WILD STRINGDOM

PROG-STYLE SHRED RUNSMELODIC SHAPES SCALE AND ARPEGGIO PATTERNSUNUSUAL FRETBOARD PATHSAND MUCH MORE!

MASTER LEAD GUITARIST SHOWS YOU...

DREAM THEATER'S PROG-STYLE SHRED RUNSMELODIC SHAPES SCALE AND ARPEGGIO PATTERNSUNUSUAL FRETBOARD PATHSAND MUCH MORE!

MASTER LEAD GUITARIST SHOWS YOU...

DREAM THEATER'S

CONTENTSJOHN PETRUCCIis the cofounding guitarist of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Their new, self-titled album is out on Roadrunner Records.

WILD STRINGDOM

1 SHAPE UPRecognizing repetitive fretboard shapes on all string groups

2 SHAPE UP, PART 2Relocating familiar scalar patterns to different areas of the fretboard

3 MELODIC MODULESVisualizing melodic shapes on the fretboard

4 OPTICAL ILLUSIONSMoving across the neck in unusual ways to produce unique runs

5 THE POWER OF THREEUsing triad arpeggios to imply more complex chord qualities

6 POLY-SCIENCE Combining triad arpeggios to form polytonal chordal allusions

7 HOW TO PLAY FAST8 BETCHA CANT PLAY THIS! 9 MELODIC PUNCH

BONUS SECTION!

DALE MAYPHOTOGRAPHER

(0:33)

1

FIGURE 1

fingering:

N.C.(Em)

3 4 1 3

2

4

5

2

4 1 2 4

4

5

4

5

1 2 4 1

7

4

5

7

2 4 1 2

sim.

5

7

9

5

4 1 2 3

7 97 9

1 3 4 1

107 9 11

2 4 1 3

9 10 129

4 1 2

11 1210 12

(3:20)

4 1 2 4 1

1411 1214

2 4 1 2

1214 1612

4 1 2 4

14161416

1 2 4

FIGURE 2

alternate pick throughoutN.C.(Em)

1714 1617

2 3 5

2 3 53 5 7

3 5 75 7 8

5

7 97 8 10

7 9 108 10 12

9 10 1210 12 14

10 12 1412 14 15

12 14 1514 15

17

14 15 17

(3:59)

FIGURE 3N.C.(Em)

5 7 85 7 8

7 8 107 8 10

8 10 128 10 12

10 12 1310 12 14

12 13 1512 14 15

13 15

1714 15 17

15 17 1915 17 19

17 19

20

17 19 20

(5:13)

FIGURE 4N.C.(Em)

9 111210 12 13

11 12 14

12 13 15

7 9 11

8 10 12

5 7 97 8 10

4 5 7

5 7 8

2 4 53 5 7

6 6 6 6 6 6

(0:00)

FIGURE 5N.C.(Em)

2 3 52 3 5 2 3 5

2 4 5 2 4 52 4 5 2 4 5

3 5 7 3 5 73 5 7

3 5 73 5 7 3 5 7

4 5 7 4 5 74 5 7 4 5 7

5 7 8 5 7 85 7 8

Hello, and welcome to my Guitar World instructional

DVD. In these lessons, Ill share with you some of the guitar-playing concepts and approaches that have helped me develop my technique and overall playing style. Id like to start off this first chapter with an examination of ascending scalar shapes that, by design, cover the majority of the fretboard. I have found such patterns to be very useful for both melodic and shred-style playing and also very helpful in regard to the greater mission, which is to gain a fuller and deeper understand-ing of the construction of musical ideas within the framework of the guitars fretboard.

The following examples are built from phrases made up of three notes per string that are played across two strings, resulting in various six-note shapes. I play these shapes in a rhythm of straight 16th notes, however, so there is an inherent threes on twos kind of rhythm that is alluded to throughout.

All of the phrases in this lesson are based on the E natural minor scale (E Fs G A B C D), also known as the E Aeolian mode. In FIGURE 1, using alternate (down-up-down-up) picking through-out, I ascend the D and G strings, be-ginning on the note E on the D strings second fret, fretted with the index finger. I follow with two more notes on the D string, fretted with the ring finger and pinkie, and then I move over to the G string and play three ascending notes fret-ted in exactly the same mannerindex to ring to pinkie.

On the upbeat of beat two, I shift up to the next fretboard position of E natural minor and use my index finger, middle finger and pinkie to sound three notes per string on the D and G strings. A third six-note shape then appears when we move up one more time, with the index finger, middle finger and pinkie employed for the wider stretch needed for the subsequent pair of three-note shapes. Notice that, as you ascend through this riff, there are slight vari-ances in the shapes used on each spe-cific string in order to accommodate the notes of E natural minor.

