Example 1.

1: Phrasing
Let's begin with a Brian May-style lick. It's got an interesting melodic shape, a great rhythmic structure, a marvellous sense of flow and
perfect grace and composure. What more does a great rock lick need?

Example 1.2: Bends

We could have filled this entire article with bending licks from this area! We'll just give you this Hendrix-inspired chord-tone beauty and
leave you to find the other 49 for yourselves. Intonation and control are the issues here so use your ears and watch your tuning.

Example 1.3: Repetition

Before there was Paul Gilbert, there was Steve Morse. Without divulging the picking secrets of the 'Rock Guitar Magic Circle Society,
examine how the hammer-ons in bar 2 facilitate greater speed and stamina.

Example 1.4: Intervallic/Slide

Nothing earth-shattering from a note perspective here; it's the articulation that counts. Consider your fingering options as this is a
massive influence on your effectiveness in executing the idea cleanly and efficiently.
Example 1.5: Sequential (Descending)
Where would Thin Lizzy (or indeed Jimmy Page) be without this lick? We're looking at a descending sequence of three notes,
transposed to each potential starting note from the minor pentatonic.

Next: playing tips and example tab for sequential (ascending), triadic/arpeggio, double-stop, scalar and
horizontal
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Example 1.6: Sequential (Ascending)

Here's the reverse ascending version. Notice that this is not an exact mirror image of the descending version, but when you attempt to
connect the two up at any point within the sequence everything should make perfect sense.

Example 1.7: Triadic/Arpeggio

We shall ease you into our triadic based section with a simple three-against-four idea. Again, intonation (tuning between the notes) is a
huge issue, so make sure you're perfectly in tune.
Example 1.8: Double-Stop
Down in Louisiana, a boy named Johnny (okay, only my mother calls me Johnny and it was really Liverpool) came up with this double-
stop lick. The thickening effect of playing two notes at once is remarkably effective when projection is an issue.

Example 1.9: Scalar

Before there was Yngwie we had Randy! This three-notes-per-string finger-twister neatly boxes in our first area pentatonic shape, and
fills in the scale tones courtesy of the Aeolian-endorsed and metal-approved flattened 6th (F) and natural 2nd (B)!

Example 1.10: Horizontal

Unison bends sound great. Fact! None more so than when Jimi Hendrix employed them. Here we're spelling out the harmonically
sophisticated Am11th arpeggio (A, C, E, G, D). Who said rockers couldn't mix it with the intellectuals?