Rhythm Vamp This is @ widely-used rhythm guitar figure. It can be used in other keys if you omit the open bass note, Palm-Muted Melody A muted melodic line was very common in classic country lead playing. Bo By 8 aS 2 . PM, theouphoutROCKABILLY & '50s ROCK Rockabilly Double Stops The diminished Sth interval used at the beginning of this riff adds tension and excitement. As with all rockabilly, make sure to play this one aggressively, fee leer ee gee goes ice HEME Low & Nasty Make sure to-'add vibrate when bending those low notes; it makes for a very cool effect. Shuffle (2-2 5 g < ‘ ; ———e. oe SS eee ee fe BM, dhoughoes 2 fic new wortwes me aesChuck Berry-Style Riff Berry's playing emerged in the same era as rockabilly, and is one of the basic building blocks of all rock uitar playing. This lick combines single notes and double stops. Ful Ful Fal Rockabilly Solo This solo puts together some af the licks from earlier examples in the chapter, and then adds a few new tricks It starts with the diminished 5th double stop, and then drops down for some low, chromatic, palm-muted lines, There are also Chuck Berry-style bending licks in bars 10-13. Be careful of the fast moving chord sequence that starts in bar 14 to play it smoothly you need to use alternating strokes with your right hand. Shuttle (52=J J)a a Fala Full $ } - 4BLUES & SOUTHERN ROCK Rocked-Out Rhythm Intro This sounds like it could be the intro to @ Kentucky Headhunters song. Distorted shythm parts like this are no longer heard only in rock they have become comman in country as well. 1 Funky Minor Blues Lick This must be played with a pick and middle finger, or with the thumb and either the first or middle finger. It is basically a lick to be played against a minor chord, but you can use pieces of it against a dominant 7th for a chromatic sound. a wa Sahih HF ys ee . = — —— pp egg = "Dickey Betts-Style Passage In A This lick, based on the A major scale (without the G#), is in the style of Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band, Notice the subtle variations in the maladie and rhythmic ideas, helping create the weaving-like effect of his style. Dickey Betts-Style Passage In D this Betts-style run uses the D pentatonic major scale in a high register. D Allman Brothers-Style Dorian Phrase In the style of some of the Allman Brothers’ early miner-key jams, this lick uses the A Dorian mode (ABCD E F# G). o am mayAllman Brothers-Style Blues Licks The Alimans helped to prove that repetition can be a good thing, This blues phrase shows that repeating ideas can make a solo more memorable. Shufte | 12-23 ie 2 se MAMA sawn (er ee ae SP (ea pe = — e sh A wan % 02 10 1012 ett 1 + AMMAR - * oe B.B. King-Style Blues Lick One of B.B.'s classic moves is to jump up an octave to the high tonic (the high G in the last bar) and give ita stinging attack with a lat of vibrato, ime (T=. bY 6 bu ot ral s pay _F man meee : ace Fes ee at ran : rf , Ful Pawan gp aan AMMAVARN van OM —e— [10 = —SLIDE Duane Allman-Style Slide In Open E Notice haw well this lick sits on the neck when played in open E tuning (E B E Gea E). Sutte (3-23) wide *Gnea Ftuting (low io haa HN GAME, (6) Standard Tuning Slide Lick There are same situatians when altemate tunings are not practical. Learning to play slide in standard tuning is extremely useful, and this example shows you some of the possibilitios. Shutmte(J2-. 5)ena. Bonnie Raitt-Style Open A Slide Bonnie Raitt often uses open A tuning (E AE A Ct E) for her tasty slide work. In this example, notice that vibrato is used extensively to add emotion to the held nates. = OES jccbae wisi ee = _ Open A tung Cow to nigh BAB A CEE By F a Lap Steel 4 la David Lindley This example, in open G tuning (D G D GB D), is reminiscent of the lap steel playing David Lindley has done with Jackson Browne. of = ane Open G tuning (ow t bishy: DGD GBD 151 Ie Te te was 46) PEDAL STEEL-STYLE RIFFS Pedal Steel Ending Lick Each bar of this example is a riff unto itself. The bend in bar 2 should be played with your middle and ring fingers for maximum bending