Fretboard Freedom - Troy Nelson

ISBN 978-1-4803-4867-7

Copyright © 2013 by Hal Leonard Corporation International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Publisher. In Australia Contact: Hal Leonard Australia Pty. Ltd. 4 Lentara Court Cheltenham, Victoria, 3192 Australia Email: [email protected] Visit Hal Leonard Online at www.halleonard.com

2

INTRODUCTION THE METHOD THE NOTES OF THE FRETBOARD HOW TO USE FRETBOARD FREEDOM (TUNING NOTES) Week 1 C MAJOR: C–D–E–F–G–A–B Week 2 C MINOR: C–D–E♭–F–G–A♭–B♭ Week 3 C DOMINANT: C–D–E–F–G–A–B♭ Week 4 G MAJOR: G–A–B–C–D–E–F♯ Week 5 G MINOR: G–A–B♭–C–D–E♭–F Week 6 G DOMINANT: G–A–B–C–D–E–F Week 7 F MAJOR: F–G–A–B♭–C–D–E Week 8

3

F MINOR: F–G–A♭–B♭–C–D♭–E♭ Week 9 F DOMINANT: F–G–A–B♭–C–D–E♭ Week 10 D MAJOR: D–E–F♯–G–A–B–C♯ Week 11 D MINOR: D–E–F–G–A–B♭–C Week 12 D DOMINANT: D–E–F♯–G–A–B–C Week 13 B♭ MAJOR: B♭–C–D–E♭–F–G–A Week 14 B♭ MINOR: B♭–C–D♭–E♭–F–G♭–A♭ Week 15 B♭ DOMINANT: B♭–C–D–E♭–F–G–A♭ Week 16 A MAJOR: A–B–C♯–D–E–F♯–G♯ Week 17 A MINOR: A–B–C–D–E–F–G Week 18 A DOMINANT: A–B–C♯–D–E–F♯–G Week 19 E♭ MAJOR: E♭–F–G–A♭–B♭–C–D Week 20 E♭ MINOR: E♭–F–G♭–A♭–B♭–C♭–D♭

4

Week 21 E♭ DOMINANT: E♭–F–G–A♭–B♭–C–D♭ Week 22 E MAJOR: E–F♯–G♯–A–B–C♯–D♯ Week 23 E MINOR: E–F♯–G–A–B–C–D Week 24 E DOMINANT: E–F♯–G♯–A–B–C♯–D Week 25 A♭ MAJOR: A♭–B♭–C–D♭–E♭–F–G Week 26 A♭ MINOR: A♭–B♭–C♭–D♭–E♭–F♭–G♭ Week 27 A♭ DOMINANT: A♭–B♭–C–D♭–E♭–F–G♭ Week 28 B MAJOR: B–C♯–D♯–E–F♯–G♯–A♯ Week 29 B MINOR: B–C♯–D–E–F♯–G–A Week 30 B DOMINANT: B–C♯–D♯–E–F♯–G♯–A Week 31 F♯ MAJOR: F♯–G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯–E♯ Week 32 F♯ MINOR: F♯–G♯–A–B–C♯–D–E Week 33

5

F♯ DOMINANT: F♯–G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯–E Week 34 C♯ MAJOR: C♯–D♯–E♯–F♯–G♯–A♯–B♯ Week 35 C♯ MINOR: C♯–D♯–E–F♯–G♯–A–B Week 36 C♯ DOMINANT: C♯–D♯–E♯–F♯–G♯–A♯–B Week 37 C HALF-DIMINISHED: C–D♭–E♭–F–G♭–A♭–B♭ Week 38 C DIMINISHED: C–D–E♭–F–G♭–A♭–B Week 39 C HARMONIC MINOR: C–D–E♭–F–G–A♭–B Week 40 C WHOLE TONE: C–D–E–F♯–G♯–A♯ Week 41 C–F–G–C PROGRESSION Week 42 C–Am–F–G–C PROGRESSION Week 43 C–G–Am–F–C PROGRESSION Week 44 Am–F–C–G–C PROGRESSION Week 45 C–Em–F–G–C PROGRESSION

6

Week 46 C–B♭–F–C PROGRESSION Week 47 Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION Week 48 Am7–Dm7–E7♯5–Am7 PROGRESSION Week 49 Cmaj7–Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION Week 50 Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION Week 51 Bmaj7–D7–Gmaj7–B♭7–E♭maj7 Week 52 Cmaj7–C♯°7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION Week 53 Cmaj7–C♯°7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION ABOUT THE AUTHOR

7

INTRODUCTION Fretboard visualization and navigation are perhaps the most elusive of all guitar concepts. In fact, many guitarists spend their entire lives without truly feeling comfortable with their approach to soloing—i.e., how they are getting from Point A to Point B on the fretboard while playing something “musical.” The problem is that several approaches to soloing exist, and it can take years for a guitarist to determine which one works best for him. Many beginners get caught up in the belief that, in order to be a great lead player, one must learn to play dozens of scales. While learning scales is requisite material for all guitarists, one must resist the urge to aimlessly run up-and-down scales, failing to emphasize the chord changes in a melodic fashion. Moreover, utilizing seven-note major or minor scales to visualize the entire fretboard can be a daunting task. The higher the note density, the more difficult it is to determine which notes to focus on—and on which portion of the neck. Consequently, even veteran players revert to playing scales in the same position(s), limiting their fretboard movement and, as a result, stifling their melodic creativity. It is this approach that causes so many players to feel as though they’ve hit a rut in their lead playing. Arpeggios—notes of a chord played separately/consecutively, rather than simultaneously—are another musical tool that guitarists implement to visualize and navigate the fretboard. Unlike seven-note scales, basic arpeggios (major and minor triads or sevenths) are limited to three and four notes, reducing the neck’s note density and, in turn, making it easier to visualize. Similar to scales, however, guitarists must be careful so as not to sound mechanical when incorporating arpeggios into their solos; instead, arpeggios should be used judiciously to outline chord changes. One drawback to using multi-octave arpeggios as a navigational tool is that, when played vertically—think ceiling to floor (or vice versa)—the fingerings sometimes can be awkward, inhibiting smooth transitions between musical phrases. And when played horizontally, along the length of the neck, certain arpeggio patterns require wide, inefficient positional shifts—a tricky proposition for even the most technically advanced player. Additionally, the picking patterns, especially for arpeggios whose patterns randomly alternate between one and two notes per string, often require extra attention to execute cleanly. Many guitarists, particularly in their formative years, are accustomed to using the minor pentatonic scale to visualize and navigate the guitar’s neck. As often is the case, a beginner learns the scale in its root position—for example, the A minor pentatonic at the 5th fret—before memorizing the other four pentatonic “boxes” to cover the entire fretboard. While the five-note minor pentatonic scale mitigates the note-density problem associated with the seven-note major and minor scales, the lead guitarist still must keep the five pentatonic boxes organized in his mind while

8

improvising and, like all scales, must learn how to incorporate the box shapes into his lead lines in a musical fashion—that is, without sounding like an exercise from a method book. Some players refrain from utilizing the aforementioned navigational/visualization devices altogether. Instead, these players spend years learning licks from videos, books, magazines, and/or other guitarists, incorporating them into their own playing without ever attempting to learn scales or arpeggios. While this approach can produce good results—many talented and successful guitarists have utilized this method over the years—some drawbacks do exist. First, the musical vocabulary of a player who uses this approach is limited to the licks and riffs that he has learned, or variations thereof. Second, without the aforementioned musical tools (scales, arpeggios, etc.), it becomes increasingly difficult for a player to forge his own identity, especially for an individual who has spent years mimicking other players’ styles. Lastly, the lead lines of these types of players typically are confined to one or two positions of the neck, dictated by the key in which they are playing, as they lack the wherewithal to navigate the entire fretboard. The objective of this book is to provide you, the lead guitarist, with a simplistic method for visualizing and navigating the fretboard so you can play what you hear in your head—unrestrained by the shortcomings of the aforementioned approaches. The Fretboard Freedom method utilizes just three musical components: chord shapes, two-notes-per-string arpeggios, and extended pentatonic scales. When combined, as detailed throughout the book, and practiced diligently, these three elements should dramatically improve your lead playing and make you a more well-rounded guitarist. Not only will Fretboard Freedom help you to visualize the entire fretboard in a more logical manner, it will enable you to navigate the neck with greater ease, as well, lending more fluidity to your lead playing.

9

THE METHOD Like many readers of this book, I, too, spent years trying to get better acclimated to the layout of the fretboard. While I could play dozens of chord voicings, all 12 major scales and their associated modes, and was well-versed in the major and minor pentatonic “box” patterns, I never truly felt comfortable with my method for visualizing and navigating the fretboard—I longed for a more intuitive approach. It wasn’t until I began writing my first book, Guitar Aerobics (Hal Leonard), that I had a fretboard epiphany—20 years after I began to play the guitar! While composing the musical exercises for that book, I began to envision the fretboard in a whole new way—as simple chord shapes that are interconnected via two-notesper-string arpeggios and extended major and minor pentatonic scales. The concept seemed so simple and logical, yet I had never seen it taught that way—until now. Whereas the pages of most fretboard-focused books are devoted to scales and arpeggios, Fretboard Freedom emphasizes chord-tone playing via five chord shapes, or “voicings.” The voicings serve two purposes—to visualize the layout of the fretboard and to act as guides when playing in various positions of the neck. To navigate between the five voicings/positions, extended pentatonic scales and twonotes-per-string arpeggio patterns are utilized. Once these basic elements are under your fingers, slight alterations are all that are needed to accommodate changes in chord quality (e.g., major, minor, dominant, half-diminished, etc.) while soloing. The logic is that, by limiting the number of musical elements, the frustration level that results from having too much to think about while improvising is minimized. With the Fretboard Freedom method, five chord voicings are used to “anchor” your lead lines (think positional playing), while the arpeggio shapes and pentatonic patterns interconnect the voicings, enabling you, the soloist, to effortlessly move your lead lines to a higher or a lower register. Unlike the ubiquitous CAGED guitar system, which utilizes a similar approach to visualizing the fretboard, Fretboard Freedom emphasizes the incorporation of chord voicings into your solos (i.e., chord-tone soloing), rather than simply using the chord shapes as “guideposts” for learning scales, octave shapes, and/or arpeggios. Let’s begin with the five chord voicings. If you’re familiar with the CAGED system, you’ll notice that Fretboard Freedom incorporates the same five shapes. However, Fretboard Freedom forgoes the clever “CAGED” acronym in favor of a more practical order: E–D–C–A–G. Admittedly, this order is more difficult to remember, but it represents a triadic approach to the voicings. That is, the top (first string) note of each voicing progressively ascends the notes of the triad relative to the voicing. For example, in the key of G major, the top notes of the five major voicings are follows: G, B, B, D, and G. Although some repetition exists, the five voicings, played sequentially, spell out the G major chord/arpeggio (G–B–D).

10

The following is an overview of the voicings that are utilized in the Fretboard Freedom method. Voicing 1, shown here in the key of G, is a major barre-chord voicing that is derived from an open-position E major triad. Notice that the root note (G) is found on the first, fourth, and sixth strings.

Voicing 2, also shown in the key of G, is derived from the open-position D major triad. Voicing 2 is the most awkward of the five voicings, requiring a twofret stretch between the index finger and middle and ring fingers of the fret hand. Notice that the root note is located on both string 2 and string 4.

11

Voicing 3 is derived from an open-position C major triad and, similar to Voicing 1, contains an index-finger barre; however, this time, the barre arches across strings 1–3, rather than all six. Voicing 3 contains root notes on both string 2 and string 5 and shares notes with Voicing 2 (specifically, strings 1–3).

Derived from an open-position A major triad, Voicing 4 contains root notes on strings 3 and 5 (the latter of which is shared with Voicing 3, the C major triad shape). Notice that Voicing 4 contains not one, but two barres, with the index finger playing the notes on strings 1 and 5, and the ring finger barring strings 2–4. This voicing is tricky to fret, but don’t worry—we won’t play the chord as illustrated below. Instead, Voicing 4 will be used as a point of reference, or “visual guidepost,” in our musical examples.

12

13

With root notes on the first, third, and sixth strings and sharing several notes from Voicing 4—see the barre on strings 2–4; here, executed with the index finger —Voicing 5 is an open-position G major triad that is played an octave (12 frets) higher. When used as a navigational device while soloing, Voicing 5 works well with Voicing 1 (played an octave higher), as it contains an efficient root-position triad (G–B–D) on strings 6–4 that is one octave lower than the root-position triad found on strings 4–2 of Voicing 1. Consequently, licks can be repeated in lower or higher octaves with minimal finger movement.

14

Now let’s take a look at the arpeggio patterns that are the basis of many of the positional shifts that occur in the musical figures throughout Fretboard Freedom. Not only are the following arpeggio patterns—G major seventh (G–B–D–F♯), G dominant seventh (G–B–D–F), and G minor seventh (G–B♭–D–F), starting on their seventh degrees (F♯, F, and F, respectively)—good navigational tools, they’re effective devices for visualizing the fretboard horizontally, as well. Notice that the patterns repeat one octave higher on every other string, with a two-fret jump up the neck from string 5 to string 4 and a three-fret jump from string 3 to string 2. The repetitive pattern makes for smooth and efficient positional shifts up the neck. Two-Notes-Per-String G Major Seventh Arpeggio

Two-Notes-Per-String G Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

15

Two-Notes-Per-String G Minor Seventh Arpeggio

Although full, six-string arpeggios are presented in the Resource sections that precede each week’s licks, these patterns easily can be repositioned to string 5 without having to modify the fret-hand fingerings. The only change is on which strings the 7th–root and 3rd–5th note pairs fall, as each pair shifts up one string. Throughout this book, you will encounter licks that incorporate portions of arpeggio patterns whose roots originate on the fifth string. Once you’re able to find the arpeggio’s root on string 5, simply recreate the six-string pattern, starting from the higher (fifth) string, as shown below. (Note: The following examples are presented in the key of C, with notes names replaced by scale degrees.) Two-Notes-Per-String Major Seventh Arpeggio (Root on Fifth String)

16

Two-Notes-Per-String Dominant Seventh Arpeggio (Root on Fifth String)

Two-Notes-Per-String Minor Seventh Arpeggio (Root on Fifth String)

As I alluded to in the introduction, many fretboard-focused books present, in various positions of the neck, arpeggios that require awkward fingerings and complex picking sequences due to asymmetrical patterns. Fretboard Freedom, however, strictly focuses on two-notes-per-string arpeggio shapes. Consequently, instead of starting on each arpeggio’s root note, these arpeggios necessitate beginning on the 7th degree (major or minor, depending on the chord quality). This approach eliminates awkward fingerings and picking patterns, enabling smooth transitions between chord shapes (Voicings 1–5). Although two- and three-fret positional shifts are required, the two-notes-per-string pattern can be cleanly articulated with exclusive alternate picking (down-up-down-up, etc.). Consequently, most of your attention can be given to the fret-hand shifts. (Note: For the purpose of fretboard visualization, concentrate on the second note of each arpeggio, the root, and think of the first note, the 7th, as a “pickup” note.) Major and minor pentatonic scales, in extended form, are incorporated into this method for several reasons. First, their uniform fingerings provide an efficient way to navigate the fretboard and interconnect chord voicings, not unlike two-notes-perstring arpeggios. Second, they lend a scalar quality to your lead lines (although chord tones still should be the primary focus). Third, they are effective melodic devices for certain types of music. For instance, the minor pentatonic scale works well in a blues context, and the major pentatonic scale sounds right at home in a country setting. The following example is an extended (three-octave) G major pentatonic scale (G–A–B–D–E) that follows a strict three-note/two-note pattern on each string pair. Notice that the scale originates within the confines of Voicing 1, crosses over Voicings 2 and 3, and concludes with notes from Voicing 4, effectively illustrating why this scale is a good choice for interconnecting Voicings 1–5 and for

17

horizontally navigating and visualizing the fretboard. Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale

Now let’s take a look at the extended G minor pentatonic scale (G–B♭–C– D–F), the parallel minor of G major pentatonic. Spanning nearly three full octaves, the minor pentatonic scale follows a two-note/three-note pattern (inverse of the major pentatonic pattern) and originates within the confines of Voicing 1 and Voicing 5, before moving up the fretboard and concluding within the framework of Voicing 2 and Voicing 3. Extended G Minor Pentatonic Scale

Similar to the arpeggio patterns, extended major and minor pentatonic scale patterns can be easily shifted up one string, starting with a fifth-string root. The only change is on which strings the two-note and three-note groupings fall, as each

18

grouping shifts up one string. Throughout the book, you will encounter licks that incorporate portions of extended pentatonic scales whose roots originate on the fifth string. Once you’re able to find the scale’s root on string 5, simply recreate the six-string pattern, starting from the higher (fifth) string, as shown below. (Note: The following examples are presented in the key of C, with notes names replaced by intervals.) Extended Major Pentatonic Scale (Root on Fifth String)

Extended Minor Pentatonic Scale (Root on Fifth String)

Basically, that’s the entire method—five chord voicings, two-notes-per-string arpeggio patterns, and extended major and minor pentatonic scales. The remainder of Fretboard Freedom will focus on how to alter the voicings/arpeggios/scales to fit the qualities of the chords (major, minor, dominant, etc.) that you’ll encounter while soloing, which notes to use as “guideposts” for visualizing and navigating the fretboard, and how to apply these elements (voicings, scales, and arpeggios) in a real-world setting via practical musical examples. Before you get to the “meat” of Fretboard Freedom, the following section contains an important concept that will help you to get the most out of this book.

19

THE NOTES OF THE FRETBOARD Although perhaps not as enjoyable as playing Fretboard Freedom’s 365 licks, the material in this section is just as important and beneficial. I learned long ago that, when one strives to be the best guitarist that he can be, the process is… well, not always “fun.” That said, a conscious effort has been made to present this section’s material in the most tolerable—yet effective—way possible. If this section wasn’t vitally important to fully integrating the material from Fretboard Freedom into your own playing, we would bypass it altogether. But that’s not the case. If I were to pick one event in my development as a guitarist that was most beneficial, it would be the time I spent learning the notes of the fretboard. While I was familiar with most of the notes of the low-E, A, and high-E strings (sixth, fifth, and first strings, respectively), the rest of the fretboard was a note-y abyss. With a dedicated and systematic approach to learning the rest of the fretboard, however, my playing improved exponentially in a matter of weeks, and I was better equipped to benefit from subsequent instructional material. While learning the notes of the fretboard is not requisite to learning the material in Fretboard Freedom, I highly encourage you to dedicate a least a small portion of your practice time to getting acclimated to the notes on each string until you have a firm grasp of the entire neck. As you learn the notes, you can simultaneously work on Fretboard Freedom’s one-lick-per-day method. That way, the “grind” of memorizing notes and their locations won’t deter you from getting to the fun stuff— the real-world musical examples. Before you begin memorizing the notes of the strings in earnest, a quick tutorial on a couple of important details is in order. First, the notes of each string are as follows:

20

Note that, in guitar vernacular, the strings are numbered, 6 to 1, starting on the low-E string (closest to the ceiling), and finishing with the high-E string (closest to the floor).

Next, let’s spend a little time on some basic music theory; specifically, we’ll look at the musical alphabet and how it relates to the guitar. Unlike the 26-letter English alphabet, the musical alphabet consists of just seven notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. When playing a scale or a melody, these seven notes are recycled, either in a higher or a lower octave (the distance, or interval, of eight notes). In music, an interval is the distance between any two notes, measured by half and whole steps. For example, in Western music, the major scale is constructed with the following combination of whole and half steps:

21

This intervallic pattern (whole–whole–half–whole–whole–whole–half) remains true for every major scale. As you probably noticed, natural half steps occur between two note pairs, B–C and E–F. When we begin the major scale on a different note, two new musical elements, sharps and flats, must be introduced to maintain the major scale’s intervallic pattern. For closer inspection, let’s take a look at two more major scales: G and F.

As you can see, in order to maintain the integrity of the intervallic pattern, specific notes of the G major and F major scales must be altered with either a sharp or a flat. In the case of G major, the F note must be raised a half step, to F♯, to maintain the whole-step relationship between the scale’s 6th and 7th degrees. In the F major scale, the B note was lowered by a half step, to B♭, to maintain the half-step relationship between the scale’s 3rd and 4th degrees. In short, the major scale is predominantly constructed with whole steps, with the only exceptions being the half steps that occur between steps 3–4 and 7–8. Also, due to the presence of sharps and flats, the total number of notes in the musical alphabet increases from seven to 12 (C, C♯/D♭, D, D♯/E♭, E, F, F♯/G♭, G, G♯/A♭, A, A♯/B♭, and B). Although the number of letters in the musical alphabet remains at seven, the total number of notes increases to a dozen, known as the chromatic scale. (Note: The notes C♯/D♭, D♯/E♭, F♯/G♭, G♯/A♭, and A♯/B♭ are enharmonic equivalents—the note pairs have the same pitch, despite having different names.) If you remember anything from this brief music theory overview, make sure it’s

22

this: a natural half step occurs between the notes B–C and E–F. This knowledge will be of great benefit while memorizing the notes of the fretboard and while you work your way through Fretboard Freedom. What you’ll quickly realize is that these half steps act as guideposts while you visualize and navigate the fretboard, although to a lesser degree than root notes and chord tones. How should you approach fretboard memorization? I suggest isolating each string individually, spending a portion of your daily practice session on a specific string. For example, Monday could be spent on the low-E string, Tuesday on the A string, Wednesday on the D string, and so on. With seven days in the week but only six strings on the guitar, Sunday could be set aside for reviewing the entire fretboard. Fortunately, since both the first and sixth strings are tuned to the same note, E, you can simply transfer to the high-E string the notes from the low-E string! Let’s get started.

23

MONDAY: THE NOTES OF THE SIXTH (LOWE) STRING Try to set aside at least 30 minutes of your daily practice session for fretboard memorization, breaking the half hour into three ten-minute segments, which can be either continuous or broken up within your practice session. Use the first ten minutes to memorize the location of the “natural” notes (i.e., the notes with no sharps or flats) on the low-E string:

Next, spend ten minutes memorizing the remaining five notes of the low-E string, the notes that contain accidentals (i.e., the notes with sharps/flats), saying aloud the names of the notes as you play them:

For the last ten minutes, pick random notes along the low-E string (A, F♯, D, B♭, C, etc.), saying aloud the names of the notes as they’re played. Keep in mind that, once you reach the 12th fret, the notes repeat themselves, so don’t limit yourself to the lower regions of the fretboard. On the contrary, be sure to pick notes that are located beyond fret 12, using the figure below as your guide:

If you prefer a more systematic approach to memorizing every note of the low-E string, you can cycle through the notes of the circle of 5ths—C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯/G♭, C♯/D♭, A♭/G♯, E♭/D♯, B♭/A♯, and F. The circle of 5ths derives its name from the fact that each subsequent note of the cycle is the 5th scale degree —in this case, a perfect 5th—of the previous note’s major scale (G is the 5th of C

24

major, D is the 5th of G major, A is the 5th of D major, etc.). By cycling once through the circle of 5ths, you will hit every note of the string. Again, remember to say aloud the name of each note as it’s played.

25

TUESDAY: THE NOTES OF THE FIFTH (A) STRING Just as we did with the low-E string, spend ten minutes memorizing the location of the natural notes on the A string, beginning with the open (A) string and working your way up to the octave A note at fret 12:

Once you feel comfortable with the location of the natural notes, move on to the five accidentals—A♯/B♭, C♯/D♭, D♯/E♭, F♯/G♭, and G♯/A♭—saying aloud their respective names as they’re played:

Now let’s bring the two sets of notes (the naturals and the accidentals) together. Again, you can choose to either play the notes of the A string randomly or use the circle of 5ths as a guide: C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯/G♭, C♯/D♭, A♭/G♯, E♭/D♯, B♭/A♯, and F. Keep in mind that you are not relegated to starting on the C note every time; instead, try starting on the note that gives the string its name, A, and continue working around the circle (E, B, F♯/G♭, C♯/D♭, etc.).

