DVD PAUL GILBERT presents
SHRED ALERT!!! THE ULTIMATE
DVD
GUIDE!
DVD
PAUL GILBERT presents
SHRED ALERT!!! 1. ALTERNATE UNIVERSE
Using alternate picking and note skipping to play interesting arpeggio patterns
2. READY TO RUMBLE
Quick, effective pick-hand warm-up exercises
3. READY TO RUMBLE, PART 2 More pick-hand warm-up exercises
4. ASSUME THE POSITION
Using position shifts to your advantage when soloing
5. ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE Alternate picking with accent patterns
6. FAST AND CLEAN
Alternate-picked 16th notes—the business card of shred guitar
7. STICK YER NECK OUT
Using neck diagrams to your advantage
8. SHAPE SHIFTING
How to organize patterns on the fretboard
9. SNAKE-CHARMING LICKS The fifth mode of harmonic minor
10. UNITED MUTATIONS
PHOTOGRAPHER TKTKTK
Mastering muting techniques
11. BREAKIN’ OUT
The blessings and benefits of live performance 2
GU I TA R WOR L D
Photograph by PHOTOGRAPHER
CHAPTER 1
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE
»
USING ALTERNATE PICKING AND NOTE SKIPPING TO PLAY INTERESTING ARPEGGIO PATTERNS
HI, AND WELCOME to the first
chapter of Shred Alert, where I’ll teach you many of the techniques I use. Let’s begin with a very simple picking exercise (FIGURE 1) and look at some of the neat and musically interesting variations you can spin from it. We have two notes, E and B, picked repeatedly with alternating downstrokes and upstrokes, a technique known as alternate picking. This is a good exercise for what I call “outside picking,” as the pick movement is consistently on the “outside” of the pair of strings, which is considerably easier than “inside picking.” What I am going to do now is expand on this idea by applying a mathematical pattern to an Em triad arpeggio (E G B). In FIGURE 2a, the notes are played sequentially in an ascending fashion in two octaves across the neck; in FIGURE 2b, the same notes are played in a different position as a sweep-picked arpeggio (sweep picking involves dragging the pick across the strings in a single downward or upward motion). This is how most rock guitarists play arpeggios—straight up and down. What I like to do in order to create a more interesting melodic contour is apply a note-skipping pattern that goes “up two, back one, up two, back one,” etc,” as demonstrated in FIGURES 3a-d: in FIGURE 3a, instead of playing E to G, I play E to B, just like our initial picking exercise. In FIGURE 3b, I move on to the next pair, G-E, using the same “outside picking” motion. Now that we have a new pattern, let’s get it under our fingers by alternating between each note pair (FIGURE 3c). FIGURE 3d shows the next pair, B and G, and all three pairs are played in sequence in FIGURE 4a. The pattern sounds cool when continued across three octaves, as demonstrated in FIGURES 4b and FIGURE 4c. This note-skipping concept can be applied to other arpeggios, as well as scales. A very common chord progression in rock and metal is Em D5 C5 (FIGURE 5a). It’s standard practice with this progression to substitute the raised, or sharp, four (s4) for the five of the C5 chord, sounding C and Fs instead of C and G. This alludes to the C Lydian mode, shown in ascending four-note groups in FIGURE 5b.
3
GU I TA R WOR L D
Instead of just playing a C major triad (C E G) over C5, let’s add the s4 to the mix, as shown in FIGURE 6 with the notes C, E, Fs and G. If we apply the noteskipping concept, we get C-Fs as our first pair (FIGURE 7a). FIGURE 7b illustrates the ensuing sequence played across
FIGURE 1 1 FIGURE
three octaves. It’s also fun to play each pair as a two-note chord (FIGURE 7c). Try applying this approach to whatever scale or mode you can think of. As shown in FIGURE 8a, it works well with E Dorian, the E blues scale and an A diminished-seven arpeggio. ❒
FIGURE 2 2a Em triad FIGURE
FIGURE 2b2b FIGURE sweep arpeggio
FIGURE FIGURE 3a 3a
4 4 12 16 99 2 2 14 1210 14 12 14 12 14 12 12 10 3 3 * = downstroke = upstroke 3 3 3 FIGURE 3d FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE 3c FIGURE 3b 3b FIGURE 3c FIGURE 3d FIGURE 4a 4a sim. 14 14 14 14 14 17 17 17 14 17 10 14 14 14 14 12 15 12 14 15 14 15 15 15 15 FIGURE 4b4b 4c 4c FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE 19 19 19 17 20 17 17 2017 17 20 17 16 16 16 16 16 16 14 1714 17 14 1714 17 17 14 17 14 14 14 121415 14 121415 14 15 12 *
P.M.
FIGURE FIGURE 5a 5a
Em
8 9 9 7
X X X X
X X X X
X X X X
X X X X
8
7
9 10
FIGURE FIGURE 7a 7a
sim.
8
9
8
9
7 7 5
9 8
9 10 X 10 9 10 12
9 11 12
X X X
13
X X X
12
15
14 13
12
14
X X X
5 5 3
0
X X X
4 3
5 3
13 !
1
12 14 15 12 12 10
8
9
12
10 9
10
14 12
12
14
15 12
12
9 10
10
0
12 13 X 11 12 11 12 10 14
4
4 3
15
15
12 12
15
15
11
12 11
14
13
0
5 3
FIGURE FIGURE 66
3
C
E
F# G
7
9
(root) (maj3)
12
13
12
14
17
8
15
19
(#4)
17
18
19
( 18) 1/2
18
17
19 18
10
! 20 21
1/2
17
19
20 17
A diminished-seven arpeggio 14
14
15
16 17
14 15
(5)
20
FIGURE FIGURE 8a8a E Dorian
14 15 20 13 17 19
E blues scale 13
P.M.
9 12
FIGURE FIGURE 7b 7b
8 !
FIGURE FIGURE 7c 7c
10
8
C5
7 7 5
FIGURE FIGURE 5b 5b C Lydian mode
( ) 151919
D5
8 9 9 7
17
16
17 14
17 17
19
20
CHAPTER 2 QUICK, EFFECTIVE PICK-HAND WARM-UP EXERCISES
IN THIS CHAPTER, I’d like to
show you my favorite right-hand (pick-hand) warm-up exercise. I use this exercise at every show, every clinic and any time I need to warm-up my right hand before performing. The entire exercise is played on the top three strings in a rhythm of repeating eighth-note triplets. This means that each beat in a bar of 4/4 is divided like this: ONE-trip-let, TWO-trip-let, THREE-trip-let, FOUR-trip-let. To play each eighth-note triplet, I use a picking motion of up-up-down. As illustrated in FIGURE 9, I pick the open high E string with an upstroke, followed by the open B picked with an upstroke, followed by the open G string picked with a downstroke. I also use palm-muting (P.M.) to attain a more staccato (detached) sound. Palm muting is performed by resting the edge of the pick-hand palm across all of the strings, at the bridge saddles. Note that the upstrokes are performed as individual strokes, as opposed to picking a single upstroke dragged across the top two strings, which would be what’s known as a reverse sweep or reverse rake. It requires more muscle movement and coordination to perform two upstrokes, but that’s why this is a good warm-up exercise—repeating three distinct picking motions in this way will build up the muscles in the pick hand. Because I get bored hearing the same three open strings over and over, I like to use different chords to make the exercise sound more interesting. As shown in FIGURE 10, I can barre across the top three strings at the fifth fret to sound an Am triad. This will soon get monotonous as well, so I can easily make it sound more interesting by changing the note on the high E string to imply a melody, as demonstrated in FIGURE 11. In order for this exercise to be an effective warm-up, I need to keep picking the strings in this way for at least two minutes, which of course inspires me to move around the fretboard a little bit and find some other interesting shapes and figures to play. Let’s start with different inversions (chord voicings) of Am, as shown in FIGURE 12a: I begin in eighth position, with the minor third, C, on top, and then shift up to a 12th-position inversion of Am with the fifth, E, on top. Likewise, I’ll alter the note on the high E string for a little variety, as in FIGURE 12b. Another good thing to do is to practice picking dynamics, by picking softer or louder, or switching between
the two. You’ll find that when playing very quietly it takes a lot of control to keep the picking even. Let’s move to some different chords: FIGURE 12c begins with a G major voicing, again altered by changing the note on the high E string: FIGURE 12d features an ascending D diminished-seven voicing, and FIGURE 12e begins with some natural harmonics (N.H.), sounded by lightly FIGURE FIGURE 91
0 0
*
FIGURE FIGURE 12a4a
GU I TA R WOR L D
FIGURE11 3 FIGURE
Am
Am
5
P.M.