strength, sone (23539) D 6 2 A a Et oo. Fall : 2 =IV-V-I Steel Intro A classic steel-type intro. Note the hammered double stops in bar 2. In addition to bends, hammer-ons are anather good way to make your guitar sound like a steel wine (5. B fering 4 Full ‘Descending 6ths This is a variation on a standard country lick, with the rhythm turned around and some chromatic passing tones thrown in for interest, Even more important than the note selection is the phrasing, which gives ths example a steellike sound, 17Chromatic Steel Walk-Up The most difficult part of this riff is to coordinate the sliding up with the release of the bends, If it seems too hard at first, get your metronome out and practice it at a very slow tempo untilit becomes more fluid. « a Clarence White-Style Steel Solo Although Byrds guitarist Clarence White used 2 “BY bender to achieve his steel sound on guitar, this solo attempts to capture thet flavor using ordinary string bends. Not for the faint of heart, this break con- tains some of the same type of slide/bend combinations as the previous example, as well as two slide/hammer-on combinations in bar 15. Once you have this one mastered, you'll have 2 large arsenal of steel licks at your disposal. shuttle (J-J 3) ee ee 18no eee = 13 0 G0CHICKEN PICKIN’ Basic Chicken Pickin’ By sounding only selected notes and blunting the rest in this example, you achieve a syncopated rhythm, This one really sounds like a chicken. Descending Chicken Note the rhythmic variation in this riff. In the first two bars the notes change every two beats, while in the second two bars the notes change on each &th note. This makes for a nice feeling of acceleration. 5 Fingerstyle Chicken Picki By using your thumb and cne finger to chicken pick, you will naturally create a muting effect similar to palm muting. eLYRICAL COUNTRY ROCK Albert Lee-Style Lyrical Passage Though Lee is known mostly for his amazing, fast playing, he also excels at slow, melodic soloing Pay close attention to the 16th-note-triplet flourishes, which are key to this passage We sta Buchananesque This gritty example, in the style of the late Roy Buchanan, incorporates artificial harmonics in the 3rd bar. Shurftte (J Slow, Soulful a la Vince Gill Like most contemporary country players, Vinee ean play in a wide variety of styles. This example is in the style of some of his more lyrical playing, and has a definite R&B influence. “ Y a Ful 4 =}. fg + a4Feud E Slow & Tasty Solo ‘This solo demonstrates some ot the more expressive qualites of country guitar. It blends sensitive melody. lines, a lttie blues and some pedel steel riffs ta create an emotionally charged feeling for the listener. the rakes (bars 5 and 6) are added to selected nates for emphasis. Dadi A me == jXe pat Ue sh st Dass? 225 Fm FLASHY SPEED RIFFS Low Pull-Offs You can play this with a flat pick and palm mute it, or you can use your thumb and fingers and chicken pick it unmuted, ne B AHot Chromatic Tag This bluegrass ending works equally well on electric or acoustic. SSS Earl Scruggs-Style Banjo Lick This riff, in G, has an Earl Scruggs-style banjo sound, yet doesn’t use open strings. The #4 to 5 (C# to D) hammer-ons are the key to this sound. Moveable Bluegrass Run This moveable riff has a first position bluegrass sound as wel. Notice how the one slide in this run smooths out the whole passage—subtle variations such as this can make your playing much more interesting. 24Bluegrass Fiddle Tune Run This is a moveable version of a fiddle tune-style bluegrass cun—try it as a flatpicking exercise with the metronome, Chromatic Speed Riff This run sounds best when played fingerstyle or with a pick-and-tinger combination {hybrid picking). G Mixolydian Speed Riff The Mixolydian mode works well for fast country picking. This run includes two chromatic slides (Fk to Fa) that add a bluesy feel.Vince Gill-Style Fast Open-String Riff This is typical of the kind of passage Vince Gill might play during a fast two-beat song. Here, the open D string creates a drane-like effect. D Fast & Furious Solo