TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

15
minute
technique

FIX 1
SPE E D U P Y O U R U
pon mention
of the word
rhythm, you might
progression and theyre
designed to promote
instantaneous and

G E S
assume that picking-hand independent fretting finger

R D C H A N
technique is the subject of movement one of the

CH O
discussion. In fact, a finely
tuned rhythm workout
should begin with your fret
hand. Tricky chord changes
most challenging aspects of
chord playing for players of
all levels.
Practise each exercise

of your rhythm
must be tackled before you slowly so that you can
e fun da m en ta ls start thinking about picking identify any problem areas
Get th
itar te chn ique up to speed with TGs and strumming. and work on them. Once you
gu The two exercises weve get a feel for the changes
e exercises
basic chord chang
written follow a basic chord start work on your rhythm.

OPEN CHORDS TRACKS 15-16

C G Am E7 F G7 C
q = 80/130

.. 2
4 2
1
1
2
..
4
3 3
3
1

T . 0
1
3
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1 .
B
. 0
2
3
0
0
2
2
2
0
1
0
2
2
3
3
0
0
2
0
2
3
.
3 0 1 3

ALTHOUGH THIS exercise is in open position, your fingers constantly change string/fret quite the challenge! Tricky changes such as F to G7 need care to avoid scuffs
and buzzes, so practise slowly until the movements start to feel fluent. Gradually challenge yourself with faster tempos.

TOUGHER BARRE CHORDS TRACKS 17-20

C G Am E7 F G7 C

.. ..

T . 8
8
7
8
5
5
7
9
5
6
3
3 5 .
B
. 9
10
10
7
9
10
5
7
7
7
9
7
5
7
8
4
3
5
5
5
3
.
8 5 3

THERE IS much more movement here and several shapes include all four fingers for added difficulty. Getting your fingers into position for the C shape (the G and F
chords) is the most challenging part. Work very slowly at first and watch out for any dead notes and buzzes.

32 FEBRUARY 2016
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

15 FIX YOUR
minute
technique FING E R P I C K I N Gan d ge t your digits into shap
e
Put that pick do w n
ing exercises
FIX 2 with our ha nd y fin ge rpic k

A
lthough musical trends
constantly change, it seems
theres always a place in the
UK charts for a little folk-tinged
acoustic material. Most recently
Jamie Lawson and Ed Sheeran have
been occupying that space but its
a tradition that goes back to the
British folk scene of the 1960s and
its a sign of the acoustic guitars
enduring popularity.
Guitarists tend to develop
strumming skills early on, but
fingerpicking remains a challenge
for many. Ultimately, it boils down to
developing independent movement
in your picking fingers and the
musical exercises on this page are
designed to promote these skills.
As a general rule, the thumb usually
takes care of the bass strings
(strings four to six), the first, second
and third fingers play the third,
second and first strings respectively,
and the fourth finger is rarely used.
You can find a brief explanation of
the pima fingerpicking notation Keeping your thumb to one side of your fingers helps prevent it
style on p110. colliding with your fingers

FINGERPICKING EXERCISE 1 TRACK 21

G Am
3 3
3
q =50/90 3 3
# .. ..
3
let ring throughout 3 3
. 3
3
3 3
3
3 5
5
5 5
5
5 .
B
. 4
5
4
5
4
5
4 5
7
5
7
5
7
5
.
3 5
p i m a i m p i m a i m p i m a i m p i m a i m
p p p p

APPROACH THIS exercise in three ways: 1) Thumb-pick the bass notes this will help you get used to the steady quarter note pulse on the fourth, fifth and sixth strings;
2) Pick the treble strings to get used to the basic first, second and third finger movements; 3) Finally, put both bass and treble together for the full fingerstyle workout.

FINGERPICKING EXERCISE 2 TRACK 22

C B7 Em
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

# .. ..
let ring throughout

. 0
1
0
1
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 .
B
. 3
0
2
0
2
2
1
2 0
2
0
2
0
2
0
.
0
p i a p i a p i a p i a p i a p i a p i a p i a
m m m m m m m m

IT CAN be useful here to secure the second and third fingers of your picking hand against one another so they move as one when playing the two-string chord. It can also
help to begin by practising the Em shape in bar 2. As with the first example, you can break up the arpeggios into separate bass note/treble note parts initially.