26

WEDNESDAY: THE NOTES OF THE FOURTH (D) STRING Now that you’re familiar with the notes on the low-E and A strings, memorizing the notes of the remaining four strings will seem less daunting because you can use the low-E string as a reference. In the musical alphabet, the note D is just one whole step (or two half steps) below the note E. Therefore, the notes of the low-E string are arranged on the D string in exactly the same order, just two frets (and one octave) higher. If you have a good grasp of the notes of the low-E string, you can use the following octave shape to quickly locate the notes of the D string.

27

28

Here is how the octave-shape relationship looks along the fretboard, using select notes of the low-E and D strings:

With the octave-shape reference tool at your disposal, it’s time to memorize the seven natural notes, as located on the D string. Keep in mind, however, that the octave shape is simply a resource—if it doesn’t work for you, feel free to disregard it. As always, don’t forget to recite aloud each note’s name as it’s played.

After spending ten minutes on memorizing the natural notes, spend the same amount of time on the five accidentals, using the octave shape as a resource to locate each note. Even though fewer accidentals (compared to naturals) must be memorized, their mere presence can be intimidating. Nevertheless, be sure to give them equal attention.

Once you feel comfortable with the locations of both the naturals and the accidentals, spend ten minutes mixing and matching the notes. Don’t forget to use the resources that you have at your disposal—the circle of 5ths and/or the octave shape—to assist with the memorization process.

29

THURSDAY: THE NOTES OF THE THIRD (G) STRING Next up is the third (G) string. Like the D string, the G string has its own reference string: in this case, A. The octave shape that was used to match notes of the low-E string with those of the D string can be transferred to the A and G strings. Simply use the notes of the lower (A) string to locate notes on the higher (G) string:

Now that you have the octave shape firmly under your fingers, spend ten minutes of your practice session locating the seven natural notes on the G string, remembering to name aloud the notes as they’re played:

Spend an additional ten minutes on the third string’s accidentals. As is the case with each of the six strings, the third string contains five such notes:

To complete your note memorization for the day, spend ten minutes on all of the notes of the G string, utilizing the available resources (the octave shape and/or the circle of 5ths) if you so choose, and making sure to include the notes beyond the 12th fret:

30

31

FRIDAY: THE NOTES OF THE SECOND (B) STRING Due to the guitar’s unique tuning system (all string pairs are tuned to perfect 4th intervals, except strings 3–2, which are tuned to a major 3rd), the octave shape that we used to assist with the memorization of the notes on the D and G strings cannot be used here. Instead, a new shape must be introduced:

32

Here is how the octave-shape relationship looks along the fretboard, using

33

select notes of the D and B strings:

As you probably noticed, the notes of the B string, relative to the D string, are located three frets higher. And, as was the case with the previous octave shape, the notes of the higher (B) string sound exactly one octave higher. With that in mind, spend ten minutes memorizing the locations of the seven natural notes on the B string:

Next, put the new octave shape to work to help you locate and memorize the five accidentals on the B string:

Finish up your B-string memorization by spending ten minutes moving up and down the fretboard, from the open B string to the notes beyond the 12th fret, naming aloud the notes as you go. Select the notes randomly or by cycling through the circle of 5ths—C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯/G♭, C♯/D♭, A♭/G♯, E♭/D♯, B♭/A♯, and F. If you get stuck on a note or two, simply use the octave shape to help you get back on track.

34

SATURDAY: THE NOTES OF THE FIRST (HIGH-E) STRING If you’re already well-acclimated with the notes of the low-E string, then the notes of the high-E string should be nothing more than a review, as their locations are exactly the same as the notes on the low E. Nevertheless, spend ten minutes reviewing the seven natural notes on the first (high-E) string:

As a reference, the octave shape that was used to match the notes of the D string with those of the B string can be transferred to the G and high-E strings. Simply use the notes of the lower (G) string to locate notes on the higher (E) string. Select octave-shape notes are shown below but the octave shape can be used to locate any—and all—notes of the high-E string, as long as you’re familiar with the notes of the G string:

As with the natural notes, the locations of the five accidentals on the high-E string are exactly the same as their locations on the low-E string. Spend ten minutes reviewing these notes:

To reinforce the locations of the notes of the low-E and high-E strings, allocate ten minutes for reviewing the 12 notes (both naturals and accidentals) on the high-E string, using whichever selection method (random or the circle of 5ths) that works best for you. Also, don’t forget to recite aloud each note’s name as it’s played.

35

36

SUNDAY: A DAY FOR REVIEW As I mentioned earlier, learning the notes of the fretboard is vitally important and should be incorporated into every guitarist’s practice session. Simply put, note memorization and retention will make you, the practicing guitarist, a better player. By having more familiarity with the fretboard, you will more fully comprehend and be able to implement all future instructional material. Therefore, it’s imperative that you spend a portion of the last day of your practice week on reviewing the notes of the fretboard, giving extra attention to the areas of the neck that give you the most trouble. In an effort to get you acclimated to visualizing the fretboard from a vertical perspective (up to this point, most of your memorization work has been from a horizontal perspective), the following figure contains the locations of the seven natural notes—C, D, E, F, G, A, and B—on all six strings, from open position to the 12th fret:

To prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by notes, accidentals have been omitted from the above figure. Plus, the lack of accidentals will enable you to fill in the blanks, an exercise that will improve your familiarity with both accidentals and with naturals. Notice the overall fretboard arrangement of these naturals. For example, at frets 5, 10, and 12, every string contains a natural note. Similarly, at frets 3 and 7, five out of the six strings contain a natural note. Conversely, at frets 4, 6, and 9, the strings contain mostly accidentals. And fret 11 contains accidentals exclusively. Don’t feel obligated to memorize this last figure; instead, use it as a resource for learning every note of every string, from both a horizontal/linear perspective and a vertical perspective. Similarly, as stated at the beginning of this section, don’t let the “grind” of memorizing the notes of the fretboard stop you from getting started with the 365 licks that follow. The daily memorization plan that was presented in this section is merely a suggestion. Your goal should be to find an approach that works best for you, spending an amount of time on memorization that doesn’t adversely affect your motivation to practice the rest of the material in Fretboard Freedom.

37

38

HOW TO USE FRETBOARD FREEDOM If you’re familiar with my previous book, Guitar Aerobics (Hal Leonard), then you’ll recognize the structure of Fretboard Freedom, as the 52-week, one-lickper-day approach to learning the material in Guitar Aerobics has been incorporated here, as well. Unlike Guitar Aerobics’s daily technique workouts, however, Fretboard Freedom focuses on visualizing and navigating the neck of the guitar, with each week devoted to a new key center (C major, E♭ major, D minor, F minor, A dominant, etc.), and each day devoted to one of five chord voicings, an arpeggio, or a scale. For example, Monday is devoted to Voicing 1, Tuesday to Voicing 2, Wednesday to Voicing 3, Thursday to Voicing 4, and Friday to Voicing 5. On Saturday, a two-notes-per-string arpeggio pattern, determined by the week’s key center, is implemented to interconnect multiple Voicings and further hone your navigational and visualization chops. And, on Sunday, as with the arpeggio pattern, an extended pentatonic scale—again, determined by the week’s key center—is utilized to interconnect the Voicings and traverse the neck. Like Guitar Aerobics’s approach, bland exercises have been eschewed in favor of real-world musical examples, covering genres such as rock, metal, jazz, blues, and country, among others. Consequently, as you learn the material in Fretboard Freedom, your lick vocabulary will increase exponentially. And once you feel as though you have the licks down cold, you can incorporate them into any musical setting, whether it’s a live gig, a studio session, or a one-man bedroom jam. On each Monday, a new lick, native to one of the aforementioned music styles, is played within the framework of Voicing 1. Although some notes may fall outside of the Voicing (i.e., non-chord tones), all of the notes are diatonic to the key center, with greater emphasis placed on the chord tones. On the subsequent four days (Tuesday through Friday), the lick is reiterated within the confines of that day’s Voicing (Tuesday = Voicing 2, Wednesday = Voicing 3, Thursday = Voicing 4, and Friday = Voicing 5). Occasionally, slight adjustments are made to the lick’s articulation and/or register (i.e., octave) to accommodate a specific Voicing’s neck position or fingering. It is worth noting that, although the fingerings of some of the licks may seem awkward within the confines of certain Voicings, it is important to practice those licks as diligently as the others. These licks, like the others, will help you to get acclimated to the locations of chord tones in all areas of the neck, especially the location of chord tones (3rds, 5ths, and 7ths) relative to the Voicings’ root notes. For example, let’s say you’re playing over a progression, and the chord changes. If you know the locations of the chord tones from the new chord, in the neck position in which you’re currently playing, you can stay in position, rather than jumping up or down the fretboard to an area where you’re more comfortable playing over that new chord. Learning the licks within the parameters of each of the five Voicings is

39

less about being able to perform the licks in each position, and more about improving your overall fretboard navigation and visualization. If you practice the licks enough, you will naturally recall the phrases you like best, in locations of the neck that seem most intuitive. On both Saturday and Sunday, entirely new stylistic licks are presented to illustrate how the Voicings can be interconnected and how the neck can be horizontally navigated within the framework of the key center. On Saturday, a twonotes-per-string arpeggio is utilized to interconnect the five Voicings, whereas on Sunday, an extended pentatonic scale is implemented. Be sure to read the short paragraph that accompanies each lick and listen to the audio demonstrations, which offer insight into each lick’s construction and performance. (Tuning notes can be found at the end of this chapter) While performing the musical examples, it is vitally important to be cognizant of the Voicing on which the lick is based, keeping the chord’s shape in your mind’s eye and paying extra attention to the location(s) of the root note(s). Of similar importance is the location of the Voicing’s 3rd and 7th, which determine the quality of the chord. For example, by simply lowering a major Voicing’s 3rd by a half step (one fret), the quality is altered from major to minor. In the key of G, G–B–D (major) becomes G–B♭–D (minor). Consequently, the five major Voicings need to be altered by only one note (and one fret) to become minor Voicings. Similarly, if a lowered 7th is added to a major triad, the chord quality becomes dominant. In the key of G, the chord/arpeggio becomes G7 (G–B–D–F). (Note the inclusion of F natural, rather than F♯, which is found in the G major scale.) To reinforce which Voicing, arpeggio, and/or scale is being utilized at any given time, these “resources” are indicated between the notation and tab staves. To get the most out of this method, spend 15–20 minutes at the beginning of each week previewing the Resources section that precedes the week’s seven licks. Since Fretboard Freedom emphasizes chord-tone soloing (as opposed to a scalar approach to lead playing), it is imperative that you memorize the locations and notes (chord tones) of all five Voicings, as well as the notes and locations of the arpeggio and scale. Notice that, in the neck diagrams that incorporate all five Voicings, scale (non-Voicing) tones have been included, as well. These notes are the source of the non-chord tones that are found in the licks. Although of secondary importance, these notes/tones should be memorized, nonetheless. They can be thought of as “passing tones,” as they play a subordinate role in all of the licks that are found in Fretboard Freedom. Practice each lick with a metronome. Start at a slow tempo—say, 50 beats per minute slower than the indicated tempo—playing each lick several times while gradually increasing your speed until you reach the suggested tempo indicated above the staff. Don’t finish your practice session until you can play each lick cleanly and comfortably. At that point, you are ready to attack the next day’s lick.

40

The first 36 weeks of Fretboard Freedom are devoted to the 12 key centers, simultaneously working around the circle of 5ths and the circle of 4ths (C major, G major, F major, D major, B♭ major, etc.) and presenting the material in three qualities: major, minor (Aeolian), and dominant (Mixolydian). At Week 37, more advanced scales/chord voicings are presented, including half-diminished (Cm7 ♭5), diminished (C°7), harmonic minor (Cm[maj7]), and whole tone (C7≥5). The book’s final 12 weeks are entirely devoted to common chord progressions, enabling you to “test drive” the Fretboard Freedom method over real-world chord changes. Weeks 41–46 contain popular rock-, pop-, and blues-based changes, whereas Weeks 47–52 offer you the opportunity to practice playing licks over more sophisticated jazz progressions. After a year’s time (i.e., 52 weeks), you should notice vast improvement in your ability to visualize and navigate the fretboard, as well as advancement in your skills as a improviser—not to mention a considerable increase in the volume of phrases in your lick library. The ultimate goal of Fretboard Freedom, however, is to keep you engaged in the material as you learn. In other words, to make sure that you have fun!

TUNING NOTES 00:00 / 00:00

41

C MAJOR: C–D–E–F–G–A–B THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Major Seventh Arpeggio

42

43

SCALE Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale

44

MONDAY Lick #1 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This jump-blues lick is played predominantly within the confines of Voicing 1 (C major triad at fret 8) and derives its notes entirely from the C major pentatonic scale. A few notes that fall outside the framework of Voicing 1 include the 10th-fret notes on strings 1 and 2, the wholestep bend to the scale’s 3rd (E), and the 7th-fret A note on beat 3 of the second measure.

00:00 / 00:00

45

TUESDAY Lick #2 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Although this lick is a note-for-note replication of Lick #1, a pull-off has been substituted for the bend and release to avoid an awkward index-finger bend that is required within the framework of Voicing 2.

00:00 / 00:00

46

WEDNESDAY Lick #3 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Voicing 3 enables the return of the whole-step bend/release that was omitted yesterday (Lick #2). Here, the bend occurs on string 2—rather than string 1, as in Lick #1—and is most easily executed with the ring finger of the fret hand.

00:00 / 00:00

47

THURSDAY Lick #4 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jump-blues lick is played an octave lower, necessitated by the location of Voicing 4 in the key of C major (fret 3). To fluidly execute the pull-off on string 2, play the C note (fret 5, third string) that precedes the pull-off with your ring finger, followed by a ring-index finger combination for the pull-off.

00:00 / 00:00

48

FRIDAY Lick #5 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This lick, like yesterday’s, is played in the lower octave; however, Voicing 5 is more conducive to smoothly articulating the phrase, as no positional shifts are required (as is the case with Lick #4).

00:00 / 00:00

49

SATURDAY Lick #6 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C major seventh arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This jazz-based lick utilizes the two-notes-perstring C major seventh arpeggio (C–E–G–B) to climb the neck, traversing Voicings 1–3 along the way. At the midpoint of measure 2, the lick descends strings 1–2 via major- and minor-3rd intervals, before landing inside Voicing 1 and resolving to the root note (C) on string 4.

00:00 / 00:00

50

SUNDAY Lick #7 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended C major pentatonic scale; Voicings 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This slippery country lick is derived solely from the C major pentatonic scale. The phrase passes through three Voicings (2–4) on its way to the root note (C) at fret 10 of the fourth string.

00:00 / 00:00

51

C MINOR: C–D–E♭ –F–G–A♭ –B ♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Minor Seventh Arpeggio

52

53

SCALE Extended C Minor Pentatonic Scale

54

MONDAY Lick #8 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This lick follows a strict triplet/quarter-note rhythm throughout, deriving its notes entirely from the C minor pentatonic scale (C– E♭–F–G–B♭). Notice that the 10th-fret root note (string 4) and the 8th-fret notes on strings 1–3 are chord tones found in Voicing 1.

00:00 / 00:00

55

TUESDAY Lick #9 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To effectively articulate this lick within the framework of Voicing 2, the phrasing needs to be slightly modified. Although the notes are exactly the same asLick #8, the pull-offs have been shifted over one note, starting on the second note of each triplet.

00:00 / 00:00

56

WEDNESDAY Lick #10 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: In this version of the blues-rock lick, the original phrasing returns (see Lick #8), but a slight positional shift is required. After performing the first four notes of the lick (strings 2–3) in 13th position, shift down one fret (to 12th position) for the next four notes, returning to 13th position for the rest of the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

57

THURSDAY Lick #11 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Like Lick #9, the pull-offs occur on the second and third notes of each triplet; however, in this example, the notes have been transposed down one octave to accommodate Voicing 4’s 3rd-fret location. Notice how the notes lay comfortably within the confines of this chord shape.

00:00 / 00:00

58

FRIDAY Lick #12 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This lick is played in the lower octave and utilizes the original phrasing (from Lick #8), with the pull-off connecting the first two notes of each triplet. To cleanly execute the first measure of this example, keep the index finger of your fret hand at fret 5, shifting up to fret 6 to articulated the notes in measure 2. Notice the note alteration on the second-to-last note of the phrase, where an E♭has been substituted for G to accommodate the Voicing’s note range.

00:00 / 00:00

59

SATURDAY Lick #13 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: A continuation of the blues-rock theme, this phrase is entirely rooted in the C minor pentatonic scale (C–E♭–F–G–B♭) and employs the C minor seventh arpeggio to shift from 11th position to 6th position, traversing four Voicings (1, 2, 3, and 5) on the way down. The lick resolves with a slide up to Voicing 1, where a hammer-on and quarter-step bend precede a vibratoed root note at fret 10.

00:00 / 00:00

60

SUNDAY Lick #14 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended C Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Rooted exclusively in the C minor pentatonic scale (C–E♭–F–G–B♭), this lick climbs the neck via a repetitive, three-octave motif. At measure 3, a quick legato-and-slide figure moves the phrase down to Voicing 1, where a whole-step bend and descending chord tones resolve the line.

00:00 / 00:00

61

C DOMINANT: C–D–E–F–G–A–B ♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

62

63

SCALE Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale

64

MONDAY Lick #15 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This jazz phrase is constructed almost exclusively from C7 (C dominant seventh) chord tones, with just two exceptions— the A note in measure 1 (on the “and” of beat 3) and the F note in measure 2 (the first note of the slide). Notice that the phrase ends on the ♭7th (B♭), creating tension that yearns to resolve to the root (C), and the eighth notes are swung (i.e., the first note of each note pair is played slightly longer than the second).

00:00 / 00:00

65

TUESDAY Lick #16 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To perform yesterday’s jazz lick (Lick #15) within the framework of Voicing 2, some tricky fingerings must be employed. Start the phrase with your fret-hand’s pinky at fret 13 of the fifth string, playing the next two notes with your middle and index fingers, respectively. Stay in 9th position for the remainder of the measure, assigning one finger per fret. At measure 2, stretch your pinky to articulate the root note, C (fret 13, second string), followed by your ring and index fingers for the subsequent two notes. Flatten your middle finger to fret the notes at fret 10, using your ring finger for the slide and your pinky for the phrase’s final note.

00:00 / 00:00

66

WEDNESDAY Lick #17 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Compared to Voicing 2, Voicing 3 enables more conventional fingerings to execute the jazz lick. Several finger combinations can be employed to play this phrase, so experiment until you discover one that feels most comfortable to you. The notes and articulation in this example are replications of Monday’s lick (Lick #15).

00:00 / 00:00

67

THURSDAY Lick #18 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This example fits comfortably within the parameters of Voicing 4, with the exception of the high root note on string 1. Because it falls outside of Voicing 4’s range, the note is borrowed from Voicing 5. Articulate the root note with a swift pinky slide up the string, returning to Voicing 4 to finish the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

68

FRIDAY Lick #19 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s lick (Lick #18), this phrase fits comfortably within the confines of its Voicing—in this case, Voicing 5. Employ your fret-hand’s index and pinky fingers for the majority of the lick’s notes, using your middle finger for the B♭ note on beat 3 of the first measure and your ring finger for the slide in measure 2.

00:00 / 00:00

69

SATURDAY Lick #20 Genre: Country Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This country-inspired C7 lick begins in Voicing 5, where the line descends the C major pentatonic scale, before the two-notes-perstring C dominant seventh arpeggio is employed to ascend the neck. The phrase concludes with a pair of double stops from Voicing 1, the last of which includes the tension-filled ♭7th (B♭) in place of root-note resolution.

00:00 / 00:00

70

SUNDAY Lick #21 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: Following a run up the extended C major pentatonic scale, this country lick settles down inside the confines of Voicing 3 for some twangy whole-step bending. The phrase concludes with a slide up to Voicing 4 for a double-stop bend. To execute the bend, fret the first-string note with your middle finger, implementing your index finger for the whole-step bend and allowing both notes to ring out.

00:00 / 00:00

71

G MAJOR: G–A–B–C–D–E–F ♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String G Major Seventh Arpeggio

72

73

SCALE Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale

74

MONDAY Lick #22 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: Similar to last week’s jazz lick, this G major phrase places great emphasis on chord tones (G–B–D–F♯), especially the major 7th (F♯). Not only does the major-seventh tone commence the lick (the pickup note), it can be found at the end of the legato phrase in measure 1 (beat 4) and on beat 2 of measure 2, as well.

00:00 / 00:00

75

TUESDAY Lick #23 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To perform the G major jazz lick within parameters of Voicing 2, start in 4th position, shifting to 5th position on beat 3 of the first measure, where you’ll implement your pinky to reach the high G notes at fret 8. Flatten your ring finger to articulate the final two notes of measure 1 (at fret 7) and reach for the sixth-string slide with your pinky finger.

00:00 / 00:00

76

WEDNESDAY Lick #24 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Today’s lick contains the same phrasing as Lick #22 (from Monday). Articulate the example’s first two notes with your fret-hand’s ring and pinky fingers, respectively; for the legato phrase (beat 3 of the first measure), utilize a combination of your index and ring fingers. To put your pinky in position to play the lick’s final note, execute the sixth-string slide with you index finger.

00:00 / 00:00

77

THURSDAY Lick #25 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Like Tuesday’s lick (Lick #23), no legato phrase is present in measure 1 due to the notes being located on adjacent strings within the framework of Voicing 4. Also notice that, because of the Voicing’s note range, the three notes that precede the phrase’s final note have been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

78

FRIDAY Lick #26 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the G major jazz lick contains some similarities to both Lick #24 and Lick #25 . It’s similar to Lick #24 in that the flow and spatial relationships of the first four notes are the same, just located on lower strings. And it’s similar to Lick #25 in that, due to Voicing 5’s note range, the last few notes of the phrase, except for the final (root) note, have been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

79

SATURDAY Lick #27 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String G Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 2, 3, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Propelled by a string of eighth-note triplets, this rock lick utilizes arpeggios and chord shapes exclusively to move from Voicing 2 to Voicing 4 (by way of Voicing 3), before coming to rest on a vibratoed root (G) note in Voicing 5. Be sure to completely shift your fret hand when moving from beat 1 to beat 2 in the first measure, using the two-notes-per-string arpeggio fingering suggestions (as presented at the beginning of the book) as a guide.

00:00 / 00:00

80

SUNDAY Lick #28 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Rooted exclusively in the G major pentatonic scale, this country phrase implements a combination of pre-bends, pull-offs, and slides to traverse Voicings 3–1. The eight-note motif from measure 1 is restated one octave lower in measure 2, with a partial reiteration of the motif in measure 3.

00:00 / 00:00

81

G MINOR: G–A–B ♭ –C–D–E♭ –F THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String G Minor Seventh Arpeggio

82

83

SCALE Extended G Minor Pentatonic Scale

84

MONDAY Lick #29 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: Perhaps no musical setting is more enjoyable in which to solo than a slow blues in 12/8 meter. This example borrows its notes exclusively from the G minor pentatonic scale and makes judicious use of the chord tones of Voicing 1. In the pickup measure, play the triplet notes with a single upstroke, or “sweep.”

00:00 / 00:00

85

TUESDAY Lick #30 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Within the framework of Voicing 2, the fingering of the sweep-picked triplet is a bit trickier than yesterday’s lick (Lick #29). Here, the most logical approach is to use a ring-middle-ring finger combination as you descend strings 2–4. This approach frees up your index finger so as to grab the root (G) note on beat 1 of the first measure. Notice, too, that the hammer-ons have been slightly displaced.

