advanced legato phrases LEGATO is a technique for playing guitar that utilizes left and right hand hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides for the articulation of melodic phrases. Very few notes will actually be picked. These notes will be indicated by an “x” directly above them. A good rule to remember is to PICK when starting a lick or moving to a higher string and to HAMMER-ON when moving to a lower string. This will create a flowing, almost seemless, flurry of notes that is both aggressive and dramatic. Some notes will be tapped with the second and third fingers of the pick hand. These notes will be indicated by a “t2” or “t3” respectively. In changing position you will be required to slide from note to note without picking. This will be indicated by “sl” above the the two notes. Before you begin learning the legato phrases, you should be aware of two exercises that will greatly increase your finger strength and independence... A TRILL is a simple hammer-on/pull-off motion between two fingers. Possible finger combinations are: 1 2, 1 3, 1 4, 2 3, 2 4, 3 4. Here is an example of a “1 2” trill on the first string in the fifth position. (CD track 5) 565656
etc.
T A B
A ROLL is a hammer-on/pull-off motion between three fingers. Possible finger combinations are: 1 2 3, 1 2 4, 1 3 4, 2 3 4. Here is an example of a “1 2 3” roll on the first string in the fifth position. (CD track 5) 567656765676
etc.
T A B
The legato phrases are divided into five sections: DIATONIC, PENTATONIC, BLUES, ARPEGGIOS, and MULTIPLE ELEMENTS. Each section contains phrases in a variety of keys and positions. When practicing these licks take great care to prevent any open string noise, or any two notes ringing together. Each note should be separated from the previous.
advanced legato phrases DIATONIC
Phrase 1 (CD track 8): E Mixolydian sl sl sl sl sl x x x x 5 7 9 7 5/9 10 12 10 9 7 9 10 9 7/10 12 14 12 10 9 10 12 10 9/12 579 12 10 9\7 9 10 14 12 10\9 10 12 T A B
sl
14 16 1412
15 14 12\10 12 14
T A B
19 17 16 T A B
sl 10 12 14 12 10/14 16 17 16 14
x
x
67976
17 T A B
976
97579
679
x
sl
x
T A B
10 12 14
10 12 14 12 10
sl
T A B
17 15 14\12 14 15
sl
x
8 9 11
9 10 12 10 9/10 12 14
sl x 11 12 14 12 11/17 19 21 19
21
x
12 14 12 10/12 14 16
15
x
6 7 9 7 6/7 9 11
Phrase 3 (CD track 10): D Mixolydian
T A B
sl 12 14 16 14 12/16 17 x
19 17 15 17
Phrase 2 (CD track 9): A Lydian
T A B
sl
x
19 17 15
14 12 10 12 14
x
12 14 16
x
x
10 12 14
10 12 14 12 10
x
13 15 17 15 13
x
14 12 10
x
16 14 12 14 16
14 12 10 12 14
sl
13 15 17 15 13/15 17 19
10 12 14
x
10
x
15 17 19 17
advanced legato phrases Phrase 4 (CD track 11): F Major sl x x x T A B
135
1 3 5 3 1/7 8 10
sl
7 8 10 8 7/12 14 15
Phrase 5 (CD track 12): G# Locrian sl sl x x x T A B
457
4 5 7 5 4/7 9 11 9 7\5 7 9
679
sl
x
x
x
12 14 15 14 12/17 19 21
sl
x
18 20 22 20 18 20 22
sl
6 7 9 7 6/9 11 13 11 9\7 9 11
x
9 10 12
18 20 22 20 18
22
sl 9 10 12 10 9/12 14 16 14 12 x