P.M.
0
= downstroke
3 = upstroke
5
P.M.
5
3
15
5
sim.
8
10
3 13
14
14
3
5
5
3
14
13
3
8
5
5
3
FIGURE FIGURE12c4c
8
5
5
7
5
5
3
5
5
3
5
3
Am
12
3
7
5
13
7
5
FIGURE FIGURE 12b4b
9
sim.
5
3
Am
P.M. throughout
14 14
7 5
3
13
9
8
10
9
3 5
5
10
10
3 5
12
14
3
8
3
13
14
3 10
12
9
10
3
5
10 9
3
10
8 9
sim.
15
13
3
10
3
5
P.M. throughout 14 14
13
12
10
9
8
9
9
3
cresc.
14 14
3 10
3
13
14
3
7
3
mp 3
mf
3 10
14
5
3
cresc.
mp
7
13
mf
G
P.M. throughout
sim.
7
8
8
7
3
FIGURE FIGURE12d4d
10
8
7
3
8
8
8
7
3
7
8
8
3
5 7
3
8
7 7
3
8
7
3
Ddim7
Am
P.M. throughout
sim.
4
FIGURE FIGURE12e4e
6
4 7
3
10
6
3
7
9
3
7 10
13
10
9
12
3
10 13
3
16
12
13
15
3
16
3
13
15
14
12
3
13
14
3
Em
N.H.
sim.
12
12
12
3
5
5
5
3
Am
5
3
4
ON DISC
FIGURE102 FIGURE
Em
*
laying a fret-hand finger across the top three strings directly above the fretwire. If you play all of these figures in sequence without stopping, you will have repeated this picking motion for about three minutes. By this point, your pick-hand will be warmed up. In the next chapter, I’ll offer some permutations on this useful and effective exercise. ❒
5
5 5
5
5
3
0
(slow down)
0
3
0
0 5 5 5 7
»
READY TO RUMBLE
CHAPTER 3
READY TO RUMBLE, PART 2 MORE PICK-HAND WARM-UP EXERCISES
»
IN THE LAST CHAPTER, I pre-
sented an intensive pick-hand exercise that I do before every show or clinic. I know that in any situation it will get me warmed up and ready to play in no time. To refresh your memory, the exercise is built from sequences of eighth-note triplets that fall on three adjacent strings, one note played per string, moving from the highest string to the lowest. Instead of playing each triplet as a reverse sweep, which involves dragging the pick across the three strings in a single upward motion, I prefer to use individual pick strokes, picking the first two notes with upstrokes and the last note with a downstroke. It is the use of these individual strokes that really builds up one’s picking strength and stamina. With just about everything I use as a warm-up exercise, one of my hopes is that I will eventually use the given technique in a piece of music. I’m not interested in warm-ups that are simply muscle-building routines. To me, it’s more useful and enjoyable if the exercise exudes some musical merit as well. One of the ways to apply a musical approach to this picking exercise is to instill a scalar concept, molding the exercise to the musical structure of a given scale. A scale that works well with this exercise is Phrygian dominant, which is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale. Sometimes referred to as the “snake charmer” scale, Phrygian dominant is intervallically spelled 1 f2 3 4 5 f6 f7. In the key of E, the notes are E F Gs A B C D; FIGURE 13 is a descending run based on this exotic-sounding scale. The first thing I did with the scale was to harmonize it in three-note chords, as shown in the first bar of FIGURE 14. Starting with an E+ (E augmented) triad, I move the chord shapes down the neck by shifting each note on each string to the next lower scale tone on that string, i.e., the E note on the fourth string moves down to D, the Gs on the third string moves to F and the C on the second string moves to B. The process continues down the fretboard to first position.
5
GU I TA R WOR L D
manner as FIGURE 14 for the first two bars, but at the end of bar 2 I anticipate each new chord shape by shifting to it on the preceding eighth note, sounded on the fourth string with a downstroke. This approach is then adhered to for the remainder of the exercise. Anticipating each new chord shape like this serves to make the exercise sound even more interesting. Once you’ve become comfortable with the picking technique and musical concept, try to invent your own ways of connecting these kinds of triadic chord shapes. For the truly adventurous and ambitious, try applying the pattern to all the other groups of three adjacent strings. ❒
Now let’s apply our picking technique to these chord shapes, as demonstrated in the second part of FIGURE 14. Following an eighth-note pickup on the fourth string, picked with a downstroke, each eighth-note triplet is picked up-up-down on the second, third and fourth strings, respectively. Notice that I like to use palm muting throughout (rest the edge of the pickhand palm across the bridge saddles) to attain a more percussive attack and a clearer separation of notes. Now that you have a handle on the concept, let’s experiment by moving these chord shapes around the board in different patterns: as shown in FIGURE 15, I begin by descending in the same FIGURE FIGURE 13 1
Freely
E7¨9
1/2
12 10
13 12 10 9 10 9
3
FIGURE FIGURE 14 2
3
10
9 10
3
E E7¨9 Am E7 F E Dm E
13 13 14
12 10 12
10 9 9 7 10 9
3
5 A
3
2
3
5
E
P.M.
7 9 7 6 7 6
6
8
13
10
14
E7¨9
Am
13
12
14
10
10
12
7
5
5
3
4
3
9 9
3 3
3
2
3
9
7
10
9
1
3
6
5
7
F
10
2
10 10
3
9
9 9
3
6 7
7
6
3
10
5
5 7
3
5
4
7
7
14
10
13
3
14
E
3
2
6
3
1
3
12
12
10
10
3
13
3
15 14
1
3
1
2
1
3
3
3
13
13
4
6
3
9
Dm
3
3
3
5
E
9
3
5
0
0
sim.