00:00 / 00:00

86

WEDNESDAY Lick #31 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Similar to yesterday’s lick (Lick #30), a more sophisticated fingering must be employed to execute the triplet figure in the pickup measure. This time, after playing the quarter-step bend with your index finger, implement a middle-index-middle finger combination as you descend the strings 2– 4, freeing up your pinky for the root (G) note on beat 1 of the first measure.

00:00 / 00:00

87

THURSDAY Lick #32 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Within the confines of Voicing 4, play the opening quarter-step bend with your fret-hand’s middle finger, flattening your ring finger for the first two notes of the triplet and employing your pinky for the triplet’s last note. Consequently, your index finger will be free to fret the root (G) note at fret 10 of the fifth string.

00:00 / 00:00

88

FRIDAY Lick #33 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: To perform the slow-blues lick within the framework of Voicing 5, assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 12. You’ll need to flatten your index finger for the first two notes of the sweeppicked triplet, executing the 15th-fret bends with your pinky and the 13th-fret bend with your middle finger. Articulate the hammer-ons with a middle-pinky finger combination.

00:00 / 00:00

89

SATURDAY Lick #34 Genre: Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String G Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: The foundation of this metal lick is the twonotes-per-string G minor seventh arpeggio, which is utilized to create an eight-note legato motif. On beat 3 of the first measure, the motif is replicated on strings 3–4, followed by a truncated version of the motif on strings 5–6, which gives ways to quick run up the G minor pentatonic scale. Be sure to completely shift your fret hand for each iteration of the motif.

00:00 / 00:00

90

SUNDAY Lick #35 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended G Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: In this blues-rock lick, a five-note motif evolves by shifting up one string on everyother beat, moving from Voicing 5 to Voicing 1 to Voicing 2, all within the parameters of the extended G minor pentatonic scale.

00:00 / 00:00

91

G DOMINANT: G–A–B–C–D–E–F THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String G Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

92

93

SCALE Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale

94

MONDAY Lick #36 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This lick is right at home as an opening melody to a jump-blues tune or as a motif in an extended solo. Notice the emphasis of the ♭7th (F) via the half-step bend and the note repetitions in measure 2 (fret 3, fourth string), reinforcing the dominant tonality. The G7 tonality is further emphasized via the partial chord stab that caps the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

95

TUESDAY Lick #37 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate the new Voicing, the half-step bend from Monday’s lick (Lick #36) has been replaced with a quick slide to the ♭7th (F), and the chord stab now includes the entire voicing (Voicing 2). You can, however, choose to bend the first note, as a half-step bend on string 2 with your index finger should give you little trouble.

00:00 / 00:00

96

WEDNESDAY Lick #38 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Playing this lick within the framework of Voicing 3 requires your fret-hand’s middle finger to play an integral role, as it is in charge of executing both the half-step bend and the fourth-string slide. By playing the single-note line in measure 2 with a combination of your index and ring fingers, your hand will be in great position for the chord stab.

00:00 / 00:00

97

THURSDAY Lick #39 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Begin this lick in 9th position, assigning one finger for each fret, shifting up one fret on the “and” of beat 4 to reposition your fret hand in anticipation of the chord stab. By playing the single-note line with your index and pinky fingers, you can quickly grab Voicing 4 at the end of the phrase. Also, as in Lick #37 (from Tuesday), feel free to substitute a half-step bend for the opening slide.

00:00 / 00:00

98

FRIDAY Lick #40 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate Voicing 5, this version of the jump-blues lick has been transposed up one octave. As was the case with a couple of licks this week (Licks #37 and #39), a half-step bend can be substituted for the opening slide at your discretion. To get your hand in proper position for the chord stab, assign one finger per fret, starting at fret 12.

00:00 / 00:00

99

SATURDAY Lick #41 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String G Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Starting in Voicing 3, this jazz lick journeys down the neck to Voicing 1 via the two-notes-per-string G dominant seventh arpeggio pattern, passing through Voicing 2 along the way. Be sure to swing the eighth notes, and don’t rush the triplets in each measure.

00:00 / 00:00

100

SUNDAY Lick #42 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Except for the dominant dyad that caps the lick, this example is exclusively based in the G major pentatonic scale, implementing a pre-bend, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to travel down the neck. Like yesterday’s lick (Lick #41), this phrase starts in Voicing 3 and passes through Voicing 2 on its way to its conclusion, in Voicing 1.

00:00 / 00:00

101

F MAJOR: F–G–A–B ♭ –C–D–E THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String F Major Seventh Arpeggio

102

103

SCALE Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale

104

MONDAY Lick #43 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This country lick is based in Voicing 1 but incorporates open strings to increase the phrase’s twang appeal. Play the entire phrase in steady—yet brisk—eighth notes, taking care so as to not rush the pulloffs. Also, be sure to allow all of the notes to ring out, which, along with the open strings, will increase the phrase’s twang.

00:00 / 00:00

105

TUESDAY Lick #44 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Without the benefit of open strings, this version of the country lick does not contain quite the same twang as yesterday’s lick (Lick #43). Nonetheless, with proper articulation, this phrase will feel right at home in any country setting, so follow the notation closely. To articulate the double stop at the end of measure 2, pluck the notes with a combination of your pick-hand’s middle and ring fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

106

WEDNESDAY Lick #45 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the country lick fits comfortably within the confines of Voicing 3. If you implement your fret-hand’s pinky for the slide in measure 2, you’ll be in perfect position for the A note (string 4) and double stop. Again, pluck the double stop with your fingers, rather than strumming it with your pick.

00:00 / 00:00

107

THURSDAY Lick #46 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Although Voicing 4 is an 8th-position voicing, the most efficient way to perform this lick is to shift your hand down one fret (to fret 7), assigning one finger per fret. That way, you can fret the double stop with your pinky, without necessitating any fret-hand shifting while performing the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

108

FRIDAY Lick #47 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: On beat 4 of the first measure, reposition your fret hand from 9th position to 10th position, performing the pull-off with your ring and index fingers. As was the case in Lick #45 (Wednesday), use your pinky to execute the slide in measure 2 so as to put your hand in good position for the lick’s final notes.

00:00 / 00:00

109

SATURDAY Lick #48 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String F Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: After using sweeps to ascend portions of Voicing 5 and Voicing 1, this rock/metal lick quickly descends the neck via the twonotes-per-string F major seventh arpeggio pattern before changing course in measure 2 and climbing back up the scale to the root (F) note at fret 15 of the fourth string. Experiment with various fingerings for the sweeps in measure 1, as the best fingering for the transition from Voicing 5 to Voicing 1 is subjective.

00:00 / 00:00

110

SUNDAY Lick #49 Genre: R&B Resources Used: Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This lick is perfect in any R&B-style ballad. After ascending the extended F major pentatonic scale in measure 1, the lick pauses momentarily in Voicing 3 for a couple of hammered-and-pulled double stops before quickly sliding up to Voicing 5 to cap the phrase with an F/C dyad.

00:00 / 00:00

111

F MINOR: F–G–A♭ –B ♭ –C–D♭ –E♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String F Minor Seventh Arpeggio

112

113

SCALE Extended F Minor Pentatonic Scale

114

MONDAY Lick #50 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: Deriving its notes entirely from the F minor pentatonic scale, this blues-rock figure utilizes pull-offs and 4th intervals to create a repetitive motif as it descends the neck. For adjacent-string notes that fall on the same fret, roll your pinky (at fret 4) and ring (at fret 3) fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

115

TUESDAY Lick #51 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Compared to yesterday’s version of this bluesrock lick (Lick #50), this phrase’s contour is much more jagged, as fewer consecutive notes fall on the same string (hence, the omission of pull-offs). Nonetheless, the lick can be performed cleanly by assigning one finger per fret, starting at fret 3. Due to Voicing 2’s note range, the lick’s final note (F) has been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

116

WEDNESDAY Lick #52 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: The natural arrangement of the F minor pentatonic scale within the parameters of Voicing 3 allows for the return of the pulloff sequence from Lick #50 (Monday). Play the entire phrase in 6th position, using a combination of your index and ring fingers for the three-fret stretch on beat 2 of the first measure. Notice that, compared to Monday’s version of the lick, the final two notes of this phrase have been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

117

THURSDAY Lick #53 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: If, prior to playing this lick, you form Voicing 4 in the key of F minor (at fret 8) with your fret hand, you’ll notice how comfortably this phrase can be played within the confines of the Voicing. To accommodate Voicing 4’s note range, the lick’s final six notes have been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

118

FRIDAY Lick #54 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Although the first measure is played in the same octave as the previous four versions of this lick (Licks #50–#53), the notes in measure 2 have been transposed up an octave to accommodate Voicing 5’s note range. You can play the lick one of two ways: with your index and ring fingers throughout or switch from an index-pinky combination to an index-ring combo on beat 3 of the first measure.

00:00 / 00:00

119

SATURDAY Lick #55 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String F Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1–5 Music/Performance Insight: This jazz-based example descends the F Aeolian mode within the parameters of Voicing 4 before climbing the neck via the two-notes-per-string F minor seventh arpeggio pattern. The phrase comes to a resolution with a slide up to Voicing 3 (in the higher register) for a quick C–F note combo. Notice that the lick encompasses all five Voicings.

00:00 / 00:00

120

SUNDAY Lick #56 Genre: Funk Resources Used: Extended F Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This simple, syncopated funk lick climbs all three octaves of the extended F minor pentatonic scale, traversing several Voicings on its way to a quick bend/release/pull-off that resolves to a second-string F note (fret 18).

00:00 / 00:00

121

F DOMINANT: F–G–A–B ♭ –C–D–E♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String F Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

122

123

SCALE Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale

124

MONDAY Lick #57 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This straightforward rock lick (mostly) descends the F Mixolydian mode with strategically placed legato passages before employing an F major triad (F–A–C) in measure 2 to quickly reverse direction. Instead of ending on the scale’s root (F), the phrase comes to a conclusion on the ♭7th (E♭), creating tension that goes unresolved.

00:00 / 00:00

125

TUESDAY Lick #58 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate Voicing 2’s lower register, yesterday’s rock lick (Lick #57) has been transposed down one octave here. You’ll also notice that, due to the natural arrangement of the F Mixolydian mode within the framework of Voicing 2, the phrasing has been altered (i.e., the hammer-ons and pull-offs have been displaced).

00:00 / 00:00

126

WEDNESDAY Lick #59 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Although it contains no legato phrasing, this week’s rock lick fits very comfortably within the framework of Voicing 3, requiring no wide stretches or positional shifts. For best results, use strict alternate picking throughout.

00:00 / 00:00

127

THURSDAY Lick #60 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Play the first six notes of the lick in 7th position, shifting up one fret on beat 4 to play the rest of the lick. When you make this shift, your index finger will play all of the notes at fret 8; your pinky will play all of the notes at fret 12. Grab the sixth-string notes (fret 11) with your ring finger and the second-to-last note (fret 10, fourth string) with your middle finger.

00:00 / 00:00

128

FRIDAY Lick #61 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Except for the opening pull-off, today’s version of this week’s rock lick contains the same phrasing as Monday’s example (Lick #57). Experiment with your fingering in measure 2, as you can either stay in 10th position throughout or shift your fret hand up one fret in anticipation of the sixthstring legato passage.

00:00 / 00:00

129

SATURDAY Lick #62 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String F Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This fiery phrase evokes the gypsy-jazz lines of guitarist Django Reinhardt. A four-note legato motif increases in intensity in measure 2 before giving way to an ascension of the two-notes-per-string F dominant seventh arpeggio pattern, starting on string 4. The phrase ends with note flurries that are extracted from Voicings 4 and 1.

00:00 / 00:00

130

SUNDAY Lick #63 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This country lick combines strategically placed ♭7th (E♭) notes with the extended F major pentatonic scale for a slippery trip down the fretboard. Execute the opening slide with your fret-hand’s ring finger and utilize hybrid picking for the notes in measure 3.

00:00 / 00:00

131

D MAJOR: D–E–F ♯–G–A–B–C♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String D Major Seventh Arpeggio

132

133

SCALE Extended D Major Pentatonic Scale

134

MONDAY Lick #64 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal lick features a repetitive legato line (measure 1) that juxtaposes root (D) and major 7th (C♯) tones, creating subtle tension that resolves via a sweep-picked D major triad (measure 2). The phrase concludes with a quick whole-step bend/release figure that leads to a vibratoed root note (fret 10, first string).

00:00 / 00:00

135

TUESDAY Lick #65 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Due to the natural arrangement of the D major scale within the framework of Voicing 2, the phrasing here is considerably different than yesterday’s lick (#64). For best results, barre your index finger across strings 1–3 at the fret 14, performing the hammer-ons and pull-offs with your middle finger. At measure 2, quickly shift your fret hand down to 11th position, stretching your ring and pinky fingers for 14th- and 15th-fret notes, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

136

WEDNESDAY Lick #66 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: An octave lower than the week’s previous two licks (#64 and #65), this phrase fits comfortably within the framework of Voicing 3. For measure 1, use the fingering from Lick #65; in measure 2, implement the full chord voicing for the five-string sweep and experiment to determine whether a pinky-middle or a ring-index finger combination works best for the pull-off.

00:00 / 00:00

137

THURSDAY Lick #67 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: In measure 1, barre either your middle or your ring finger across strings 2–3, using the free, adjacent finger—index or middle—for the pull-offs and hammer-ons. In measure 2, take care so as not to rush the sweep that follows the fifth-string hammer-on.

00:00 / 00:00

138

FRIDAY Lick #68 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: The phrasing in this version of the D major rock/metal lick is similar to Lick #64 (from Monday). With your index finger barred across strings 3–4 at the 7th fret, use your pinky to execute the 11th-fret hammer-ons and pull-offs. As before, be sure not to rush the five-string sweep; instead, play it in even sixteenth notes.

00:00 / 00:00

139

SATURDAY Lick #69 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String D Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 3, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Lead into this jazz phrase with your pinky, as this approach will set up your fret hand for the rest of the notes in measure 1, which fall nicely within the confines of Voicing 3. After playing the first two notes of measure 2 with your ring and pinky fingers, respectively, shift your fret hand up to 4th position, utilizing the fingering principle for two-notes-per-string arpeggios for the rest of the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

140

SUNDAY Lick #70 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended D Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This phrase’s notes are derived entirely from the extended D major pentatonic scale. After climbing the scale within the framework of Voicing 3 (borrowing the open D string from Voicing 2), the lick slides up to Voicing 4 for a few notes along strings 1–2 before returning to Voicing 3 for a climb back down the scale to the open D string.

00:00 / 00:00

141

D MINOR: D–E–F–G–A–B ♭ –C THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String D Minor Seventh Arpeggio

142

143

SCALE Extended D Minor Pentatonic Scale

144

MONDAY Lick #71 Genre: Blues Resources Used:Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This lick is reminiscent of the late, great blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Derived entirely from the D minor pentatonic scale, the phrase lies comfortably inside Voicing 1 and features both quarter-step and whole-step bends.

00:00 / 00:00

145

TUESDAY Lick #72 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this version of the D minor blues lick, place your fret hand in 12th position, using your index finger for the opening bend, your pinky for the second note (15th fret, second string), and your ring finger for the 15th-fret quarter-step bend. In measure 2, use a combination of your middle and ring finger for the double-stop bend.

00:00 / 00:00

146

WEDNESDAY Lick #73 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: An octave lower than the licks from Monday (#71) and Tuesday (#72), this phrase presents a bit of a challenge—a whole-step bend on the fourth string. For best results, bend the note with your fret-hand’s ring finger, reinforcing it with your index and middle fingers. In measure 2, raise the double stop a quarter step with those same two fingers (i.e., index and middle).

00:00 / 00:00

147

THURSDAY Lick #74 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This version of Week 11’s blues lick has been modified in a couple of ways. First, a hammer-on has been substituted for the whole-step bend. Second, on beat 4 of the first measure, the lick jumps up to the higher octave, taking advantage of the upper region of Voicing 4.

00:00 / 00:00

148

FRIDAY Lick #75 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s lick (#74), this phrase eschews the whole-step bend in favor of a hammer-on. Unlike yesterday’s lick, however, this example is played exclusively in the higher octave. Experiment with your fingering choices, as several variations will work.

00:00 / 00:00

149

SATURDAY Lick #76 Genre: Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String D Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Following a five-string sweep of Voicing 3, this metal lick morphs into a sequenced legato passage that flows down the two-notesper-string D minor seventh arpeggio pattern. Once you can play the opening bar, measure 2 should be a snap, as it’s simply a reiteration of measure 1’s pattern, moved down one string set.

00:00 / 00:00

150

SUNDAY Lick #77 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended D Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Measure 1, which is derived exclusively from the extended D minor pentatonic scale, features an eight-note (sans the grace note) motif that is repeated one octave lower, traversing Voicings 2, 1, and 5. The lick concludes with a slide back up to Voicing 1 for an arpeggiation of a D minor triad (D–F–A), followed by a whole-step bend.

00:00 / 00:00

151

D DOMINANT: D–E–F ♯–G–A–B–C THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String D Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

152

153

SCALE Extended D Major Pentatonic Scale

154

MONDAY Lick #78 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This straightforward rock lick swiftly climbs the D Mixolydian mode, starting from the scale’s 3rd (F♯). The distinguishing characteristic of this phrase is the use of an F♯ pedal tone (starting on the “and” of beat 3 of measure 1), which remains stationary as chord tones, A (the 5th) and C (the ♭7th), alternate on string 2. Notice the tension that is created by ending the lick on the ♭7th (C), instead of the root (D).

00:00 / 00:00

155

TUESDAY Lick #79 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: The execution of yesterday’s lick (#78) is a bit more challenging within the framework of Voicing 2. However, the addition of hammer-ons and pull-offs eases the fret hand’s burden, especially in measure 1, where each of the first three beats contain two notes per string. After commencing the lick with a ring-finger slide, play the rest of the phrase in 13th position, using your index finger for the notes on frets 12 and 13, your middle finger for 14th-fret notes, your ring finger for 15th-fret notes, and your pinky for 16th-fret notes.

00:00 / 00:00

156

WEDNESDAY Lick #80 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Played an octave lower than the licks from Monday (#78) and Tuesday (#79), this version fits comfortably within the framework of Voicing 3. Assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 2, paying special attention to your picking pattern as you move from string 6 (three notes) to string 5 (two notes) to strings 4 and 3 (one note each). Feel free to experiment with different picking and fingering approaches until you find which ones work best for you.

00:00 / 00:00

157

THURSDAY Lick #81 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: For Voicing 4, this week’s rock lick jumps back up to the higher octave. Be careful on beat 3 of the first measure, where the picking and fretting get a bit treacherous due to adjacent-string notes being located on the same fret (fret 7). To execute the notes, roll your fret-hand’s ring finger across the strings, using a down-up (or up-down) picking pattern, assuming that you’re utilizing alternate picking throughout.

00:00 / 00:00

158

FRIDAY Lick #82 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: After opening the phrase with a pinky-finger slide, assign one finger per fret, with your index finger performing all of the 7th-fret notes. Although this arrangement eschews legato phrasing in favor of alternate picking, feel free to add hammer-ons and pull-offs at your discretion.

00:00 / 00:00

159

SATURDAY Lick #83 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String D Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: In measures 1–2, a six-note rhythmic motif derives its notes from the chord tones of Voicing 4 and Voicing 3, respectively. The lick concludes with a run down the two-notes-per-string D dominant seventh arpeggio pattern, played in octaves and covering four Voicings (1, 2, 3, & 5).

00:00 / 00:00

160

SUNDAY Lick #84 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended D Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2 & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This D dominant country lick begins with a hybrid-picked (i.e., with pick and fingers) pull-off pattern that segues to a run down the extended D major pentatonic scale (measure 2). Voicing the opening measure with your fret-hand’s middle finger on string 3 and your ring finger on string 1, using a combination of your pinky and index finger for the pull-offs. Articulate string 3 with your pick, plucking strings 2–1 with your pick-hand’s middle and ring fingers, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

161

B ♭ MAJOR: B ♭ –C–D–E♭ –F–G–A THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String B♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio

162

163

SCALE Extended B♭ Major Pentatonic Scale

164

MONDAY Lick #85 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This jump-blues lick contains two approaches to implementing motifs into lead lines. In measure 1, a rhythmic motif is repeated while the lick descends the B♭ major scale, placing emphasis on the scale’s 6th (G). In measures 2–3, a melodic motif is repeated three times before the phrase is punctuated with a B♭6 chord, a variation of Voicing 1.

00:00 / 00:00

165

TUESDAY Lick #86 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Due to the structure of the B♭ major scale within the framework of Voicing 2, the legato figures from Monday’s lick (#85) have been replaced with string bends. Also, the melodic motif in measures 2–3 has been transposed up one octave. Like Lick #85, the phrase is punctuated with a B♭ chord, a variation of Voicing 2.

00:00 / 00:00

166

WEDNESDAY Lick #87 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: The articulation of this version of the jumpblues lick is borrowed from Lick #85 (Monday), which utilizes hammer-ons and pull-offs to sound the triplet figures. However, unlike Lick #85, the melodic motif in measures 2–3 is played in the higher octave. Notice how the lick fits comfortably within confines of Voicing 3.

00:00 / 00:00

167

THURSDAY Lick #88 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Like Lick #86 (Tuesday), this phrase utilizes string bends to articulate the triplet figures and is played exclusively in the higher octave. Because all of the notes are located on frets 12 and 15, you can perform the entire phrase with just two fingers—index and ring or index and pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

168

FRIDAY Lick #89 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Played entirely in the lower octave, this version of the jump-blues lick easily conforms to the note structure of Voicing 5. The entire phrase can be played with just the index and ring fingers of your fret hand, including the B♭6 chord that punctuates the lick. For the chord, simply use an index-finger barre.

00:00 / 00:00

169

SATURDAY Lick #90 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String B♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: After a B♭ triad figure opens the lick (following a major 7th [A] pickup note), the phrase jumps down to Voicing 3, morphing into a line that utilizes wide intervallic shapes to diatonically descend the two-notes-per-string B♭ major seventh arpeggio.

00:00 / 00:00

170

SUNDAY Lick #91 Genre: R&B Resources Used: Extended B♭ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Reminiscent of a Jimi Hendrix line, this phrase is derived wholly from the extended B♭ major pentatonic scale. As the lick ascends the neck, it shifts from Voicing 1 to Voicing 2 before settling in Voicing 3, where several double stops are embellished with slides, hammer-ons, and pulloffs.

00:00 / 00:00

171

B ♭ MINOR: B ♭ –C–D♭ –E♭ –F–G♭ –A♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String B♭ Minor Seventh Arpeggio

172

173

SCALE Extended B♭ Minor Pentatonic Scale

174

MONDAY Lick #92 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This alternate-picked rock/metal phrase is arranged in a sequence that alternates between seven-note descents and four-note ascents of the B♭ Aeolian mode. Be sure to hold the final note of the line (B♭) while you strum the top three notes of the B♭ minor triad.

00:00 / 00:00

175

TUESDAY Lick #93 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Play this version of the rock/metal lick in 8th position, using your index finger for the notes at both fret 7 and fret 8 and assigning one finger per fret thereafter. Due to the presence of an uneven number of notes per string, using alternate picking for this pattern is tricky, so start slowly and work your way up to the suggested tempo of 112 beats per minute.

00:00 / 00:00

176

WEDNESDAY Lick #94 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: The sequenced B♭ Aeolian line conforms nicely to Voicing 3, enabling the lick to be arranged in a symmetrical three-notesper-string pattern. Play the last note of the line with your pinky, fretting the chord voicing on strings 2–4 with your ring, index, and middle fingers, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

177

THURSDAY Lick #95 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Within the framework of Voicing 4, the B♭ Aeolian note sequence descends two notes per string for strings 2 and 3, shifting to a three-notes-per-string pattern for strings 4–5. Although the picking pattern is a bit challenging, the fingering is very efficient, as no wide stretches or shifts are required.