advanced legato phrases PENTATONIC Phrase 6 (CD track 14): D Pentatonic x
x
x
x
10 13 15
T A B
x
15
repeat
15 13 10
10 12 15 10 12 15
15 12 10 12 15 12 10
10 13 15
13
Phrase 7 (CD track 15): A Pentatonic sl x x x
sl
8 10 13 10 8/10 13 15
T A B
sl sl x 12 15 17 15 12/15 17 20 17 15/17 20 22
5 7 10 7 5/7 10 12 5 8 10
Phrase 8 (CD track 16): E Pentatonic sl sl x x x x 24 22 19\12 15 17 15 12 12 15 12 10\8 10 12 12 10 8 T A B
sl
sl
12 9 7\5 7 9 7 5 10 7 5\3 5 7 5 3 0
Phrase 9 (CD track 17): A Pentatonic
sl
x
17 20 22 17 20 17 T A B
20 22 17 20 17 20 17\15 17 20 15 17 15
sl T A B
12 15 10 12 10\7 10 12 7 10 7
Phrase 10 (CD track 18): A Pentatonic x
x
13 15 17 13 15
T A B
12 14 17 12 15 17
17 19 14 17 14\12 14 17 12 14 12
sl
14 12\10 12 14 10 12 10
x
sl
x x
15
sl
15 13/15 17 20
10 12 8
x
17 20 22 20 17
x
20
x
20 17
x
20 17
14 17 12
advanced legato phrases Phrase 11 (CD track 19): A Pentatonic add 9 sl x t2 t3 t2 17 19 20 22 24 22 20 19 17 20 17 15\13 15 17 15 13 T A B
T A B
5753
578
5 7 10 7 5/7 10 12
sl 10/12 15 17 15 12 T A B
sl
16 14 12\9 12 14 12 9
sl
12 10 9\7 9 10 9 7
10 7 5\3
7530
Phrase 12 (CD track 20): A Pentatonic add 9 sl sl x x x T A B
sl
9 10 12 10 9\7 9 10
15 13 12
x
sl
7 9 12 9 7/9 12 14
x
sl
12 13 15 13 12\10 12 13
x
10 12 15 12
advanced legato phrases Phrase 13 (CD track 22): C# Blues sl x 9 12 14 12 9 12 9 8/9 12 14 12 9 T A B
x
x
T A B
15 14 12 14 15
BLUES sl 12 11 9/11 12 13 12 11
x
sl
14 11 9/11 14 16 14 11
14 11 10/11 14 16 14 11
x
13 16 18 16
14 16 17
11 14 16
sl
Phrase 14 (CD track 23): E Blues x
T A B
x
12 15 17
17
x
x
17 15 12 15
15
x
x x
15 12 15 17 15 12
15
x
15 12
repeat
15 12 15
Phrase 15 (CD track 24): F# Blues
sl
x
9 12 14 9 12 9 T A B
12 13 10 12 10
11 14 9 11 9
11 14 10 11 10
Phrase 16 (CD track 25): A Blues x
T A B
16 15 13 15 16
x
T A B
x
12
x
12 10
x
x
12 9
12
17 14 12\9 12 14 12 9
x
12 9
x
12 9
x
12
Phrase 18 (CD track 27): A Blues x
T A B
589
x
5 7 10 5 7 10
x
12 15 17 15 12
Phrase 17 (CD track 26): E Blues 12 10
12 14 9 12 9\8
sl
x
17 15 12
12 14 9 12 9
x
7 10 11 7 10 11
x
12 9
x
12 9
x x
11
x
12 9
x
9 12 14 9 12 14
11 10
13 12 10 12 13
x x
12
11 10
9 12 14 12 9 15 12 10
x
12 10
x
13 14 17 13 14 17
x
15 17 20 17 15 17
sl 15 17 20/21 x
advanced legato phrases Phrase 19 (CD track 28): B Blues sl x x x T A B
7 10 12
8 9 12 9 8/9 12 14
12 14 15
sl 13 14 17 14 13/14 17 19 17 14
x
11 14 16 14 11\10 11 14 11 10
x
T A B
x
13
x
13 10
12 15 17
18 17 15\12 15 17 15
Phrase 20 (CD track 29): D Blues 14 13 10
14 12 9 12 14
10 11 14
x
sl
x
T A B
sl
x
x x
13 10 15 13 10
11
13 10
x x
11 10 14 11 10
12
11 10
sl
12 10\7 12 10 7
11 10 8 9
10 8
advanced legato phrases ARPEGGIOS
Phrase 21 (CD track 31): Am7 x
x
x
x
12 15 17 15 12 T A B
12 15
14
12 14 17
17 14 12
14
15 12
Phrase 22 (CD track 32): Am765 x
x x
x
11 15 17 15 11 T A B
12 15
13
12 14 17
17 14 12
13
15 12
Phrase 23 (CD track 33): AM7 x
x x
x
12 16 17 16 12 T A B
12 16
14
13 14 18
18 14 13
14
16 12
Phrase 24 (CD track 34): A7 x