If we move the idea down to the bot-tom two strings, as shown in FIGURE 2, we find that the same fretting shapes are used, albeit in a different sequence.

And the same is true when we move the idea up to the top two strings, as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Only three different physical shapes are used to form the three-note patterns, and this is good, be-cause it enables one to develop muscle memory in the fret-hand, which is immeasurably beneficial. THe only excepTion to this consistency of shapes occurs when playing similar patterns on the G and B strings. Thats because these two strings are tuned a major third apart, whereas the adjacent

strings in the other pairs are tuned a perfect fourth apart. As shown in FIGURE 4, one must move up an additional half stepone fretwhen crossing from the G string to the B. FIGURE 5 offers a clear-er representation of this B-string shift within a longer example that moves across all of the strings. Once you have these shapes under your fingers, experiment with moving them to every area of the fretboard, and then transpose the patterns to all 12 keys. dedicated, worthwhile practice ahead of you!

WILD STRINGDOM

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

SHAPE UP Recognizing repetitive fretboard shapes on all string groups

FIGURE 1Emalternate pick throughout

17 19 2017 19 20 20 19 17

20 19 17 15 17 1915 17 19 19 17 15

19 17 15

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

13 15 1714 15 17 17 15 14

17 15 13 12 13 1512 14 15 15 14 12

15 13 12

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

10 12 1310 12 14 14 12 10

13 12 10 8 10 128 10 12 12 10 8

12 10 8

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

7 8 107 8 1010 8 7

10 8 7 10 8 79 7 5 9 7 5

9 7 5 9 7 59 7 5

!9 7 5

8 7 5 0

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

FIGURE 2Em

9 11 1210 12 13 12 10 12 13 15

12 14 15 14 1215 13 12 15 13 12 10 13 12 10

12 11 9

FIGURE 3Em

9 11 1210 12 13 15 13 12 15 13 12 12 13 15

12 14 15 17 15 14 17 15 14 19 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

leTs conTinue with a topic that I addressed in PART 1: focus-

ing on the formation of specific scalar patterns, or shapes, and how to con-nect them while traversing the fretboard. To me, this concept and approach offer a sensible way to practice these ideas/patterns in order to build up ones chops while also increasing overall fretboard awareness and mastery of scales. The thing I like best about the licks Im going to show you is that they force you to look at the fretboard beyond playing in a fixed position, or box pattern, as the runs move in a more diagonal pattern across the fretboard, which is much more in line with the way that I actually ap-proach the instrument in regard to im-provisational soloing.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a pattern based on the E Aeolian mode (E Fs G A B C D) and is played in steady 16th-note trip-lets. When ascending and descending, the shapes are created by a three-notes-per-string approach while remaining diatonic to (within the scale structure of) E Aeolian. I alternate pick (down-up) throughout, starting on a downstroke. This exercise provides a great workout for both hands, in that the fret-hand fingerings change often, from index-middle-pinkie to index-ring-pinkie, and it requires a good amount of stamina and accuracy to alternate pick every note in this five-bar run with absolute precision and clarity. I recommend that you prac-tice it as slowly as possible at first, with strict attention paid to clear articulation of every note while striving to keep both hands as relaxed as possible. Then, grad-ually increase the tempo. Try to keep your fret-hand fingers arched over the strings, positioned so that the fingertips are coming down onto the board from directly above, as this will help you at-tain a sharper, more defined note.

Throughout the first three bars and through beats one and two of bar 4, the pattern that ascends on beats one and three is repeated in reverse, in de-scending order, on beats two and four. Spending a little extra time like this on each pattern/shape should facilitate the memorization of the pattern as well as provide an extra workout designed to bolster your technique. Because the patterns are played in reverse order on every other beat, the highest note is always repeated on the downbeat.

I like to accent these high notes the second time through by picking them a little harder, which serves to add rhythmic drive to the phrase. At the end of the pattern, beginning on beat three of bar 4, I repeatedly descend through a new pat-tern, one built from the repetition of the previous three-note melodic shape.

Now lets take a similar idea and apply it to straight 16th notes. In FIGURE 2, I play lines based on eight-note patterns in E Aeolian that ascend through the scale one degree at a time in that I follow the last note

of each eight-note cell by moving up to the next scale degree and starting a new cell. In FIGURE 3 I apply the same idea to the 16th-note-triplet rhythm shown initially in FIGURE 1.

Once you have a firm grasp of these patterns, try playing them in every area of the fretboard and on every group of strings that you can think of. If you then expand the exercise to other scales and modes, you will have many hours of dedicated, worthwhile practice ahead of you!

