JAMTRACKCENTRAL.

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Lesson notes: GUTHRIE GOVAN ON THE JEFF
BECK STYLE JAM TRACK FROM ROCK BLUES

GENERAL THEORY

The backing is pretty simple, using only four chords: F#m, Bm, C#m and D. All of these chords can be
found in the F# natural minor (Aeolian) scale: F# G# A B C# D E.

Another option is to strip right down and just use the F# minor pentatonic (F# A B C# E) although this
lacks the D note, so you won’t have as many options for target notes over the Bm and especially the D
chord.

A solution would be to use the pentatonic for most of the solo, adding the D note to highlight the D
chords. There’s a famous precedent for this approach… in the solo from Stairway to Heaven, Jimmy
Page uses mostly A minor pentatonic over the Am and G chords, but then adds an F note over the F
chord, implying the A natural minor.

SPECIFICS
Bars 1-4
For almost every note in this passage, Guthrie is playing ‘pinch harmonics’ two octaves higher than the
fretted notes. Finding the right position to pick is fiddly (and it changes for every note) but it’s easier
once you know how to do it.
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Think about it this way. How do you play a harmonic an octave above an open string? At the 12 fret, of
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course. Now, how about two octaves above? You actually have two options here… the 5 fret or the
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24 fret, and the latter is more useful to us here. Therefore, to play a pinch harmonic two octaves above
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the 2 fret, you need to pinch at the 26 fret (24 + 2). You probably don’t have a 26 fret, so you’ll just
have to figure out where it would be, and this principle is the same for all of the notes Guthrie’s playing
here.

Bar 5
Take note of that 7-9-10-9-7 phrase on the D string. Guthrie uses that little bluesy phrase (the 10 is the
b5 in F#) in various positions all through the solo. Although he isn’t deliberately playing in the style of
Jeff Beck here, Jeff uses that sort of phrase a lot too.

Bar 12
Guthrie starts the phrase with a couple of hammer-ons from the C. The note isn’t in any of the scales
we’re using, but that doesn’t matter because it’s not emphasized. Try this for yourself, lead into a scale
note (especially one present in the underlying chord) from a half-tone above or below.

Bar 13
Pay careful attention to what he’s doing for the first 14 notes or so… shifting little two-string fragments of
the scales around. We’re going to be seeing more of that later.

Bar 16
See? Told you!

Bars 19-20
This passage is very quick, but the note content is quite simple, so concentrate on building up speed
evenly. When you’re feeling confident, you’ll be ready for the more challenging run from bar 27.

Bar 21-22
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There are some very wide stretches starting at the end of bar 21. If possible play those isolated 21 fret
notes on the B string with a “hammer on from nowhere”, keeping your pick attack to minimal notes on
the E string.
Bar 25
What’s that sound on beat 4?! Most of us first heard this technique on Steve Vai’s “Attitude Song”, but
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it’s always a great dramatic effect if you use it right. Grab the B string under the nail of your 2 or 3
finger and pull down, pulling the string right off the edge of the fretboard and a little way round the side.

Bar 27
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From this point, Guthrie plays a long series of almost uninterrupted 32 notes to the end of the solo. He
starts off with that little blues b5 phrase (see bar 5 above) and then moves down to a lower position. For
the D chord in bar 29, he starts with a little Dmaj9 arpeggio.

Bar 31
Pay attention to the 12-13-14 run on the B string about halfway through this bar. Guthrie plays all three
notes with the same fretboard finger, moving his hand smoothly in time with his picking. This is quite
daunting if you’ve never tried switching position like this before, but it’s an important part of Guthrie’s
playing.