x
x
x
12 15 17 15 12 T A B
12 16
14
12 14 18
Phrase 25 (CD track 35): A7 x
x
x
18 14 12
x
14
16 12
t2 t3 t2
12 15 17 15 12 15 17 21 24 21 17 15 12 T A B
12 16
14
12 14 18 14 12 14 18
Phrase 26 (CD track 36): A7 x
x
x
18 14 12
x
t2 t3 t2
14
16 12
t2 t3 t2
12 15 17 15 12 15 17 21 24 21 17 15 12 T A B
T A B
12 16
12
14
14
12 14 18 14 12 14 18
16 12
18 14 12 14 18 21 24 21 18 14
advanced legato phrases Phrase 27 (CD track 37): E7 x
x
sl x 12 16 19 12/16 19 22
x
12 16 19 16 12 T A B
13 17 19
19 17 13 17 19
19 17 14 17 19
Phrase 28 (CD track 38): Dm7 sl x 17 20 22 20 17\10 13 10 13 15 13 10 T A B
sl
sl
15 12 10\7 10 12 10 7 13 10 8\5 8 10
Phrase 29 (CD track 39): C#m765 x
9 12 15 12 9 T A B
12 14 12 8
x
sl
12 14 17 14 12\8 12 14 12 8 14 11 9 11 14
14 11 9
10
12 9
advanced legato phrases MULTIPLE ELEMENTS Phrase 30 (CD track 41): B Blues / B7 x
T A B
x
10 12 10 7
10 9 7 9 10
7 10 12 7 10 12
sl x 10 12 14 10\7 11 7
Phrase 31 (CD track 42): GM9 / G Lydian sl sl x x x x 7 10 12 10 7/15 17 19
T A B
37
sl 10
12 8
10
7 9 13
Phrase 33 (CD track 44): C# Blues / C# Dorian / A#m765 sl sl x T A B
12 11 8 11 8
x
T A B
11 7\5 7 5
sl
20\19
4 5 7 5 4/7 9 12
5
7 11
9
sl x 15 17 19 17 15/17 19 21 17 19
Phrase 32 (CD track 43): E7#5 / E Mixolydian b6 sl sl sl x x x x 8 10 12 8/10 12 14 10/12 14 16 12/14 16 17 14 16 T A B
97
11 12 11 9 11 9\6 10 9 6 9 6
sl
9 11 14 11 9/12 14 17 14 12/14 17 19
17 13\12
sl
9 11 9 6 9 6\5 6 9 6 5
sl
sl
sl
9 7 4/7 9 10 9 7
11 9 7\6 9
xx
7
6 8 11 8 6/9
x
15 16 19
11 14
Phrase 34 (CD track 45): A Blues / F#m765 sl x x x
sl
x
t2
8 12 14 17 14 12 8 T A B
12 15 17
13 14 17 14 13\12 13 14
12 14 17 14 12\9 11 14
14 11 9
10
sl
12 9
advanced legato phrases Phrase 35 (CD track 46): G Pentatonic / BM7 sl x 10 13 15 13 10 13 T 15 10/12 15 17 15 12 A 15 B sl 15 10/18 22 20 18 T A B
sl
x
Phrase 37 (CD track 48): A Blues / A7 sl x 17 20 21 20 17 20 17\14 17 19 17 14 T A B
17 13\10 13 15 13 10
13 10 13
12 13
T A B
8 12
10
8 10 13
12
10 15 10 14 15
sl
12 8/10 12 14 12 10
13 12 10 12 13
sl
sl
17 14\12 14 17 14 12
14 11\10 11 14 11 10
Phrase 38 (CD track 49): C Blues / C7 x x
x
x
9 12 14 12 9
8 10 13 10 8 13 10 8 10 13
x
12 10
t2
14 12 9 12 14
Phrase 40 (CD track 51): BbM7 / C7 (slow speed audio only) sl x x x x x 15 18 20 18 15 8 11 13 11 8 11 13 787
8
10 6/8 12
10
8 10 14
t2
11 12 15 17 15 12 11 12 15 18
Phrase 39 (CD track 50): CM7 / FM7 / A Pentatonic sl sl sl x x x 12 15 12 15 17 20 15 13 T 16 12\9 12 9 12 14 17 12/14 17 19 A 10 B 12 8/12 15 17
T A B
x
10 13
20
Phrase 36 (CD track 47): D Dorian / FM619 sl x x x x x 875 75 8 8 5 10 8 5 8 5 T 7 7 5/7 12 7 A 10 B
x
x x
sl
21 17 15
17
19 15\13 17
advanced legato phrases Phrase 41 (CD track 52): A Altered scale / Am765 sl sl x x x x T A B
568
4 6 8 6 4/8 10 12 10 8\6 8 10
17 14 12 14 17
15 19
17
sl x 9 11 13 11 9/11 15
x
6 8 10 8 6/10 12 14 12 10\8 10 12
10 11 13
17 14 12
Phrase 42 (CD track 53): CM7 / C Lydian sl x x x x 15 17 19 17 15\10 12 14 12 10 T A B
