work and allows a smoother tone.

Bars 9-12 feature a long fluid legato run that is extended on the top three strings with some right hand tapped notes. The run is in the key of G, the underlying tonal centre has now changed to A Dorian. From a vocabulary point of view, this run will in fact work well over any mode in the key of G major. Once the first note has been picked, there is no more picking at all until the phrase concludes with a pinch harmonic. Again, left handed tapping is used to cross the strings, with slides enabling the shift from one position to the next. Although the groupings are comprised of fives, sixes and sevens, you would benefit from learning this initially as semi quavers to a metronome, with all notes evenly spaced, picking up on the overall feel of the run by listening to the example. Often the reason for the varied groupings is a result of intentional acceleration and deceleration as you feel the target note approaching. Bars 13 and 14 features a cool intervallic idea with whammy scoops. Be careful muting any unwanted string noise as with lots of gain, the whammy can cause serious disturbance! Remember to mute the string above the one you are playing with your left hand index finger tip.Try to hold the whammy bar in between your right hand third and fourth fingers, enabling you to pick the first note of each string. Bar 15 features a very rapid position shift that will need to be practiced slowly to get the accuracy. Again, you‟ll notice a left handed tap before the pinch harmonics at the end of the bar. Lastly in bar 16, there is a Vai trademark pentatonic run. This run can be confusing at first as it

34 contains double notes, in other words the same note is played on two separate strings. Concentrate on the timing and be aware of the left handed taps. The run will require a full stretch in this key, so place the thumb around the lower part of the neck and open your hand span right out so that the fingers are hovering over the frets. The solo ends in bar 17 with a pinch harmonic tone-wide vibrato note. All of these components should be broken down step by step and worked on in isolation until proficiency is gained. Then start linking some of the elements together and from there start to build the profile of the entire piece.

Doom metal

When i recorded this lick, i wrote a backing track based around A Dorian (ii in G) with the progression Am7 // Bm7 // Cmaj7 / / Bm7 // and improvised around with some moves connecting some major and minor 7 shapes, starting with a position 4 sweep Am7 arpeggio extended with 4 notes on the fretting hand and two right hand taps played with the second and third fingers, which was something i was working on at the time after watching Rusty Cooley! From here, after the succession of descending arps, i moved onto the high E and headed home to 1st position to finish with some kind of rock-fusion phrase and I had to stop and spend some time working out how i would end the lick, but it was pretty much a few passes of improv and i had a line or row of notes which would work as a lick and i played them over the track in a freeform kind of way. I point this out as there are solos which are fairly subdivisional and fairly easy to read rhythmically speaking, often written and composed, and then there is the freeform approach where patterns you may learn as say sixteenth notes or sextuplets are simply raced across the beat to heighten the intensity and give a more ambiguous rhythmic effect. If the notes are well spaced but ahead of tempo, it can give a nice freeform effect to fast playing, but equally important is resolving back onto the beat especially when moving from very fast ideas back into regular subdivisional phrasing. It could be compared to „going outside the beat!‟ and is a favorite amongst modern rock and fusion players.

As i recorded the lick, i basically played it just under my „fast as possible‟ mode, anchoring in at bar 3 and settling into the sixteenth notes for my final „exit‟ phrase. The transcription below is of the actual solo, and as you can see it looks pretty mad and unreadable, and i‟ve found that when a student see‟s the rhythmic notation, there is the belief that it would be too complicated to learn! I remember looking at the transcription books of Yngwie Malmsteen‟s Rising Force and Joe Satriani‟s Surfing with The Alien back in the day, and giving up when i saw bars full of 13 notes in the space of 2 beats, or groups of 7 and then 8 followed by 9 without realising that they were just accelerating the pattern. I saw by looking at the actual patterns and working out the fingerings, that these were mostly sixteenth note, triplet and sextuplet patterns, which would have originally come from melodic sequences, and then once mastered, integrated and mixed all together as a note row, or line. The ideas, generally played by feel across the beat, often accelerating or decelerating in places and anchoring to the beat by experience and feel. I would not recommend learning this lick by reading this version as it gives the impression that i am deliberately intending to play 8 notes in the first beat followed by 7 notes in the second, when in fact i‟m simply slowing down slightly going in to the taps! Ultimately i‟m trying to play with all notes equally spaced and dock in on the beat in bar 3!