00:00 / 00:00

178

FRIDAY Lick #96 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: One octave lower than the previous four licks (#92–#95), this entire sequence is played in a three-notes-per-string fashion. If you assign one fret-hand finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 3, your pinky will be in position to play the lick’s final note, freeing up your index and middle fingers for the chord.

00:00 / 00:00

179

SATURDAY Lick #97 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String B♭ Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Staying with this week’s rock/metal theme, this rapid-fire legato line commences with a sequenced phrase that repeats itself twice, each time in a lower octave, as it descends the B♭ minor seventh arpeggio pattern. To cap the lick, the line shifts back up to Voicing 1, where an ascending B♭ minor pentatonic phrase is resolved via a whole-step bend.

00:00 / 00:00

180

SUNDAY Lick #98 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended B♭ Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Beginning in Voicing 5, this slick blues-rock lick climbs the extended B♭ minor pentatonic scale, passing through Voicing 1 on its way to the upper regions of the scale. After a quick whole-step bend/release figure within the confines of Voicing 2, the lick jumps back down to Voicing 1 for a Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired pentatonic line (measure 3).

00:00 / 00:00

181

B ♭ DOMINANT: B ♭ –C–D–E♭ –F–G–A♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String B♭ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

182

183

SCALE Extended B♭ Major Pentatonic Scale

184

MONDAY Lick #99 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This short, two-measure jazz lick effectively utilizes a classic call-and-response soloing device, whereby a six-note “call” (measure 1) is answered by a five-note “response” (measure 2). Notice the contrast in endings of the two measures—measure 1 ends with a large intervallic jump up to the root (B♭), while measure 2 concludes with the ♭7th (A♭).

00:00 / 00:00

185

TUESDAY Lick #100 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Although this example is a note-for-note replication of yesterday’s lick (#99), the fingerings are quite different. Notice the wide, major-6th interval that connects the D and B♭notes on beat 3 of measure 1. It’s the same interval that’s found in Monday’s lick but, as you can see, the execution of a major-6th interval on adjacent strings is quite different than on nonadjacent strings.

00:00 / 00:00

186

WEDNESDAY Lick #101 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: The articulation of this variation of the jazz lick is the same as Monday’s lick (#99), including the pull-off in measure 1. To perform the phrase, assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 10. Although fretting the high B♭note (fret 11, second string) with your middle finger may seem awkward initially, after a few passages of the lick, the fingering should become more intuitive.

00:00 / 00:00

187

THURSDAY Lick #102 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Although Voicing 4 is located in 13th position, play this lick in 12th position, with your index finger stationed at fret 12 and your remaining three fingers taking care of the notes on the subsequent three frets (13, 14, and 15). The only shifting that is necessary is for the last note, A♭, which should be executed with your pinky since it’s already in position to do so (i.e., it plays the preceding note, as well).

00:00 / 00:00

188

FRIDAY Lick #103 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Due to the natural distribution of the B♭ Mixolydian mode within the parameters of Voicing 5, this lick can be played in either the higher or the lower octave. Here, the phrase is arranged in the higher octave, with the lick commencing on the top note of Voicing 5, the ♭7th (A♭).

00:00 / 00:00

189

SATURDAY Lick #104 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String B♭ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Following a pickup note (G) and a partial arpeggiation of a B♭7 chord, this jazz lick descends the B♭ Mixolydian mode in 3rds, interrupted briefly by a triplet figure that opens measure 2. In measure 3, the two-notes-per-string B♭ dominant seventh arpeggio is implemented to climb back up the neck to B♭ (fret 11, second string) for resolution.

00:00 / 00:00

190

SUNDAY Lick #105 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended B♭ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This country lick begins in Voicing 3, where whole- and half-step bends are held while notes from the B♭ Mixolydian mode are played on higher, adjacent strings. Midway through measure 2, the lick makes its way down the neck via the extended B♭ major pentatonic scale, concluding with a whole-step bend and resolution to the root (fret 6, sixth string).

00:00 / 00:00

191

A MAJOR: A–B–C♯–D–E–F ♯–G♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A Major Seventh Arpeggio

192

193

SCALE Extended A Major Pentatonic Scale

194

MONDAY Lick #106 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: With a nod to the Freddie King classic “Hideaway,” this tasty blues-rock figure features six of the seven notes that comprise the A major scale, with the only omission being the major 7th (G♯). Notice how the lick’s major tonality is emphasized via a bend (measure 1) and slide (measures 2 and 3) to scale’s major 3rd (C♯).

00:00 / 00:00

195

TUESDAY Lick #107 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: The most discernible difference between this version of the blues-rock lick and the one from yesterday (#106) is the substitution of a hammer-on for the whole-step bend. You’ll also notice that, due to the natural arrangement of A major notes within the framework of Voicing 2, the other two slurs in measure 1 have been displaced by one triplet eighth note.

00:00 / 00:00

196

WEDNESDAY Lick #108 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the blues-rock figure contains similar phrasing fret-hand contour as Monday’s lick (#106). Unlike Monday’s lick, however, you will need to shift your fret hand up one fret at the midway point of measure 1, maintaining the index-ring finger combination for the notes on string 2.

00:00 / 00:00

197

THURSDAY Lick #109 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this version of the blues-rock lick, you can fret the notes of the first measure one of two ways—either with your index and pinky fingers, shifting up one fret for the notes on string 2 (for an index-ring combo), or exclusively with your index and ring fingers. If you choose the latter, your ring finger will remain stationary (on fret 14) while your index finger frets the notes on both fret 11 and fret 12. For measures 2–3, assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 11.

00:00 / 00:00

198

FRIDAY Lick #110 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This phrase is arranged an octave lower than the week’s previous four licks (#106–#109). Notice how well the line conforms to Voicing 5, as no shifts or wide fret-hand stretches are required. Assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 2.

00:00 / 00:00

199

SATURDAY Lick #111 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: After a Voicing 3-based single note line (note the octave jump on beat 3), this jazz line walks down the two-notes-per-string A major seventh arpeggio via octave shapes. The lick ends with resolution of the major 7th (G♯) to the root (A) in measure 3.

00:00 / 00:00

200

SUNDAY Lick #112 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended A Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: After a pair of open-position, triplet-based hammer-ons, this country lick utilizes the extended A major pentatonic scale to climb the neck to 5th position, emphasizing perfect 4th intervals (i.e., notes that are located on the same fret, on adjacent strings) along the way.

00:00 / 00:00

201

A MINOR: A–B–C–D–E–F–G THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A Minor Seventh Arpeggio

202

203

SCALE Extended A Minor Pentatonic Scale

204

MONDAY Lick #113 Genre: Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This metal lick falls comfortably within the framework of Voicing 1. In measure 1, the phrase descends the A Aeolian mode in diatonic 3rds, before reversing course in measure 2, where a legato figure is implemented to climb up to the first-string root note.

00:00 / 00:00

205

TUESDAY Lick #114 Genre: Metal Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the metal lick is a bit more challenging than yesterday’s figure (#113) but can be perfected with some dedicated practice. The biggest hurdle is getting comfortable with measure 2, where the legato figure alternates between two-note and three-note groupings. Take it slow initially, working your way up to 108 beats per minute.

00:00 / 00:00

206

WEDNESDAY Lick #115 Genre: Metal Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Like Monday’s lick (#113), this version of the metal lick fits comfortably within the confines of its Voicing—in this case, Voicing 3. For best results, start in 10th position and shift down to 9th position on the last 16th of beat 2 in measure 1. Then, in measure 2, shift back up to 10th position for the hammer-on/pull-off figure on string 2.

00:00 / 00:00

207

THURSDAY Lick #116 Genre: Metal Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: The articulation of this figure matches that of Lick #114 (from Tuesday), only the notes are shifted down one string. Notice that, Like Lick #114, the legato figure begins on the last sixteenth note of measure 1 and alternates between two-note and three-note groupings.

00:00 / 00:00

208

FRIDAY Lick #117 Genre: Metal Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: One octave lower than the week’s previous four licks (#113–#116), this figure is played exclusively in 2nd position and utilizes three-note groupings in the legato portion of the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

209

SATURDAY Lick #118 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1&5 Music/Performance Insight: This simple jazz lick is played within the parameters of Voicing 5 (measure 1) and Voicing 1 (measure 2), using the twonotes-per-string A minor seventh arpeggio to connect the two phrases. Notice how the strategically placed pull-offs contribute to the lick’s “swing factor.”

00:00 / 00:00

210

SUNDAY Lick #119 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Extended A Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Commencing within the confines of Voicing 5, this slow-blues phrase implements the extended A minor pentatonic scale to climb the neck to the upper regions of Voicing 2, passing through Voicing 1 along the way. This lick is played in 12/8 meter, so be sure not to rush the three-note groupings of each beat.

00:00 / 00:00

211

A DOMINANT: A–B–C♯–D–E–F ♯–G THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

212

213

SCALE Extended A Major Pentatonic Scale

214

MONDAY Lick #120 Genre: Funk Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: The challenge of this funk figure is nailing the syncopated rhythms. Utilize alternate picking throughout, alleviating just enough pressure on the string to deaden its tone for the mutes. The single-note figure that caps the festivities is simply an arpeggiated A major triad (beat 3), followed by octave G notes (beat 4).

00:00 / 00:00

215

TUESDAY Lick #121 Genre: Funk Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To execute this funk figure within the framework of Voicing 2, play the entire phrase in 8th position, using your index finger for notes on frets 7 and 8, your middle finger for notes on fret 9, your ring finger for notes on fret 10, and your pinky for notes on fret 11.

00:00 / 00:00

216

WEDNESDAY Lick #122 Genre: Funk Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Similar to Tuesday’s example (#121), play this version of the funk lick in 10th position, using your index finger for notes on frets 9 and 10, your middle finger for notes on fret 11, and your ring finger for notes on fret 12. (Your pinky can sit this one out, since no notes appear on fret 13.)

00:00 / 00:00

217

THURSDAY Lick #123 Genre: Funk Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: For Voicing 4’s version of the funk lick, the notes have been transposed up one octave. To execute the lick, assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 12. For the notes at fret 14, simply roll your ring finger across strings 2–3.

00:00 / 00:00

218

FRIDAY Lick #124 Genre: Funk Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: For Voicing 5, the funk lick has been transposed down to its original octave. Fret this lick similar to how you’d fret Voicing 5, with your index finger assigned to the notes at fret 2 and your middle and pinky fingers assigned to notes at frets 3 and 5, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

219

SATURDAY Lick #125 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1 & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Following a descent of the A Mixolydian mode within the confines of Voicing 1, this jazz lick implements diatonic 3rds (along strings 3–4) to shift downward to Voicing 5. Once the lick reaches string 6, it reverses course, utilizing the two-notes-per-string A dominant seventh arpeggio to climb back up the neck to Voicing 1, where it concludes on the ♭7th (G).

00:00 / 00:00

220

SUNDAY Lick #126 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended A Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1 & 5 Music/Performance Insight: After a pre-bend and release outlines its dominant tonality, this country lick descends the neck via the extended A major pentatonic scale, using a combination of slides and pull-offs. Especially notable are the open A string, which is borrowed from Voicing 4, and the whole-step bend from the ♭7th (G) to the root (A), further reinforcing the dominant quality of the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

221

E♭ MAJOR: E♭ –F–G–A♭ –B ♭ –C–D THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio

222

223

SCALE Extended E♭ Major Pentatonic Scale

224

MONDAY Lick #127 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: One common characteristic of jump-blues licks is the inclusion of the major 6th when playing over major chords, as is the case with this jazzy phrase. Here, the major 6th (C) can be found in both measure 1 and measure 2 (at fret 13 of the second string) and is one of the defining tones of the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

225

TUESDAY Lick #128 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To execute the jump-blues lick within the parameters of Voicing 2, start the phrase in 12th position, shifting to 13th position on the last note of the opening triplet figure. Unlike yesterday’s ring-finger bend, the whole-step bend in this lick must be fretted with your index finger.

00:00 / 00:00

226

WEDNESDAY Lick #129 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: An octave lower than the previous two jumpblues licks (#127–#128), this entire phrase can be executed with your fret-hand’s index and ring fingers, with the exception of the opening and closing root notes (use your pinky for those). With this fingering, a one-fret position shift is required. Although the shift is easy to execute during the lick’s ascent, the descent needs extra attention due to adjacent-string notes being located on different frets.

00:00 / 00:00

227

THURSDAY Lick #130 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: The jump-blues lick, as played within the framework of Voicing 4, invites fingering experimentation. That said, due to the first-finger whole-step bend/release, you may choose to articulate the entire phrase in 6th position, playing the notes at frets 5 and 6 with your index finger and the notes at fret 8 with your ring finger. The two exceptions are the opening and closing root notes, which are played with your middle finger (your pinky can take a break).

00:00 / 00:00

228

FRIDAY Lick #131 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: The jump-blues lick fits very comfortably within the framework of Voicing 5, necessitating neither wide finger stretches nor position shifts. As such, the entire lick can be played in 8th position, with one finger assigned per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 8.

00:00 / 00:00

229

SATURDAY Lick #132 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This rapid-fire pull-off sequence starts in the upper region of Voicing 1 before shifting up to Voicing 3 to continue the sequence, albeit with alternate notes of the E♭ major scale. In measure 2, a quick reverse sweep is followed by a descent of the two-notes-per-string E♭ major arpeggio and a four-string sweep of an E♭maj7 chord, which leads to the root, E♭ (first string, fret 11).

00:00 / 00:00

230

SUNDAY Lick #133 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Extended E♭ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: Three elements define this entire fusion lick: the extended E♭ major pentatonic scale, eighth-note triplet rhythms, and perfect5th intervals. The result is a very distinct sound and a phrase that is very enjoyable to perform. Once you get the repetitive shapes under your fingers, execution of the lick should come quickly.

00:00 / 00:00

231

E♭ MINOR: E♭ –F–G♭ –A♭ –B ♭ –C♭ –D♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E♭ Minor Seventh Arpeggio

232

233

SCALE Extended E♭ Minor Pentatonic Scale

234

MONDAY Lick #134 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This repetitive, eight-note E♭ minor pentatonic sequence fits snuggly within the parameters of Voicing 1. Essentially, the eight-note pattern that is established at the lick’s onset is shifted down one string on beat 3 of measure 1 and again on beat 1 of measure 2.

00:00 / 00:00

235

TUESDAY Lick #135 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate the note distribution of Voicing 2, the articulation of this week’s rock lick has been slightly altered. Although the notes remain the same, the ones that are articulated via a hammer-on and/or a pull-off have changed. If you choose to play the beginning of measure 1 with your index and ring fingers exclusively, the lick requires a back-and-forth shift between 13th and 14th position. However, once your return to 13th position, no additional shifts are required.

00:00 / 00:00

236

WEDNESDAY Lick #136 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: An octave lower than this week’s first two licks (#134–#135), this version returns to the articulation that was established on Monday, although with a trickier fingering. The best approach to fingering this lick is to experiment until you discover one that works best for you.

00:00 / 00:00

237

THURSDAY Lick #137 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This week’s rock lick fits nicely within the framework of Voicing 4. Although it borrows its articulation from Tuesday’s lick (#135), this version requires absolutely no position shifts, unlike its predecessor.

00:00 / 00:00

238

FRIDAY Lick #138 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Due to the note range of the E♭ Aeolian mode within the framework of Voicing 5, an octave jump is required in measure 2. After playing the eight-note sequence twice in the lower octave, grab the high A♭ note (second string, fret 9) with your middle finger, repeating the sequence in the higher octave.

00:00 / 00:00

239

SATURDAY Lick #139 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E♭ Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Maintaining the eight-note sequence and hammer-and-pull articulation that was established in the week’s first five licks, this rock/metal phrase derives its notes from the two-notes-per-string E♭ minor seventh arpeggio, repeating its pattern twice before moving down one octave and continuing the sequence.

00:00 / 00:00

240

SUNDAY Lick #140 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Extended E♭ Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: With notes that are derived entirely from the extended E♭ minor pentatonic scale, this slow-blues lick commences with a “call” within the framework of Voicing 2, followed by a “response” inside Voicing 1, which is repeated an octave lower (in Voicing 5). The phrase returns to Voicing 1 in measure 2 for a note flurry that resolves to the root note (E♭).

00:00 / 00:00

241

E♭ DOMINANT: E♭ –F–G–A♭ –B ♭ –C–D♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E♭ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

242

243

SCALE Extended E♭ Major Pentatonic Scale

244

MONDAY Lick #141 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This jazz lick effectively emphasizes its dominant tonality. The most conspicuous way is via the recurring slides between the 6th (C) and the ♭7th (D♭) of the E♭ Mixolydian mode (twice in measure 1, once in measure 2). The more subtle—but nonetheless effective—way is via the inclusion of the lower-octave D♭ (fourth string, fret 11) among the stream of eighth notes in measure 2.

00:00 / 00:00

245

TUESDAY Lick #142 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Although the articulation is slightly different, this phrase is a note-for-note replication of Monday’s lick (#141). After playing the first measure with your index and ring fingers exclusively, utilize positional playing for the rest of the lick—specifically, cover frets 13 and 14 with your index finger, fret 15 with your middle finger, fret 16 with your ring finger, and fret 17 with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

246

WEDNESDAY Lick #143 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This example marks a return of the articulation that was used for Monday’s lick (#141), although this version is played one octave lower. Several fingering variations can be utilized for this lick, so experiment until you find the one that works best for you.

00:00 / 00:00

247

THURSDAY Lick #144 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: To execute this lick, your fret hand must cover a six-fret area of the neck. As such, play the entire phrase in 6th position, using your index finger to cover frets 5 and 6 and your pinky to cover frets 9 and 10. That frees your ring finger to cover fret 8 (your middle finger is not needed).

00:00 / 00:00

248

FRIDAY Lick #145 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jazz lick can be played predominantly with your index and ring fingers, although you most likely will want to incorporate your other fingers for the stream of eighth notes that connects measures 1 and 2.

00:00 / 00:00

249

SATURDAY Lick #146 Genre: Country Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per String E♭ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1 & 2 Music/Performance Insight: This country lick commences in Voicing 1, where half-step bends are utilized to outline the E♭7 chord. Midway through measure 2, the two-notes-per-string E♭ dominant seventh arpeggio is implemented to climb the neck to Voicing 2, where the lick concludes with double-stop hammerons.

00:00 / 00:00

250

SUNDAY Lick #147 Genre: R&B Resources Used: Extended E♭ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Based predominantly within the parameters of Voicing 2 and Voicing 3, this R&B-inspired lick utilizes dyads, hammer-ons, and pull-offs to work its way down the neck in a vertical fashion, briefly sliding in and out of Voicing 1 before resolving to an E♭/B♭ dyad shape at fret 13. Though it may be difficult to recognize, nearly the entire lick is derived from the extended E♭ major pentatonic scale.

00:00 / 00:00

251

E MAJOR: E–F ♯–G♯–A–B–C♯–D♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E Major Seventh Arpeggio

252

253

SCALE Extended E Major Pentatonic Scale

254

MONDAY Lick #148 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: After a quick pull-off and downward slide, this jump-blues lick outlines the harmony with a reverse arpeggiation of an Emaj7 chord (D♯–B–G♯–E) before a stream of eighth notes touches on every note of the E major scale over the next three beats, excluding only the 5th (B).

00:00 / 00:00

255

TUESDAY Lick #149 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Play the first four notes of this version of the jump-blues lick with your index and ring fingers, shifting to 1st position on beat 2 of measure 1. Once you’ve made the shift, assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger on fret 1. Note that this phrase is a note-for-note replication of Monday’s lick (#148), only the notes have been transposed down one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

256

WEDNESDAY Lick #150 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This week’s jump-blues lick fits nicely within the framework of Voicing 3. Use your index and ring fingers for the pull-off and slide, playing the rest of the lick in 4th position (i.e., assigning one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 4).

00:00 / 00:00

257

THURSDAY Lick #151 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Start this version of the jump-blues lick with your index and ring fingers. After sliding down to fret 8 with your ring finger, play the rest of the phrase in 6th position, assigning one finger per fret, staring with your index finger at fret 6. To articulate consecutive notes that are located on the same fret of adjacent strings (i.e., fret 7), simply roll your middle finger from one string to the next.

00:00 / 00:00

258

FRIDAY Lick #152 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: To play the jump-blues lick within the confines of Voicing 5, keep your fret hand rooted in 9th position, with your pinky covering the notes at both fret 12 and fret 13. Similar to yesterday’s lick (#151), you’ll need to roll your pinky to articulate the same-fret, adjacent-string notes at fret 12.

00:00 / 00:00

259

SATURDAY Lick #153 Genre: R&B Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: A unique aspect of this R&B lick is that it incorporates notes from two different octaves of Voicing 1, with the open low-E string being borrowed from the lower octave. In measure 1, a single-note line and triad shapes segue to a run up the two-notes-per-string E major seventh arpeggio pattern. In measure 2, the lick comes to resolution via a hammered E/G♯ dyad, which is derived from Voicing 3.

00:00 / 00:00

260

SUNDAY Lick #154 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended E Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This slippery country lick is derived entirely from the extended E major pentatonic scale and spans three Voicings—Voicing 1, Voicing 2, and Voicing 3—before reversing course in measure 2 and working its way back down the scale. Be sure to bend the sixth string a full step (from F♯ to G♯) before releasing it and pulling off to the open E string.

00:00 / 00:00

261

E MINOR: E–F ♯–G–A–B–C–D THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E Minor Seventh Arpeggio

262

263

SCALE Extended E Minor Pentatonic Scale

264

MONDAY Lick #155 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This fusion lick is derived exclusively from the E minor pentatonic scale, descending the scale entirely via diatonic 4th intervals. The biggest challenge when performing this lick is articulating consecutive notes that are played on the same fret. For these instances, simply roll your finger from the higher string to the lower string.

00:00 / 00:00

265

TUESDAY Lick #156 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate Voicing 2’s note range, this version of the fusion lick has been transposed down one octave. To smoothly execute the lick, play the entire phrase in 2nd position, assigning one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 2.

00:00 / 00:00

266

WEDNESDAY Lick #157 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Due to the natural distribution of the E Aeolian mode within the parameters of Voicing 3, your pinky will get a workout with this version of the fusion lick. After performing the string skip (from string 1 to string 3) to open the phrase, assign your index finger to fret 4, your middle finger to fret 5, and your pinky to fret 7 to play the rest of the lick. (Your ring finger is not needed.)

00:00 / 00:00

267

THURSDAY Lick #158 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: The fusion lick fits comfortably within the confines of Voicing 4. Similar to yesterday’s lick (#157), your pinky will get a good workout in while executing the same-fret, adjacent-string notes at fret 10, as will your index (fret 7) and ring (fret 9) fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

268

FRIDAY Lick #159 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this version of the fusion lick, you can choose to play the entire phrase in 9th position, assigning one finger per fret, or you can experiment with fingerings until you find the one that works best for you, as several variations exist. Notice that, due to Voicing 5’s note range, the second-tolast note (B) has been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

269

SATURDAY Lick #160 Genre: Neo-classical Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Although technically challenging, this tripletbased, Yngwie-inspired metal lick is a lot of fun to play. In measure 1, an Em7 chord is arpeggiated both in the lower octave (Voicing 5) and in the higher octave (Voicing 1) before segueing to a two-octave descent down the two-notes-per-string E minor seventh arpeggio pattern in measure 2.

