We all
know a great lick when we hear one—Jimmy Page’s solo breaks in “Whole
Lotta Love” and Mark Knopfler’s blistering triads in “Sultans of Swing,”
for example. Moments like these grab your attention and aurally brand
your ears forever. Or, sometimes it acts more subliminally: You suddenly
find yourself playing a certain lick over and over again, wondering,
Where have I heard this before?
Through the years, these licks
have evolved into a vocabulary for the guitar. And like great writers
who are always able to find the right word to make a point, great
guitarists always have that essential lick at their disposal to express,
in the moment, what they’re feeling. And whereas the best writers are
able to string those words together to form remarkable prose, the best
guitarists link their licks to form living, breathing, musical
statements.
We called upon our mighty stable
of instructional writers to assemble these 101 Amazing Guitar Licks,
spanning over eight decades and ranging from rock, metal, and blues to
jazz, country and bluegrass. Regardless of what style music you play, it
will do your ears and your chops good to go through each of these licks.
Learn them, master them, and keep them on file for the next time you’re
looking for just the right way to say what’s in your soul.
ROCK
FIGURE 23
Origin: This lick
has been heard in so many songs that it’s impossible to pinpoint an
origin, but its most famous rendering is without a doubt Jimmy Page’s
climactic end to his solo in Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.”
Theory: This lick contains the 5th, b7th, and 4th scale
degrees of the A minor pentatonic scale (A–C–D–E–G). Typically, after
playing this lick, you should resolve to the root (A).
Playing Tip: Practice playing this lick with your 3rd
and 2nd fingers on frets 8 and 7, respectively, as well as with your 4th
and 3rd fingers on frets 8 and 7, again respectively.