WILD STRINGDOM

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

SHAPE UP, PArt 2 Relocating familiar scalar patterns to different areas of the fretboard

FIGURE 1Em

7 9 107 910

9 10 129 11

12

11 12 14

12 13

15

FIGURE 2Em

7 9 107 9 10

3 3

9 10 129 11 12 11 12 14

12 13 15 15 13 1214 12 11 12 11 9

12 10 9 10 9 7

10 9 7

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

P.M.

FIGURE 3Em

7998

0 079

11

79

11

079

12 07912 0 7911 0 7912 7 91/2

109 9

P.M.

9 710 9 10 9 7

P.M. P.M. P.M.

FIGURE 4Em

7 9 109

1/2

9 710 9 9 7 7

1

7 9 10 10

1

10 10 10 10 9 7 9 7

!7

P.M.

99 7 10 10 9 7 9 10 7

1/2

9 9 9 5 7 5 7 7

0

P.M. P.M. P.M.

FIGURE 5E5

79

0 0

C/E

09

10

E5

0 0 0

sim.

79

0 0

A/E

0 77

E5

0 0 0 0

C/E

79

0 0

E5

710

0 079

0 0

A/E

0 077

C/E

0 0 0 07

10

0 0

P.M.

E5

0 079

79

7 9 107

10 9 7

C/E7 7 7

E5

710

7 7

FIGURE 6

0Em(add9)

79

7 7 79

1187

00790118

P.M.

P.M.

FIGURE 7Em

7 9 109

9 11 12 11 12 11 99

10 9 7

FIGURE 8*

*chord name represents implied harmony

Em

912

1012

912

710

79 9

129

111212

99

109

911

910

109

912

710

109

97

710

etc.

79

12

79

11

in THis cHapTer, ILL delve deeper into concepts for expand-

ing scalar ideas across the fretboard. As in previous chapters, Ill show how to move diagonally across the fretboard to connect scale positions, an approach that I employ to play melodic phrases and solos.

Lets start with phrases based on the E Aeolian mode, or E natural minor scale (E Fs G A B C D). FIGURE 1 details three three-note phrases, each played in a three-notes-per-string pattern, starting with the index finger. I begin in seventh position and play through the first six notes of E Aeolian. In bar 2, I shift up to ninth position and begin on the fifth de-gree of E Aeolian, B, sounding the notes B C D E Fs G. Finally, I move up to 11th position to begin on the second, or ninth, Fs, sounding the notes Fs G A B C D. The high D at the end of the phrase is use-ful, as it can easily be bent up one whole step, to the E root. Connecting all three patterns this way, I can move up the fret-board in a diagonal path that covers a lot of range.

A great way to practice this pattern is within a steady series of eighth-note trip-lets, as seen in FIGURE 2. Use alternate (down-up) picking throughout, and strive to make the position shifts seamless. Once you have these shapes for each six-note group under your fingers, you should be able to move freely from the A string to the D and G and back, using just your ear to guide the melodic phrases you create. Within the first six-note phrase, we have the notes of an E minor triad: E G B.

Now lets look at how we can apply notes from this series to create different chord types. In FIGURE 3, I demonstrate voicings of Em, Esus2 and another wide-stretch Em voicing from the notes found in this pattern. I can then play melodic fills based on it. FIGURE 4 offers a more expanded example of this concept.

Ill often use this approach to create chord-melody-type ideas, such as that shown in FIGURE 5. Here, Im using the open low E note as a pedal tone played against various two-note chords. I also like incorporating the ninth, Fs, into Em voicings, resulting in the wide-stretch Em(add9) shapes shown in FIGURE 6. FIGURE 7 puts a twist on this idea by adding the second, also Fs, to an E minor triad, E G B. Lastly, I use note combina-tions from the pattern to create a series of two-note chords that live in E Aeolian, as demonstrated in FIGURE 8.

WILD STRINGDOM

FIG. 1 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

FIG. 8

MELODIC MODULES Visualizing melodic shapes on the fretboard

FIGURE 1

0A5

022

fingering: 1

alternate pick throughout

2 4 1 3

12 13 1512

4 3 1 4

14 15 14 12

2 1 2 4

14 12 10 12

1 2 4

1410 12 14

2 1 4 2 1

12 10 12 10

2 4 1 2

9 10 129

4 2 1 4

10 12 10 9

3 1 3 4

10 9 7 9

1 2 4 2

108 10 12

1 4 2 1

10 8 10 8

2 4 1 2

6 8 107

4 2 1 3

!8 10 8 7

10

3

FIGURE 2Amsim.