FEBRUARY 2016 33
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

15 BETTER W
hether youre into rock, blues or metal,
as soon as you start playing guitar solos
youll likely find yourself using string

BENDS
bends and this calls for a slick, tight technique.

minute
It takes a combination of strength, control, feel
and a lot of practice, but these six short licks guide
you through some great techniques thatll raise your
technique string bending skills to new heights. The licks can

Upgrade your
easily be adapted into any key and style, so you can

FIX 3
apply the techniques to your own solos.
soloing skills with Weve compiled all six licks into one audio file over
a simple backing track. Each lick is played twice
TGs lesson on the before a short space for you to play back the same
ad
most expressive le
lick in a listen and repeat style. Each lick provides a
different challenge, getting gradually more difficult
guitar technique as they progress.
TRACK 23
1. BASIC BEND LICK 2. PENTATONIC LINE
q = 81 Bm Bm
3j
j

j

j 3
j

j
3j j
1 1
1 1
1
1

3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3
BU BU BU BU BU BU
7 7 7 7 7 7
T 10 (12) 7 10(12) 7 10(12) 7 10(12) 7 T 10 (12) 7 BU 7 10 (12) 7 BU 7
9 (11 ) 7 9 (11 ) 7

B B

THIS IS a basic bend lick spread over two strings. Its a great exercise to get your THIS LICK develops the previous idea across three strings. Continue to use your
third finger warmed up. Remember to support the bend with your second finger. third finger for each bend, focussing on good intonation and avoiding note bleed.

3. BEND, THEN FRET 4. PRE-BENDING ADJACENT STRINGS

j Bm
j 2j
3
~~~~~~~~
# #
3
j 3 3 3
j 2
2
1
2

3 3 3

~~~~~~~~~
PB 10 PB 9 PB 9 hold bend
BU BD BU
BU BD 10 9 (10 ) ( 9 ) 7 BD BU BD BU
T 9(11) (12) (11) (9 ) 7
T 10 (12)
(11 ) (9) 7 9 (11 ) ( 9 ) 14 (16)
15
(16)

B B

THIS STEVE Lukather-inspired lick adds a fretted note to a one-tone bend on the AS A by-product of the initial second-string bend youll pre-bend the third string.
same string (at the end of beat 1). Its a tricky but highly expressive technique. Next, pick the third string, then release the pre-bend for a Jimi Hendrix-style line.

5. THE HOLD BEND 6. OBLIQUE BENDS

Bm
3 j
4
#
Bm
2j
3
3 j 4 1 3 1
j
1
3

3 3
hold bend
7 10
BU BD T 10 (12)
T 9 (11 )
10 10
(11 ) ( 9 ) 7
(10)
9 (11 )
10
(9) 9 7
BU BD 11 (12) (11 ) 9
BU BD
B B

BU BD
1
THE IDEA here is to hold the bend (the first note) so it rings out as you play the rest THIS LICK helps nail down the idea of keeping the upper string still while the bends
of the notes. This is great for finger strength as you cant support your bend. are being executed. As always, support the bend with any spare fingers you have.

34 FEBRUARY 2016
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

2016 MUSICAL GOALS

Start A Band
Playing music with other people can be one
of the best ways to quickly improve your
playing and all-round musicianship. Here
are 10 ways to kick-start your band in 2016

