In this issue I have decided to look at some licks in different styles of playing, almost a fun lesson, and some extra licks for your lick bag. We will get back into the caged positions from the next issue, but for now let us have a little fun.
So let us begin with a little blues. This must be one of my favourites as well as one of those styles where nuances and personality really permeate through the music. Blues is one of those styles that can be slow, fast, happy, and sad and everything in between, using all forms of slurs and bends to get the notes sounding good and believable.
So let us begin with an A Mixolydian inspired lick. Here we go!!
Lick 1
Here we have a typical A Myxolidian Blues type lick, once again the feel you put into this lick will determine how it will sound and feel. This style of music usually goes from strong attack to gentle legato, so always change your feel, and play it your way, make it your own!
Lick 2
Lick 2 is very similar to Lick 1, the difference being that it is written with a triplet feel.
Please play this with a metronome so you can hear and feel the vast difference between swung 8th and triplets; it might be slightly trickier but is so sweet on the ears.
Lick 3
Here we’re going to take the same idea and add some elements from the Lydian b7 scale, which is the 4th mode of the melodic minor scale. Therefore we have elements from 3 scales, being A Minor Pentatonic, A Mixolydian and A Lydian b7. The Lydian b7 is going to add an outside sound. Always make sure that at the end of a lick when playing outside that you resolve the lick properly, that means you land on a strong note like a chord tone which in this case that would be A, C#, E or G.
These 3 scales are the preferred scales for guitarist Robben Ford, definitely an amazing feel player, be sure to check him out.
Lick 4
Now that we have got some cool notes let us add some fire. It is nice to mix it up going from really slow to some really quick passages.
The next lick is definitely some fire; practice it slowly building it up to tempo and once again make it your own; try and find other creative ways of using it.
This run incorporates the use of 8th notes and 16th note triplets.
The use of triplets can bring some spark and interest into your improvisation.
For this lick be sure to try using legato style playing incorporating pull offs, focusing on the beats and the landing notes on the beats of bar 3.
What about sound for this style of playing?
I think it is very personal as to the sound you prefer as a player and I think the best way to look for a sound is to listen to other players and see what they are using. This can be a great starting point, however cloning another player shouldn’t be your ultimate goal but instead try and find a sound that suits your playing style.
Go visit your local music shop and try out some pedals and different amps even different guitars until you find something that works for you.
Good luck with your endeavour till next time, work hard!!!
Copyright Kurt Slabbert
Bluenoise Productions
kurt_slabbert@hotmail.com
Written By : Kurt Slabbert
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