4 3 1 4

12 1312 10

3 1 4 2

13 1210 15

1 4 2 1

13 121412

4 2 1 4

1016 1412

3 1 4 2

1514 1217

1 4 2 1

15 1417 15

4 2 1 4

14 1917 15

2 1 2

19 1715 17 17

as triplets

4

FIGURE 3Am

3 1 4

13 12 10

3 1 4

13 12 10

2 1 4

15 13 12

2 1 4

14 12 10

2 1 4

16 14 12

3 1 4

15 14 12

2 1 4

17 15 14

2 1 4

17 15 14

2 1 4

19 17 15

2 1 2

19 17 15 17

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

FIGURE 1

0A5

022

fingering: 1

alternate pick throughout

2 4 1 3

12 13 1512

4 3 1 4

14 15 14 12

2 1 2 4

14 12 10 12

1 2 4

1410 12 14

2 1 4 2 1

12 10 12 10

2 4 1 2

9 10 129

4 2 1 4

10 12 10 9

3 1 3 4

10 9 7 9

1 2 4 2

108 10 12

1 4 2 1

10 8 10 8

2 4 1 2

6 8 107

4 2 1 3

!8 10 8 7

10

3

FIGURE 2Amsim.

4 3 1 4

12 1312 10

3 1 4 2

13 1210 15

1 4 2 1

13 121412

4 2 1 4

1016 1412

3 1 4 2

1514 1217

1 4 2 1

15 1417 15

4 2 1 4

14 1917 15

2 1 2

19 1715 17 17

as triplets

4

FIGURE 3Am

3 1 4

13 12 10

3 1 4

13 12 10

2 1 4

15 13 12

2 1 4

14 12 10

2 1 4

16 14 12

3 1 4

15 14 12

2 1 4

17 15 14

2 1 4

17 15 14

2 1 4

19 17 15

2 1 2

19 17 15 17

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

FIGURE 1

0A5

022

fingering: 1

alternate pick throughout

2 4 1 3

12 13 1512

4 3 1 4

14 15 14 12

2 1 2 4

14 12 10 12

1 2 4

1410 12 14

2 1 4 2 1

12 10 12 10

2 4 1 2

9 10 129

4 2 1 4

10 12 10 9

3 1 3 4

10 9 7 9

1 2 4 2

108 10 12

1 4 2 1

10 8 10 8

2 4 1 2

6 8 107

4 2 1 3

!8 10 8 7

10

3

FIGURE 2Amsim.

4 3 1 4

12 1312 10

3 1 4 2

13 1210 15

1 4 2 1

13 121412

4 2 1 4

1016 1412

3 1 4 2

1514 1217

1 4 2 1

15 1417 15

4 2 1 4

14 1917 15

2 1 2

19 1715 17 17

as triplets

4

FIGURE 3Am

3 1 4

13 12 10

3 1 4

13 12 10

2 1 4

15 13 12

2 1 4

14 12 10

2 1 4

16 14 12

3 1 4

15 14 12

2 1 4

17 15 14

2 1 4

17 15 14

2 1 4

19 17 15

2 1 2

19 17 15 17

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

over THe years, people have noticed that when I play

certain runs, my fingers move in the opposite direction of the notes that they hear. For example, as my fret hand moves up the fretboard, the sequence of notes that is heard descends (and vice versa). For this chapeter, Ive put together a few runs that demonstrate this unusual approach as applied to both ascending and descending patterns. This kind of positional wizardry can be used to generate interesting melodic patterns that can be used in a variety of ways.

In FIGURE 1, I begin on the low E string in a high fretboard position and end on a high string in a lower position. The run is based on the A Aeolian mode (A B C D E F G), which is also known as the A natural minor scale and is interval-lically spelled 1 2 f3 4 5 f6 f7. The overall concept behind this line is a consistent progression of six-note groups, or cells, that move to different areas of the fret-board while remaining diatonic to (within the scale structure of) A Aeolian. The run is played in a rhythm of even 16th notes, which, due to its inherent four-note grouping, results in a more unusual melodic shape than if I had played the pattern in a triplet or sextuplet rhythm.

I begin by ascending through the first six notesE F G A B Cthen backpedal slightly and descend to the previous two notes, B and A, in alternat-ing fashion. The next six-note phrase begins on G, two scale degrees higher than the previous starting note, and con-sists of the notes G A B C D E, played in ascending form. Once again, I alternate between the last two notes in the same way, which sets up the beginning of the next six-note phrase, starting on B on the fourth strings ninth fret, which is two scale degrees higher than the previous starting point. This up-six, back-two pattern then repeats three more times, culminating on a high A root note. Be sure to use consistent alternate (down-up-down-up) picking throughout this figure, and, as always, strive for crystal-clear articulation.