On this version of the transcription below, the lick is presented as a note row or line as strict sixteenth notes, This way, it is much more accessible to learn and easier to break down, targeting any problem areas and creating supporting repetition exercises, gradually building the whole lick by isolating the main elements piece by piece. The whole lick could be broken down into its basic elements, maybe starting with the first arpeggio and 4 notes on the high string, and then pulling-off back and descending with the hammer-ons-from-nowhere (fretting hand taps/hammers) all the way back to the beginning and from there, once memorised, repeat for 5 mins a day. So the lick of doom concept is about welding together a whole load of licks into one long stream of notes and when deconstructed is a lesson in combining techniques.

Malmsteen

Solo 1

This solo starts in E Phrygian Dominant, which is the 5th mode in the key of A Harmonic Minor Scale. Here, Yngwie demonstrates his mastery in blending different techniques together, interchanging between alternate picking, sweep picking and legato effortlessly. Note that Yngwie rarely plays metronomically, preferring to phrase in odd groupings which creates a more flowing effect. Together with his mighty tone wide vibrato, the solo is infused with passion and energy.

The Solo 1 Backing Track starts with an Open E string riff based around E Phrygian Dominant, which is the 5th (V) mode of A Harmonic Minor. After a 4 bar intro, there‟s a verse section with the riff settling into a groove, and with the introduction of the clean guitar playing an E open chord, moving the same open shape up a half-step to F and then up a whole step to G, leaving the low E string and high B and E strings droning. This is a great way to get the typical dark Phrygian Dominant sound (listen to the track Krakatau on the 1988 release Odyssey for

40 example). After 12 bars of verse, the intro riff returns as a bridge for 4 bars, setting up a change to the A natural minor scale (Im or Aeolian / vi in C major if you prefer) and again a static bass groove underpinning a harmonic movement from Am (I), to G (VII), F (VI), and G (VII), and on the second time Am, G, F and E. (V borrowed from A Harmonic Minor). This arrangement then cycles round.

The one overriding factor in Yngwie‟s playing style is the sheer passion with which he delivers his ideas. “Remember it‟s not just what you play, it‟s the way that you play it.” Try to listen out for the tone-wide vibrato, a technique made easier by virtue of his scalloped fretboard. “I like my vibrato slow and wide. I first became aware of it whilst listening to Paganini. It adds emotion to the phrases.” says Yngwie.

Another often overlooked aspect of Yngwie‟s style is his frequent use of the 5- way pickup selector switch. “At first I think I noticed Ritchie Blackmore doing it in the early days. I prefer the sound of arpeggios or fast scale runs with the neck pickup on and switch to the bridge pickup for the sustained notes. I don‟t really think about it anymore as it‟s now naturally ingrained.”

Solo 2

This next solo is played over a twelve bar progression in E and gives us an insight into Yngwie‟s improvisational style. Starting with some E minor pentatonic ideas, Yngwie then develops into some rapid Dorian/Blues ideas, before a stunning chromatic descending pull-off lick. Work through this solo bar by bar in conjunction with the video and listen carefully to the end notes of the phrases where you will hear his characteristic tone-wide vibrato.

The Solo 2 Backing Track is based around a Jimi Hendrix inspired vibe which Yngwie enjoys improvising over, often showcasing his hot rodded approach to bluesy playing with tunes like Spanish Castle Magic. The backing track has been transposed to standard pitch so no need to tune down to Eb. The TABs for this backing track as well as the Mp3 are in the download at the bottom of the page.

Thanks for your attention