Finger picked Guitar Lick

A repeating guitar lick using some hammer on, pull off and slides. Starts off playing around with a G chord shape pattern based off the 10th fret root on the A string. Used a bit of a tremolo effect to kind of emphasize different parts on each repeat.

Alternate Picking Guitar Exercise

Here is an alternate picking exercise for guitar based around the E and B strings using 16th notes. It is based on the C Major Scale but uses the high E string as a repeating pedal note so this idea could be expanded on over a chord progression using the E Phrygian Mode. In the video the lick is played at three speeds. It is a good idea to practice this slowly with a metronome and using strict alternate picking.  Great examples of this kind of repeating pedal note are found in Iron Maiden's "Waster Years" and ACDC's "Thunderstuck".

Melodic Guitar Lick

A little melodic guitar lick that I came up with jammin. I like the vibe to this one so I am going to use it for the basis of a song. By design the phrasing is a bit quirky and meant to imitate a vocal conversation or call and response. Haven't analysed this in terms of scales or theory just kinda popped into my head. But if anyone is interested I could derive some scales from it and discuss the theoretical underpinnings more.

Legato Guitar Lick - Lydian Mode

This lick was inspired by the chord that kicks off one of my favorite Steve Vai songs "Call it Sleep". The guitar lick starts off with that chord which is a B11. I base the lick around the E Lydian Scale. Just a basic little legato guitar lick but I hope it inspires you to create your own licks. If this is too basic or mundane check out Mr. Vai himself. For some real tongue twisters as well as great music his "Flelx-Able" album is hard to beat.

Whole Tone Scale Guitar Lick #10,11,12

We finish off the week with three whole tone scale guitar licks. I hope the licks from the week have prompted you to check out this scale and maybe work in into some of your own music.

Whole Tone Scale Guitar Lick #7,8,9

Three short but interesting ( I Hope) whole tone scale guitar licks for Friday. The first is a series of 16th notes in a pattern that moves up a set of strings. The second is a short riff that incorporates 16th note rests. The third guitar lick is a phrase that uses wide intervals and the symmetrical nature of the whole tone scale to create and interesting melodic pattern. I am going to base an improvisation around this pattern on the weekend so stay tuned.

Whole Tone Scale Guitar Lick #6

A nice feature of the whole tone  scale across the guitar fretboard is that it can yield a lot of symmetrical patterns. For example in today's guitar lick we use a pattern on the B and G strings. Because of the whole tone interval we can move this pattern up and down the B and G strings and play it on every even numbered fret and remain within the A whole tone scale. In this example I play the main lick and them move it up 2 frets then back to the main position and then up four frets.