In FIGURE 2, I begin on the high E string and work my way up the fretboard while descending gradually on each lower string, pitch-wise. Like FIGURE 1, this run is also based on A Aeolian/natural minor and six-note cells played in a 16th-note rhythm. After descending through the first six notesF E D C B

AI quickly shift up the fretboard to a note that is three scale degrees higher in the scale, D, and then repeat the descending six-note pattern. This second sequence ends on F (third string, 10th fret), so I be-gin the next six-note sequence three scale degrees higher, on B (third string, 16th fret). This process repeats three more times, culminating in a low A root note (sixth string, 17th fret). Again, alternate picking is utilized throughout, so strive for even and precise execution.

FIGURE 3 provides a clearer picture of the shapes used in FIGURE 2 by illustrating them as eighth-note triplets. Here, one can more easily see how the six-note pattern descends through the notes of A natural minor across two beats at a time. When playing the run in a straight 16th-note rhythm (rather than in an eighth- or 16th-note-triplet rhythm), be cognizant of the difference in feel and where the downbeats fall.

WILD STRINGDOM

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

OPtICAL ILLUSIONS Moving across the fretboard in unusual ways to produce unique runs

G major triad

E minor triad

FIGURE 1

78

7

!10 7

87

FIGURE 2

G 7 8 7 10 7 8 7 8 7 10 7 8 7 8

FIGURE 3

9

87

89

87

8

3 3

combining triads

!98

78

9

FIGURE 4

7 9

87

!10 7

89 7

0G6

3

243

7 9 8710 7

89 7 9

87 710 10 7

89 7

78 9 7 9 7 9

FIGURE 5

Em7

079787

7 98

710 78

9 7 98

7

3

710 10 7

89 7

78 9 7 79 7 9

FIGURE 6C6

8

798

12 14 13

12 15 1213

14

12

1314

3

12 1312 15 15 15 14 13 12 13

1213

FIGURE 7

Am7

15 13

5

5555

12 1413

12 15 1213

14

12 14

1312

3

1215 1512

131412

131412

1

13 131412 12

FIGURE 8Gmaj7

14 14

7

87 10 1410

1211 1211 7 8

9 10 1410

1014 1410

1211 712 11 7 9 9 7 7

FIGURE 9Em9

78

7 10 14 1012

11 78

7 10 14 10 1211

7 87 10 14 10

1211 11

FIGURE 10Gmaj13

7 98

7 10 14 1012

12 11 7

Gmaj13

03445

in THis cHapTer, Im going to demonstrate how one can utilize

simple triadic shapes and patterns in order to imply more complex and varied chord qualities. I find this to be a very cool and useful improvisational tool, because you can apply it to playing over either a chord progression that you want to outline me-lodically or over a static pedal tone or one-chord vamp over which you want to super-impose shifting harmonic colors.

Lets begin by outlining, and then com-bining, simple major and minor triads. FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate the notes of a G major triadG B Dplayed in seventh position. The relative minor triad of G major is E minor, and FIGURE 3 depicts an E minor triad played in the same posi-tion. Notice that both triads share two of the same notes, G and B.

The magic happens when we com-bine these two triads, and we can utilize and analyze the resulting sound within either a G major or an E minor context. FIGURE 4 shows the two triads com-bined, so in essence weve simply added the E note to the G major triad. Adding E, the sixth of G, implies the sound of a G6 chord. If we play the same pattern over an E minor tonality, the resultant chordal implication is Em7, as shown in FIGURE 5, and the single-note triadic-based phrases evoke a different harmonic impression.

Lets now apply this approach to a different tonal center. As shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the combination of the notes of a C major triadC E Gand an A minor triadA C Eresult in either a C6 sound, as shown in FIGURE 6, or an Am7 sound, as shown in FIGURE 7. The beauty of this exercise is that it demon-strates how the study of one theoretical concept and its associated single-note patterns can easily be applied to more than one tonal environment. On a grand scale, this means that the study of one idea can be applied to many different har-monic environments, yielding a broader understanding of music theory as well as heightening ones fretboard awareness.

Another great way to use this concept is to combine two different triads that are found within the same tonal center. For example, within the G major scale (G A B C D E Fs), one can build a series of seven different triads by starting from each note in the scale and adding thirds above the starting note while remaining

diatonic to (within the scale structure of) G major. If we start from B, the third degree of the G major scale, a B minor triad is formed by playing B D Fs, notes that are all thirds apart, as they occur within the G major. FIGURE 8 illustrates a phrase that

combines G major and B minor triads. We can then apply this approach to the relative minor of G, Em7, as shown in FIGURE 9. When looked at as a whole, combining G major and B minor triads im-plies a Gmaj13 chord, as shown in FIGURE 10.

WILD STRINGDOM

FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

FIG. 8

FIG. 9

FIG. 10

tHE POWEr OF tHrEE Using triad arpeggios to imply more complex chord qualities

F# diminished triad

FIGURE 1

57

5 8!

