Skipping Down the D Major Scale

Today we look an an acoustic guitar lick similar to our last post. In this guitar lick though we are in the Key of D Major. I tend to think of this lick being in the E Dorian Mode though because of the repeating E note that is a pedal point throughout the piece. The whole guitar lick is played on the high E string. It basically shifts down the D Major Scale in a pattern that repeats as you descend through the scale steps. The best example of this type of guitar lick a more advanced context is ACDC's "Thunderstuck". This lick is simpler in that it only descends and the pattern is easier to memorize. Use alternate picking and 16th notes throughout. It makes a great little warm up exercise for guitar practice. Once you get this under your fingers try creating your own scale based patterns and licks.