Reminiscent of Albert Lee, this solo combines fast sequences, chromatic flourishes, fiddle-like law drones and pedal steal licks—have fun with it! 401 42 12 48 92 aed 18 16 26arTABLATURE EXPLANATION/NOTATION LEGEND * ‘TABLATURE: A six stat that graphlcaly reprosonts the cultar fngerboard, By placing a number n the epproprtate line, he string and the fot of any nove can be indicated. For example: sisete-nore |Pper, CT a Mieke Uo ee LL) PaGiuita\e By ita tail The!) source for Country Rock Riffs & Licks Featuring: Major, Minor & Pentatonic Country Licks Pedal Steel Effects © Slide Licks Chicken Pickin’ * Four Complete Solos The Great Riffs Series captures, transcribes and presents the hottest riffs in your favorite style of music. In Country Rock Riffs For Guitar you get everythit you need to play classic country bends and vamps, rockabilly riffs, hot slide licks, flashy speed riffs, fingerstyle chicken pickin’ and more in one riff-packed, easy-to-follow book. @series Beas Rock } | | a ; Te Aa tC ‘ : %Country Rock ilfs for Guitar by Mike Levine e “pe : | ~ ik,SY About The Author Mike Levine is « session guiarist, composer ond producer ‘who lives ond works in the New York Cily erea. He ploys guitar, pec steal and dobro on many recording projec's and nationally broadcast commercials, as wall as for lelevision shows including Sesame Street. He ployed in the Broodway and road produciions of The Will Regers Follies, and was a band member for the recent Off Broadway musical Dos Borbecue, As 0 commercial smposer/arranger/producer, his most recant credits lude gots fer MCI, Kool Aid and Advi, Athough he now works pri marly inthe studi, Mike speni years playing county and reck in cubs ‘across North America. KOK OX — ——— Acknowledgments "Yd bke to duak due folks ot Checry Lane Music who Telpad guude me i paling thisbonk together Ime partewarly grateful to Jen Chappell for crossing me fr ths rowel and geting me stared, Mack Philip Sr all of his asstance with te deals ‘and Art Roffel for onswering say questions, {al want to thank my biother, Eric Levine, who taughtime my fst fteand stot me off a the right ditection as a guitadst: Finally, keto expiess any gratitude to ‘aura ior al of the support Soe geve me whi | nes writing ane recording for this pojoctContents j. 17, oths 6...Classic Country a aie 6....low Bend 4 |o Pete Anderson 18. Yhite-Style Stee! Solo 20...Chicken Pickin’ 20. ken Pickin’ 20.....Descencline Chick 20... Fingerstye Chicken Pickin’ 21 Lyrica eounteyh Rock ; ‘ 21 Slows, Seals Vince Gill 22... Slow & Tas 2 Out Raylhn Intro ‘Mino; Blues lick oe ‘lira Biothers-Stye snlliran Brothers-Sive Blo lick B.B. King-Siyle Blues Lick 23... Low PulHOFs Chromatic Tag SSiyle Boje lick 14...Slide Duane Allman. ast Ooer Sting RiF 28...Tablature ExplanationFF you asked musician's to define the ohtose counry rock most would proscbly sey it raerred te the peried in the 1970s and verly 19803, wher Country Rock cc ke the Eoals, Poco, Fure Prairie League end Emmylow R | F F S Mortis ware at the pak of eee INTRODUCTION eth wil dal eth a FOR GUITAR rem hhal era, tis book will use alent sn of country rock that sncomnasses mony diferent pariads ever the fost 40 yecrs as country | rock hewe crossed polhs. &y wsing 0 brocsder brish wa cen touch upon many of the influences that have contribuied to making comlemporary country *he stylist melting pot thot it. Afterall, today’s country music is reely a blend of country end rock (wilh some Rb thrown in for gone meosure, in which you're almost es they hecr a distorted, bluesy slide solo as. 0 woney Tele breok. (ronicelly, while country was a sigeificont facior in the early develapment of reck ’n’ rol, rock music has now become © mejor influencein conlerporary ‘country. This book wil present examples in many ofthe shes thot maze v2 the arsanal st a adem Nestvils session gui ‘ors. There are ako axorplas in the ays of fomeus gui ‘erste, beth pail and protent, wer o¢ Albert lee, Vince Gill Carenes Whi, Pala Andersen, Dickey Bets, Duane ‘Almas eine! Ray Buchonen, But firs, iia hiker: The earliest