Ignore your doubts Learn some songs

Getting in a room to play music can be Once you have your
QHUYHZUDFNLQJDQGLWDIIHFWVXVDOO:KDWLI potential band
,PQRWJRRGHQRXJK":KDWLI,PHVVXS" together, avoid the
These are the kind of doubts that can stop us DZNZDUGUVWGDWH
from ever progressing further with our goals. IHHOLQJDW\RXUUVW
Crush the fear and do it! You will mess up, but rehearsal by picking
thats what practicing is for. three or four covers to
learn beforehand. Even
Make time if you dont plan on
One of the biggest obstacles in putting a band being a covers band, itll
together is actually getting started. Its easy to break the ice. Be open
FRQYLQFH\RXUVHOIWKDW\RXGRQWKDYHWLPH:H to trying some songs
say just do it. Practicing twice a week might you dont know/like too it could inform an of the game. Some of the best developments
not be realistic, but start with small steps; one unexpected new direction for your band. will be unexpected (instrumentation, genres,
or two practices a month for two to three arrangement, etc) and if you allow them to
KRXUVVKRXOGQWEHWRRGLIFXOWDQGZKLOHLW Choose a practice space happen, youll sound like yourselves, rather
can feel like a chore, playing music with other The amps will be knackered, the PA too quiet than just copying your favourite band.
people is great for relieving stress! and youll most likely get a shock off the mics,
but this is the sweatbox where youll realise Dont obsess over gear
Find your bandmates your master plan. You should feel relaxed, and But do think about it! Theres no better excuse
:KHWKHU\RXUHDVHDVRQHGYHWHUDQZKRV immersed in your music, rather than the doom for buying some new gear than starting or
JHWWLQJEDFNLQWKHJDPHRUDUVWWLPHU metal band next door. Look for somewhere in joining a band. Take a look at your gear, and
looking to develop the collaborative side of reach of every band member, and shop around if you feel like you need to upgrade a part of
your playing, youre going to be looking for for the one which works best for you. Some your rig then do it, but dont go mad. Perhaps
a crack team of like-minded folk. You may include backline hire, others dont. Some will use some milestones as incentives if it helps
already have some people in your sights. If so, let you book by the hour, some will have set for example, once you have three gigs under
approach them. If not, scour your local music slots. Some will let you pay by band member your belt, buy that new amp you need!
shop, papers and Gumtree listings. Sites such per-hour excellent if youre a trio or duo!
as Meetandjam.com allow you to search for Book a gig!
musicians in your area, and also set up your Dont let direction get in the way Once youre happy that the band isnt going
RZQSUROH,IDOORIWKLVVRXQGVOLNHWRRPXFK Its important to approach a band with a to kill each other, book a gig. Call in a favour,
work, you could always skip some of the certain amount of vision, but try not to let it hype yourself to promoters, do whatever you
details by looking for an existing band to join! overrule everything. Compromise is the name can to get on a bill. Obviously youll need to
give yourself a realistic amount of time to learn
or write a 30-minute set, so maybe look ahead
Dont worry about the line-up by a six to eight weeks. Theres nothing like a
bit of pressure to get your band off the ground.
But there are barely any musicians in my Itll force you to make decisions, and help build
area! Dont see this as a problem turn it into the momentum you need.
D863&DQWQGDGUXPPHU"3URJUDPVRPH
EHDWVZLWKDGUXPPDFKLQHDSSRU'$:DQGORRS Go and watch live music
This is particularly important if you havent
them. No bass player? Look for someone who plays played live in a while, or maybe even ever
keys, or think about experimenting with an octave before. Get out to local gigs and open-mic
pedal. Plenty of instrumental bands simply never got nights and pay attention to the way that other
bands do it. How do the audience react? How
DURXQGWRQGLQJWKHULJKWVLQJHUVRZKDWVHHPVOLNH GRHVWKHVHWRZ":KDWGR\RXOLNHRUGLVOLNH"
your biggest limitation could become your trademark! All of these things will help shape your bands
dynamic into a fearless live engine!

FEBRUARY 2016 35
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

BUILD YO U R F O U R T H
15 R S T R E N G T H
minute
technique FING E
For mos t play ers it s th e ir weakest digit.
es to improve
FIX 4 Follow TGs le
your fourt h-f
g
in
a
g
to
e r
le
fr
a
e
d
tt
e
in
x ercis
g performance

M
any players take a three-fingered
approach to lead guitar, relegating their
fourth finger to just occasional use.
If this sounds like you, we urge you to add one or
two dexterity exercises into your regular practice
routine youll broaden your soloing horizons as
wide stretch licks, impressive scale runs and slick
legato lines all become easier to play.
Were taking a two-pronged attack, homing in
on pull-offs and hammer-ons to help you develop
strength and coordination in this under-used
finger. You can easily simplify each exercise by
focusing your attention on a shorter four- or
eight-note section.