57

57 7

5

2

4 4

!3 2

D major triad

FIGURE 2

77

57

77

57

!77

57

7

FIGURE 3

N.C.(D)

10

1010

10

12

1011

12 1012 11 10

13 10

10 12

5 7 7 5 8 5 8 5 7 5 7 7 !5

7

5

1

7

1/2 1/2

7 7 77

57

5

7

5

7 2

3

A major arpeggio

FIGURE 4

0

12 810

910

8 12

!8

109

FIGURE 5

F#m75

9 1110

8 12 810

11

9

1011 11

F#m759 9

109

10

2

221

7 5 8 5 8 5 7 5 12 8 10 9 11 108 12

109 11

10

!

109 11 9

1

3 6

1

FIGURE 6

7

9

87 10

FIGURE 7

Em7

14

1012

12 11

19 !0

7

9

87 10

2 14

1012

12 !11

12

11 11

Am90

7557

sim.

12 1413

1215 19 1517

17 1617

16

!12 14 14

3 3

5

F#m75

9109

109 11

108 1215 12

1312 12

1312

1312

15 12

1312 9 11

108 12 8

1011

108 12

10

3 5 3 3

7

99 11 11 !11

G

1012

11 12 11

7 9

87 10 14 10

1211

1211

2 4

etc.

3

as i Have discussed in previ-ous chapters, I often use triadic

arpeggio forms within my riffs and solos as a tool to create rich-sounding, poly-chordal sounds. Id like to continue in that vein in this chapter by presenting different ways in which to move from one arpeggio form to another, using a series of specific triads that complement one another well.

Lets start with the triads Fs diminished and D major, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively. The Fs diminished triad is built from the notes C, Fs and A, and the D major triad is built from almost the same set of notes, D, Fs and A. Both FIGURES 1 and 2 show these triads as played in fifth position for comparison.

If I wanted to get a bluesy vibe, Id use the D major triad and combine it with the Fs diminished triad, as demonstrated in FIGURE 3. Here, the C note is heard as the f7 (flat seventh) of D, implying a D dominant-seven tonality.

Now lets try combining the Fs di-minished arpeggio with an A minor arpeggioA C Eas shown in FIGURE 4. The combination of these two sets of notes gives an Fsm7f5 arpeggio (Fs A C E: see FIGURE 5). These licks work well over an Am chord, as the inclusion of the Fs note, the major sixth of A, implies an Am6, A Dorianmode type of sound.

As you probably have noticed, all of these arpeggios are played on the top three strings, and I often like to incorpo-rate sweep picking when using arpeggios like this. FIGURE 6 illustrates a combina-tion of an Em7 arpeggioE G B Dand a Gmaj7 arpeggioG B D Fs. As denoted in the example, in order to sweep pick these arpeggio shapes properly, begin with an upstroke on the first note and then use a single downstroke to rake across the top three strings to play the next three notes. The form ends with another upstroke. I then slide up to 10th position and reverse the process, beginning with a downstroke and then using a single upstroke to rake across the top three strings, moving from high to low. FIGURE 7 offers an example of applying this approach to the chord progression Em7 Am9 Fsm7f5 Gmaj7.

6

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FIG. 1

FIG. 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 5 FIG. 4

FIG. 7 FIG. 6

POLY-SCIENCE Combining triad arpeggios to form polytonal chordal allusions

wHen i was firsT learning how to play fast, I emu-

lated guitarists like Steve Morse, Al Di Meo-la and Allan Holdsworth. The funny thing is that these players represent two totally different schools of thought when it comes to note articulation. Morse and Di Meola alternate-pick every single note in order to achieve a rhythmically driving staccato (percussive) attack, while Holdsworth picks as rarely as possible, relying mostly on fret-hand pull-offs and hammer-ons to sound the majority of the notes and achieve a soft-er note attack and a fluid, rolling soundwhats known as legato phrasing. Back in those early days, I thought you had to do one or the other, so I would practice picking every single note, like Steve and Al, and go into legato mode, like Allan, playing just about everything with just the left hand.

The fact is, I thought using hammer-ons and pull-offs was cheating, even though it did sound smooth and fast. I soon came to realize that its not cheating. Whats more, you can play a lot faster when you use a combination of alternate picking and lega-to phrasing. Just look at Eddie Van Halen, who combines these two approaches bril-liantly, and the late Shawn Lane, who was the king of playing in this style.

In this lesson Im going to show you some effective technical approaches to this way of playing and help you elevate your chops to the hyperspeed level. Ill start by demonstrat-ing a few different ways to combine alternate picking with hammer-ons and pull-offs, be-ginning with small, compact melodic shapes, and then build from there.

