Guitar Alphabet Soup - Creative Guitar Exercise

Today we look at three licks based around a creative exercise that Pat Martino developed. Each letter of the alphabet gets a note from the chromatic scale beginning sequentially on C. Then you create a lick or musical phrase based around a word or sentence. You must play the notes in order but the position of the notes and their duration is variable. I've based the first lick ont he phrase "Learn to Forgive" which has the notes B E C F C#  G D  F D F F# G# A E. The second lick is based around the name of my favorite guitarist "Jimi Hendrix". Notice how the second and third lick contain the same notes but sound very different when different octaves, positions and durations are combined. The notes for licks 2 and 3 in order are A G# C G#  G E C# D# F G# B. To me this is a great tool for being creative and also learning the fretboard. Sometimes the licks at least in my case may be a little dissonant or impractical but you can use pieces of them as a springboard for other ideas or exercises. For example I personally enjoy the ending to the first lick and could see expanding on that intervallic sequence to create a song idea or a lick I would use in a solo. Try some ideas on your own.

Exotic Sounding Guitar Lick

This is an exotic sounding guitar lick. To my ears it sounds like the Phrygian Scale or Mode but I have not analyzed the notes just was messing around with some picking exercises and came up with this.

Chromatic Guitar Exercise - Alternate Picking

A chromatic guitar exercise using alternate picked 16th notes. You can play along with the video by tuning down a half step and following the guitar tab. For inspiration in chromatic playing I would recommend some classical composers Paganini and Chopin are two of my favorites who used chromaticism in a lot of their compositions.

E Blues Guitar Lick

A legato based blues guitar lick in the key of E. To play along with the video from the guitar tab please remember to tune down a half step.

Guitar Tabs Updated

Just a quick note. The guitar tab for the guitar licks from the last three days has been posted. I posted the video but forgot to include the tab when submitting to the blog. You can now find the tab and video for each guitar lick under each days posts.

Alternate Picking Guitar Lick

This guitar lick ascends the fretboard using notes from the D Major Scale ( or B Minor) beginning on B. Tune down a half step to play along with the video from the guitar tab. I hear the music in groups of eleven notes per grouping with two subgroups of 6 then 5 notes. Accent the first note in each group so the first and seventh note of each eleven note section. Use alternate picking and start slowly with a metronome to build up speed.

Basic Country Guitar Lick in A

A basic country guitar lick in the key of A. Tune down a half step to play along with the video.

World Guitar Lick

Today's guitar lick has a world music sound. The first part is the rhythm lick. Then a lead part is played over a backing track of the rhythm to create a single track. The track uses time signatures of 5/4 and 3/4. As always unless noted please tune down a half step to play along with the video. I really was playing around with some interesting chord shapes when I came up with the lick. I hear it primarily as being the key of D major. Happy 2010 I hope you all keep you musical and guitar New Year resolutions.

A New Year and More Guitar Licks

Happy 2010. Thanks to all the blog viewers and youtube users who have supported the blog and provided feedback on the content. I'm glad that so many people have enjoyed the guitar licks. I have big plans for 2010. Keep your comments and feedback coming. New guitar licks are going to begin on Monday, January 11, 2010. Jemsite has added this blog on its recommended reading list. If you would like to vote for "Lick of the Day" see the sidebar award. They are an excellent site and a must see for guitarists especially Jem enthusiasts. I've always loved Jems but they are not in my budget. Well maybe someday.