00:00 / 00:00

270

SUNDAY Lick #161 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended E Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1 & 2 Music/Performance Insight: This blues-rock lick derives its notes exclusively from the extended E minor pentatonic scale (in the lower octave) and features a six-note motif, established at the lick’s outset, that evolves as the lick descends the neck. The phrase is capped with a quarter-step “smear” of the sixth string, followed by a hammered root note (E) on string 4.

00:00 / 00:00

271

E DOMINANT: E–F ♯–G♯–A–B–C♯–D THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

272

273

SCALE Extended E Major Pentatonic Scale

274

MONDAY Lick #162 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: Utilizing the lower-octave/open-position version of Voicing 1, this blues turnaround lick incorporates an abundance of open strings to create a jangly soundscape that is reminiscent of the late bluesman Freddie King.

00:00 / 00:00

275

TUESDAY Lick #163 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: After playing nearly the entire lick in 2nd position, on beat 4 of the second measure, slide your index finger down to fret 1 for the G♯ notes (string 3), fretting the E notes (string 4) with your middle finger. Then, on beat 2 of the third measure, grab the 5th-fret D note with your pinky, incorporating your index finger for the pull-off.

00:00 / 00:00

276

WEDNESDAY Lick #164 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Play this version of the blues lick entirely in 4th position, assigning one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 4. Be careful with the timing/rhythm of measure 1—the F♯ grace note on beat 3 receives no rhythmic value. Instead, while fretting the note with your pinky, use a downward sweep of your pick to swiftly move from the F♯ to the G♯ note at fret 4 of the first string.

00:00 / 00:00

277

THURSDAY Lick #165 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Play measure 1 and the majority of measure 2 with just your index and ring fingers. Then, on beat 4 of the second measure, slide your index finger down to fret 6 for the G♯ notes (string 4), fretting the E notes (string 5) with your middle finger. Finally, on beat 2 of the third measure, grab the 10th-fret D note with your pinky, incorporating your index finger for the pull-off.

00:00 / 00:00

278

FRIDAY Lick #166 Genre: Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: A couple of aspects of this version of the blues lick differ from the week’s previous four licks (#162–#165). First, the whole-step bend in measure 1 replaces the slurred and sweep-picked grace notes that are found in the other versions. Second, the last half of the lick has been transposed up one octave to accommodate Voicing 5’s note range.

00:00 / 00:00

279

SATURDAY Lick #167 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 3, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: After opening with a sweep of an E major triad (E–G♯–B), a Voicing 3–based single-note line segues to a run up the two-notes-perstring E dominant seventh arpeggio (measure 2). The phrases concludes with a swift pull-off and slide down to Voicing 4, ultimately landing on the ♭7th (D).

00:00 / 00:00

280

SUNDAY Lick #168 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended E Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: Rooted mainly in the extended E major pentatonic scale, played here in the lower octave, this slick country lick incorporates a whole-step bend/release, slides, and a pull-off on its way to its ultimate destination, a D/G♯ dyad. In measure 2, slide with your ring finger, pulling off from your pinky to your index finger.

00:00 / 00:00

281

A♭ MAJOR: A♭ –B ♭ –C–D♭ –E♭ –F–G THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio

282

283

SCALE Extended A♭ Major Pentatonic Scale

284

MONDAY Lick #169 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This straightforward jump-blues lick does a great job of outlining the upper region of Voicing 1. Notice how the lick both begins and ends with an arpeggiation of an A♭ major triad (A♭–C–E♭). Don’t forget to swing those eighth notes!

00:00 / 00:00

285

TUESDAY Lick #170 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: The best strategy for performing this version of the jump-blues lick is to begin in 5th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 5. Then, at the midway point of measure 1, move your fret hand to 6th position, shifting back down only for the lick’s final two notes.

00:00 / 00:00

286

WEDNESDAY Lick #171 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This week’s jump-blues lick fits comfortably within the confines of Voicing 3. The entire phrase can be played in 8th position, without the need to shift your fret hand, or you can choose to briefly shift it up to the 9th fret for beats 3–4 of the first measure, shifting back down for measure 2. Notice that, because the grace note in measure 2 does not fall on the same string as its destination pitch, a two-string sweep has been substituted for a slide/hammer-on.

00:00 / 00:00

287

THURSDAY Lick #172 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Play the first measure of this arrangement of the jump-blues lick in 10th position, using a combination of your index, middle, and pinky fingers. In measure 2, shift your fret hand up to 11th position to play the first three beats with your index and ring fingers, shifting back down for the lick’s final two pitches.

00:00 / 00:00

288

FRIDAY Lick #173 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Within the parameters of Voicing 5—and transposed down one octave—this entire arrangement of the jump-blues lick can be played with a combination of your index, ring, and pinky fingers. The quick gracenote slide that opens measure 2 is the only instance where shifting is required.

00:00 / 00:00

289

SATURDAY Lick #174 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Following a full sweep of Voicing 3, this rock/metal lick transitions to an eight-note motif that descends the two-notes-perstring A♭ major seventh arpeggio pattern. Be sure to make the appropriate frethand position shifts while descending the arpeggio, which will help to simplify the execution of this challenging lick.

00:00 / 00:00

290

SUNDAY Lick #175 Genre: R&B Resources Used: Extended A♭ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This R&B-inspired lick utilizes the extended A♭ major pentatonic scale and double stops to create a melodic call-and-response figure. The double stops along strings 1–2 act as a “call,” while the descending double stops, starting on beat 3 of the second measure, act as a “response.” Notice that both phrases incorporate the same syncopated rhythm.

00:00 / 00:00

291

A♭ MINOR: A♭ –B ♭ –C♭ –D♭ –E♭ –F ♭ –G♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A♭ Minor Seventh Arpeggio

292

293

SCALE Extended A♭ Minor Pentatonic Scale

294

MONDAY Lick #176 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This traditional jazz lick incorporates six pitches of the A♭ Aeolian mode—excluding only the 4th (D♭)—into a line that weaves its way from the minor 3rd (C♭) on string 1 to the root (A♭) on string 4. Notice that the last three notes are a reverse arpeggiation of an A♭ minor triad (A♭–C♭–E♭).

00:00 / 00:00

295

TUESDAY Lick #177 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: You can attack this version of the jazz lick one of two ways. One approach is to play the entire phrase in 6th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 6. Another approach involves playing the initial pull-off with your middle and index fingers, followed by a ringindex combo for the second pull-off and a ring-middle combo for the next five notes. Finally, play the lick’s final six notes with your fret hand back in 6th position.

00:00 / 00:00

296

WEDNESDAY Lick #178 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This week’s jazz lack fits nicely within the confines of Voicing 3, although the phrasing is slightly different than Monday’s (#176) and Tuesday’s (#177) licks due to the presence of a three-note pull-off to begin the phrase. After playing the pull-off with your pinky, ring, and index fingers, shift your fret hand down one fret to 8th position. From there the notes at fret 11 are played with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

297

THURSDAY Lick #179 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This entire lick can be played in 11th position, sans the need for wide stretches and/or positional shifts. Simply assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 11. Also, remember to swing the eighth notes, but take care so as not to rush the sixteenth-note triplet in measure 1.

00:00 / 00:00

298

FRIDAY Lick #180 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Like Wednesday’s jazz lick (#178), this arrangement begins with a three-note pull-off. Unlike Wednesday’s lick, however, this version is played in the lower octave. Once you have the lick under your fingers, move it up an octave and practice it in 13th position.

00:00 / 00:00

299

SATURDAY Lick #181 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A♭ Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: The trick to executing this lick is getting your picking hand in sync with your fret hand, employing a downstroke/three-note sweep combination for the phrase’s first three beats. For the two-notes-per-string arpeggio pattern, which begins on beat 4 of the first measure, be sure to shift your entire fret hand from 4th position to 7th position as you ascend.

00:00 / 00:00

300

SUNDAY Lick #182 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended A♭ Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This blues-rock lick employs the extended A♭ minor pentatonic scale to connect the main musical idea, played within the parameters of Voicing 1, to a quick legato figure that caps the lick, played in Voicings 2 and 3. Don’t be fooled by the whole-step bend/release—those notes are derived from the extended A♭ minor pentatonic scale, as well.

00:00 / 00:00

301

A♭ DOMINANT: A♭ –B ♭ –C–D♭ –E♭ –F–G♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A♭ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

302

303

SCALE Extended A♭ Major Pentatonic Scale

304

MONDAY Lick #183 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this dominant country lick, slide into the phrase with your ring finger, flattening that digit for the 6th-fret adjacentstring notes. Notice how well the lick enhances the dominant harmony, incorporating the ♭7th (G♭) twice in measure 2 (in two different octaves) and ending the phrase on it, as well.

00:00 / 00:00

305

TUESDAY Lick #184 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Within the parameters of Voicing 2, the first two measures of the country lick are articulated much differently than Monday’s lick (#183). In this arrangement, the opening slide has been eliminated out of necessity (i.e., the opening notes are on different strings) and the whole-step bend/release has been replaced with a hammer-and-pull figure. After playing the pull-off on beat 4 of measure 2 with your pinky and index fingers, grab the first note of the subsequent slide with your ring finger.

00:00 / 00:00

306

WEDNESDAY Lick #185 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the country lick is articulated in the same manner as Monday’s lick (#183), only the pitches have been shifted up one string. Slide into the phrase with your middle finger and, later, execute the second-measure slide with your ring finger. After performing that slide and pull-off, grab the C note on beat 3 of measure 2 with your middle finger. This will put your fret hand in an advantageous position for the lick’s remaining notes.

00:00 / 00:00

307

THURSDAY Lick #186 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: The articulation of this version of the country lick, played within the framework of Voicing 4, borrows elements from each of the week’s previous three phrases. Although a bend is used at the end of measure 1, feel free to substitute slides in its place. Also, due to Voicing 4’s note range, the lick’s final eight notes have been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

308

FRIDAY Lick #187 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Although the articulation is slightly different, the pitches in this arrangement of the country lick are identical to yesterday’s arrangement (#186). Slide into the lick with your ring finger, playing the rest of the phrase in 13th position, with one finger assigned per fret. The one exception is the slide in measure 3, which can be played with your ring finger so as to put your fret hand in an advantageous position for the lick’s final three notes.

00:00 / 00:00

309

SATURDAY Lick #188 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A♭ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1 & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal lick commences in Voicing 1, where second-string legato passages are offset with repetitions of the root note (A♭) on string 1. At the tail end of measure 1, the two-notes-per-string A♭ dominant seventh arpeggio is employed to descend the neck to Voicing 5, where the lick concludes with a sweep-picked A♭7 figure.

00:00 / 00:00

310

SUNDAY Lick #189 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Extended A♭ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2 & 3 Music/Performance Insight: Reminiscent of Wednesday’s lick (#185), this slow-blues phrase is played in 12/8 meter and stays almost exclusively within the confines of Voicing 3. Following a compound (1½ step) bend at the end of measure 1, the lick descends a portion of the extended A♭ major pentatonic scale, resolving to the fourth-string root note (A♭) within Voicing 2.

00:00 / 00:00

311

B MAJOR: B–C♯–D♯–E–F ♯–G♯–A♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String B Major Seventh Arpeggio

312

313

SCALE Extended B Major Pentatonic Scale

314

MONDAY Lick #190 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this country lick, you’ll need to get acclimated to a technique that’s known as “hybrid picking”—if you haven’t done so already. In measure 1, simply play all of the notes on string 4 with your pick, plucking the double stops with a combination of your middle and ring fingers. That’s it. (The notes in measure 2 should be played exclusively with your pick.)

00:00 / 00:00

315

TUESDAY Lick #191 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Due to the way in which the notes are naturally distributed within the framework of Voicing 2, this arrangement of the country lick is a bit more challenging to perform—especially the double stop on beat 4 of the first measure. For that double stop, fret the bottom note with your pinky and the top note with your middle finger, thereby enabling your index finger to remain in place at fret 9 for the notes that follow.

00:00 / 00:00

316

WEDNESDAY Lick #192 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s lick (#191), this arrangement requires some deft fret-hand maneuvering. To execute this phrase efficiently, assign your ring finger to all of the fifth-string notes in measure 1, playing the first double stop with your middle and index fingers, the second double stop with your middle and pinky fingers, and the last double stop with your index and middle fingers. While you play the double stops, your ring finger should remain stationary.

00:00 / 00:00

317

THURSDAY Lick #193 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: In order to play this week’s country lick within the framework of Voicing 4, the first double stop must be borrowed from Voicing 5. Slide into the lick with your index finger, fretting the first double stop with your pinky and the second double stop with your index and middle fingers. For the third double stop, quickly reposition your fret hand so that you’re fretting strings 3–1 with your ring, pinky, and index fingers, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

318

FRIDAY Lick #194 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: The first three beats of this arrangement of the country lick are identical to yesterday’s lick (#193). On beat 4, however, the lick’s final double stop is played on strings 2–3 (rather than strings 1–2), and the slide figure in measure 2 has been relocated from string 4 to string 5.

00:00 / 00:00

319

SATURDAY Lick #195 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String B Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: After a single-note line employs Voicing 4 to outline the B major chord, a quick pull-off and slide shift the phrase down to 11th position. Here, the lick engages in contrary motion as it works its way down the two-notes-per-string B major seventh arpeggio (i.e., the notes ascend each string as the pattern descends the neck).

00:00 / 00:00

320

SUNDAY Lick #196 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended B Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 4 & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This blues-rock lick is mostly played inside the framework of Voicing 5. Midway through measure 1, the lick derives its notes from the extended B major pentatonic scale to create a full-step-bend motif before descending the scale to its ultimate destination—the fifth-string B note, the low root note of Voicing 4.

00:00 / 00:00

321

B MINOR: B–C♯–D–E–F ♯–G–A THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String B Minor Seventh Arpeggio

322

323

SCALE Extended B Minor Pentatonic Scale

324

MONDAY Lick #197 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal lick utilizes every note of the B Aeolian mode and several pull-offs and hammer-ons to create a flowing sixteennote motif. After the motif is established in measure 1, the pattern is shifted up one string set (to strings 1–3) and repeated, albeit with a fingering that has been altered to accommodate the new scale tones.

00:00 / 00:00

325

TUESDAY Lick #198 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Although the notes are exactly the same, the phrasing of this version of the rock/metal lick is quite different from yesterday’s arrangement (#197). The natural distribution of B minor notes within the framework of Voicing 2 necessitates that more consecutive notes are played on adjacent strings rather than on the same string, as well as the use of longer legato passages. Experiment with fingerings until you find one that works best for you; however, you may find that an index-ring finger combination works best for the majority of measure 2.

00:00 / 00:00

326

WEDNESDAY Lick #199 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: The phrasing from Monday’s lick (#197) is reprised here. In measure 1, play the third-string pull-offs with a combination of your index, middle, and pinky fingers, shifting to an index-ring combo for strings 4– 5. In measure 2, play the second-string pull-offs with your index, ring, and pinky fingers, using an index-pinky combo for strings 3–4.

00:00 / 00:00

327

THURSDAY Lick #200 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the rock/metal lick is an octave lower than the week’s previous three versions (#197–#199) and can be played entirely in 2nd position without needing to shift your fret hand. Assign one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 2.

00:00 / 00:00

328

FRIDAY Lick #201 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Although the two licks are not performed exactly the same, Wednesday’s version of the rock/metal lick (#199) can be used as a guide to fingering this arrangement. In measure 3, fret both notes simultaneously, lifting finger pressure from the grace note as you sweep to the root note (B) on string 3.

00:00 / 00:00

329

SATURDAY Lick #202 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String B Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: The two-notes-per-string B minor seventh arpeggio is the basis for this entire blues-rock lick. A six-note motif, played on strings 1–2, is established in measure 1, then repeated an octave lower, on strings 3–4, in measure 2. A swift ascension of the Bm7 arpeggio caps the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

330

SUNDAY Lick #203 Genre: Slow Blues Resources Used: Extended B Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Played in 12/8 meter, this slow-blues lick is another great example of the development and evolution of a motif. In this example, a four-note motif is established in Voicing 2 and repeated an octave lower (Voicing 1), followed by a second repetition that is two octaves lower (Voicing 5). The lick concludes with a return to Voicing 1 for a single-note line that features a whole-step bend and string skipping (from string 3 to string 1).

00:00 / 00:00

331

B DOMINANT: B–C♯–D♯–E–F ♯–G♯–A THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String B Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

332

333

SCALE Extended B Major Pentatonic Scale

334

MONDAY Lick #204 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: In measure 1, this jazzy phrase gracefully emphasizes chord tones while simultaneously conforming to the contour of Voicing 1. In measure 2, D♯ (3rd) and B (root) chord tones are offset by triplet-based slides.

00:00 / 00:00

335

TUESDAY Lick #205 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Play measure 1 in 9th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 9. On beat 4, grab the 13th-fret note with your pinky, performing the subsequent slides (in measure 2) with your ring finger.

00:00 / 00:00

336

WEDNESDAY Lick #206 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jazz lick fits comfortably within the confines of Voicing 3. After articulating the opening note (fret 11) with your index finger, grab the second note (fret 14) with your ring finger. Play the remainder of the phrase in 12th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 12. If you choose to play the lick in this fashion, your pinky is not needed.

00:00 / 00:00

337

THURSDAY Lick #207 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: The first half of this version of the jazz lick has been transposed down one octave, but it returns to the original octave (see Licks #204–#206) in measure 2. Notice, too, that the articulation is slightly different, as a slide and a pull-off have been included to facilitate smooth execution of the lick. After fretting the last note of measure 1 with your middle finger, grab the first note of measure 2 with your index finger, which will put your fret hand in an advantageous position for the remainder of the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

338

FRIDAY Lick #208 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: The only portion of this lick that is not played in the lower octave is the second half of measure 2, which, due to Voicing 5’s note range, is played in the original octave. This arrangement comfortably conforms to the contour of Voicing 5 and will give your ring and pinky fingers a good workout.

00:00 / 00:00

339

SATURDAY Lick #209 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String B Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal lick covers a lot of territory. In fact, all five Voicings are employed as the lick works its way from 14th position to 5th position. After sweeps of the upper portions of Voicing 4 and Voicing 3, an eight-note motif is created from the two-notes-per-string B dominant seventh arpeggio and repeated twice (in lower octaves) as the lick descends the pattern.

00:00 / 00:00

340

SUNDAY Lick #210 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended B Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: After a whole-step pre-bend/release and a legato-based run up the extended B major pentatonic scale, this country lick concludes with a pair of sliding double stops that are constructed from diatonic 6th intervals. For the first double stop, fret the lower note with your middle finger and the higher note with your ring finger. For the last double stop, use your index (first string) and middle (third string) fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

341

F ♯ MAJOR: F ♯–G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯–E♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String F♯ Major Seventh Arpeggio

342

343

SCALE Extended F♯ Major Pentatonic Scale

344

MONDAY Lick #211 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: In measure 1, this jump-blues lick emphasizes chord tones (F♯, A♯, and C♯) and non-chord tones (D♯ and G♯) alike. Emphasis of non-chord tones, particularly the 6th (D♯) and the 9th (G♯), is common practice in this jazz- and blues-based idiom. In measure 2, the lick further emphasizes chord tones via a five-string arpeggiation of Voicing 1.

00:00 / 00:00

345

TUESDAY Lick #212 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jump-blues lick features two pull-offs (rather than one hammer/pull figure) in measure 1 and invites fingering experimentation, as a few fingering variations exist. At the end of measure 2, however, you may want to perform the slide with your ring finger, as it will put your fret hand in an advantageous position to fret the final root (F♯) note with your index finger.

00:00 / 00:00

346

WEDNESDAY Lick #213 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the jump-blues lick conforms nicely to the contour of Voicing 3 and, like yesterday’s lick (#212), invites fingering experimentation. One approach, however, is to slide into the lick with your pinky, playing the entire first measure with your index and ring fingers, including the bar’s final note. Then, in measure 2, play the descending line with your fingers forming Voicing 3, rolling your pinky over the 9th-fret notes on strings 5–6.

00:00 / 00:00

347

THURSDAY Lick #214 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jump-blues lick invites experimentation with both its fingering and its articulation. Although the first measure contains hammer-ons and a pull-off, you may choose to pick some—if not all—of these notes. Also, after leading into the lick with a middle-finger slide, play the notes at fret 8 with your index finger and the notes at fret 11 with either your pinky or your ring finger. Finally, note that the last four notes of the lick have been transposed up one octave to accommodate Voicing 4’s note range.

00:00 / 00:00

348

FRIDAY Lick #215 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s lick (#214), the final four notes of this arrangement of the jump-blues lick have been transposed up one octave. This example can be played comfortably in 11th position, without the need for position shifts or wide finger stretches, and conforms nicely to Voicing 5. Slide into the lick with your pinky and employ your ring finger for the slide in measure 2 to keep your index finger in position for the phrase’s final note (F♯).

00:00 / 00:00

349

SATURDAY Lick #216 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String F♯ Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal lick descends the neck via four-note pull-off/sweep motifs that are constructed from Voicings 1, 3 and 4. On beat 3 of the first measure, the sweep-picked Voicing 3 segues seamlessly to a legato-based descent of the two-notes-per-string F♯ major seventh arpeggio.

00:00 / 00:00

350

SUNDAY Lick #217 Genre: R&B Resources Used: Extended F♯ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: A rhythmic double-stop motif, based in Voicing 1, is established on beats 1–2 of the first measure, which is followed by two repetitions of the motif (with alternate pitches) within the parameters of Voicings 3 and 4, respectively. The lick concludes with a quick run down the extended F♯ major pentatonic scale and resolution to the root note (F♯) on fret 4 of the fourth string.

00:00 / 00:00

351

F ♯ MINOR: F ♯–G♯–A–B–C♯–D–E THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String F♯ Minor Seventh Arpeggio

352

353

SCALE Extended F♯ Minor Pentatonic Scale

354

MONDAY Lick #218 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This blues-rock lick contains a couple of distinguishing characteristics—a slow whole-step bend and 4th intervals (i.e., adjacent-string notes played on the same fret). To execute the 4ths, roll your finger from the first note to the second, using the fleshy (fingerprint) portion of your finger rather than the tip.

00:00 / 00:00

355

TUESDAY Lick #219 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this version of the blues-rock lick, start in 5th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger executing the whole-step bend. At the midpoint of measure 2, shift down to 4th position and play all of the notes at fret 4 with your index finger and the 7th-fret notes with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

356

WEDNESDAY Lick #220 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: After playing the opening triplet with a combination of your index (strings 1 and 3) and middle (string 2) fingers, execute the whole-step bend with your pinky, reinforcing it with your other three fingers. The remainder of the lick can be played in 6th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 6. However, you might choose to substitute your ring finger for some—or all—of the notes at fret 9.

00:00 / 00:00

357

THURSDAY Lick #221 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the blues-rock lick fits comfortably within the confines of Voicing 4. Play the entire phrase in 9th position, with one finger assigned per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 9. Consequently, like Tuesday’s lick (#219), the whole-step bend is performed with your index finger.

00:00 / 00:00

358

FRIDAY Lick #222 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: To perform the whole-step bend, bend the string up (towards the ceiling) or down (towards the floor) with your pinky, and, like Wednesday’s lick (#220), reinforce the bend with all four fingers. In measures 2–3, you can perform the 14th-fret notes on strings 5–6 with either your ring finger or your pinky. Also, due to Voicing 5’s note range, notice that the lick’s final three notes have been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

359

SATURDAY Lick #223 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String F♯ Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1 & 5 Music/Performance Insight: In this traditional jazz lick, the two-notes-perstring F♯ minor seventh arpeggio is employed to connect one short musical phrase (Voicing 5) to another (Voicing 1). Be sure to shift your entire fret hand from 12th position to 14th position as you make your way up the arpeggio pattern.