3
3 3
3
9
3
3 1
2
3
3 4
6
9
9
1
0 0 1 2 2 0
3
E7
= downstroke = upstroke
9
12
3 6
10
7 7 7 5 7 5 4 3
sim. 6
12
8
13
14
*
8 7
3
13
3
6
*
9 10 9
3
3
5
10
P.M. throughout
3 6
10
3
14
4
9
3
6 5 3 1 5 4 2 1 7 6 3 2
3 5
9
0
FIGURE FIGURE 15 3
1/2
12
1
6
3 10
9
3
9
7
9
3
15 1
7
CHAPTER 4
ASSUME THE POSITION USING POSITION SHIFTS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE WHEN SOLOING
»
I’D LIKE TO ADDRESS the dodgy
subject of “position shifting.” A great way to jump into this topic is to use as our basis one of the most commonly used scales in rock, the minor pentatonic. FIGURE 16 illustrates A minor pentatonic played in fifth position. Most guitar players have played this scale in this position a million times. In this chapter, I’ll show you how to play it “outside of the box,” using position shifts that give you greater movement and versatility over the fretboard. When this scale is played in fifth position, the highest note is C (first string, eighth fret) and the lowest note is A (sixth string, fifth fret), and you are stuck within the limitations of those boundaries. Position shifts open those boundaries, allowing us to play this scale from the absolute lowest note possible, the open low E, to one of the highest notes possible on a guitar, the D on the first string’s 22nd fret. FIGURE 17 illustrates a very comfortable way to traverse this scale, as well the entire fretboard, across three and a half octaves of A minor pentatonic. Following the first note, the open low E, I fret a G on the third fret of the sixth string and then hammer-on up to A at the fifth fret. I then move over to the A string and start with a hammer from the third fret to the fifth, then slide up from the fifth to the seventh fret. This is followed by fifth-to-seventh-fret hammers on the D and G strings. The next note is the key to this exercise: using the open high E string to sound the next note in the scale, I am afforded the opportunity to shift all the way up to 17th position and continue playing the rest of the scale. Making that position shift sound seamless can be a little tricky, so it’s a good idea to break the phrase up into smaller pieces, as shown in FIGURE 18. Begin by looping the first six notes of the scale with the position shift. Once that begins to feel comfortable, add a few more notes and continue to do so until the entire phrase feels comfortable and seamless. Familiarizing yourself with an expanded note register like this will afford you a range that is normally exclusive to keyboard players. Another good (but admittedly in-
6
GU I TA R WOR L D
sane) position-shifting exercise is to play the entire A minor pentatonic scale in fifth position using just one finger. As shown in FIGURE 19, I first play the entire scale using only my index finger, which forces me to move it up and down the fretboard very quickly and, hopefully, accurately. I then repeat the exercise with the middle finger, ring finger and pinkie. This type of drill will get you accustomed to making instantaneous position shifts with every one of your fretting fingers. The last position-shifting lick in this chapter is shown in FIGURE 20. This one looks a little crazy because I shift
back and forth between two positions very quickly. In the first bar, I begin in 10th position and use string skipping, from the high E to the G, to play the first two notes. I then play the last four notes in 12th position. The lick in bar 2 is almost identical, except the first and fourth notes in the lick are played one fret lower. When you get this one up to speed, it sounds a little like a synthesizer lick. Hopefully these exercises will help you to get a handle on position shifting, and I do hope you have fun playing minor pentatonic scales with your pinkie only. ❒
FIGURE FIGURE 16 1 A minor pentatonic scale 8
5
8
5
7
5
7
5
5
8
5 1
0 5
7
17
FIGURE 183 FIGURE
7
FIGURE 17 2 FIGURE
5
17
0 7
17
19
5 7
17
19
17
20
5 7
0
3
3
5
5
20
17
20
17
19
17 19
17
20
0
0 3 5
3 5 7
5 7
5 7
17 19
0
3
3
5
5
5
7
5
7
7
17 19
17 19
17
20
8
5
1
17 20 20 20 17
20 17
17 19
20
1 0
7
1
20
5
7
0 5 7
20
FIGURE FIGURE 19 4
index: middle: ring: pinkie:
5
8
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
FIGURE FIGURE 205
5
7
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
12
15
10 12
1
5
3
1
3
4
5
7
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
5
7
12
14
1
3
8
5
8
10
8
5
8
5
7
5
7
5
7
5
etc. etc. etc. etc.
9 12
1
3
12
1
14
3
3
12
14
1
3
*by Paul Gilbert
CHAPTER 5
»
ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE ALTERNATE PICKING WITH ACCENT PATTERNS
IN THIS CHAPTER we’re go-
ing to look at the concept of syncopation, and we’ll begin with a rhythm figure that lays out an accent pattern. Keep that rhythmic syncopation in your mind, because I use those same accents in the crazy picking exercise that is the focus of this column. Check out the rhythm guitar figure riff in FIGURE 21: this pattern is made up of root-fifth power chords played in a syncopated fashion against an open low-E pedal tone. This is essentially a two-bar rhythm pattern with very pronounced, specific accents: in bar 1 they fall on the downbeat of beat one, the upbeat of beat two and the downbeat of beat four; the accents in bar 2 fall squarely on beats one, two and three. If one were to recreate that rhythm orally, it would sound like this: ONE (and two) AND (three and) FOUR (and) ONE (and) TWO (and) THREE (and four and). FIGURE 22 illustrates the picking exercise, which is based on a long sequence of 16th-note triplets. Notice how the line is contoured with accents falling in the same places as in FIGURE 21. It’s in the key of E minor and stays diatonic (within the scale structure of ) to the E natural minor scale, which is also known as the E Aeolian mode (E Fs G A B C D). The great majority of the lick is alternate picked, but I throw in a couple of double hammer-ons, which serve to smooth out the sound. Also, it’s very important to begin this lick with an upstroke. Throughout the exercise, the initial pick on each new string is executed in this manner. I begin FIGURE 22 in ninth position and play the initial pattern twice. I then move up to 12th position and follow the same pattern contour while staying within the scale structure of E natural minor, which necessitates a slight change in fingering. I then do the same thing in 16th position. In FIGURE 22a, I move the lick up the fretboard one scale degree at a time, beginning in ninth position on Fs, then starting on G, A, B and C. A great thing to do is focus on one part of the lick, such as the fragment shown in FIGURE 23. Play this slowly until it feels comfortable, then gradually increase your speed. ❒
FIGURE FIGURE 21 1 q = 152 B5
3.
4 4 2
GU I TA R WOR L D
0
D5
G5
0
E5
0
B5
0
D5
0
F#5
P.M.
12 12 10
9
12
10
8 10
3
9
3
12 10 9 10 12
3
3
9 X
(repeat prev. beat)
3
12
15
0 15 17 19 3
12
0
0
10
12 10
14 12 10 12 14
3
19 17 15 17 19 3
12
3
14
12 14 15
3
3
14 15 17
3
10
12
3
17 15 14 15 17
14
3
9
19 17 15 17 19
3
3
15 17 19 3
19 17 16 17 19
9
3
10
10 12
14 12 10 12 14 3
3
16 17 19
3
3
19 17 16 17 19
16 17 19
10 12 14
12 14 16
14 16 17
3
3
16
19 17 16 17 19
3
3
10
12
9
11
16
14
9 10 12
3
9
3
14
17 16 14 16 17
16
3
12
X
3
3
X
11
16 14 12 14 16
3
3
14 12 10 12 14
12
3
3
12 10
3
16 14 12 14 15
3
19 17 16 17 19
3
9 10 12
3
17 15 14 15 17
3
P.M.
3
3
16
12
3
15 14 12 14 15
9
3
12 14 16
3
3
12
3
3
3
3
3
3
9
12
15 14 12 14 15 3
3
12 10
16
16
3
3
15 14 12 14 15
3
15 17 19
12
10 12 14
9 9 7
P.M.
3
3
3
9 10 12
3
10
3
12 14 15
0
P.M.
9
12
0
3
3
9 10 12
3
10
P.M.
3
15 14 12 14 15
sim.
9
P.M.
9
10
3
Em
12
sim.
12
FIGURE FIGURE 22a2a
9
12
0
9 9 7
P.M.
9 10
9 9 7
E5
= downstroke = downstroke
E5
Em
P.M.
11 11 9
0
FIGURE FIGURE 22 2
P.M.
P.M.
7 7 5
0
G5
0
P.M.
4 4 2
0
P.M.
9 9 7
0
0
2.
E5
P.M.
12 12 10
P.M.
9 9 7
0
P.M.
14 14 12
0
G5
P.M.
9 9 7
0
P.M.
12 12 10
A5
0
1.
E5
P.M.
7 7 5
0
P.M.
7 7 5
15
7
D5
P.M.
X
X
FIGURE FIGURE 23 3
16 19 17 16 17 19 P.M.
