Stretch It !
(26 Jun 02)
More examples
What to do, Skipper ?
So weīre trying to avoid repeating notes. How are we gonna accomplish that ?
The most logical way would be to approach the scale in the way I described before, playing 3 notes on one string, one on the next adjacent string, then three again etc. I think this is pretty uncomfortable though ( although you should feel free to experiment with it... you will soon realize that all youīre getting is a regular pentatonic scale played in an awkward fashion ). So what are we gonna do ? Well, letīs skip strings !
Take a look at the next example:
This isnīt easy to play, cuz it incorporates some wide stretches ( remember to warm up ! ) and string-skipping ( which is a technique that is tough to master at high speeds ! ).
But what you get is a series of cool intervals: HUGE intervals. And that was what really attracted me to the stretch-pentatonic. It avoids the typical intervals we guitarists tend to use, instead we get some big interval leaps ( after all, the guitar is actually an instrument that makes leaps like that pretty easy ! ) I like the sound of the example above, itīs kinda dramatic sounding and is great to start or end a solo. BTW, Richie Kotzen used licks like that quite a bit.
Now, lets make a variation of the previous exercise and speed it up a bit !
Hereīs the next one, example no.4
This time we should pay attention to how we are playing those notes. I prefer to play this kinda stuff with a lot of hammer onīs, which also makes the string-skipping part easier. Pay attention to the picking directions, weīre using "outside picking" here.
Try this one with different patterns of the stretch pentatonic, and in different keys !
The next lick consists of two parts. Itīs in D Major. Part 1 is an ascending scale ( weīre a bit lower on the neck though, so the stretches are a bit wider and therefore harder to do ! ), the second half is the descending version, in a different pattern of the same scale.
Ascending:
Descending:
Sounds pretty good, huh ?
Take your time with those, try to incorporate them into your regular playing. I really enjoy those wide interval leaps, they add an interesting color to our lick-repertoire !
OK, now comes a REALLY tough one !!!
If you tried playing the previous example, and if you know some of Paul Gilberts licks, it might have reminded you of the scary intro of Mr. Bigīs "Colorado Bulldog" a bit.
Well, Paul used the stretch pentatonic to play that intro, and he once said that it was most likely the hardest thing he ever came up with.
So here we go, this is the intro of "Colorado Bulldog". Key is E Minor, the tempo is 140 bpm.
Gee, thatīs a tough one, huh ?
But I think it sounds really cool. Experiment with different patterns & keys as well as different fingerings and different ways to pick the notes...
Now, letīs get to the really scary stuff... ( Ha ! I thought "Colorado Bulldog" was tough enough already *grin* )
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