PULL-OFF ARPEGGIOS TRACKS 24-26

Em Bm
q = 55/110 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

.. .. .. ..
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1

let ring throughout

. 10 7
8
10 7
8
10 7
8
10 7
8 . . 10 7
7
12 7
7
10 7
7
12 7
7 .
B
. 9 9 9 9
. . 7 7 7 7
.

THIS LICK is all about improving the snap you should get when executing a pull-off. Aim for a square pull-off, ie, towards the floor, rather than angling towards the nut.
Try the Em shape with your first finger barred over the three strings this will allow an easier transition to the Bm shape.

HAMMER-ON ROCK LICK TRACKS 27-30

A5 Bdim 4 A/C # 4 D 4
4 1 1 1
.. ..
1 4
4 4 1 4
1 1 1

. 5 9 5 9 7 10 7 10 9 12 9 12 7 10 7 10
.
B
. 6 9 6 9 7 10 7 10 9 14 9 14 7 11 7 11
.

INCREASING SPEED will inevitably up the difficulty of this rock lick, so only raise your tempo when you can play the line cleanly and comfortably. To increase the
difficulty, you could try adding pull-offs to each group of four notes.

36 FEBRUARY 2016

2016 MUSICAL GOALS
Play More Gigs
Playing live is the ultimate goal for most
musicians. Heres how you can get out of the
practice room and onto the stage this year
Refine your sound
Having weekly practices and playing through
a set is all well and good, but as with practicing
guitar, you need to be rehearsing the right
things. Knowing your parts should be a given,
now its time to focus on really working your
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the song order, and mechanics of transitioning
between them (tunings, guitar changes etc),
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and think about extra material to include as a
FRQWLQJHQF\HQFRUHV 2QFH \RXUH D ZHOO
oiled machine, start booking gigs.
Get a demo
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going to be approaching venues and
promoters about playing, theyre going to
ZDQW WR KHDU \RX 7KHVH GD\V LWV HDV\ WR JHW
a decent quality demo together in no time.
Choose three or four songs that best represent
the sound of your band and get them
UHFRUGHG 7KLV FRXOG EH DV VLPSOH DV D OLYH
recording from one of your gigs, or a full
studio recording.
Find bands like yours
:HYH DOO EHHQ WKHUH WKH VHYHQEDQG ELOO ZLWK
D GLVSDUDWH PL[ RI VW\OHV ,WV QRW FRPIRUWDEOH
DQG GRHVQW PDNH IRU D JUHDW JLJ ,QVWHDG QG
local bands who play a similar style to you and
team up for gigs. Between your followings,
youll pick up new fans and help to build your
RZQ VFHQH IXOO RI OLNHPLQGHG SHRSOH
Get out of town!
Youre the heroes of your local scene, but
youve found yourselves playing the same
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ORRN IXUWKHU DHOG -XVW OLNH UDLVLQJ \RXU
SUROH LQ \RXU RZQ WRZQ QGLQJ EDQGV ZKR
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swap where you share a bill in both of your
VFHQHV ZLOO EH PXWXDOO\ EHQHFLDO IRU ERWK
RI \RX DQG ZLOO JLYH \RX D FKDQFH WR QG QHZ
venues and promoters for next time.
Adam Gasson
Befriend promoters
Promoters are the gatekeepers of local venues.
*HW LQ WKHLU JRRG ERRNV DQG \RXOO QG WKDW
TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING
opportunities come
your way. Some
venues will have
LQKRXVH SURPRWHUV
who book every gig,
others might have a
handful of different
regulars who cover
different styles.
7DNH D ORRN DW JLJV
that are happening
ORFDOO\ QG RXW
who is putting them
on and get in touch. You could be the perfect calendar; weddings,
local support band for bigger acts who are seasonal parties, New Years Eve and the like
coming through the venue. are usually booked well in advance, so you
QHHG WR EH SUHSDUHG ,I \RX KDYH D IHZ UHJXODU
Think ahead pub gigs between now and the type of events
,I \RXUH D FRYHUV EDQG DQG ORRNLQJ WR VWHS XS youre targeting, make sure youre armed
think ahead. Map out the major events in the with information when potential clients
approach you. Rates, availability and contact
details are gonna make bagging gigs later in
the year a lot easier.
Think about video
One of the best ways of getting Put on your own event!
)HOOLQJ ORFNHG RXW RI \RXU VFHQH" 7U\ SXWWLQJ
promoters to pay attention to on your own gig! Youll need a suitable venue
your band is to shoot a video. and enough of a following to cover your costs,
You dont have to go mad but a great way to start is to hinge a gig around
get a good sound at a gig or an event (Halloween, Bank Holidays, etc) and
\RX FDQ WU\ SXWWLQJ WRJHWKHU D OLQHXS RI EDQGV
rehearsal, set up some if you dont have enough material. Youll need
cameras (you can even use to tell as many people as possible, and start
your phone for the visuals) small you dont want to end up shelling out
more money than you take on the door.
and edit them together. Wed
suggest capturing your audio Be selective
VWUDLJKW RXW RI WKH 3$ V\VWHP Yes, this is about playing more gigs in 2016,
rather than relying on the mic EXW \RX VWLOO QHHG WR EH VHOHFWLYH ,I \RX WDNH
HYHU\ ODVWPLQXWH RIIHU IRU XQSDLG ZRUN WKDW
on your camera. promises good exposure for your band, youll
QG \RXUVHOI EHFRPLQJ WKH EDQG ZKR DOZD\V
JHWV WKDW FDOO $V ZHOO DV WKLV \RXOO OO \RXU
diary with dates which might mean you cant
DFFHSW D EHWWHU JLJ :HLJKXS WKH SURV DQG
cons of each date travel, expenses and the
amount of labour youll have to put in versus
the exposure/opportunity for picking up
better gigs/actual payment. Oh, and stay away
IURP WKRVH GRGJ\ \HU GHDOV :H KDWH WKHP
FEBRUARY 2016 37
 F