3
3
CHAPTER 6
»
FAST AND CLEAN
ALTERNATE-PICKED 16TH NOTES—THE BUSINESS CARD OF SHRED GUITAR I WANT TO talk about an in-
gredient that is essential to every guitar soloist’s arsenal: alternate-picked 16th notes. Sixteenth notes are like the “business card” of shred guitar, as the essence of the style is the ability to cleanly execute fast, alternate-picked 16ths throughout the fretboard. I’d like to show you a great 16th-note sequence that can be played all over the neck, is great for both your right- and left-hand technique and also sounds very melodic and musical. For the sake of familiarity, let’s use the key of E natural minor (E Fs G A B C D). FIGURE 24a illustrates the initial shape, which we’ll adapt to various positions, moving up the neck through the scale. Using alternate (down-up) picking, starting with a downstroke, I play on the top two strings exclusively, beginning with two notes on the high E string, followed by two notes on the B string, then one note per string, ending with two notes on the B. In this and all other examples, the index finger remains at the same fret throughout the melodic shape. Begin by playing this lick slowly, and gradually build up speed. For FIGURE 24a we started on B, the fifth of the scale. Let’s move the idea one note higher within E natural minor, beginning on C, the sixth (FIGURE 24b). Notice that the fingering is slightly different—this is to accommodate the structure of the scale: whereas the first two notes of FIGURE 24a were a whole step apart, and fretted with the ring and index fingers, the first two notes in FIGURE 24b are a half step apart, and are fretted with the middle and index fingers. For FIGURES 24c-g, we continue to move the pattern up one scale degree at a time. FIGURE 25 then begins on the fifth, B, one octave higher than where we started. Each of these “shapes” offers a new challenge in terms of fret-hand fingering. FIGURE 24f is particularly interesting because you have to use all four fingers (fret-hand fingerings are indicated below the tab). Another cool thing about that lick is its pull to a C Lydian (C D E Fs G A B) tonality (C Lydian and E natural minor are comprised of the same notes). Now let’s run these melodic shapes in sequence. In FIGURE 25, I play the initial lick five times and then descend through the shapes. I end with a little flair, bending the Fs up a half step to G and applying a tapped harmonic, executed by “bouncing” the pick-hand index finger
8
GU I TA R WOR L D
FIGURE 24a1a FIGURE
FIGURE 24b1b FIGURE
Em
*
Em
7 5
5
8 5 7
8 5
13 10
12 !
17 13
15 !
Em
13 10 12
10
FIGURE 24f1f FIGURE
Em
15 14
3
14
17 13 15
2
4
sim. 8 7 7 10 7 8 10 7
= downstroke; = upstroke
* alternate picking:
FIGURE FIGURE 24d1d 12 10
1
3
2
4
1
FIGURE 24c1c FIGURE
8 !
Em
10 8
8
12 8 10
FIGURE FIGURE 24e1e
15 12 13
12
15 12
19 15
17 !
FIGURE 24g1g FIGURE Em
3
17 15
19 15 17
15
10 !
14 !
Em
14 12
12 8
FIGURE FIGURE 25 2
Em
19 17
14
12
8
7
15
17
20 17 19
12
12
13
(play 5 times)
20 17
15
12
12
17 15
10
13
15
19 15 17
10
12
10
15 14
19 15
13
10
10
8
17 13 15
12
8
10
14
8
10
7
8
10
7
7
5
8
5
5
7
8
8
7 !
5
12
*T.H.
1/2
7
17 13
7(19) !
*Tap harmonic
FIGURE 26 3 legato (w/pull-offs) FIGURE Em
19 17
12 10
20 17 19
13 10 12
10
17
13 10
20 17
10 8
17 15
19 15 17
12 8 10
8
directly against the 19th fret. As these exercises include a few two-notes-per-string descending lines, a cool twist is to use pull-offs wherever possible in order to attain a smoother legato sound, as demonstrated in FIGURE 26. And despite what some people say,
12 8
15
19 15
8 7
15 14
10 7 8
7
17 13 15
10 7
14
17 13
7 5
14 12
8 5 7
15 12 13
(play 3 times) 5 8 5
12
15 12
1/2
! 7
)
using pull-offs and hammer-ons is not cheating! Legato phrasing is a very valid technique, and, personally speaking, I do not adhere to a “pick everything” approach when I play. I actually use a combination of picking and legato, which I think sounds great. ❒
CHAPTER 7
»
STICK YER NECK OUT USING NECK DIAGRAMS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
ONE THING I’VE FOUND very helpful in my guitar studies over the years is using what I call neck diagrams to map out riffs, patterns and melodic “shapes.” I find that diagramming makes it easier to visualize and, in turn, remember, new shapes on the fretboard. A good example of a common fretboard shape is an open D chord: just about every guitar player is familiar with the triangular shape of a D “cowboy” chord. But when the shape is a little more complex, it helps to map it out and study it visually. Let’s start with a string-skipping arpeggio in the key of A minor, illustrated in FIGURE 27a: this begins at the seventh fret on the D string, followed by the fifth and ninth frets on the G string, a skip over the B string and then the fifth and eighth frets on the high E string. Notice the visual shape created by these points on the fretboard (see diagram)—it looks a little like a rhombus. Pay close attention to the fret-hand fingering indicated for this shape. Aside from picking every note, you can use hammer-ons and pull-offs, as there are two consecutive notes present on the G and high E strings. FIGURE 27b illustrates how to play the lick using pull-offs, and FIGURE 27c takes things a step further by incorporating pull-offs on the way down and hammer-ons on the way up. Using hammers and pulls like this makes the lick considerably easier to play than it would be if you were to pick every note because of the numerous skips over the B string. Another advantage of using hammers and pulls is that you can get some good speed going and create interesting phrasings. As shown in FIGURE 27d, I use quick hammers and pulls on the high E and G strings to keep the lick moving along. Practice all of these patterns slowly, striving for a very smooth and even sound. Now that you have this pattern clearly visualized, I’d like to show you a cool bonus benefit that I discovered. If we transpose the pattern up a minor third (three frets), we get a C minor arpeggio, as illustrated in FIGURE 28. But here’s the twist: one day, I decided I was going to explore the entire fretboard and find every single place I could possibly bend a note within the context of a blues in A. In this key, most guitarists will bend the G string at the seventh fret, as shown in FIGURE 29a, or the B string at the eighth fret, as in FIGURE 29b, or perhaps the B string at
9
GU I TA R WOR L D
.. .. .
5 ! 8
FIGURE FIGURE 27a1a
Am
7
fret-hand: 2
5
9
1
4
1
7
Am 5 9
5
FIGURE 27d1d FIGURE
Am 8
5
5
5
8
7
5
8
5
5
5
11
12
8
9 5
3
1
4
9
5
1/2
5
8
5
9
5
5
9
A7
8 7 7 5
7
5
5
7
3
FIGURE 29d3d FIGURE
A(7)
grad. bends 1/2
11
1/4
1
5
7
1
4
1
10
2
1
8
8
5 8 5
8
5
8 7
7
5
5
7
1
8
8 7 5
7
1
5
5
8
5 7 7 7 5
7
1
5 5 7 7 5
the seventh fret, as demonstrated at the beginning of FIGURE 29c. String bending is a technique that imparts a lot of emotion and character to your playing, and as such I don’t want to be limited to just one position—I want to be able to bend everywhere! In searching for more places to bend, I realized that, in the key of A, I could use the notes of the C minor triad shape in FIGURE 28, as long as I
5 5
7
7
3
A(7)
3
3
1/2
9
7
1
5
5
FIGURE 29b3b FIGURE
1
7
5
7
FIGURE 30 4 FIGURE
1/2 1/2
8 12 8
3
7
8
5
3
5
3
7
9
3
1
5 8 8 5 8 5
3
5 9
FIGURE 29a3a FIGURE
1 1/2
1/2
7
freely 1/2
1
FIGURE 29c3c FIGURE
A(7)
8
1
5
9
9
10 !
