Guitar Sherpa

Pete Townshend will always be remembered for those windmills on his Les Paul, but where his playing really shines is on acoustic. We borrow from his repertoire here with upper-string voices strummed hard and fast over the top of a pumping bass note. The technique sets up a whole lot of tension, which is great to release with a first-position slam…or a vocalist screaming, Yeeaaaahhhhhh!

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While everything that goes up very well must come down, when it comes to ghost bends, the trick lies within never hearing what went up in the first place. Ghost bends are bends that require you to pre-bend a note and then pick the string so you only hear a descent in pitch. Ritchie Blackmore made liberal use of this technique in the Deep Purple anthem “Smoke on the Water”, which is where this lick finds it’s origins.

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This lick is a must know. It is a famous jazz lick straight that I first heard Barney Kessell use on a recording. The lick starts on the 5th then a chromatic pattern leads you from the D note up to the E or third. The phrase ends with another essential lick that ends on the 9th or 2nd or D note. Try this one in other positions to enhance your knowledge of this lick and your knowledge of the fingerboard. And always be able to sing the lick to help you internalize it.

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Here’s a meatier sound. You may use this the same way you may use lick 2. We are still bending the second in to the third of the chord. This time the root and the fifth are below the bent instead of above. The bend is not supported here either. You’ll be surprised how often you can go to this sound.

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Eddie Van Halen’s contribution to the world of rock guitar is dizzying to say the least. From his deft whammy work to his screamin’ pinch harmonics all the way to his signature fretboard tapping antics [and more]–the man is a monster. While the art of tapping will be examined in full force down the line, here’s a lick that incorporates a little tap action while holding a whole-step bend as heard in such monumentous VH moments as “Panama” and “You Really Got Me”.

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Welcome to 50 Acoustic Guitar Licks You Must Know! This course is really unique in that we’re showing more than great licks and parts we’re teaching a broad range of crucial acoustic techniques. While a single-note line -a lick- is certainly fair game in here, the bread-and-butter of acoustic playing is covered in examples demonstrating fingerpicking patterns, open-string voicings, changes with bass lines, alternate tunings, and a whole lot more. We hope you’ll try applying them to different keys, different positions, and different styles once you get them under your fingers. Ultimately, the idea is that each mini lesson might crack open a new door, and shed a little light on a technique or approach you can use in developing your own ideas. So, enjoy. If you’re not already in tune, we have a Standard Tuning file waiting in the media folder.

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A large part of becoming a good player and improviser is about expanding your vocabulary. This is true for every genre of music, but let’s talk blues. Some people feel that Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan or Albert King were playing as if the gods were speaking through them. Well, OK they do sound like that, but I’m sure they would have a different take on it if you asked them. I am sure they would tell you that they learned solos from other people and practiced their butts off. Although they were improvising at that moment, the licks they were playing are based on licks, patterns and ideas they have in their musical vocabulary and they were simply drawing on them. That is not to say they aren’t masters of the instrument and unique. My point is; learn as many licks as you can! What I tried to do is supply you with 50 Blues Licks You Must Know that will expand your vocabulary and make you a better player. Poke around and start with the ones that jump out at you, get them under your fingers and go to the next. Let’s get started!

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Welcome to 50 Country Licks You Must Know. In this course you will learn more than great licks. You will also learn the essential scales, techniques, phrasing, rhythms, articulations, and soloing approaches that are unique to country guitar playing. We take you through various eras and styles that are the roots of modern country music. There are a variety of examples that cover double and triple stops, pedal steel bends, banjo and dobro imitation, bluegrass licks, Travis picking, rhythm playing, Western swing, adding blues scale notes to major pentatonic licks, and some recording tricks of Nashville recording pros. The idea here is that each of these licks might open a new door for you and jump start your playing, maybe get you off of that plateau you have reached and send you in a new direction- developing your own ideas. So, enjoy. If you’re not already in tune, we have a Standard Tuning file waiting in the media folder.

You’ll need to apply these examples to different keys and different positions. Before we begin, here’s a tip on learning licks and using them. You should take the time necessary to transpose all of the licks you learn to all of the other keys. The best way to do this is to know the root of the lick and to know the names of the notes on the entire fret board. We’ll investigate more about the roots of the licks as we go along. To memorize the notes on the fret board first find all the Es that match the first string open E. That would be the first string open, second string 5th fret, third string 9th fret, fourth string 14th fret, and fifth string 19th fret. The same pitch can be found as a harmonic on the 6th string at the 24th fret position and at the fifth fret position. Spend some time memorizing this and then add some other notes to it. For instance, the first string open, 1st, and 2nd frets are E, F, and G. Now go to the second string and play E, F, and G at the 5th, 6th, and 8th frets. Then go to the third string 9th, 10th, and 12th, etc. I think you get the idea. Once you feel confident about your command of these notes in the different positions, do the same thing with the second string notes B, C, and D. To get a sharp you just move one fret toward the bridge. F is at the 1st fret. F# is at the second fret. Don’t try to do this all at once. Take on one step at a time and before you know it (maybe a week or two if you work on it every day) you’ll know the entire fret board. Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (www.truefireTV.com).

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Frank Vignola is your guide for 50 Jazz Licks You MUST Know as he shares with you the knowledge needed to turn the 50 licks included in this course into fuel to burn solos across all jazz styles. Covering many different concepts and feels, these licks will help you to develop serious improvisational skills and help break your solos out of the box.

You will learn Frank’s handpicked licks from his favorite guitarists, including Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass, George Benson and, of course, Django Reinhardt. These licks have been chosen as integral pieces of the jazz guitar vocabulary which can be used as motifs for original improvisations. These licks have also been selected for their versatility, and can be used in a multitude of different styles and contexts. These valuable building blocks are the key to building your own solos and taking your improvisational skills to the next level.

After mastering 50 Jazz Guitar Licks You MUST Know, you will have the knowledge to deliver powerful, evocative solos within any jazz guitar style, from bossa to blues, bebop to swing, funk to Gypsy jazz - your newfound knowledge will turn heads from the moment you take your first eight!

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Hello and welcome to 50 Rock Guitar Licks You Must Know—a comprehensive collection of rock essentials for any guitarist wanting to get their rock on! These 50 must know licks fully explore the myriad techniques that make playing rock guitar feel like the world’s greatest roller coaster ride. We’re gonna cover it all including various types of string bending, legato moves such as pull-offs, hammer-ons, and slides; must know picking techniques like sweep picking and string skipping, the ever-important technique of tapping, whammy bar maneuvers; even tricks that utilize both natural and artificial harmonics! In addition we’ll delve into signature tricks of the trade from the master rockers like Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Bumblefoot, Dimebag Darrell, Dickie Betts, Steve Cropper, The Edge, Nuno Bettencourt and more.

To get the most out of 50 Rock Guitar Licks You Must Know watch me first play through the lick at tempo, then, be sure to sit back and listen to the segment that immediately follows before going off into the shed. During these breakdowns sections I’ll show you the ins and outs of playing each lick along with tips on how to get around the tricky parts. What’s more, the backing tracks you hear me rippin’ over are included in the course for you to rock with as well as PDF and Power Tab charts that feature both spot-on TAB and notation of all 50 licks. In regards to the latter, you’ll be able slow down lick in the Power Tab MIDI player so you can zero in on any passages without altering the pitch. Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (www.truefireTV.com).

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