songwriting

2INS0PIRING CHORDS
If you're in need of
as we show you
inspiration, read on
ite chord shapes
some of our favour
to take your
that are guaranteed
hts
playing to new heig

The minor tonality of these chords creates

Melancholic chords a sombre vibe perfect for sad songs

If you compare an A major chord to A minor you will shapes all exploit that minor 3rd, to create a dark, TRACK 31
hear that the former sounds bright and cheerful, moody atmosphere. The open strings enable you
whereas the other is sad and mournful. This is thanks to reach notes that can't necessarily be fretted and
to the change from a major 3rd to a minor 3rd. These have a sad, droning sound.

x o o o o o o o o o x o
1 T 1 1
5 7 5
1 2
3 3 4 3 4

Amadd9 Emadd9 Bmadd11 Dmadd9

Try out these shapes for a warm, comforting effect

Mellow chords thats suitable for ballads or mellow jazz tunes

The C#m9 and Am11 shapes shown here are very
common jazz guitar chords as used by players such
as George Benson or Wes Montgomery. The Eadd9
and Fmaj7 chords have an open, airy sound thats
perfect for folky acoustic material. Weve played the
TRACK 32
Fmaj7 chord thumb over the neck-style, but if this is
too much of a challenge, you can simply omit the
lowest two strings all together.

x o o o o x x o
1 3 1 T 1

1 2 2
2 3 4
3 4
2 3 4 4

C#m9 Eadd9 Am11 Fmaj7

38 FEBRUARY 2016
 TRANSORM YOUR PLAYING

The close intervals in these chords give

Mysterious chords off an uneasy, haunting air
Two notes that are a tone or semitone apart are close intervals in order to put the listener on edge. TRACK 33
naturally dissonant, as the frequencies fight each The Am9/E chord is tricky to finger at first, so try
other. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as positioning your second and fourth fingers before
demonstrated by these chords, which utilise those adding your first and third.
x x x o o x o x x
1 1
1 3 1 4
2 2
2 2
3 3 4
3 3 4
4