8
8 5
5
3
Cm
8
8 8
9
Am
(play 3 times)
9
FIGURE 282 FIGURE
5
(play 3 times) 5
9
FIGURE FIGURE 27b1b
8fr 9fr
7fr
3
FIGURE FIGURE 27c1c 8
3fr 5fr
A5 1/2 1
11
1/4
8 8 12
1/2 1/2
7
7
1/2 1/2
7
5 6
1/2 1/2
5 3
3
1
3
1
3
2 0
3
2 2 0
2 2 0
bend each note up a certain amount to a “right” note in the key of A, as demonstrated in FIGURE 29d. Now that I had these new places to bend, I combined them with the more conventional “key of A” bends, as shown in FIGURE 30. Try incorporating these bends into your playing. For the adventurous, take a really bad note in the key of A—like Bf—and bend the daylights out of it until it sounds good. ❒
CHAPTER 8
»
SHAPE SHIFTING
HOW TO ORGANIZE PATTERNS ON THE FRETBOARD
FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE I’VE FOUND IT VERY helpful as FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE 31 11 FIGURE 32 22 FIGURE 33 33 A5 A5 A5 a guitarist to familiarize myself A5 A5 A5 a)a) b)b) c)c) a)a) b)b) with the layout of the keyboard 12 12 10 10 10 10 on a piano. This in turn has 99 66 99 77 77 77 made it easier for me to visual77 44 77 5 5 5 ize patterns on the guitar fret5 5 5 board. A quick look at the black keys on a piano reveal the logic with which they c)c) 12 12 9 9 12 99 12 12 12 are laid out: starting on the far left and 10 10 10 10 99 66 99 66 moving right, there are two blacks keys 77 77 followed by three black keys, and the 77 44 55 pattern repeats across the entire key33 33 33 33 board. The great thing for piano playFIGURE FIGURE ers is that any scale, chord or musical FIGURE 34 44 FIGURE 3555 FIGURE FIGURE phrase in one position and octave can be 12 55 55 99 99 12 10 55 55 55 10 easily moved to another because it will 66 66 66 99 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 look exactly the same; you only have to 44 77 77 44 44 77 77 55 55 55 memorize its “shape.” The guitar, however, is not like this; 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 depending on the string or fretboard FIGURE 3666 FIGURE 37b7b7b FIGURE 37a7a7a FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE position, the “shapes” of scales and A5G5 G5E5E5 A5 riffs can change quite a bit, even when 20 20 20 1719 1920 20 20 17 18 18 18 18 playing exactly the same notes. But I’ve 17 1416 1617 17 17 14 15 15 developed an approach to the guitar’s 77 55 55 15 15 15 1214 1415 15 77 55 55 15 12 fretboard wherein you can use the same 13 13 55 33 11 13 13 shapes, and very easily move them 33 33 through different octaves. 11 FIGURE FIGURE 7c7c FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE 37c FIGURE 38a8a8a As shown in FIGURE 31, there is an A 17 19 20 17 1715 1513 13 17 19 20 17 17 note located on the sixth string’s fifth 1818 fret, another A one octave higher lo1515141416161717 12 14 15 10 7 7 9 910 cated on the seventh fret of the fourth 10 131312 14 15 7 710 string (two strings over and two frets higher), and another A located at the FIGURE FIGURE 39a9a9a FIGURE 10th fret on the second string (two C#m7¨5 C#m7¨5 strings over and three frets higher). 8fr8fr It’s very valuable to memorize the FIGURE FIGURE positions of these three A notes, because FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE 38b8b8b FIGURE 39b9b9b TT 2 2 33 11 the patterns of many licks based around 12 14 15 12 14 15 12 15 12 15 one of these A notes can easily be moved 11 12 9 911 12 12 9 912 to either of the other two A notes. This 10 10 10 7 7 10 7 7 10 7 7 10 is especially true if the lick falls on the 77 99 77 99 77 99 sixth and fifth, fourth and third, or secFIGURE ond and first strings, because these pairs FIGURE 39c9c9c FIGURE A7 A7 of adjacent strings are tuned in fourths, and the shape of any lick on these pairs of strings will be identical. 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 A simple example is an A5 power 12 15 14 14 14 1412 12 12 12 15 14 14 12 chord: FIGURE 32a combines an A root 10 15 13 10 15 13 12121414 12 14 note on the sixth string with an E note, 9 9 12 14 11 7 79 9 11 7 10 which is the fifth, on the fifth string; you 7 10 55 77 99 can move this shape up an octave to the 55 55 55 33 fourth and third strings, two frets higher (FIGURE 32b), or the second and first strings, three frets higher (FIGURE 32c). which is a little more work for the brain Let’s apply the concept to an E minor FIGURE 33a illustrates an A major triad because it involves different “shapes.” lick (FIGURE 38a). We can move this up (A Cs E) played on the bottom two Let’s use this approach to create licks. one and two octaves, as shown in FIGURE strings; we can move this same trianFIGURE 35 incorporates the root/fifth 38b, fretting it exactly the same way. For gular shape over to the other A notes “power chord” concept, with the notes fun, try improvising around those shapes. (FIGURES 33b and 33c) and yield the same played separately and in sequence. Given FIGURES 39a-c incorporate this conmusical result in higher octaves. a chord progression like A5-G5-F5, as cept with a Csm7f5 arpeggio; for an In comparison, fingering the notes of shown in FIGURE 36, you can play that lick additional twist, FIGURE 39c positions a this arpeggio across all of the strings in in F over the F5 chord. Add a few notes Csm7f5 arpeggio-type lick over an A7 one position would give us something to that shape, and we can get an F Lydian chord, which yields a cool, fusion-y A9 like what is illustrated in FIGURE 34, sound, as shown in FIGURES 37a-c. (A Cs E G B) sound. ❒
10
GU I TA R WOR L D
00
! !
00 00
! !
00
! !
! !