Heres an Yngwie Malmsteenstyle percussive lick thats articulated with alternate picking throughout (FIGURE 1a). Its based on a rhythm of 16th-note triplets, and the picking pattern is down-up-down, up-down-up for each pair of triplets. If I were instead to play the same lick picking only the initial note and sounding the rest of the notes with hammer-ons and pull-offs, it would sound like this (FIGURE 1b).

A great way to combine the two techniques with this note sequence is to pick the first four notes, ending on an upstroke, and then sound the last two notes with pull-offs (FIGURE 1c). End-ing the picking pattern with an upstroke allows you to snap the string against the fretboard and achieve a slap effect. This effect is much more effective in the higher register than the lower register. When played really quickly, ending on

WILD STRINGDOM

the upstroke creates a whipping sound. If you have enough gain (preamp distortion) and use your guitars neck pickup, as I like to do for this kind of lick, you get a fluttering kind of sound. Played this way, the lick sounds like its broken up into spurts, as opposed to hearing the evenly percussive attack of consistent alternate picking (FIGURE 1a).

Lets take this concept a bit further and build more licks using this approach while introducing some string crossing. Instead of playing the first note on the G string, lets begin the lick with a note on the D string (FIGURE 2). Start slowly and then build up speed gradually while striving to play as cleanly as possible.

A big part of being able to play this lick fast and

fingering: 4

FIGURE 1a alternate picking

1 2 4 2 1

*repeat prev. beat

*

7

4

5

7

5

4

= downstroke

= upstrokeFIGURE 1b legato (hammer-ons and pull-offs)

4grad. increase speed

1 2 4 2 1 4

7

4 5 7 5 4

1 2 4 2 1

7 4 5 7 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

FIGURE 1c combining picking and legato

grad. increase speed

7

4

5

7

5 4

FIGURE 2

4grad. increase and then decrease speed

1 3 4 3 1

5

2

4

5

4 2

3 3 3 3

3 4

!

FIGURE 3 trill between ring finger and pinkie

54

FIGURE 4

grad. increase speed

5

2

3

5

3 2

3 3

FIGURE 5a index-ring-pinkie

5

2

4

5

4 2

index-middle-pinkie

7

4

5

7

5 4

index-middle-ring w/stretch

9

5

7

9

7 5

3 3 3 3 3 3

FIGURE 5b

5

2

4

5

4 2

5

2

4

sim. *

* = shift

5

4 2

54 5 7 5 4

74 5

*

7 5 47

5 7

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

9 7 59

5 7 9 7 59

7 9 10 9 710

9 7

*

10 9 710

9 10

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

12 10 912

9 10

*

12 10 912

10 12 14 12 1014

10 12

*

14 12 1014

12 14

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

15 14 1215

12 14

*

15 14 1215

14 15 17 15 1417

14 15

*

17 15 1417

15 17

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

19 17 15 19 15 17*

19 17 1519

17 19 20 19 1720

17 19

*

20 19 1720

19 20

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

FIG. 1a FIG. 1b

FIG. 1c FIG. 2

FIG. 4 FIG. 3

FIG. 5b

FIG. 5a

HOW tO PLAY FASt How to take your playing into the hyper-speed realm.

BONUS SECTION!

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clean is to have good dexterity between the fret hands ring finger and pinkie, which is difficult to develop. An effective way to do this is to play hammer-on/trill exercises with these two fingers. Its a little grueling, but practicing licks that use this fingering combinationas opposed to favoring one thats easier to play with, such as the more commonly used index-middle-pinkie combination (FIGURE 4)is great for fret-hand dexterity. Ul-timately, you want to be able to do both with equal comfort.

Lets take this idea and move it up the fretboard in a series of alternating shapes, not necessarily staying diatonic (within a fixed scale structure) to one key. Here, Im using three shapes (FIGURE 5a): I begin with the index-ring-pinkie shape from FIGURE 4, followed by index-middle-pinkie, and then index-middle-pinkie with a stretch, covering a five-fret span, from the fifth fret to the ninth. When doing five-fret stretches higher up the neck, you can use an index-ring-pinkie fingering combination.

Play these three shapes in sequence, moving from second to fourth to fifth positions, and then start the pattern again, moving from seventh to ninth to 10th. Then play the sequence twice more, mov-ing from 12th position up to 20th, and then back down (FIGURE 5b).

At this speed, Im pretty much play-ing near the limit of how fast I can alternate pick. If I really wanted to go any faster, I could pick back by the bridge saddles and really get into it, but its much easier to instead use this hybrid approach of alternate picking combined with pull-offs. This tech-nique enables you to move up to the next level without putting too much strain on your picking hand. And equal-ly important, it sounds less strained.