Emb6 Dadd9/11 Bbmaj7#11 Amaj7#11

Try out these shapes for an angular, clashing

Tense chords sound that takes the listener by surprise

Tension in music works best in small doses, so, rather predictable feel. You can enhance things by TRACK 34
than using these chords for a whole song or section, switching to the tense sounding E7#9 chord.
use them fleetingly. For example, if you have a song in The Caug chord works in a similar way in the
the key of A, going to an E chord has a natural, key of F major.

x x o o x o x o o
1 1 1 2 1
6
2 3 2 3 2 3
4 3 4 4

E7#9 Fmaj7#11 Caug Bbdim7

The major tonality and open sound of these chords

Uplifting chords creates an elating and inspiring atmosphere
These chords are based on the bright, cheerful sound electric sound or an acoustic guitar. The Aadd9 and TRACK 35
of major chords, with 9th and 11th intervals added to Badd11 chords use the same shape a tone apart;
provide a lushness that works beautifully with a clean alternating between them sounds great.

x o o o o x o o o o
5 1 7 1

1 2 1 2
3 4 3 4
2 3

3 4

Cadd9 Aadd9 Aadd9#11 Badd11

FEBRUARY 2016 39
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

15 TWEAK YOUR E
minute PICKING T E C H N I Q U
technique e sm all ad ju s tm ents to your pick
Making som G s exe rcises will give your
T
FIX 5 isin g
angle and pract
lease of life
lead playing a new

P
icking cleanly while
moving from one
string to another is a
key part of guitar playing, no
matter what genre youre
into, be it metal, funk or folk.
A lot of players experience
the problem of hitting the
wrong string or just not
developing enough speed,
despite practising regularly.
Monster pickers such as
Zakk Wylde and John 1 USE THE EDGE OF YOUR PICK 2 USE THE POINT OF YOUR PICK
Petrucci have a trick up their Angle your pick so that the edge hits the string first; this Only the tip should touch the string; if your pick sits too
sleeve and the answer lies in helps the pick to glide across the string. deep it can catch, making it harder to play the next note.
their pick angle.
The biggest myth with
picking is that the tip of the
pick simply moves down and
up. This is true, but it also
needs to move in and out, to
enable it to move from string
to string without hitting an
idle string.
In the following exercises,
play the downstrokes so that
the tip of your pick ends up
just in between two strings,
but play the upstrokes with
a slight outward motion, 3 MOVE AWAY FROM THE STRING 4 ...BUT DONT MOVE TOO FAR
moving your pick away from Following an upstroke move your pick up and out to Ideally, the distance your pick moves for a downstroke
the strings, ready to shift to make it easier to move to the next string. Aim to be no should be the same as for an upstroke to maintain even
the next one. more than about 10mm away from the string. timing, so keep your up and out movements small.

STRAIGHT PICKING TRACKS 36-37 TRIPLET PICKING TRACKS 38-39

q =120

#
q =130

.. 4 1 3
1 .. .. 1 4 3
1
3 4
..
3 3

. . . 5 .
.
8 5
7 5
8 5
7 5
. B
. 8 7 5 7 8
.
B

THIS LICK has two notes on each string, so use down up style alternate picking. THIS TRIPLET feel lick has one note on the second string and five notes on the
Use the up and out motion as you change from the third string back to the second. third string. An up and out motion on the last note of the bar sets up the repeat.

40 FEBRUARY 2016
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

PLAY O U T S I D E T H E
15 T O N I C B O X
minute
technique PEN TA
The minor pen ta to n ic is a fan tastic-sounding sca
le
een the notes
etw
FIX 6 in s o m e g ap s b
on its own. TG fills pro-style edge
your solo s th a t
to give