CHAPTER 9
»
SNAKE-CHARMING LICKS THE FIFTH MODE OF HARMONIC MINOR
IN THIS CHAPTER, I’d like to
talk about what I refer to as “snake-charming licks”—my slang term for licks built from the Phrygian-dominant mode, the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale. The notes of the E harmonic minor scale are: E Fs G A B C Ds. To form the fifth mode of this scale, start from the fifth scale degree, B, and proceed up one octave while using the same notes; the resulting scale, shown in FIGURE 40, is B Phrygian-dominant and is spelled: B C Ds E Fs G A. Notice that this scale fingering requires a bit of a stretch on the low E string: while rooted in seventh position, the pinkie has to reach up to the 11th fret, which is one fret higher than the standard, and more comfortable, four-fret span of many scales. Let’s begin with a series of stringskipping licks. When possible I like to devise easy fingerings, and the lick shown in FIGURE 41a, utilizes the same fingering on both the G and high E strings: I begin with the index finger at the eighth fret on the G string, followed by the ring finger at the 11th fret (a bit of a stretch) and the pinkie at the 12th; the exact same frets and fingers are used on the high E string. Instead of simply playing this riff up and down, move it around a little and use hammer-ons and pull-offs, as shown in FIGURE 41b. Now let’s move the concept up to the next fretboard position: As shown in FIGURE 42a, I use the 11th, 12th and 14th frets on both the G and high E strings. You can even link these two positions using two-note chords, as shown in FIGURE 42b, which is a nice way to harmonize B Phrygian-dominant. Let’s move up the concept one more time, to 14th position. Here we have to change the fingering slightly: 14-16-17 frets on the G string and 14-15-17 frets on the high E. FIGURE 43 then links these three positions together. Now that you have the shapes, try creating improvised patterns and different ways to connect the positions, as shown in FIGURE 44. Here’s another great lick: FIGURE 45 incorporates a series of double pull-offs from various positions. Because we’re in the key of B, we can take advantage of our open B string. FIGURE 46 is based on a five-note sequence that sounds great when cycled repeatedly: start with an upstroke, followed by a downstroke and two pull-offs, and end with a downstroke. Five is a weird number for a rock lick, but if you play it fast enough, you’ll feel the pulse of the downbeats. ❒
FIGURE 40 1 B Phrygian dominant mode FIGURE
FIGURE 1 FIGURE 1 B B Phrygian Phrygian dominant dominant mode mode B7(¨9) B7(¨9) FIGURE 1 B Phrygian dominant mode B7(¨9) FIGURE 1 B Phrygian dominant mode B7(¨9) 7 9 7 7 9 10 dominant 10 9 B7(¨9) 7 9 9 7mode FIGURE 1 B Phrygian 7 7 7 8 11 7 9 10 10 7 9 10 10 9 9 7 8 11 B7(¨9) 7 9 7 7 8 11 FIGURE 2b 7 9 10 10 9 7 9 7 7 8 11 FIGURE 2b FIGURE 41b B7(¨9) FIGURE 2b 7 9 10 10 9 freely 7 8 B7(¨9) 12 117 8 9 7 freely FIGURE 2b11 788 11 freely B7(¨9) 9 10 10 9 11 12 11 8 1112 8 11 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 FIGURE 2b11 freely7 8B7(¨9) 8 11 12 12 11 8 8 11 12 11 8 11 12 12 11 8 11 11 12 12 freely 8B7(¨9) FIGURE 2b 8 11 12 8 11 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 freely B7(¨9)
FIGURE 41a2a FIGURE FIGURE 2a FIGURE B7(¨9) 2a FIGURE B7(¨9) 2a B7(¨9) FIGURE 8B7(¨9) 2a11 12 8 11 11 12 8 FIGURE B7(¨9) 2a 12 8 11 12 B7(¨9)
8 11 12 11 8 8 11 12 11 8 8 11 12 11 8 12 11 8 8 8 11 12 11 8 12 12 11 11 8 7 11 8 9 7 8 11 12 11 8 12 11 8 7 11 8 9 8 11 12 8 11 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 8 9 7 11 8 9 8 7 8 11 12 12 11 8 11 8 9 8 11 12 11 12 11 8 8 11 8 8 8 7 8 8 11 12 8 1211 12 11 11 12 12 11 11 8 8 12 8 8 11 11 8 8 12 8 8 12 11 8 8 12 11 11 8 8 911 12 8 11 8 12 11 12 11 11 8 8 11 11 12 12 8 11 12 11 12 11 8 12 12 8 11 8 12 12 8 12 12 11 11 8 12 12 11
8 12 11 8 11 12 8 11 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 8 12 11
8 11 12 8 11 12 11 12 11 8 12 8 11 8 12 8 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 8 11 12 11 12 11 5 8 12 8 11 8 12 8 12 11 8 12 11
8 11 12
8 11 12
12 11 8 11 12
12 11
12 11 8 12 11 11 8 12 8 12 11 1 12 11 8 12 12 11 11 1 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 12 12 11 8 12 11 1
8 8 8
1/2 1/2 1/2
GU I TA R WOR L D
1/2
11 12 11 11 12 12
1/2
11 12
1/2
11 12 11 12
1 1 1
1112 11 1112 11 11 1112
1
1112 11
1
1112 11
1
1112 11
1 1 1 1 1 1
5
11
5
5 12 12 12 11 12 11 FIGURE 3a FIGURE 42aB7(¨9) 5 FIGURE 3a FIGURE 3a B7(¨9) 512 14 FIGURE11 3a B7(¨9) 11 12 14 11 12 14 14 11 12 14 5 12 B7(¨9) FIGURE11 3a 11 12 14 11 12 14 11 12 14 B7(¨9) 12 14 11 11 12 12 14 14 11 12 14 11 11 12 12 14 14 FIGURE11 3a 11 12 14 11 12 14 11 12 14 11 12 14 B7(¨9)
8 11 12 12 11 8 ! 11 8 11 12 12 11 8 11 8 12 11 8 ! 8 11 12 11 8 12 11 8 ! 8 11 12 11 11 12 3 14 11 12 3 14 11 12 3 14 8 11 12 12 11 8 ! 11 8FIGURE 333 14 11 12 FIGURE 3b 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 FIGURE 3b FIGURE 4 8 11 12 12 11 12 11 8 11 11 12 14 11 12 ! 14 3 3 FIGURE B7(¨9) 3b FIGURE 4B7(¨9) 3 3 B7(¨9) B7(¨9) 14 15 17 FIGURE 42b83b FIGURE 43 4B7(¨9) 11 123 14 3 FIGURE FIGURE 11 12 14 12 11 8 8 11 12 ! 12 B7(¨9) 3 312 11 12 14 12 11 8 14 15 17 11 12 14 883b 144B7(¨9) 17 11 14 8 11 12 8 8 11 11 12 12 ! 12 B7(¨9) FIGURE FIGURE 11 12 14 12 11 8 16 17 14 15 12 14 11 12 3 14 3 11 12 83 11 12 3 8 11 14 16 12 14 8 8 11 12 12 14 14 12 12 11 11 8 8 17 11 11 12 12 B7(¨9) B7(¨9) 14 16 17 17 14 15 11 12 14 8 11 12 ! FIGURE 3b FIGURE 4 8 11 12 14 12 11 8 14 16 17 14 15 17 11 12 12 14 11 12 14 8 11 12 8 11 12 ! 14B7(¨9) 8B7(¨9) 3 17 14 15 3 17 11 12 3 14 11 12 3 14 3 12 8 11 3 12 12 16 8 11 11 12 14 12 11 8 FIGURE 5 ! 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 FIGURE 5 8 14 8 11 12 FIGURE 5 11 12 14 12 11 8 8B7(¨9) 8 14 1633 817 33 11 12 3 3 14 14 14 312 11 12 3 B7(¨9) 11 8 12 11 12 11 8 8 11 8 11 12 11 11 B7(¨9) FIGURE 5 44 88B7(¨9) 11 8 12 11 12 11 8 8 11 8 8 11 312 14 14 14312 11 123 11 3 8 3 3 11 14 11 11 FIGURE FIGURE 5 11 12 8 12 11 12 11 8 12 8 11 8 12 8 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 14 11 12 14 14 14 12 11 12 8B7(¨9) 12 8 12 11 12 11 8 12 12 8 11 8 12 12 8 12 12 11 11 12 311 11 8 8 11 11312 12 14 14 11 312 14 14 14312 11 123 14 11 11 14 3 8 12 12 FIGURE 85 11 11 12 8 12 11 12 11 8 12 8 11 8 12 8 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 14 11 12 14 14 14 12 11 12 11 14 11 B7(¨9) 3 8 12 8 12 11 8 12 11 8 11 12 14 11 12 14 14 14 12 11 12 11 14 11 8 111112 8 12 11 12 11 178 12178 11 3 314 14 15 15 141114 12 12 12 12 11 12 11 8 12 14 14 14 12 11 17 17 14 14 15 15 14 14 3 11 14 12 11 17 17 14 14 15 15 17 17 14 14 16 16 17 17 14 14 16 14 14 12 12 11 14 14 12 12 11 11 17 17 314 14 15 15 17 17 17 17 14 14 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 14 14 14 14 16 16 16 14 12 11 14 12 11 17 17 314 14 15 15 17 17 14 14 16 16 17 17 14 14 16 14 12 11 14 12 11 17 17 14 14 15 15 17 17 14 14 16 16 17 17 14 14 16 14 15 17 15 17 15 14 14 15 14 14 14 11 12 14 12 11 17 17 16 16 17 17 14 14 16 14141216 17 1414 14 15 15 17 17 15 15 17 17 15 15 14 14 14 14 15 15 14 14 17 14 14 17 16 14 1417 16 14 11 12 14 11 11 12 12 14 14 11 12 14 14 16 16 17 17 14 15 17 15 17 15 14 14 15 14 17 17 14 17 17 16 16 14 17 17 16 16 14 14 11 12 14 11 12 14 14 14 15 17 15 17 15 14 14 15 14 14 14 16 17 17 17 16 17 16 14 11 12 14 11 12 14 14 14 16333 17 14 15333 17 15 1733 15 14 14 1533 14 17 14 17333 16 14 17333 16 1411 12 14 11 1233 14 3 3 17 17 16 17 16 14 11 12 14 12141416123 1117 11 12314 11 33 11 8 11 12 8 8113 8 8 8 3 10 3 10 3! 