TUTORIALS
A selection of guitar lessons in various styles along with the tab and an example mp3 of lesson. Plus the long awaited lick of the month, enjoy.....
LICK OF THE MONTH
I've noticed an error with the PDF's, for some reason when I convert the score/tab to a pdf the semiquaver rests get changed to a wavy line. I'll try and workout why but for now you'll just have to bear with me.
December 2006
Across The Bar
Most guitar licks tend to follow the classic call and response format. This month I thought I'd do something that was a bit more fluid and flowed over the bar line.
November 2006
Life In The Fast Lane
A pretty straightforward rock riff with a little syncopation thrown in just to catch you out.
October 2006
COCHISE
Love this riff, works it way into your head and stays there! A bit of a homage to Led Zep methinks from Audioslave.
September 2006
SCHOOL'S OUT
A little teenage angst from my youth. Best played with a healthy dose of attitude. I doubled the riff an octave down.
August 2006
SOULFUL MR BENSON
This week I was reminded of the great O'Jays track "Backstabbers" by an old friend. So, I chose to use it as a vehicle for some cool Bensonesque licks.
I really think that George Benson defined this crossover R'n'B/Jazz style back in the 70's with albums like In Flight and Breezin, and to my mind prettty much everyone else (myself included) sounds like a poor imitation.
tab for solo 1 in pdf format.
mp3 of solo 1
tab for solo 2 in pdf format.
mp3 of solo 2
July 2006
BOWIE RIFFS
David Bowie always had great guitar hooks in his songs, here are two of my many faves.
Ziggy Stardust, Mick Ronson at his best, just a great start to a song.
Rebel Rebel, this is one classic guitar riff, again, so simple but sets the song up perfectly.
June 2006
SLAP 'n' TUCK
This tutorial, inspired by Tuck Andress features some techniques usually associated with bass players. Techniques such as slapped artificial harmonics and raking the muted strings. Follow the steps below.
1. Play the bass note of the chord with the thumb.
2. While still holding the chord slap the stings 12 frets higher than the chord. I use my forefinger and a quick slapping motion.
3. Rake in an upward motion across the muted strings.
I will post some screenshots soon as I can.
May 2006
PEG
A mini tutorial this time. The solo and chords for Steely Dan's Peg. A classic solo from Jay Graydon that involves a host of different techniques, double stops slides, bends and that dissonant pull off section. Plus the chords for the wonderful intro.
Nathan Welch provides the Chuck Rainey style bass line.
chords in pdf format
solo in pdf format
mp3
April 2006
TAKE IT HOME
Something a bit more straightforward this month after March's workout. A mix of A minor Pentatonic and A Mixolydian licks over the classic A, G and D combo.
March 2006
LUKE DON'T TOUCH
As requested by Lee, a collection of Steve Lukather licks plus a couple of my own, thrown in for good measure towards the end of the solo.
Thanks again to Nathan Welch for the bass part.
February 2006
LARRY LICKS
Larry Carlton has got chops to spare, but I always loved his lyrical playing on tracks like "It Was Only Yesterday" from his first solo album.
Also thanks to Nathan Welch for a great bass part.
January 2006
THE DAN
My "muso" roots are showing this month with a favourite Steely Dan lick from the album Aja.
December 2005
LYDIAN HEAVEN OR HELL
An 80's style rock lick. The lydian mode was used extensively by the likes of Steve Vai and others during the shred fest that was the 80's. Depending on your point of view it was either heaven or hell.
November 2005
BOOGIE FEAT
Imagine Joe Satriani had been listening to Little Feat before recording Satch Boogie, It may have sounded a bit like this.
October 2005
NOT SO BLUE BENSON
Inspired by one of my all time favourite guitarists, George Benson from the track Love Ballad.
September 2005
MELLOW RnB
Something a bit more laid back this month.Essentially the same lick twice, 1st time sliding the notes, 2nd time with a hammer on. By the way the chords are D and Am7.
August 2005
FUNK ROCK
Get your rocks off with a bit of angry funk.
Watch out for the rakes/sweeps in the pickup bar. The fast phrases are played by sliding the first note of each 5 note grouping into the second note, then pulloffs into the remaining 3 notes.
I added a harmony in thirds the second time round.
July 2005
LA BLUES
A fairly straightforward C blues/C mixolydian lick inspired by the likes of Robben Ford and Larry Carlton.
Concentrate on getting the bends in tune except with the double stop, here you should bend the Eb ( 2nd string 16th fret) slightly sharp.
June 2005
HEAVENLEA LICK
The knack to get this sounding right is trem control.
After the first few chords
Play the harmonics on the 7th fret.
Dip the bar.
Hammer the 3rd fret (G on the low E) whilst slowly releasing the bar back to the starting pitch.
Slide the G note up to the 8th fret and hammer the 8th fret on the 4th string as you get there.
The harmonics should be ringing throughout this.
FULL TUTORIALS
80s ROCK STYLE.......intermediate
32 bars of minor pentatonic licks in Am.
tab 1, tab 2 in pdf format
mp3
BE BOP BLUES.......intermediate/advanced
A 12 bar blues with a walking bass line and chords.