T
he name minor pentatonic tells you a pentatonic scale as a framework, but add other THE MINOR
lot about this essential scale; there are notes for a more colourful, yet still blues-rock PENTATONIC SCALE
five (penta-) notes or tones (-tonic), sound. So you get the sound of the more Learn the all-important
and minor tells you that one of these notes is a unusual intervals, but without having to learn intervals and notes
minor 3rd, giving you a dark, moody sound loads more scale shapes.
much like minor chords. The likes of BB King The b5th interval is a good interval to start MINOR PENTATONIC INTERVALS
and Eric Clapton have played amazing solos adding to your pentatonic lines and the major 1 b3 4 5 b7
using just this scale. 2nd will almost always sound good. The major NOTES IN COMMON KEYS
However, you can take these basics a step 6th sounds nice in passing, but there are no A minor pentatonic: A C D E G
further. Players such as Joe Bonamassa and hard and fast rules. Weve written a lick to fuel E minor pentatonic: E G A B D
Kenny Wayne Shepherd use the minor your inspiration. D minor pentatonic: D F G A C

A MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE WITH OUTSIDE NOTES

THERE ARE a lot of notes here, but at the heart is the A minor pentatonic scale shown with black and red dots. Black dots are root notes and red dots are other notes from the
scale. Weve highlighted in green the outside notes that you can experiment with.

