This lick was selected to examine how Guthrie takes a simple pentatonic scale and mixes in legato and hybrid picking to come up with a sound that is extremely ex tremely fluid and slick sounding. This is all C# minor pentatonic with a b5 note added in from time to time. The beginning of this lick takes place on the D, G and B strings and there are really only 6 notes being used over and over over again. While most people would fall into playing repetitive patterns pattern s or sequences, Guthrie never seems to have that issue. Take notice of how he sometimes plays three notes on one string then he’ll play one note on the next string or he skips a string or at the very beginning he plays one note on each string which nicely breaks up the pentatonic p entatonic scale like an arpeggio. There are a combined total of over 30 notes being played (made up of only 6 actual notes) before he begins to descends to the A and E sting and in all those notes he’s twisting and turning them into non-repetitive ideas that flow smoothly into a flurry flurr y of notes. The other part of this that makes is so slick is his right right hand picking technique. technique. He uses the combination of the pick with his middle middle and ring fingers to pluck the strings. This gives
LICK 9 As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com
g g g I g
P
(From the 2014 Album GUTHRIE GOVAN'S 20 ESSENTIAL LICKS)
b b k V V V V V V V V V V V V V V fV gV fV V V V gV fV V V V V gV V MO
= 110
A5
G 5
1
C5
3
3
3
3
1/2
T
9
A B
11 8
11
9
11
11 9
3
T A
11
11 9
11
12
9
9
12 11 9
12 11 9
11
11 12
9
12
b V fV gV fV V V V V V V V V V V V V V V fV V VVVVVVVVV H
g g g I g
9
H
H
P
A5
G 5
3
9
P
9
12
12
P
P
P
H
H
H
3
3
11 12 11
9
11
B
11
9
11
9
9
11
11
9
11
9
10
9
7
7
9
7
7
9
b g g g I g fV gV V PR V V V V V V V V V V V V V P