00:00 / 00:00

360

SUNDAY Lick #224 Genre: Blues-Rock Resources Used: Extended F♯ Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This blues-rock lick is derived entirely from the extended F♯ minor pentatonic scale, played in the lower octave. An eight-note pedal-tone motif, based in Voicing 2, is established on beats 1–2 of the first measure, which is followed by two repetitions of the motif (with alternate pitches) within the parameters of Voicing 1. The phrase concludes with two open-string pull-offs and resolution to the root note (F♯) on string 6.

00:00 / 00:00

361

F ♯ DOMINANT: F ♯–G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯–E THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String F♯ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

362

363

SCALE Extended F♯ Major Pentatonic Scale

364

MONDAY Lick #225 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This jazz lick is another example of motif development. In measure 1, an eight-note motif is constructed from a diatonic 3rd and 4th, followed by a reverse arpeggiation of Voicing 1. In measures 2–3, a variation of the motif is performed, starting on string 2, before the phrase ultimately comes to rest on the ♭7th (E).

00:00 / 00:00

365

TUESDAY Lick #226 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: After sliding into this lick with your ring finger, play the rest of the phrase in 4th position, with your index finger at fret 4, your middle finger at fret 5, your ring finger at fret 6, and your pinky covering both fret 7 and fret 8. In measure 3, perform the slide with your ring finger, which will keep your index finger in good position for the subsequent root note (F♯).

00:00 / 00:00

366

WEDNESDAY Lick #227 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Perform this version of the jazz lick in 6th position, sliding into the first note with your index finger and assigning one finger per fret thereafter. Unlike yesterday’s lick (#226), no wide finger stretches are required, but the quick jump from string 5 to string 3 (which connects measures 1 and 2) will require some extra attention. In measure 3, perform the slide with your index finger, which will put your fret hand in good position for the lick’s final three notes.

00:00 / 00:00

367

THURSDAY Lick #228 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate Voicing 4’s note range, the pitches in measure 3 of this version of the jazz lick have been transposed up one octave. Play measures 1–2 in 9th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 9 and your pinky covering the notes at both fret 12 and fret 13. Due to the slide in measure 3, your fingers will shift down one position/fret for the lick’s final three notes.

00:00 / 00:00

368

FRIDAY Lick #229 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the jazz lick conforms nicely to the contour of Voicing 5. Like yesterday’s lick (#228), the notes of measure 3 have been transposed up one octave. Play the entire phrase in 11th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 11, your middle finger at fret 12, your ring finger at fret 13, and your pinky at fret 14. In measure 3, perform the slide with your ring finger, thereby keeping your fret hand in position for the lick’s final three notes.

00:00 / 00:00

369

SATURDAY Lick #230 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String F♯ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This shred-inspired lick incorporates pull-offs to swiftly articulate repetitive, three-note sequences that are derived from Voicing 1, Voicing 4, and Voicing 3, respectively. At the midpoint of measure 2, the twonotes-per-string F♯ dominant seventh arpeggio, played in the lower octave, is employed to move from Voicing 3 to Voicing 1, where the phrase concludes with an arpeggiation of the chord.

00:00 / 00:00

370

SUNDAY Lick #231 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended F♯ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1 & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This country lick contains two distinct passages. The first passage, derived from Voicing 1, emphasizes the chord’s dominant tonality by ringing the ♭7th (fret 5, second string) with the root (fret 2, first string). The second passage employs the extended F♯ major pentatonic scale to ascend the neck to 7th position, where an oblique bend outlines the chord’s 3rd (A♯) and 5th (C♯) before resolving to the tonic (F♯).

00:00 / 00:00

371

C♯ MAJOR: C♯–D♯–E♯–F ♯–G♯–A♯–B ♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C♯ Major Seventh Arpeggio

372

373

SCALE Extended C♯ Major Pentatonic Scale

374

MONDAY Lick #232 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This jump-blues lick emphasizes all four tones of the C♯maj7 chord—the root (C♯), 3rd (E♯), 5th (G♯), and 7th (B♯)—as well as one non-chord tone, the 6th (A♯), which is a critical component of jump blues. Notice that the lick begins with and ends on the same three notes—A♯, B♯, and C♯ —lending continuity to the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

375

TUESDAY Lick #233 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this version of the jump-blues lick, start in 10th position, shifting to 11th position on the “and” of beat 3 of measure 1. Employ your ring finger for the last note of measure 1, the opening slide of measure 2, and the G♯ note on beat 2 (fret 13, third string). Consequently, a tricky threestring roll of your ring finger (from string 1 to string 3) is required, so take this portion of the lick slowly.

00:00 / 00:00

376

WEDNESDAY Lick #234 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the jump-blues lick is transposed down one octave and fits comfortably within the confines of Voicing 3. Play the lick in 1st position, assigning one finger per fret, using your pinky to perform the slides in both measures. Also, keep your index finger barred across strings 1–3 (at fret 1) as you articulate the notes on those strings.

00:00 / 00:00

377

THURSDAY Lick #235 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s example (#234), this version of the jump-blues lick is played in the lower octave. Perform the entire phrase in 3rd position, with your index finger assigned to fret 3, your middle finger to fret 4, your ring finger to fret 5, and your pinky to fret 6. The triplet in measure 2 can be performed either with slides (as shown) or with a hammer-on and pull-off—your choice.

00:00 / 00:00

378

FRIDAY Lick #236 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Start this example with your index finger, performing the slide with your pinky and the notes at fret 8 with your ring finger. In measure 2, shift down to 5th position to execute the legato-based triplet with your index and middle fingers. After playing the subsequent two notes with your middle finger and pinky, revert back to an index-pinky combo for the lick’s final three notes.

00:00 / 00:00

379

SATURDAY Lick #237 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C♯ Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal lick opens with quick legato figures that are derived from Voicing 3, Voicing 4, and Voicing 1, respectively. On beat 2 of measure 2, the two-notes-per-string C♯ major seventh arpeggio is employed to drop down to the sixth string before reversing course. The phrase is capped with a four-string sweep of Voicing 1 that concludes with a hammer-on from the major 7th (B♯) to the root (C♯). When leading into the sweep (on string 4), play the 10th-fret note with your ring finger and the first note of the sweep (fret 11) with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

380

SUNDAY Lick #238 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended C♯ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Two runs up the extended C♯ major pentatonic scale are offset with an extensive oblique bend that occupies four-and-a-half beats. Bend and hold the third string with your ring finger, fretting the first- and secondstring notes with your index, pinky, and middle fingers, respectively. As the bend is held, stationary notes (strings 1–2) are alternated with bent pitches.

00:00 / 00:00

381

C♯ MINOR: C♯–D♯–E–F ♯–G♯–A–B THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C♯ Minor Seventh Arpeggio

382

383

SCALE Extended C♯ Minor Pentatonic Scale

384

MONDAY Lick #239 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This rock lick, played within the confines of Voicing 1, is derived exclusively from the C♯ minor pentatonic scale. An eight-note sequence is developed on strings 1–2 and repeated three times (with alternate pitches, of course) as the lick makes its way down the neck vertically (i.e., from floor to ceiling).

00:00 / 00:00

385

TUESDAY Lick #240 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Although the notes are exactly the same as yesterday’s lick (#239), the articulation of this phrase has been modified to accommodate the natural distribution of C♯ minor/Aeolian notes within the confines of Voicing 2. After performing the initial sequence in 12th position, shift down one fret to 11th position for the remainder of the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

386

WEDNESDAY Lick #241 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: The articulation of Monday’s lick (#239) is reprised here, though the fingering is slightly different. After performing the opening pull-off with your index finger and pinky, employ your index and ring fingers for the remainder of the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

387

THURSDAY Lick #242 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the rock lick fits comfortably within the framework of Voicing 4. To accommodate Voicing 4’s note range, most of the phrase has been transposed down one octave—except for the final eight-note sequence, which is played in the original octave.

00:00 / 00:00

388

FRIDAY Lick #243 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: With a little help from Voicing 1 (see the footnote below), this arrangement of the rock lick returns to the higher/original octave. Perform the opening three-note pull-off with a combination of your index, middle, and pinky fingers, utilizing your index and ring fingers for the remainder of measure 1. At measure 2, shift your fret hand down one fret to 6th position and play the remainder of the lick with your index finger and pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

389

SATURDAY Lick #244 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C♯ Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Following a five-string sweep of Voicing 3, this rock/metal lick descends the entire two-notes-per-string C♯ minor seventh arpeggio pattern. The lick concludes with a short three-string sweep of Voicing 5 and a legato figure that leads to the root note (C♯) on string 3.

00:00 / 00:00

390

SUNDAY Lick #245 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Extended C♯ Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 4 Music/Performance Insight: This jazz lick is a lot of fun to perform. It commences in Voicing 4, where it begins a two-string descent of the neck via diatonic 3rds. At measure 2, Voicing 2 provides the framework for a phrase that moves from string 1 to string 4 before giving way to a nifty resolution lick that is derived entirely from the extended C♯ minor pentatonic scale.

00:00 / 00:00

391

C♯ DOMINANT: C♯–D♯–E♯–F ♯–G♯–A♯–B THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C♯ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

392

393

SCALE Extended C♯ Major Pentatonic Scale

394

MONDAY Lick #246 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This jazz-rock fusion lick may look a bit complicated, but it’s simply a C♯ dominant seventh arpeggio, played in a repetitive pattern, simultaneously ascending and descending the arpeggio. Start the lick in 9th position, playing the note at fret 13 with your pinky and the subsequent secondstring note with your ring finger. On beat 3 of measure 2, play the G♯ note (fret 11, fifth string) with your ring finger, grabbing the subsequent E note (fret 9, fourth string) with your middle finger. As a result, your fret hand will be in proper position for the final two notes and B/E♯ dyad.

00:00 / 00:00

395

TUESDAY Lick #247 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To perform this version of the fusion lick, start in 11th position, with your pinky playing the first note, followed by your ring finger for the second note, your middle finger for the third note, and so on. On beat 4, briefly drop your fret hand down to 10th position before shifting back up to play the 14th-fret B note with your pinky, remaining in 11th position for the rest of the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

396

WEDNESDAY Lick #248 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Most of this arrangement of the fusion lick can be played in 13th position, with your index finger assigned to fret 13, your middle finger to fret 14, your ring finger to fret 15, and your pinky to fret 16. However, on beat 2 of the second measure, briefly shift your fret hand up to play the notes at fret 14 and fret 16 with your index and ring fingers, respectively, before moving back down on beat 4 for the final two notes and the dyad.

00:00 / 00:00

397

THURSDAY Lick #249 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Although relatively easy to execute, this version of the fusion lick—arranged here in the lower octave to accommodate Voicing 4’s note range—does require multiple fret-hand shifts. After playing the first three beats in 4th position, shift your fret hand down to 3rd position for the next two beats. On beat 2 of the second measure, shift back up to 4th position, only to return to 3rd position for the lick’s conclusion, which is played in the original/higher octave (note the string skip).

00:00 / 00:00

398

FRIDAY Lick #250 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Perform this version of the fusion lick entirely in 6th position, assigning one finger per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 6. To accommodate Voicing 5’s note range, the final four notes and the dyad are played in the original/higher octave.

00:00 / 00:00

399

SATURDAY Lick #251 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C♯ Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: Staying with the fusion theme, this lick utilizes wide, adjacent-string intervals to descend the two-notes-per-string C♯ dominant seventh arpeggio pattern. Notice that, if you skipped every other note of the pattern, you would be playing the straight C♯7 arpeggio. (You can start on the second note of the pattern and get the same result, sans string 1.) In measure 2, the arpeggio pattern reverses course, moving from Voicing 5 to Voicing 1, where the lick resolves via a whole-step bend to the root (C♯).

00:00 / 00:00

400

SUNDAY Lick #252 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended C♯ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 2 & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This country lick commences in Voicing 3, where its dominant quality is emphasized via alternations of the ♭7th (fret 16, third string) and root (fret 14, second string) notes. After a short descent of the extended C♯ major pentatonic scale, an oblique bend further emphasizes chord tones—this time, via the 3rd (E♯) and the 5th (G♯). In measure 3, the lick climbs the extended pentatonic, ultimately resolving to a root/5th double stop. To evoke maximum twang, play this phrase with a combination of your pick and fingers (i.e., with hybrid picking).

00:00 / 00:00

401

C HALF-DIMINISHED: C–D♭ –E♭ –F–G♭ –A♭ –B ♭ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Half-Diminished Arpeggio

402

403

SCALE Extended C Half-Diminished Pentatonic Scale

404

MONDAY Lick #253 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This is a pretty straightforward C halfdiminished (Cm7 ♭5) jazz lick. The first five notes simply are an arpeggiation of the chord (C–E♭–G♭–B♭–C), followed by a quick pull-off from the ♭9th (D♭) to the root (C). After walking back down the chord, the ♭9th is incorporated again—this time, moving from C to D♭ via a slide. Play the first measure in 7th position, briefly shifting up to 8th position to perform the first-string pull-off with your index and middle fingers. In measure 2, articulate the slide with your pinky and the last two notes with your index and ring fingers, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

405

TUESDAY Lick #254 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Perform this version of the half-diminished lick in 11th position, using your index finger to cover the notes on both fret 10 and fret 11 and your ring and pinky fingers for frets 13 and 14, respectively. Don’t forget to swing the eighth notes!

00:00 / 00:00

406

WEDNESDAY Lick #255 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the half-diminished lick has been transposed down one octave to accommodate Voicing 3’s note range. Play the lick entirely in 1st position, with your index finger at fret 1, your middle finger at fret 2, your ring finger at fret 3, and your pinky at fret 4. In measure 2, execute the slide with your pinky, thereby keeping your fret hand in position for the lick’s final two notes.

00:00 / 00:00

407

THURSDAY Lick #256 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Also arranged in the lower octave, this version of the half-diminished lick can be performed exclusively in 3rd position, with one finger assigned per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 3. After executing the slide in measure 2 with your index finger, fret the B♭ note on string 6 with your ring finger, shifting down to fret the C note with your index finger, once again.

00:00 / 00:00

408

FRIDAY Lick #257 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: Like the licks from Wednesday (#255) and Thursday (#256), this arrangement of the half-diminished lick is played in the lower octave. Unlike those licks, however, this version requires wide, five-fret finger stretches. Employ your index finger for the notes at frets 4 and 5, your middle finger for the notes at fret 6, and your pinky for the notes at fret 8.

00:00 / 00:00

409

SATURDAY Lick #258 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Half-Diminished Arpeggio; Voicings 1 & 2 Music/Performance Insight: In measure 1 of this rock/metal lick, a repetitive legato phrase, derived from Voicings 1 and 2, emphasizes the ♭5th (fret 11, string 3) while moving from the root (string 4) to the ♭7th (string 2). In measure 2, the two-notes-per-string C half-diminished arpeggio is utilized to ascend the neck before resolving to the root note (C) on string 2.

00:00 / 00:00

410

SUNDAY Lick #259 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Extended C Half-Diminished Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This legato-based fusion lick establishes a twostring, eight-note sequence on beats 1–2 of the first measure that is repeated twice, with alternate pitches, as the phrase descends the extended C half-diminished pentatonic scale. Start the lick with your index finger, allowing the slides, hammerons, and pull-offs to dictate which fingers to use.

00:00 / 00:00

411

C DIMINISHED: C–D–E♭ –F–G♭ –A♭ –B THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Diminished Seventh Arpeggio

412

413

SCALE Extended C Diminished Pentatonic Scale

414

MONDAY Lick #260 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This C diminished jazz lick incorporates chord tones (C, E♭, G♭, and A) and non-chord tones (A♭ and B) alike. Play the phrase in 7th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger covering the notes at both fret 6 and fret 7. Be sure not to overlook the tie at the end of measure 1 —that note, A, receives a full beat, and the subsequent note, A♭, is played on the “and” of beat 1.

00:00 / 00:00

415

TUESDAY Lick #261 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: The articulation (i.e., the opening pull-off) from yesterday’s lick (#260) has been altered slightly here to accommodate Voicing 2. Start the lick in 9th position, performing the slide with your ring finger, thereby shifting your fret hand to 10th position. After holding the tied note with your index finger, play the first note of measure 2 with your ring finger, followed by an indexring-middle-ring finger combination for the lick’s final four notes.

00:00 / 00:00

416

WEDNESDAY Lick #262 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Played an octave lower than the week’s previous two licks (#260–#261), this version of the C diminished lick juxtaposes the open A string and fretted pitches for an arrangement that is rooted in Voicing 3. Perform the pull-off with your index and middle fingers, followed by your index and ring fingers for the subsequent two notes, respectively. The remainder of the lick can be performed exclusively in 1st position, with one finger assigned per fret, starting with your index finger at fret 1.

00:00 / 00:00

417

THURSDAY Lick #263 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the diminished jazz lick, also played in the lower octave, starts in 2nd position but shifts up to 3rd position via the sixth-string slide. Perform the slide with your ring finger, thereby positioning your fret hand for the remaining notes. At this point, your index finger will cover the notes at frets 2 and 3, your middle finger will cover fret 4, your ring finger will cover fret 5, and your pinky will handle the notes at fret 6.

00:00 / 00:00

418

FRIDAY Lick #264 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the C diminished lick makes a return to the higher octave. The entire phrase, rooted in Voicing 5, can be played exclusively in 4th position. As such, perform the slide in measure 1 with your pinky so as to keep your fret hand in position for the remaining notes.

00:00 / 00:00

419

SATURDAY Lick #265 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Diminished Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This expansive diminished lick traverses all five Voicings. The symmetrical nature of the two-notes-per-string diminished seventh arpeggio allows for fluid fret-hand movement, which is put to use in measure 1, where a six-note sequence is repeated multiple times as the phrase ascends the neck. In measure 2, sweep-picked diminished shapes are played in two positions before coming to rest on the root note (C) at fret 17 of the third string.

00:00 / 00:00

420

SUNDAY Lick #266 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Extended C Diminished Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1 & 2 Music/Performance Insight: This diminished rock/metal lick employs the extended C diminished pentatonic scale to create an eight-note sequence that is played twice as the phrase moves down the neck. Following a fourth-string legato figure, a three-string sweep within the framework of Voicing 1 segues to a secondstring slide that returns the lick to Voicing 2.

00:00 / 00:00

421

C HARMONIC MINOR: C–D–E♭ –F–G–A♭ –B THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Minor-Major Seventh Arpeggio

422

423

SCALE Extended C Harmonic Minor Pentatonic Scale

424

MONDAY Lick #267 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: This C harmonic minor jazz lick incorporates all seven notes of the scale and conforms nicely to the contour of Voicing 1. Due to the minor 3rd interval that naturally exists between the scale’s 6th and 7th degrees/tones, wide finger stretches are, at times, unavoidable (see string 2). Play this example in 8th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger covering the notes at both fret 11 and fret 12.

00:00 / 00:00

425

TUESDAY Lick #268 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: Perform this version of the harmonic minor lick in 10th position, assigning your index finger to fret 10, your middle finger to fret 11, your ring finger to fret 12, and your pinky to fret 13. You’ll need to roll your ring finger for the consecutive 12th-fret notes that are played on adjacent strings (measure 1). In measure 2, a wide, four-fret stretch is required, following a position shift via the index-finger slide.

00:00 / 00:00

426

WEDNESDAY Lick #269 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Start this lick with your fret hand in 12th position, using your index finger for the notes at frets 11 and 12. After performing the pull-off with your index and middle fingers, grab measure 1’s final note (F) with your ring finger, thereby shifting your fret hand so measure 2 can be played with a combination of your index, middle, and ring fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

427

THURSDAY Lick #270 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: This version of the harmonic minor lick, arranged in the lower octave, fits comfortably within the confines of Voicing 4. The most challenging aspect of this phrase is in measure 2, where an index-finger slide repositions the fret hand, requiring a four-fret stretch—from B (fret 2, fifth string) to E♭ (fret 6, fifth string)—to shift back up the neck.

00:00 / 00:00

428

FRIDAY Lick #271 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate Voicing 5’s note range, the last four notes of this arrangement of the harmonic minor lick are played in the original/higher octave. Although a couple of fret-hand shifts are required, this example is relatively easy to perform. Begin the lick in 4th position, shifting up to 5th position for the pull-off, which is played with your index and middle fingers. In measure 2, perform the slide with your pinky, thereby shifting your fret hand back down to 4th position for the lick’s final four notes.

00:00 / 00:00

429

SATURDAY Lick #272 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Minor-Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, & 3 Music/Performance Insight: This shred-inspired phrase is one of the more challenging licks in Fretboard Freedom. However, with a little patience, it can be perfected. After a first-string legato figure sets up the phrase, the two-notes-perstring C minor-major seventh arpeggio descends the neck, from string 1 to string 4. To set up your fret hand for the three-string sweep in measure 2, play the fourthstring pull-off with your middle and ring fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

430

SUNDAY Lick #273 Genre: Fusion Resources Used: Extended C Harmonic Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, 4, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: After three symmetrical sweep-picking figures, the extended C harmonic minor pentatonic scale is employed to make a quick horizontal run up the neck before reversing course and descending to the root note (C) on fret 8 of the sixth string. To execute the sweep-picking figures, play the first note of each four-note group with a downstroke, followed by a reverse-sweep of the final three notes.

00:00 / 00:00

431

C WHOLE TONE: C–D–E–F ♯–G♯–A♯ THE RESOURCES VOICINGS

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Augmented Seventh Arpeggio

432

433

SCALE Extended C Augmented Pentatonic Scale

434

MONDAY Lick #274 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 Music/Performance Insight: With a C7♯5 chord shape (Voicing 1) as your guide, this whole-tone jazz lick touches on all six degrees of the scale as it ascends and descends the voicing. Play the lick in 8th position, shifting down one fret for the lick’s final three notes, playing the 9th-fret note with your ring finger, the 7thfret note with your index finger, and the 8th-fret note with your middle finger.

00:00 / 00:00

435

TUESDAY Lick #275 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 Music/Performance Insight: To play the whole-tone lick within the framework of Voicing 2, some wide finger stretches are required. Begin the phrase with your ring finger at fret 13, playing the notes at frets 10 and 11 with your index finger and the notes at fret 14 with your pinky. On beat 4 of the second measure, shift your fret hand down to 9th position for the lick’s final three notes. Due to the natural distribution of whole-tone notes within the framework of Voicing 2, the sixteenth-note triplets are now played on adjacent strings and the lick’s final note must be played in the higher octave.

00:00 / 00:00

436

WEDNESDAY Lick #276 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 3 Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s example (#275), the last note of this version of the whole-tone lick has been transposed up one octave. This arrangement comfortably follows the contour of Voicing 3, requiring just one frethand shift. After performing most of the lick in 13th position, shift down one fret for the lick’s final three pitches, playing the 14th-fret note with your ring finger, the 12th-fret note with your index finger, and the 15th-note with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

437

THURSDAY Lick #277 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 4 Music/Performance Insight: Similar to Tuesday’s example (#275), this arrangement of the whole-tone lick requires wide fret-hand stretches. This version, however, is played an octave lower, although the last two notes are played in the original/higher octave to accommodate Voicing 4’s note range. Assign your index finger to fret 3, your middle finger to fret 5, your ring finger to fret 6, and your pinky to fret 7. To play the lick’s final three notes, shift your fret hand down to 2nd position.

00:00 / 00:00

438

FRIDAY Lick #278 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 5 Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the whole-tone lick also is played in the lower octave, except for the final three notes, which are played in the original/higher octave. For best results, perform the phrase in 5th position, assigning one finger per fret. The one exception is your index finger, which will cover the notes at both fret 4 and fret 5.

00:00 / 00:00

439

SATURDAY Lick #279 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Augmented Seventh Arpeggio; Voicings 1, 2, 3, & 5 Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal whole-tone lick commences with triplet-based pull-offs that are derived from Voicings 3 and 1, with the final triadic pull-off seamlessly segueing to a more extensive arpeggiation of the latter chord shape. In measure 2, the two-notes-per-string C augmented seventh arpeggio is employed to ascend the neck to 12th position, followed by a pinky slide to the root note (C) at fret 20 of the first string.