Lets kick it up a notch and add more notes on the B string. This next pattern (FIGURE 6) alludes to a hybrid A Dorian/blues scale (A B C D Ef E Fs G. Here, Im playing three notes per string in fifth posi-tion using the index finger, ring finger and pinkie. You should be able to see that each successive shape presented throughout this lesson is built upon the previous tech-nique, so its imperative to work diligently on the first two shapes so that youll be able to execute this last one with speed and precision.

Once youve become comfortable with these patterns, try expanding upon the

22 20 19 22 19 20*

22 20 1922

20 22 24 22 2024

20 22 24 22 2024

20 22 24 22 2024

20 22

*

24 22 2022

19 20

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

22 20 1922

19 20

*

22 20 1920

17 19 20 19 1720

17 19

*

20 19 1719

15 17

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

19 17 1519

15 17

*

19 17 1517

14 15 17 15 1417

14 15

*

17 15 1415

12 14

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

15 14 1215

12 14

*

15 14 1214

10 12 14 12 1014

10 12

*

14 12 1012

9 10

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

12 10 912

9 10

*

12 10 912

7 9 10 9 710

7 9

*

10 9 79

5 7

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

9 7 59

5 7

*

9 7 57

4 5 7 5 47

4 5

*

7 5 45

2 4 5 4 25

2 4 5 4 25

25 4 2

5 3 25 4 3 0 0

2

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Freely

1

FIGURE 6

3 4 1 3 4

5 7 85 7

3 1 4 3 sim.

8 7 58 7 5 7 8

5 7

repeat prev. bar

8 7 5 8 7 5 7 8 5 7 8 7 5 8 7 5 7 5 7 5

5 5 5 5 5 3 3 3

Freely

FIGURE 7

8 7 5 7 8 5 7 8 7 5 8 7 5 7 8 5 7 8 7 5 8 7 5 7 8 5 7 8 7 5 8 7 5 7 8 5 7 8 7 5 8 7 55 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 3

7 57 5

7 57 6

57 6 5

8 5 53 5 4

5 33

53 0 4 0 5 0 6 0

5 0

75 7 5 6

77 6

57 6 5

1/2

4 5 3 3

1/2T

3 3 11

A5

02

ideas embodied in them by moving freely into more standard rock-type licks, such as this (FIGURE 7). After all the intense hours of diligent practice, the fun part comes in applying new techniques to freeform musical expression.

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

THis is a descending e Mixolydian [E Fs G A B C D] run

that moves across the strings and eventually down the neck in a cascading type of con-tour. Its based on a recurring nine-note melodic motif of three 16th-note triplets, with three alternate-picked notes followed by two double pull-offs.

I begin in ninth position with a fairly compact shape that spans the ninth to 12th frets. At the end of bar 1 and moving into bar 2, the fret hand shifts down two frets and spreads out to cover a four-fret span, from the seventh fret to the 11th. Use your first, second and fourth fingers to fret the notes. The fret hand quickly shifts down to a lower position at the beginning of bars 3, 4 and 5, so try to make these transitions as smooth and seamless as possible.

Make sure your pull-offs are loud and clear, and use the palm of your pick hand to mute the unused lower strings during bars 1 and 2.

WILD STRINGDOM

N.C.(E)

9

129 10 12 10 9

12 10 9

9

119 10 12 10 9

11 9 7

9

117 9 11 9 7

11 9 7

9

117 9 11 9 7

11 9 7

9

96 7 9 7 6

9 7 5

9

95 7 9 7 5

9 7 5

9

74 5 7 5 4

7 5 4

6

52 4 5 4 2

9

52 4 5 4 2

5 4 2 0

BEtCHA CANt PLAY tHIS! E Mixolydian cascading triplets

THis lick is a sequence of fast, descending arpeggios based on the

E Aeolian mode (E Fs G A B C D) and per-formed in a deliberate two-notes-per-string pattern. I use strict alternate picking throughout the entire lick, beginning on a downstroke.

When playing licks or melodies using two notes per string, many guitarists rely almost exclusively on their fret-hand ring and index fingers, even though the pinkie can more easily and comfortably reach most wide-interval stretches. If you find youre consistently shunning your pinkie during solos, I encourage you to follow my example and advice and practice this lick using your pinkie for the wide-interval stretch at the beginning of each arpeggio. Youll receive a great pinkie workout, after which you may begin to find yourself more at ease and sure-fingered when performing other licks incorporating wide-interval stretches. Fingering prompts in the notation illustrate my specific fret-hand fingerings.

WILD STRINGDOM

Two-notes-per-string ArpeggiosModerately Fast h = 140

Page 1/1

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Two-notes-per-string ArpeggiosModerately Fast h = 140

Page 1/1

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Two-notes-per-string ArpeggiosModerately Fast h = 140

Page 1/1

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MELODICPUNCH Two-notes-per- string Arpeggios