mising of county and reck occurred in the mid 19508 vith the jevelopment of rockabilly, hier is til on arduring influence on courity. Ehit Presa, Jaery Loe Lewis and Bill Holey vara emeng the aris: who sue cessfully blonded elements of county end R&B logether— the guilor, ofcourse, was on intagrel prof his In the mie 1960s the Byrds emerged os o popular bend with rocts in folk, rock, country ane bluegrass. The mez ing Clorerce While played gulor for he Byrds, ard Mis seminal acoustic and eeeric ploying, os well as his pic- rearing use of the aring bender, were oilesiones in he chvelopment ef contemporary country gular. Tho 1970: witneseed sha heyday of esuntry rock os a genre. Artisis such es Linda Ronstadt and Jacksan Browne, ameng others, proved ther hit slate mixhre cezuld ke © pop music golé mine, The guitar werk in tis period often leaned mora tewerd cack—David Lirdley’s diserted lop stee playing on Srowne's alkurs, for sian le. war a signature sound of he ara. ‘Around the some time, in the town of Macen, George, the Allman Bothers were pioneering enosher hyarid form thot wos lo become known es southern rock, Duane ‘Alimon ond Dickey Bets! lenglhy improvisations, harmo rized lood lines and seering Blues playing with an ecco sional bit of county fhwex] would heve © very rengible Influence en medern country guitar playing, Inthe lets 1970 Aloe? lea hogan meking courry-rodk gi tor Hany wie pleying wih Emmylou Harrie and the Het Bard. He ivetie Blend of lightning fast uns, double-siop bonds nd imaginative nate saci this dey, tha moet froquorly iis sl in ccuntry guitar. Tha mid 1980s saw the birh of he new Kacitionalst movement in pepuler counry, which bough’ fiddles, stool and guitars back to preminence, During th's period Ricky Skaggs helned tring © slrong Eluegrass inflierce inve maineraam country, which resulted in many blazing vitor slo In the 1990s « new breed of country singers ard greups, raised iv the (cs ec, have chonged country te @ more youthfubsounding, contemporary genre. And guitar is, of ‘course, never for from canter stage.The chapters in this book are organized by concepts rather than ky degree of dlfficully. For those who want to sample the different styles without having te deal with the more difficult riffs, ve put a relatively ‘easy example at the beginning of each section, (CD tracks are indicated in the black boxes) When learning an exemple, get com- fortable with the left-hand positions first. Depending on your taste and style, figure out the right-hand consid- erations next—whether you will be using a pick, playing fingerstyle, or using a combination of a pick and fir: gers, There are some examples in which I've specified a method that | feel is necessary, Because this is not a beginner's book, the recorded examples ore played at authentic tempos, which can some- times be pretty brisk. If you find that a HOW TO SE THIS BOOK riff is too fast for you, practice it slowly with a metroneme until you are comfortable with it. After a while, you should be able to play it faster and faster until you've reached the tempo on the recording, The shorter examples on the recording are generally repeated with another ccount-off (which is sometimes a partial one; depending on where in the bar the example ends). There are a few cases where a short example doesn’t repeat, because it would have been musically awkward to do s0 As you work your way through the examples in this book, you will find yourself playing in the siyles of some of the world’s mast famous guitarists. Leaming how these players opproach o given musical situation is the first step toward cleveloping your own style. Good Luck!CLASSIC COUNTRY Low Bend 4 la Pete Anderson ‘This example is similar to a riff Owight Yoakam’s guitarist Pete Anderson might play, and works well aver a HVA progression in E. The low range of this riff is characteristic of dlassic country guitar playing. Note that the lick in bar 3 is pal muted. Shaffte (S3-J 3) Double Stop Intro This is a nice, mellow, intro on the | chord, which combines hammer-ans and slides.