00:00 / 00:00

440

SUNDAY Lick #280 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Extended C Augmented Pentatonic Scale; Voicings 1, 2, 3, &4 Music/Performance Insight: This whole-tone lick is almost entirely derived from the extended C augmented pentatonic scale. Following a four-string sweep of Voicing 3, the lick engages in a pedal-tone passage along strings 1–2 before giving way to a legato-based descent of the pentatonic scale. Experiment with fingerings as you make your way from measure 1 to measure 2, as a few options exist.

00:00 / 00:00

441

C–F–G–C PROGRESSION (I–IV–V–I, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS C Major

F Major

442

443

G Major

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Major Seventh Arpeggio

444

SCALE Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale

Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale

MONDAY Lick #281 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 3 (G), & Voicing 4 (F) Music/Performance Insight: Our first progression, I–IV–V–I, has its roots in the blues and is found in countless musical genres, including rock, country, and pop, among others. To navigate the changes, shown here in the key of C major, Voicings 1, 4, and 3 are employed for the C, F, and G chords, respectively. Notice how well the line adheres to the Voicings, thereby creating an exceptionally melodic phrase that is rich with chord tones.

445

00:00 / 00:00

446

TUESDAY Lick #282 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 4 (G), & Voicing 5 (F) Music/Performance Insight: Although all three of the Voicings used here— Voicing 2, 4, and, 5—differ from yesterday’s lick (#281), the pitches remain the same. Slide into the phrase with your middle finger and shift from 9th position to 10th position on the “and” of beat 2 of measure 1. In measure 2, you’ll need to roll your ringer finger across strings 2–4 for the 12th-fret notes.

00:00 / 00:00

447

WEDNESDAY Lick #283 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 (F), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 5 (G) Music/Performance Insight: Slide into Voicing 3 (for the C chord) with your pinky, which will position your fret hand well for the subsequent three notes. On beat 3 of measure 1, shift up to 13th position, playing the legato figure with your index and ring fingers. At the midpoint of measure 2, barre strings 2–4 with your index finger for the notes at fret 12. Notice that, in this example, the F-chord phrase is played with Voicing 1, whereas on Monday (Lick #281), the C-chord phrase used Voicing 1.

00:00 / 00:00

448

THURSDAY Lick #284 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G), Voicing 2 (F), & Voicing 4 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the rock lick has been transposed down one octave to accommodate the note range of Voicing 4 in the key of C. Slide into the lick with your middle finger, assigning your index finger to notes at fret 2, your middle finger to the notes at fret 3, and your pinky to the notes at fret 5. For the second half of measure 2, use either a ring-pinky finger combination or a middle-ring combo.

00:00 / 00:00

449

FRIDAY Lick #285 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Voicing 2 (G), Voicing 3 (F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This week’s rock lick, performed here in the lower octave, conforms nicely to the three Voicings of this example. The only potential trouble spot is Voicing 2 (G major), where, after playing the B note (fret 4, third string) with your index finger, you’ll need to flatten your middle finger to cover the 5th-fret notes that are played on adjacent strings.

00:00 / 00:00

450

SATURDAY Lick #286 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 4 (G), & Voicing 5 (F) Music/Performance Insight: In this jazz-based phrase, the same major Voicings that were used in this week’s previous five licks are incorporated here. The only difference is that, to outline the major seventh chords of the progression, the major 7th of each chord is included in the line. Although the major 7ths are not part of the major Voicings, they’re easy to locate—they’re simply a half step (one fret) below the root. See if you can locate the major 7th of the Cmaj7 (measure 1), Fmaj7, and Gmaj7 chords.

00:00 / 00:00

451

SUNDAY Lick #287 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended F Major & G Major Pentatonic Scales; Voicing 1 (F), Voicing 2 (G), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: To navigate the I–IV–V–I progression in a country context, the extended F major and G major pentatonic scales have been incorporated to connect C major lines that are derived from Voicing 3 (measure 1) and Voicing 5 (measure 3). Notice that, in measure 2, the G major pentatonic scale starts on the 2nd (A) instead of the root (G), which lends the line a seamless quality, despite the chord change.

00:00 / 00:00

452

C–Am–F–G–C PROGRESSION (I–VI–IV–V–I, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS C Major

A Minor

453

454

F Major

G Major

455

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A Minor Seventh Arpeggio

456

SCALE Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale

457

MONDAY Lick #288 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 3 (G), & Voicing 4 (F) Music/Performance Insight: This progression, I–vi–IV–V–I, is a variation of last week’s progression and, similarly, can be found in everything from rock and country to jazz and pop. Country is the focus of this lick (as well as the next four), which introduces one new chord, Am. The trickiest part of this lick is the first half of measure 2. To perform this portion of the phrase, slide into the first note with your ring finger and, while keeping the F note fretted, perform the second-string hammer-on with your index and pinky fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

458

TUESDAY Lick #289 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 3 (Am), Voicing 4 (G), & Voicing 5 (F) Music/Performance Insight: The articulation of this lick is quite different from yesterday’s example (#288). In measure 1, the opening pre-bend is performed with your index finger (rather than your ring finger), and a bend is substituted for the hammer-on to execute the double stop. The same is true for the double stop in measure 2. Be sure to reinforce your ring finger with your middle and index fingers while performing the bends.

00:00 / 00:00

459

WEDNESDAY Lick #290 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 1 (F), Voicing 3 (C), Voicing 4 (Am), & Voicing 5 (G) Music/Performance Insight: This week’s country lick feels right at home within parameters of these four Voicings. Although all of the notes are played on a higher string, this example utilizes the same articulation as Monday’s lick (#288), including the double-stop hammer-ons in measures 1–2. Play the entire phrase in 12th position, employing your pinky for the slide that connects the first two measures.

00:00 / 00:00

460

THURSDAY Lick #291 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G), Voicing 2 (F), Voicing 4 (C), & Voicing 5 (Am) Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the country lick borrows elements from all of the week’s previous three licks, including an index-finger bend, a double-stop bend, and a double-stop hammer-on. Notice that, at the tail end of measure 1, the phrase jumps up to the higher octave, which affords more efficient fingerings within the parameters of the day’s Voicings.

00:00 / 00:00

461

FRIDAY Lick #292 Genre: Country Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 2 (G), Voicing 3 (F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the country lick is played in the lower octave, except for the final note of measure 2 (G), which has been transposed up one octave to accommodate Voicing 2’s note range. Notice how seamless the lick moves through the chord changes. This is positional playing at its best, a foundational element of Fretboard Freedom.

00:00 / 00:00

462

SATURDAY Lick #293 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (Am & C), Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 3 (Am & G), Voicing 4 (F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This rock lick incorporates all five Voicings, in various key centers, and the two-notes-per-string A minor seventh arpeggio for a figure that is equal parts legato playing and sweep picking. After a legato passage emphasizes the C major chord, the A minor seventh arpeggio ascends the neck to 8th position, where the F major and G major chords are outlined via sweeps of Voicing 4 and Voicing 3, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

463

SUNDAY Lick #294 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (Am & C), Voicing 3 (F & G), Voicing 4 (C), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This lick represents a return to the country genre and is a great example of outlining chord changes via chord partials—in this case, double stops along strings 2–3. Following a quick ascension of the extended C major pentatonic scale (starting on the fifth-string root), the lick creates a doublestop motif that conforms to each chord change, offset by fourth-string hammer-ons and slides.

00:00 / 00:00

464

C–G–Am–F–C PROGRESSION (I–V–vi–IV–I, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS C Major

G Major

465

466

A Minor

F Major

467

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Major Seventh Arpeggio

468

SCALE Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale

469

MONDAY Lick #295 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 3 (G & Am), & Voicing 4 (F) Music/Performance Insight: This week’s progression, I–V–vi–IV–I, simply is a reordering of last week’s chord changes and, like last week’s progression, can be found in countless musical genres. This rock/metal lick navigates the changes via triadic arpeggios that are articulated with either pull-offs or adjacent-string sweeps. For the F major chord, flatten your ring finger to fret the adjacent-string notes on fret 10. The key to playing these three-string arpeggio shapes is to release pressure from the strings after each note is played, preventing the notes from ringing together.

00:00 / 00:00

470

TUESDAY Lick #296 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 4 (G & Am), & Voicing 5 (F) Music/Performance Insight: The first three chords of this arrangement of the rock/metal lick require sweeps to articulate the arpeggio figures. Notice that the first-string notes of each arpeggio, as well as the arpeggio’s last note (on string 2), are played with downstrokes, followed by a sweep of strings 2–3. For the F major chord, barre your index finger across strings 2–3 at fret 10, pulling off from fret 13 with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

471

WEDNESDAY Lick #297 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 (F), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 5 (G & Am) Music/Performance Insight: In this version of the rock/metal lick, two chords are outlined with three-string arpeggio shapes, while the other two chords are outlined with pull-off figures. Pay close attention to the G major and A minor chords—the pull-offs shift from string 2 to string 3 as the chords change. Also, notice that, for the G chord, strings 2–3 are barred with your index finger, whereas, for the A minor chord, strings 2–3 are barred with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

472

THURSDAY Lick #298 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G & Am), Voicing 2 (F), & Voicing 4 (C) Music/Performance Insight: In this example, the rock/metal lick has been transposed down one octave to accommodate the note range of the Voicings. After sweep-picking the first three arpeggio figures, the phrase ends with a legato-based figure that outlines the F major chord. For the C major chord, flatten your ring finger to barre strings 2–4, transitioning to an index-middle-ring finger combo for G major. For A minor, barre strings 2–3 with your index finger, fretting the fourth string with your ring finger.

00:00 / 00:00

473

FRIDAY Lick #299 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 2 (G & Am), Voicing 3 (F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: Also based in the lower octave, this version of the rock/metal lick bookends pull-off figures for the G major and A minor chords with sweeps of the C major and F major chords. For ease of fingering, the A minor arpeggio shape utilizes the C note at fret 5 of the third string (from Voicing 1) in place of the C note at fret 10 of the fourth string, which is part of Voicing 2.

00:00 / 00:00

474

SATURDAY Lick #300 Genre: Country Resources Used: Two-Notes Per String C Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 3 (C & Am), & Voicing 5 (G & F) Music/Performance Insight: This example is a simple country lick that combines whole- and half-step bends with upper, adjacent-string notes to outline the first four chords of the progression. In measure 3, the two-notes-per-string C major seventh arpeggio serves two purposes—it outlines the C major chord and it resolves the phrase via the half note on string 6, the root (C).

00:00 / 00:00

475

SUNDAY Lick #301 Genre: Rock Resources Used: Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (G & Am), Voicing 3 (G), Voicing 4 (F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This rock lick opens with a descending C major pentatonic line that is played within the framework of Voicing 5 before segueing to a quick, three-string run up the extended G major pentatonic scale. In measures 2–3, the upper portions of Voicing 2, Voicing 4, and Voicing 1 are arpeggiated to outline the Am, F, and C chord changes, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

476

Am–F–C–G–C PROGRESSION (vi–IV–I–V–I, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS A Minor

F Major

477

478

C Major

G Major

479

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String G Major Seventh Arpeggio

SCALES Extended A Minor Pentatonic Scale

Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale

480

481

MONDAY Lick #302 Genre: Rock Ballad Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 2 (G), Voicing 3 (F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This week’s progression, iv–IV–I–V–I, is yet another variation of the chord progression from Week 42, only this time, the chord changes commence with the minor chord, Am. This progression is commonly used in rock ballads—the context in which this lick is to be played. The entire phrase is constructed around a whole-step bend motif that is modified to fit each chord change, using the applicable Voicings as a guide.

00:00 / 00:00

482

TUESDAY Lick #303 Genre: Rock Ballad Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 3 (G), & Voicing 4 (F) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the rock-ballad lick requires a change in bending strategy. Instead of a ring- or pinky-finger bend, this example necessitates an index-finger bend for each chord change. If this approach is too difficult, you can choose to forgo the bends in favor of slides, which will impart a similar sound to the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

483

WEDNESDAY Lick #304 Genre: Rock Ballad Resources Used: Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 3 (Am), Voicing 4 (G), & Voicing 5 (F) Music/Performance Insight: The articulation of this lick is similar to that of Monday’s lick (#302), only the pitches are shifted down one string. For the Gchord bend in measure 2, try bending the string down, toward the floor, as opposed to a standard upward bend. This approach alleviates the resistance problem that you encounter with a wound D string.

00:00 / 00:00

484

THURSDAY Lick #305 Genre: Rock Ballad Resources Used: Voicing 1 (F), Voicing 3 (C), Voicing 4 (Am), & Voicing 5 (G) Music/Performance Insight: Play this entire example in 12th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 12. Similar to Tuesday’s lick (#303), the bends in this figure are performed with the index finger. If this approach proves difficult, however, you can try one of two things—bending the strings down, toward the floor, or replacing the bends with slides.

00:00 / 00:00

485

FRIDAY Lick #306 Genre: Rock Ballad Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G), Voicing 2 (F), Voicing 4 (C), & Voicing 5 (Am) Music/Performance Insight: Although the lick is played in the lower regions of the fretboard, this arrangement of the rock-ballad lick preserves the phrase’s original octave by playing the notes on the top strings. Again, if the index-finger bends are problematic, simply employ slides in their place.

00:00 / 00:00

486

SATURDAY Lick #307 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String G Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (Am & C), Voicing 2 (G), Voicing 3 (F & G), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This jazz lick substitutes major and minor seventh chords for the basic triads of the previous five examples. After Voicings 1, 3, and 5 are used to form a single-note phrase that outlines the Am7, Fmaj7, and Cmaj7 changes, respectively, the two-notes-per-string G major seventh arpeggio is employed over the Gmaj7 chord to move the lick up the fretboard. In measure 3, a short phrase is derived from Voicing 1 before resolving to the root note (C) on string 1.

00:00 / 00:00

487

SUNDAY Lick #308 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended A Minor & F Major Pentatonic Scales; Voicing 1 (C & G), Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 3 (Am, F, & C), & Voicing 4 (F) Music/Performance Insight: This slick country lick kicks off with a line that smoothly transitions from the extended A minor pentatonic scale to the extended F major pentatonic scale. In measure 2, a three-note slide figure, derived from Voicing 1, is played over the C chord and repeated over the G major chord as the phrase makes its way down the neck to its ultimate destination—an open-position C/G dyad. Be sure to let the slides and second-string notes ring together in measure 2.

00:00 / 00:00

488

C–Em–F–G–C PROGRESSION (I–iii–IV–V–I, KEY OF C MAJOR)

THE RESOURCES VOICINGS C Major

E Minor

489

490

F Major

G Major

491

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E Minor Seventh Arpeggio

SCALE Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale

Extended G Major Pentatonic Scale

492

493

MONDAY Lick #309 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 3 (G), & Voicing 4 (Em & F) Music/Performance Insight: This week’s progression, I–iii–IV–V–I, introduces a new chord to the equation: Em. The lick, a jump-blues phrase played at a moderate tempo, is a great example of chord-tone soloing, as nearly every note of the lick is derived directly from one of the four Voicings. And remember—swing those eighth notes!

00:00 / 00:00

494

TUESDAY Lick #310 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 4 (G), & Voicing 5 (Em & F) Music/Performance Insight: The phrasing of this example is a bit different from yesterday’s lick (#309), particularly the opening triplet figure, which is played here on adjacent strings. In measure 2, you may choose to forgo the slides on beat 3 in favor of a hammer-on/pull-off figure. However, if you do play the triplet with slides, fret it near the first knuckle of your ring finger so as to leave the upper portion of the finger free to roll over strings 3 and 4 for the remaining 12th-fret notes.

00:00 / 00:00

495

WEDNESDAY Lick #311 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Em, & F), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 5 (G) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jump-blues lick incorporates slides into its first triplet figure. However, as with yesterday’s lick (#310), feel free to experiment with a hammer-on/pull-off figure if it feels more comfortable. Slide into measure 2 with your ring finger, briefly shifting to 13th position for the F major chord before moving back down to fret 12 to play the triplet with your index and middle fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

496

THURSDAY Lick #312 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G), Voicing 2 (Em & F), & Voicing 4 (C) Music/Performance Insight: Played in the lower octave, this arrangement of the jump-blues lick derives its notes from Voicing 4 for the C major chord and is able to stay in position throughout its three measures by borrowing notes from Voicing 2 (for Em and F) and Voicing 1 (G), as well. In measure 2, play the triplet figure with your ring finger, using your pinky to fret the two subsequent notes at fret 5 with your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

497

FRIDAY Lick #313 Genre: Jump Blues Resources Used: Voicing 2 (G), Voicing 3 (Em & F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s lick (#312), this example is played in the lower octave. Although it requires a couple of positional shifts, the fingerings for this phrase are relatively simple. Start the lick in 5th position, shifting down to fret 4 for the Em chord. And, while the slide that opens measure 2 moves your fret hand back up to 5th position, the triplet figure on beat 3, played with your index and middle fingers, will temporarily shift your fret hand back down to fret 4.

00:00 / 00:00

498

SATURDAY Lick #314 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 3 (G), Voicing 4 (Em & F), & Voicing 5 (C & Em) Music/Performance Insight: A C major pentatonic string-skipping phrase, played within the confines of Voicing 5, opens this rock/metal lick. At beat 3, slide into the two-notes-per-string E minor seventh arpeggio with your middle finger, which will put your fret hand in good position for the remainder of the pattern. In measure 2, the upper portions of Voicing 4 and Voicing 3 are sweep-picked to outline the F major and G major chord changes, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

499

SUNDAY Lick #315 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended F Major & G Major Pentatonic Scales; Voicing 1 (Em, F, & G), Voicing 2 (F & G), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: Voicing 3 (C major) and Voicing 1 (E minor), played in open position, provide the framework for the opening line of this country lick. At measure 2, the extended F major and G major pentatonic scales supply the notes for the repetitive bass-string motif. The phrase concludes, in measure 3, with a simple fifth-string hammer-on and C major triad shape that are derived from Voicing 5.

00:00 / 00:00

500

C–B ♭ –F–C PROGRESSION (I–♭VII–IV–I, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS C Major

B♭ Major

501

502

F Major

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String F Major Seventh Arpeggio

503

SCALE Extended F Major Pentatonic Scale

Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale

504

MONDAY Lick #316 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (B♭), & Voicing 4 (F) Music/Performance Insight: Our next progression, I– ♭VII–IV–I, can be found in countless classic rock songs and is a favorite of contemporary country artists. However, in this example (and the four that follow), the triads have been converted to seventh chords, and Voicings 1, 2, and 4 are employed to navigate the jazzy Cmaj7–B♭maj7–Fmaj7–Cmaj7 chord changes. Notice how well the line adheres to the shape of the Voicings, emphasizing chord tones as it makes its way through the progression.

00:00 / 00:00

505

TUESDAY Lick #317 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 3 (B♭), & Voicing 5 (F) Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the jazz lick can be played almost exclusively in 10th position, with your index finger assigned to fret 10, your middle finger assigned to fret 11, your ring finger to fret 12, and your pinky to frets 13 and 14. However, one deviation from these finger assignments does occur in measure 3, where you’ll want to drop your index and middle fingers down to fret 9 for lick’s final two notes.

00:00 / 00:00

506

WEDNESDAY Lick #318 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (F), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 4 (B♭) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jazz lick is sure to give your pinky a workout. Played exclusively in 12th position, this phrase implements Voicings 3, 4, and 1 to outline the Cmaj7, B♭maj7, and Fmaj7 chords, respectively. Spend a little extra time on the Fmaj7 figure, as your pinky will be required to execute a finger roll for the adjacent-string notes on fret 15.

00:00 / 00:00

507

THURSDAY Lick #319 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (F), Voicing 4 (C), & Voicing 5 (B♭) Music/Performance Insight: Played an octave lower than the week’s first three examples (#316–#318), this arrangement of the jazz lick contains three instances where same-fret, adjacent-string notes are played consecutively. Therefore, pay close attention to the way that you’re executing this phrase with your fret hand. One suggestion is to play the 5th-fret notes in measure 1 (beats 1 and 3) with pinky rolls and the consecutive 3rd-fret notes in measure 2 with a middlefinger roll.

00:00 / 00:00

508

FRIDAY Lick #320 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (B♭), Voicing 3 (F), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: Similar to yesterday’s example (#319), this arrangement of the jazz lick is played in the lower octave and contains several fingering challenges, most notably in measure 1. To execute the adjacent-string notes that are played at frets 5 and 7, alternate between rolls of your index finger (fret 5) and your ring finger (fret 7). In measure 2, your pinky will handle the consecutive 8th-fret notes (strings 5–6).

00:00 / 00:00

509

SATURDAY Lick #321 Genre: Rock/Metal Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String F Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (C & B♭), Voicing 2 (F), Voicing 3 (F), & Voicing 4 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This rock/metal lick utilizes a two-string legato sequence, derived from Voicing 1, to outline the C major and B♭ major chord changes before segueing to a two-octave descent of the two-notes-per-string F major seventh arpeggio. Notice that the lick’s final note, C, is both a continuation of the arpeggio pattern and the root note of Voicing 4 (in the key of C major), creating a seamless transition from F major to C major.

00:00 / 00:00

510

SUNDAY Lick #322 Genre: Country Resources Used: Extended F Major and C Major Pentatonic Scales; Voicing 1 (F), Voicing 2 (F), Voicing 3 (C), Voicing 4 (B♭), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: After Voicing 3 and Voicing 4 are used to create a legato-based open-position lick to outline the C major and B♭major chords, respectively, this country phrase seamlessly transitions from the extend F major pentatonic scale to the extended C major pentatonic pattern on its way to the root note (C) on string 3. In measure 1, be sure to let the open strings ring out as much as possible, particularly the open E string on the “and” of beat 1.

00:00 / 00:00

511

Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION (iim7–V7–Imaj7, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS D Minor

G Dominant

512

513

C Major

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String G Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

514

SCALE Extended D Minor Pentatonic Scale

515

MONDAY Lick #323 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 2 (C), & Voicing 4 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: This next progression, iim7–V7–Imaj7, is, without a doubt, the most common set of chord changes found in jazz. Even if you’re not an aspiring jazz guitarist, it would behoove you to get acclimated to this progression, as it pops up in other musical genres as well. In measure 1, following a step-wise ascension of the D minor scale, a four-note motif is created on beats 3– 4, which is quoted at the onset of measure 2. The lick concludes with short chordtone phrases that outline the G7–Cmaj7 change.

00:00 / 00:00

516

TUESDAY Lick #324 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (Dm), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 5 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: Start this version of the jazz lick in 12th position, shifting your index finger up to fret 13 on the “and” of beat 3. This positional change will put your ring finger in good position for the first note of measure 2, D (fret 15, second string). Although the slide will return your fret hand to 12th position, the rest (beat 1, third measure) offers you time to reposition your fret hand to use whatever finger combination works best for the lick’s final five notes.

00:00 / 00:00

517

WEDNESDAY Lick #325 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G7), Voicing 3 (Dm), & Voicing 4 (C) Music/Performance Insight: For this arrangement of the jazz lick, play measure 1 in 14th position, assigning one finger per fret, with your index finger at fret 14. At the onset of measure 2, shift your entire fret hand to 15th position for the bar’s entirety before moving back down to fret 14 for the notes in measure 3. And don’t forget—swing those eighth notes!

00:00 / 00:00

518

THURSDAY Lick #326 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (G7), Voicing 4 (Dm), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: In this example, the jazz lick has been transposed down one octave in measures 1–2, returning to the original/higher octave in measure 3. Notice how well the D minor line conforms to the shape of Voicing 4, requiring no wide stretches or positional shifts. In measure 2, you can eliminate the wide stretch on string 4 by moving the B note (beat 3) to the 4th fret of string 3, keeping the rest of the G7 phrase intact.