12 14 14 12 12 11 11 12 14 11 11 8 11 12 8 811 8 8 8 12 11 11 12 14 11 11 8 11 12 8 811 8 8 8 3 3 14 14 12 3 3 12 14 14 12 11 8 311 12 12 12 11 12 11 8 10 3! 3 10 10 10 14 14 14 12 14 12 11 8 11 12 12 12 12 11 12 11 8 12 14 12 11 14 12 11 8 11 12 8 11 12 3 8 12 8113 8 12 8 12 11 8 12 11 8 10 3 11 14 11 12314 14 11 14 12 10 3! 3 3 12 14 12 11 14 11 12 14 14 11 14 12 11 14 12 11 8 11 12 8 11 12 8 12 811 8 12 8 12 11 8 12 11 8 10 10 ! 3 11 8 12 3 11 8 12 14 12 5 11 14 11 12 3 14 14 11 14 3 8 12 811 3 8 12 8 12 3 12 11 14 3 12 11 38 11 12 38 11 12 10 10 ! 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 12 14 3 12 11 3 38 11 12 3 FIGURE 6 55 14 3 11 12 3 11 8 3 3 3 3 14 14 12 3 12 12 FIGURE 6 6 FIGURE 3 7 03 12 12 8 0 3 7 03 8 8 3 5 0 3 7 7 4 30 8 8 3 5 0 10 10 10 776 4554 00 88 3355 00 10 FIGURE 10 10 10 7 0 03 8 8 8 83 5 5 0 0 37 7 7 7 4 4 30 0 8 8 8 835 5 0 0 10 10 10 10 7 0 03 12 12 12 12 8 8 0 0 3 7 3 7 7 4 0 8 5 0 10 FIGURE 76 54 0 8 35 0 10 10 3 7 03 12 12 8 0 3 7 03 8 8 3 5 0 3 7 7 4 30 8 8 3 5 0 10 10 45 76 34 0 8 35 0 10 10 7 0 8 8 5 0 7 7 4 0 8 8 5 0 10 10 7 0 12 12 8 0 FIGURE FIGURE 7 334 0 8 335 0 10 10 7 0 FIGURE 8 8 7 5 0 7 7 4 0 8 8 5 0 10 *10= upstroke 7 0 12=12 8 0 downstroke = upstroke FIGURE 3 * = = downstroke downstroke FIGURE* 7 7 3 * upstroke = grad. increase speed * FIGURE* 87 8 12 12 38 0 10 3 grad. increasespeed speed * = downstroke = upstroke grad. increase 8 12 10 8 8 12 10 8 *7 8 FIGURE 11 8 12 10 8 11 grad. = upstroke = downstroke 12 12 8 0 10 12 10 8 increase speed 12 12 38 0 10 3 12 10 8 11 12 10 8 11 * 8 8 *7 11 11 FIGURE FIGURE increasespeed = upstroke = downstroke 12 12 8 0 10 46* 8 12 10 8 11 8 12 10 8 11 *grad. increase speed 8 12 105 8 11 8 12 105 8 11 grad. 12 12 8 0 10 12 1055 8 5 12 12 8 0 10 12 10 5 8 11 11 5 5 5 5 8 11 12 12 8 11 11 12 12 8 12 12 8 11 12 12 8 11 12 12
1 1 1
5
CHAPTER 10
»
UNITED MUTATIONS MASTERING MUTING TECHNIQUES
ONE OF THE MOST important
things about playing rock and roll guitar is to make big rock and roll motions. If you see a guitarist who’s playing with the tiniest of physical motions, it’s not very exciting to watch. But a guitarist that’s bouncing and moving around, swinging his arms and playing rhythm or lead with real energy—that, to me, is much more exciting and much more rock. It’s not always easy to play the electric guitar with such physical abandon, because it’s difficult to maintain perfect control over a cranked-up guitar and amp. When playing just one string, you have to control the other five so that they will not make any unwanted noises. The solution is to use various parts of your fret-hand fingers and thumb to mute different strings. In FIGURE 47, I’m picking across all six strings while using the fret hand to block every string except the fourth, on which I’m fretting and shaking notes with my ring finger. The top three strings are muted by the underside of the index finger, the fifth string is muted by the tip of the ring finger, and wrapping the thumb over the top of the neck mutes the sixth string. Another useful way to mute is to use what I call “pick muting”: after picking a note with a downstroke, I immediately stop the string from ringing by lightly touching it with the pick on the upstroke. Likewise, after picking an upstroke, I immediately touch it lightly on the downstroke. As demonstrated in FIGURE 48, this produces a staccato sound, which means “very short in duration.” In FIGURE 49, I begin by allowing the notes to ring as long as possible (known as tenuto articulation), and then I switch to a staccato attack. In both examples, I use alternate picking throughout, alternately damping the string with either an upstroke or a downstroke; this is more clearly illustrated in FIGURE 50. Using this technique, you can create some really great aggressive-sounding licks, like the ones shown in FIGURES 51a and 51b: both of these freely improvised phrases combine the staccato attack with the legato (“smooth”) sound of hammerons and pull-offs. You can, of course, gain further control over the strings by additionally palm muting them, laying the edge of the pickhand palm across all of the strings at the bridge saddles. The sooner you master these muting techniques, the sooner you’ll be able to rock out and still play with a good measure of control over your instrument. ❒
12
GU I TA R WOR L D
8 5 8 7 55 5 7 5 5 8 8 5 5 8 77 5 55 77 77 55 55 77 7 5 7 play note as short as possible. ** == staccato; staccato; play note as short as possible. FIGURE FIGURE 3 3 3 3 FIGURE 4933 3 3 3 FIGURE 50 4 * = staccato; play note as short as possible. FIGURE FIGURE * * 3 44 * * 3 FIGURE FIGURE 5 8 5 5 8 5 5* 8 88 5 55 88 7 55 5 8 88 5 55 88 7 55 5 7 5 * 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 8 5 5 8 5 7 7 5 7 7 5 5 7 8 5875 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 5 8 5 8 5 7 5 7 7 5 5 7 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 8 5 5 7 5 7 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 ** == tenuto: allow note to ring as long as possible. * = downstroke 8 5 tenuto: allow note to ring as long as possible. * = downstroke === upstroke FIGURE 51a FIGURE 5a upstroke * downstroke FIGURE* (Am) 5a = tenuto: allow note to ring as long as possible. = upstroke (Am) FIGURE 5a 5 sim. (Am) sim. 7 55 88 77 88 77 55 8 5 88 77 55 8 55 8 7 55 8sim.7 5 7 5 7 5 5 5 77 5 8 7 8 7 5 88 5 8 7 5 88 5 88 77 5 88 77 55 77 55 77 55 77 55 77 55 77 66 55 77 66 55 77 7 6 5 7 5 7 7 6 7 3 3 3 3 11 8 3 8 10 3 11 8 88 10 5 7 5 5 5 6 7 5 7 7 5 7 5 7 10 11 8 X X X X X X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX 14 X 12 X 19 X X X 15 X 17 XXX77 XXX99 10 X 12 X X 15 X 17 X 19 X 10 14 X X X X X XX7 XX9 10XX 12XX 14XX 15XX 17XX 19XXX X33 X33 X33 X33 X33 X33 X33 X33
FIGURE 47 1 FIGURE
FIGURE 48 2 pick muting FIGURE
FIGURE 2* pick muting 8 5 FIGURE 25* pick muting 8 5 5 8 5 * 8
FIGURE 1 FIGUREX 1 X X X
1/2 1/2
1/2 1/2
1/2 1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2 1/2 1/2
6 6
3 3 5 3 3 5 6 7 6 5 3 sim. 8 5 3 5 sim. 11 10 8 10 11 10 8 10 10 10 sim. 11 10 8 10 11 10 8 10 10 11 10 8 10 11 10 8 10 5 5
7 7
6 6
5 5
8 8
5 5
5 5
3 5 3 5
3 3
5 5
3 3
5 5
7 7
5 6 7
3 5 3 5 7 3 5 3 5 3 10 11 10 11 10 8 10 3 10 11 10 11 10 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 10 11 10 8 10 10 10
8 8
7
8
512 12 14 12 14 12 12 13 14 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 12 14 12 14 12 14 12 13 14 12 12 15 13 14 15 12 13 14 14 12 14 12 14 12 12 13 14 15 12 12 13 14 14 12 15 3 3
FIGURE(Am) 5b FIGURE(Am) 5b (Am)
10
14
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
14
1 1
14
1 1
8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 10 1
rit. rit.