PENTATONIC / OUTSIDE NOTES LICK TRACKS 40-41

q.= 90
.~~~~~~ ~~~~
..
j
. ..
~~~~~~~ 5 ~~~~~~
T . 7
5 8 7 5 BU 5
5
8 7 5 .
B
.
7
7
5
7 5
7 (9) 8 7 5
7 4 7 .
THIS LICK is based around the notes in the scale diagram and is played with a funky 12/8 blues feel. As you play the lick, try to identify the notes taken from the scale and,
more importantly, those crucial outside notes. Take note of the sound and mood of the outside notes so you can apply them to your own pentatonic licks.

FEBRUARY 2016 41
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING
2016 MUSICAL GOALS
Write More Songs
Writing music is an ongoing process that never really
ends, but if you feel like youve been stuck in a rut,
nows the time to change that. Follow these tips and
youll be penning great music in no time
Change your routine
Writers block? Weve all been there.
Sometimes you just cant seem to come up
with anything inspiring on your guitar. So
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plugged in or unplugged, even your type
of plectrum. Small changes can make the
difference between hitting a brick wall and a
new way forward. A guitar holds an incredible
amount of potential, and sometimes its just
about hearing or approaching it in a different
way to untap it.
Give yourself limits
Sometimes, just getting started can be the
GLIFXOW SDUW WZR KRXUV ODWHUDQG\RXUH sections of a tune (verse, chorus, bridge). This
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without even coming up with so much as an
open chord. Try setting yourself challenges;
write a riff using only three notes, come up
with a single-chord groove, writing in a
certain style or even a time limit. Once you
start, it can quickly free up your creativity!
Manage your expectations
How often do you come up with a killer riff or
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take it any further because you cant think of
where to go next? One of the biggest problems
is setting standards too high. If you have a
brilliant riff, let the next part resolve to
something else. Not every part of a song needs
Dont get in the way of an idea
Your phone is your demo buddy; most have
an audio recorder meaning you always have
a means to capture your guitar or voice
quickly. Keep a stockpile of your ideas,
maybe even categorize them too, and play
them back when you have the time or
inclination to develop an idea. Soon youll
have a healthy stockpile to choose from.
42 FEBRUARY 2016
to be a hook, and theres
nothing wrong with using a
simple part. If anything,
youll need space for other
instruments and vocals.
Make decisions
If youre writing parts
regularly, chances are that you have a
scratchpad of ideas kicking around, these
could be written down, recorded on a phone
or computer, or committed to memory. Choose
one, and set aside some time to turn it into a
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details, just aim to end up with the main
way youll feel like youre getting somewhere,
DQGFDQFRPHEDFNWRWKHUHQHPHQWVDIWHU
Collaboration is underrated
Its quite amazing what can happen when two
musicians with ideas get together; you might
end up creating something bigger than your
separate parts. If youre in a band, try pairing
off with a member who is keen to contribute
and give yourself time for writing sessions.
Thats not to say the band wont write together
in the rehearsal room but the dynamic is
different. With less cooks in the kitchen you
might feel more relaxed sitting down
acoustically, presenting your ideas and trying
different approaches.
Learn other peoples songs
Theres a difference between listening to a
song you love (or even one you dont) and
learning to play it. You get inside the song and
learn about chord progressions and transitions
in a hands-on way that a book can never
convey. Try some of the established classics;
how are they strummed? How does the vocal
interact with the chords? Where are they
coming from lyrically? You can learn so much
while adding to your repertoire.
Road-test
You dont truly know how you feel about a
VRQJXQWLO\RXSOD\LWOLYHVRWU\SHUIRUPLQJ
it at the local open-mic night acoustically. You
PLJKWQGFHUWDLQSDUWVQHHGWZHDNLQJRUWKH
reaction to your song on the night might give
\RXWKHFRQGHQFHWRSXUVXHDQHZGLUHFWLRQ
with your writing. Acoustic is also a great test
of a song, of course if its grindcore that might
not be the case, but stripping a song down to
its essential layers shows its mettle. If it makes
a connection with you as a performer and
people in the audience, it will spur you on.
Keep writing
Sounds obvious but dont forget this; you
will only get better as a songwriter over time.
Pursue the good, the bad and the ugly ideas
DQG\RXOOGHYHORSDOWHU:LWKWLPH\RXOO
become more attuned to what ideas will end
XSEHFRPLQJQLVKHGVRQJVDQGZKLFKRQHV
are just dead ends. More of your songs will
become keepers And sometimes, even with
ideas youre initially uninspired by, going
back to them the next day might change
your perspective. Persist, because every step
you take is progress.
 TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING

15 L
egends such as Jimmy Page, Slash, Stevie Ray
Vaughan, Peter Green and others all use the
minor pentatonic scale extensively. And,
despite their differing playing styles, they all share

minute
one thing: they rarely confine themselves to just one
area of the fretboard.
The notes of the minor pentatonic scale can be
technique found all over the fretboard and are usually learned
as five different shapes covering all six strings. In this

FIX 7
lesson were simplifying things and spreading of the
five shapes over just three strings. Practise each
shape on its own, then take a look at the two licks
weve written to see how you can join the shapes

CONN E C T S C A L E together to cover the neck in a musical way.

Once you have learned both licks, you can combine
them into one longer line spanning all five shapes.
Weve supplied an extra audio example to
demonstrate how this sounds, as well as a backing

SHA P E S A C R O S S an d ex pand your soloing

track to practise over.

THE NECK
o ard
Explore the fretb k ing scale shapes
sso n on lin
with TGs le
SHAPE 2 SHAPE 4

FIVE SHAPES OF THE A MINOR

PENTATONIC SCALE

SHAPE 1 SHAPE 3 SHAPE 5

EACH OF the five shapes starts and finishes on a root note (marked with a black dot) and covers one octave of the A minor pentatonic scale. Play shapes 1, 2, 4 and 5
starting on your first finger; for shape 3, youll need to start on your fourth finger (or your third if you prefer). Take note of where notes are shared between shapes.

LICK BASED ON TRACKS 42-43 LICK BASED ON TRACKS 44-45

SHAPES 1 AND 2 SHAPES 4 AND 5

#
q = 80

..
~~~~~~
.. #
q = 80
3 .~~~~~
1 1
1
.. 1
1 ..
1

~~~~~~~
1

~~~~~~
3

T . . . 12 14 12 15 17
.
. .
James Fortune/REX Shutterstock

7 9 7 T 15 15 17 15

B 5 7
7 10 10 7 10
B
. 14
12 14 17 17
.

5 8

THIS LICK moves through shapes 1 and 2 of the scale. Try to keep track of the THIS LICK is based in shapes 4 and 5 and is best played using only your first and
shape youre in as you move up the fretboard. The final note is a first-finger slide third fingers. Use your first finger for the 12th fret notes until the slide (shown
to the 12th fret so you could say you are in shape 3 here. Were joining this lick up with a short diagonal line between two notes) sees you move up to the 14th fret.
with the next one so this slide helps with the change of position. Sliding is an easy way to make the position shifts easier.

FEBRUARY 2016 43