00:00 / 00:00

519

FRIDAY Lick #327 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 3 (G7), & Voicing 5 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: Like yesterday’s lick (#326), the first two measures of this phrase are played in the lower octave, whereas the third measure is played in the original/higher octave. Perform measures 1–2 in 7th position, with your index finger assigned to fret 7, your middle finger assigned to fret 8, your ring finger to fret 9, and your pinky to fret 10. In measure 3, shift your fret hand up the neck to play the lick’s last five notes with either your index and middle fingers or your middle and ring fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

520

SATURDAY Lick #328 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String G Dominant Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (G7), Voicing 3 (Dm & G7), & Voicing 4 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: Staying with the jazz theme, this lick derives notes from Voicings 3 and 4 for a flowing line that outlines the Dm7 chord before segueing to the two-notes-per-string G dominant seventh arpeggio, which serves two purposes—it emphasizes the chord tones of the G7 chord and it climbs the neck to the lick’s ultimate destination, the first-string root note (C) at fret 8. To execute the triplet figure in measure 1, fret the first string with your index finger and roll your ring finger across the 5th-fret notes on strings 2–3.

00:00 / 00:00

521

SUNDAY Lick #329 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Extended D Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 3 (C), Voicing 4 (G7), & Voicing 5 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: In measure 1 of this jazz phrase, the extended D minor pentatonic scale is the exclusive note source for outlining the Dm7 chord. In measure 2, the line derives its notes from Voicing 4, adding the ♭7th note (F) on beat 3 to emphasize the G7 chord’s dominant quality. The lick concludes with a three-note pull-off figure that is played within the framework of Voicing 3. Notice the inclusion of the major 7th (B) on the “and” of beat 2, which accentuates the major-seventh tonality of the Cmaj7 chord.

00:00 / 00:00

522

Am7–Dm7–E7♯5–Am7 PROGRESSION (im7–ivm7–V7♯5–im7, KEY OF A MINOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS A Minor

D Minor

523

524

E Augmented Seventh (E7♯5)

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E Augmented Seventh Arpeggio

525

SCALE Extended A Minor Pentatonic Scale

526

MONDAY Lick #330 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 3 (E7♯5), & Voicing 4 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: Our new set of chord changes, im7–ivm7– V7♯5–im7, is the minor-key version of the I–IV–V–I progression from Week 41 and introduces a new chord to the equation, E7♯5, which is the same chord and scale quality that your learned in Week 40, only now it’s in the key of E, rather than the key of C. In measure 1, a chord-tone rich line is derived from Voicing 1 and leads seamlessly to measure 2, where Voicings 4 and 3 provide the framework for an ascending/descending line that effectively outlines the Dm7 and E7♯5 chords, respectively. The phrase resolves to the root note (A) on string 6 via a four-note figure that, like measure 1, is derived from Voicing 1.

00:00 / 00:00

527

TUESDAY Lick #331 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 4 (E7♯5), & Voicing 5 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jazz lick can be played mainly in 7th position, with your index finger assigned to fret 7, your middle finger assigned to fret 8, your ring finger to fret 9, and your pinky to fret 10. To execute the slide at the end of measure 2, simply fret the G♯ note at fret 6 with your index finger, sliding it up to fret 7 on beat 1 of the third measure. Notice that, due to Voicing 2’s note range, the lick’s final three notes have been transposed up one octave.

00:00 / 00:00

528

WEDNESDAY Lick #332 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 3 (Am), & Voicing 5 (E7♯5) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jazz lick replicates the pitches from yesterday’s lick (#331), including the transposition of the last three notes. After performing the opening pull-off figure with your index, ring, and pinky fingers, shift your fret hand down one fret, to 9th position, where the remainder of the lick is performed. The only exception is the slide that connects measures 2 and 3, which is played with your ring finger and temporarily shifts your fret hand up one fret.

00:00 / 00:00

529

THURSDAY Lick #333 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (E7♯5), Voicing 2 (Dm), & Voicing 4 (Am) Music/Performance Insight: Play this entire lick in 12th position, with your index finger assigned to fret 12, your middle finger assigned to fret 13, your ring finger to fret 14, and your pinky to fret 15, reaching down to fret 11 with your index finger for the second-measure slide. Notice how well the line conforms to the Voicings, particularly in measures 1 and 3 (Voicing 4).

00:00 / 00:00

530

FRIDAY Lick #334 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (E7♯5), Voicing 3 (Dm), & Voicing 5 (Am) Music/Performance Insight: This arrangement of the jazz lick is played entirely in the lower octave. In measure 2, a third-string slide has been added to facilitate the transition from Dm7 to E7♯5. Play the E7♯5 line with your index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers, respectively, sliding into measure 3 with your pinky to position your fret hand for the remainder of the measure.

00:00 / 00:00

531

SATURDAY Lick #335 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E Augmented Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (E7♯5), Voicing 3 (Am), Voicing 4 (Am), & Voicing 5 (Dm & E7♯5) Music/Performance Insight: After playing measure 1 in 9th position, with one finger assigned per fret, shift your fret hand down to fret 7 for the Dm7 chord. Then, on beat 3 of the second measure, slide from the first note ( ♭7th) to the second note (root) of the two-notes-per-string E augmented seventh arpeggio with your pinky, playing the lick’s final three notes with an index-pinky-index finger combination.

00:00 / 00:00

532

SUNDAY Lick #336 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Extended A Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 3 (Am), Voicing 4 (Dm & E7♯5), & Voicing 5 (Am & E7♯5) Music/Performance Insight: Another jazz-based phrase, this lick commences with an eight-note phrase, derived exclusively form the extended A minor pentatonic scale, that outlines the Am7 chord and shifts the line from 3rd position to 5th position. In measure 2, chord tones are used exclusively to emphasize the Dm7 (Voicing 4) and E7♯5 (Voicings 4 and 5) changes as the phrase continues its ascent of the neck.

00:00 / 00:00

533

Cmaj7–Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION (Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7–Imaj7, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS C Major

A Minor

534

535

D Minor

G Dominant

536

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String C Major Seventh Arpeggio

SCALE Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale

537

MONDAY Lick #337 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 3 (G7), & Voicing 5 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: One of the most common turnaround progressions found in jazz, Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7–Imaj7 changes are simply an extended version of the iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression from Week 47 (the only difference is the addition of the Imaj7–vim7 change in measure 1). The lick begins with arpeggiations of Voicings 1 and 2 for the Cmaj7 and Am7 chords, respectively, followed by a four-note scale sequence played over Dm7 and repeated over G7, starting from the new root note, G. The lick concludes with a reverse arpeggiation of Voicing 1 for the reiteration of the Cmaj7 chord.

00:00 / 00:00

538

TUESDAY Lick #338 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 3 (Am), & Voicing 4 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: This phrase is a note-for-note replication of yesterday’s lick (#337) with one exception— to accommodate Voicing 2’s note range, the final note, C, is played one octave higher. In measure 3, play the first note (E) with your index finger, rolling your middle finger for the 10th-fret notes on strings 4–5, followed by your pinky for string 6.

00:00 / 00:00

539

WEDNESDAY Lick #339 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (Dm), Voicing 3 (C), Voicing 4 (Am), & Voicing 5 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jazz lick differs from the week’s previous two phrases (#337–#338) in that all of the notes in measure 2–3 are transposed up one octave. Notice how well the line conforms to all four Voicings, with no need for wide finger stretches or positional shifts. Notice, too, the extensive employment of chord tones throughout the phrase, which effectively outline the chord changes.

00:00 / 00:00

540

THURSDAY Lick #340 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G7), Voicing 3 (Dm), Voicing 4 (C), & Voicing 5 (Am) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the jazz lick returns to the lower octave. Perform the entire phrase in 2nd position, assigning your index finger to fret 2, your middle finger to fret 3, your ring finger to fret 4, and your pinky to fret 5. The trickiest part of this lick occurs in measure 3, where you’ll need to fret all three 5th-fret notes with a roll of your pinky.

00:00 / 00:00

541

FRIDAY Lick #341 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 2 (G7), Voicing 4 (Dm), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: Also played in the lower octave, this arrangement of the jazz lick is mostly played in 5th position. The only exception is a quick positional shift on beat 4 of the second measure, where you’ll need to reach down to fret 4 with your index finger, returning to fret 5 at the onset of measure 3.

00:00 / 00:00

542

SATURDAY Lick #342 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (Am & G7), Voicing 4 (C & Dm), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: After a two-octave ascent of the two-notes-perstring C major seventh arpeggio, Voicing 1 provides the framework for reverse arpeggiations over the Am7 and G7 chords, and Voicing 4 provides the framework for a four-note scalar passage over Dm7. The phrase concludes with a chord-tonerich passage, derived from the major version of Voicing 4, which effectively outlines the Cmaj7 chord.

00:00 / 00:00

543

SUNDAY Lick #343 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 3 (C), & Voicing 4 (Am & G7) Music/Performance Insight: This jazz lick is a lot of fun to play due to the way it efficiently maneuvers the chord changes. In measure 1, the lower portion of Voicing 3 and the upper portion of Voicing 4 are combined to create one continuous eighth-note passage that outlines the Cmaj7 and Am7 chords, respectively. Following descending arpeggios that outline the Dm7–G7 change, the extended C major pentatonic scale is employed to climb the neck and resolve to the root note (C) on string 2.

00:00 / 00:00

544

Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION (vim7–iim7–V7–Imaj7, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS A Minor

D Minor

545

546

G Dominant

C Major

547

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String A Minor Seventh Arpeggio

SCALE Extended A Minor Pentatonic Scale

548

MONDAY Lick #344 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 2 (G7), Voicing 4 (Dm), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This week’s progression is a variation of last week’s chord changes, with the Imaj7–vim7 (Cmaj7–Am7) change replaced by a full measure of the vim7 (Am7) chord. In measure 1, a chord-tone passage is derived from Voicing 1 to outline the Am7 chord, followed in measure 2 by two short scalar lines that emphasize the Dm7–G7 change. In measure 3, the scalar passages flow seamlessly into a C major seventh arpeggio (C–E–G–B–C) to resolve the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

549

TUESDAY Lick #345 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C), Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 3 (G7), & Voicing 5 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: Start this version of the jazz lick in 8th position, playing the notes at fret 8 with your index finger, the notes at fret 9 with your middle finger, and the notes at fret 10 with your ring finger. Following the eighth rest, shift your fret hand down one fret, to 7th position, keeping it there for the remainder of the phrase.

00:00 / 00:00

550

WEDNESDAY Lick #346 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 2 (C), Voicing 3 (Am), & Voicing 4 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: Compared to the week’s previous two licks (#344–#345), this example requires a few sophisticated fret-hand maneuvers. After playing the lick’s first three notes with a middle-index-middle finger combination, play the subsequent three notes in 9th position, assigning your index finger to fret 9, your middle finger to fret 10, and your pinky to fret 12. After the eighth rest, play the next eight notes in 10th position, assigning one finger per fret. On beat 4 of the second measure, shift back down to 9th position for the subsequent four notes, followed by a ring-finger barre for the 12th-fret notes in measure 3 and your pinky for the lick’s final note.

00:00 / 00:00

551

THURSDAY Lick #347 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (Dm), Voicing 3 (C), Voicing 4 (Am), & Voicing 5 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate the note range of the four Voicings utilized in this example, most of this lick has been transposed up one octave, starting at the two sixteenth notes at the end of measure 1. Notice how well the line conforms to the Voicings due to the abundance of chord tones in the lick.

00:00 / 00:00

552

FRIDAY Lick #348 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G7), Voicing 3 (Dm), Voicing 4 (C), & Voicing 5 (Am) Music/Performance Insight: This example is a note-for-note replication of yesterday’s lick (#347), only it’s played an octave lower. Play the notes in measures 1–2 in 2nd position, assigning your index finger to fret 2, your middle finger to fret 3, your ring finger to fret 4, and your pinky to fret 5. At measure 3, shift your fret hand up one fret, to 3rd position, playing the first two notes with a barre of your ring finger.

00:00 / 00:00

553

SATURDAY Lick #349 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String A Minor Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (Am), Voicing 2 (G7), & Voicing 5 (Am, Dm, & C) Music/Performance Insight: This jazz lick opens with a simple two-octave ascent of the two-notes-per-string A minor seventh arpeggio, which leads efficiently to arpeggiations of Dm (D–F–A) and G7 (G–B–D–F) chords in measure 2. In measure 3, the line continues its efficiency, moving from the G7 chord to the Cmaj7 chord via a half step—from B (the 3rd of G7) to C (the root of Cmaj7).

00:00 / 00:00

554

SUNDAY Lick #350 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Extended A Minor Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (Am & C), Voicing 2 (Am), Voicing 3 (G7), & Voicing 5 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: This jazz phrase commences with a legatobased passage that is derived from the extended A minor pentatonic scale, moving up from 5th position to 7th position. Similar to yesterday’s lick (#349), measure 2 contains arpeggiations of Dm and G7 chords—this time, within the framework of Voicings 5 and 3, respectively—followed in measure 3 by a C major seventh arpeggio played within confines of Voicing 1.

00:00 / 00:00

555

Bmaj7–D7–Gmaj7–B ♭ 7–E♭ maj7 PROGRESSION (“COLTRANE CHANGES”) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS B Major

D Dominant

556

557

G Major

B♭ Dominant

558

E♭ Major

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String E♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio

559

SCALE Extended E♭ Major Pentatonic Scale

560

MONDAY Lick #351 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (B & B♭7), Voicing 3 (G), Voicing 4 (E♭), & Voicing 5 (D7) Music/Performance Insight: This week, our focus will be on a progression that was the brainchild of jazz legend John Coltrane (hence, “Coltrane Changes”) and popularized in his seminal recording, “Giant Steps.” In spite of the quickmoving chord changes, the entire phrase can be played with minimal fret-hand shifting by utilizing the Voicing approach—in this case, Voicings 1, 5, 3, 1, and 4, respectively.

00:00 / 00:00

561

TUESDAY Lick #352 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (D7), Voicing 2 (B & B♭7), Voicing 4 (G), & Voicing 5 (E♭) Music/Performance Insight: Play the first four notes of this version of the jazz lick with a ring-middle-pinky-index finger combination, grabbing the 12th-fret note on beat 3 with your ring finger, followed by your middle, index, and pinky. In measure 2, barre the first three notes with your ring finger, playing the slide with your index finger and fretting the subsequent note with your pinky, followed by your middle and index fingers. In measure 3, use an index-ring-index finger combination for the first three notes, grabbing the 12th-fret note with your pinky and the last note with your index finger.

00:00 / 00:00

562

WEDNESDAY Lick #353 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (E♭), Voicing 2 (D7), Voicing 3 (B & B♭7), & Voicing 5 (G) Music/Performance Insight: The fret-hand fingerings for this example are not quite as sophisticated as the fingerings for yesterday’s lick (#352). Play measure 1 exclusively in 11th position, assigning one finger per fret, staring with your index finger at fret 11. At the onset of measure 2, shift up to 12th position, playing the first three notes with an index-finger barre, followed by your ring finger for the fifth-string slide. Play the last three notes of measure 2 with a middle-indexpinky finger combination, grabbing the notes in measure 3 with your middle (fret 11) and ring (fret 12) fingers.

00:00 / 00:00

563

THURSDAY Lick #354 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G), Voicing 2 (E♭), Voicing 3 (D7), & Voicing 4 (B & B♭7) Music/Performance Insight: This version of the “Coltrane Changes” lick traverses three fretboard positions on its way to its final destination: the E♭note on string 4. The phrase begins in 13th position, shifting up to 14th position on beat 3 of measure 1. On beat 3 of measure 2, the phrase shifts back down to 13th position before continuing downward, to 12th position, for the lick’s final measure. Play the four notes that outline the B♭7 chord (measure 2) with an index-pinkymiddle-index finger combination.

00:00 / 00:00

564

FRIDAY Lick #355 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (G), Voicing 3 (E♭), Voicing 4 (D7), & Voicing 5 (B & B♭7) Music/Performance Insight: After performing the first four notes of this example in 4th position, shift your fret hand up one fret, to 5th position, playing the 7th-fret notes with your ring finger and the subsequent two notes with your index and pinky fingers. In measure 2, fret the first three notes with a ring-pinky-ring finger combination, using your index finger for the slide into 3rd position, where the remainder of the lick is performed.

00:00 / 00:00

565

SATURDAY Lick #356 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String E♭ Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (D7 & E♭), Voicing 2 (E♭), Voicing 3 (B & B♭7), & Voicing 4 (G) Music/Performance Insight: At the onset of this example, Voicings 3, 1, and 4 are used as the framework for a descending line that seamlessly navigates the Bmaj7, D7, and Gmaj7 chords. On beat 3 of measure 2, a B♭ dominant seventh arpeggio, derived from Voicing 3, outlines the B♭7 chord, followed in measure 3 by a two-octave descent of the two-notes-per-string E♭ major seventh arpeggio to the root note (E♭) on string 6.

00:00 / 00:00

566

SUNDAY Lick #357 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Extended E♭ Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (G & E♭), Voicing 2 (E♭), Voicing 3 (D7), & Voicing 4 (B & B♭7) Music/Performance Insight: This “Coltrane Changes” lick opens with a passage that resembles the opening phrase from yesterday’s lick (#356). Here, Voicings 4, 3, and 1 provide the framework for a descending line that outlines the Bmaj7, D7, and Gmaj7 changes. Notice the chromatic passage on string 3, which occurs naturally when moving from the root (B) and major 7th (A♯) notes of Bmaj7 to the 5th (A) of D7. In measure 3, the extended E♭ major pentatonic scale provides the pitches for a three-string climb to the root note (E♭) on string 4.

00:00 / 00:00

567

Cmaj7–C♯°7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION (Imaj7–♯I°7–iim7–V7–Imaj7, KEY OF C MAJOR) THE RESOURCES VOICINGS C Major

C♯ Diminished Seventh (C♯°7)

568

569

D Minor

G Dominant

570

ARPEGGIO Two-Notes-Per-String D Minor Seventh Arpeggio

Two-Notes-Per-String G Dominant Seventh Arpeggio

571

SCALE Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale

572

MONDAY Lick #358 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (C & C♯°7), Voicing 3 (G7), & Voicing 5 (Dm) Music/Performance Insight: This week’s progression, Imaj7–>♯I°7–iim7– V7–Imaj7, combines chromaticism (Imaj7–>♯I°7–iim7) with the iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression that you first encountered in Week 47. This entire lick is constructed with chord tones, starting with the descending/ascending arpeggiations of the Cmaj7 and C♯°7 chords in measure 1. In measure 2, arpeggiations of the Dm7 and G7 chords are intertwined to create a stream of eighth notes that leads to repetitions of the root note (C) of the Cmaj7 chord.

00:00 / 00:00

573

TUESDAY Lick #359 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 2 (C & C♯°7), & Voicing 4 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: In this arrangement of the week’s jazz lick, the final three notes have been transposed up one octave to accommodate Voicing 2’s note range. Play the first seven notes of this lick in 9th position. Then, on the “and” of beat 4, fret the B♭note (fret 11) with your middle finger, playing the remainder of the lick in 10th position, with your index finger covering fret 10, your ring finger covering fret 12, and your pinky handling the notes on both fret 13 and fret 14.

00:00 / 00:00

574

WEDNESDAY Lick #360 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (Dm), Voicing 3 (C & C♯°7), & Voicing 5 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: To accommodate the note range of Voicing 5 (G7) and Voicing 3 (C), the final seven notes of this example are played an octave higher than the final seven notes of Monday’s lick (#358). Although almost the entire phrase can be played in 12th position, some creative fingerings must be implemented in measure 1. After playing the first four notes with a combination of your index, ring, and pinky fingers, shift your pinky up to fret 16 for the C♯ note, followed by a middle-index-pinky finger combo for the subsequent three notes.

00:00 / 00:00

575

THURSDAY Lick #361 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 1 (G7), Voicing 3 (Dm), & Voicing 4 (C & C♯°7) Music/Performance Insight: This example is a note-for-note replication of yesterday’s lick (#360), only it’s arranged in the lower octave. Perform the entire phrase in 2nd position, with your index finger fretting the notes on fret 2, your middle finger on fret 3, your ring finger on fret 4, and your pinky on fret 5. Although the chord progression is “sophisticated,” the Voicings make the process of navigating the changes simple!

00:00 / 00:00

576

FRIDAY Lick #362 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Voicing 2 (G7), Voicing 4 (Dm), & Voicing 5 (C & C♯°7) Music/Performance Insight: This example marks the return of the original version of this week’s lick (#358), only new Voicings are used as our guide. Play the entire phrase in 5th position, using your index finger for the notes at fret 5, your middle finger for fret 6, your ring finger for fret 7, and your pinky for frets 8 and 9.

00:00 / 00:00

577

SATURDAY Lick #363 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String D Minor Seventh & G Dominant Seventh Arpeggios; Voicing 1 (Dm), Voicing 2 (C, C♯°7, & Dm), Voicing 3 (C), Voicing 4 (G7), & Voicing 5 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: The foundation of this jazz lick is a recurring rhythmic motif that consists of an eighth-note triplet paired with two eighth notes. In measure 1, the C and C♯°7 versions of Voicing 2 establish the motif, which is slightly modified in measure 2 to accommodate two-notes-per-string D minor seventh and G dominant seventh arpeggios. In measure 3, the lick concludes with a reverse arpeggiation of Voicing 3 to outline the Cmaj7 chord.

00:00 / 00:00

578

SUNDAY Lick #364 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Extended C Major Pentatonic Scale; Voicing 1 (G7), Voicing 3 (C♯°7 & Dm), Voicing 4 (C), & Voicing 5 (C) Music/Performance Insight: This jazz phrase, propelled by a continuous stream of eighth-note triplets, commences with a three-string run down the extended C major pentatonic scale, followed by arpeggio passages that are derived from Voicing 3 (C♯°7), Voicing 3 (Dm), and Voicing 1 (G7). In measure 3, the lick resolves to the root note (C) of the Cmaj7 chord via an arpeggiation of Voicing 4.

00:00 / 00:00

579

Cmaj7–C♯°7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 PROGRESSION (Imaj7–♯I°7–iim7–V7– Imaj7, KEY OF C MAJOR) MONDAY Lick #365 Genre: Jazz Resources Used: Two-Notes-Per-String C Major Seventh Arpeggio; Voicing 1 (C & Dm), Voicing 2 (C♯°7 & C), & Voicing 4 (G7) Music/Performance Insight: This example is a rhythmic-based phrase that is similar to Saturday’s lick (#363), sans the hammer-ons/pull-offs. Play the Cmaj7 passage in 8th position, shifting up one fret to 9th position for the C♯°7 chord, remaining there for the first four notes of measure 2. On the “and” of beat 2, play the A note (fret 10) with your index finger, performing the remainder of the measure in 10th position. In measure 3, play the first triplet with a pinky-ring-pinky finger combination, the second triplet with an index-middle-index combo, and shift your entire fret hand down to 7th position for the lick’s final four notes.

00:00 / 00:00

580

581

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Troy Nelson is the author of the #1 best-seller Guitar Aerobics (Hal Leonard), and is the former editor-in-chief and senior editor of Guitar One and Guitar Edge magazines, respectively. A 25-year veteran of the guitar, Nelson cites an eclectic group of guitarists as his main influences, including Paul Gilbert, Nuno Bettencourt, Albert King, Wes Montgomery, and Brad Paisley, among many others. He earned an associate’s degree in occupational music from Milwaukee Area Technical College and a bachelor’s degree in sports management from the University of Georgia, where he graduated summa cum laude. Nelson currently resides in the Charlotte, North Carolina area with his loving and supportive wife, Amy, and twin daughters, Sophie and Claire, and dabbles in football scouting when he’s not playing his six-string.

582

583

584