3 3
3 3
rit.
3
3
8
5
7
7
5
7
9 9 9
8 8
10 13 10 13
8
10 13
5 5
1/2 1/2
3 3 1/2 hold bend 1/2 hold3bend 1/2
8 8
7
sim.
3
10 13 10 11 12 11 10 12 13 10 14 11 10 12 11 12 10 13 10 10 11 12 11 12 10
5
sim. 14 15 14 15 14 12 12 14 12 14 15 14 15 14 12 13 12 14 12 13 sim. 12 14 12 14 13 14 12 13 14 15 14 15 14 12 12 12 14 14 12 14 12 14 12 14 13 13 13 14 13 12 14 12 14 14 12 14 13
12 10 12 13 12 13 12 10 12 12 14 13 12 14 13 12 15 12 10 12 10 12 13 12 13 12 10 12 12 12 12 15 12 10 12 12 12 14 13 12 10 12 13 12 13 12 10 12 15 12 10 12 12 12
hold bend 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
7
10 10
5 5
FIGURE FIGURE 51b5b
7
5
5 6 7
10 10
5
1/2
12 10 10 11 12 12 12 10 12 10 11 12 12 12 12 10 10 11 12 12 12
10
1/2 1/2
3
12
13 14 13 14
14 141/2 141/2 10grad. 10 10 10 10 10 10 1/2 10 14 14 14 10 10 bend 10 10 10 10 10 10
13 14
14 14
14
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
1/2 1/2
1/2 1/2
A7sus4 A7sus4 5 A7sus4 5
10 8 110 8 5 1/2 1/2 10 8 10 8 10 9 8 5 5 7 10 9 8 5 8 7 5 8 7 5 5 7 5 10 8 10 8 5 8 7 8 7 5 7 7 6 5 7 10 9 8 5 5 7 5 5 5 8 7 8 7 5 7 6 5 8 5 3 7 7 5 8 5 3 5 7 3 rit. 7 6 5 8 5 3 5 3 rit.
12 12 1/2 1/2
grad. bend grad. bend
1/2 1/2
rit.
CHAPTER 11
»
BREAKIN’ OUT
THE BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS OF LIVE PERFORMANCE BEING A FULL-TIME guitar
player is an amazing experience. I’ve had this “job” for the past 20 or so years, and it’s brought me a great deal of happiness. I’ve often thought about the most important aspects of my job. One is that, when I perform, it’s not necessarily essential that I play all the notes perfectly or in a technically pristine manner. More important is that I have a great time. If I am really having fun onstage, that energy translates to the audience and they have a great time too. Of course, if I hit lots of wrong notes, I definitely won’t be having a good time. But if I hit one bad note and in my mind I’m thinking, “I don’t care—the rest of it is great,” then everything is cool. It’s all about enjoying having the opportunity to perform music. This brings me to the matter of the difference between being a “bedroom” guitarist and one who is experienced and comfortable playing live in front of people. I’m of the firm belief that when performing onstage you should play the guitar with more than just your fingers—you should play with your entire body. I performed at a tribute to the Who last year, and had to follow Pete Townshend’s lead when it came to recreating his parts. Pete absolutely does not play with just his hands; he uses his whole body, including his back, torso, legs and arms. It’s a stunning experience to play Who songs with the mindset of being a vessel for the music, as Pete does. The Who’s music is very high-energy, and it feels great to stand up and play it with all your might. One of the first times that I really “got it” and understood what this meant was when I was listening to Jimi Hendrix. I shouldn’t say “listening,” because my parents gave me a couple of Hendrix albums when I was young, and I did like them, but the thing that really got me excited was when I saw a Hendrix movie, and suddenly I could watch how he played, and how he moved when he played. For example, he took a very simple string-bending lick, along the lines of FIGURE 52, and just shook the earth with the thing by adding such physical force and rhythmic drive to it. There was so much power in his playing, and I thought, “Oh, that’s it—that’s why people keep talking about Hendrix.” To play rock music back in those days, you had to get together with
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GU I TA R WOR L D
FIGURE FIGURE 52 1
7
7
5
7
5
7 X 5
7 X 5
7 X 5
1
7
5
7 X 5
7
7
5
7
5
7 X 5
7
5
7
5
G5
1
7
5
1
Th
1
7
N.C.(A)
1
7
5
7 X 5
X X X
5 5 3
5 5 3
5 5 3
5 5 3
5 5 3
5 5 3
Th
FIGURE FIGURE 53 2
E5
12 13 12
15
1215 13 15 13 12
6
12
15 13 15 13 12
14
12 13 15
12 14 12 14 12
7
14
12 13 15
7
12
15
12 15 14 15 14 12 15 14 15 14 12
3 7
15 13 15 13 12 11 12 11
14
5
5
11 14 12 14 12 11 14 12 14 12 11
9
15
9
14
11
14
grad. bend
1
12 14 12 11
14 9
11 12 11
14
11 14 12 14 12 11 12 11 19
5
other musicians and crank up the amps loud, as opposed to simulating this via using Pro Tools in your bedroom. This is why so many musicians of Hendrix’s era tended to be good at delivering powerful musical statements to the audience. I encourage you to get together with other musicians and find a place where you can crank it up. There are an infinite number of things to be learned from live performance. An obvious one is getting over making a mistake—if you’re used to merely hitting “undo” on your keyboard, you won’t know how to deal with it when you are onstage. All the pioneers of rock—Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen, to name a few—learned these valuable lessons early on. When you think of young Eddie jamming in his basement with his brother Alex, you can envision how the two of them learned to play together like they were one person, or like musical twins. If you can build musical relationships by
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12
9
12 11 12 11 9 9
12
9
12 10 12 10 9
12
9
10
0
6
finding musicians you enjoy playing with, and do so over a long period of time, you will increase the likelihood of making magic come out of your guitar. So play with other musicians as often as you can. If you know that the drummer is showing up at seven o’clock, it will motivate you to get your act together. I’ve written many a song using that specific motivation. Here’s another tip: Even if you are playing some terrifying shred-type licks, you should end the solo with as much expression as you can muster. For example, if you play something like FIGURE 53, which features some blazingly fast shredding, end things with an expressive bend and some extreme body movement, in order to send it off with a big exclamation point. Try to harness as much energy as possible and channel it into your playing. This wraps up our the Shred Alert. I hope you’ve learning the techniques I’ve taught you, and that they help your playing to improve and become more expressive. ❒
