improvisation bootcamp
Repeating Guitar Licks: Monster Repeating Licks for Rock and metal Guitar!
Learn how to easily create dozens (even hundreds) of awesome sounding repeating guitar licks to use for high energy solos. Repeating guitar licks are an easy and effective way to create exciting, high energy guitar solos and we hear them used by all the great rock and metal players like Slash, Vai, Page, Rhoads – pretty much all of ’em use some repeating licks in their solos.
But how can you come up with your own awesome repeating licks?
Well stay tuned because in this video I’ll show you an easy way you can create ear catching repeating rock licks from our old friend the blues scale!
SORRY, THEROCK JAM PACK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE!
Repeating Guitar Licks – How To Make Your Own Awesome Repeating Rock Licks!
0:15 Repeating licks demo. Hear me solo using some repeating licks similar to the ones I’m going to show you in this guitar lesson.
1:00 In this lesson I’m going to show you how to take one simple repeating lick and create lots of simple and logical variations on it. This is a great way to build out a guitar style because you’ll see how you can easily start to make up new licks and ideas simply by reworking things you already play and know…cool!
1:15 Here’s how you can play the A blues scale pattern down at the 5th fret. Also I show you how to modify it slightly to give a ‘symmetrical blues scale’ shape. This is great for repeating licks because the fingering is the same on every string making it easy to adapt a lick to other string sets.
3:00 Repeating Lick 1. Here I’m going to show you a simple repeating lick. This will be the starting point for the other repeating licks we’ll create during this lesson.
3:54 This repeating lick is cool…but how can we change it to create a new repeating lick. The symmetrical scale pattern we’re using makes this pretty easy. In this example I’ve just moved it onto the B and high E string.
4:38 String skipping can be a cool way to ‘open up’ a repeating lick and create a new idea. Here we skip the B string to get a dark, bluesy repeating lick. Watch the string skipping. It might test out your fretting hand!
5:45 Extending the original repeating lick is a cool way to create a new idea. We’re going to extend it into a lick that lasts for 4 beats instead of 1 beat. This high energy repeating lick is heard in the playing of guys like Zakk Wylde.
7:03 This repeating lick can easily be transferred to the top two strings like we did before. This is how easy it can be to create your own repeating licks – it doesn’t need to be complicated to work!
7:32 String skipping can open this lick up nicely too. Here we can skip over the B string to create a cool string skipping repeating idea which will sound great in your solos.
9:09 All these repeating licks are simply variations on the original starting lick. This what’s so cool…you’re building new licks by looking at what you can do with the starting note. With a little imagination the sky is the limit. You can create dozens or hundred of new repeating licks (and non repeating licks too). If you add the G string 7th fret back in then even more possible repeating licks emerge. How awesome is that?
Get creative, experiment and above all…have fun. See you next time!
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Double Stops Moves: Essential Technique for Killer Rock Licks!
Learn some killer rock double stops moves and slip them into your solos. Create new licks with this awesome technique like the Rock guitar masters, such as Slash, Angus Young, Zakk Wylde and others!
Today I’ll show you:
- Double Stop lick 1. Using the common double stop we hear on the top 2 strings. It’s using a common bend and double stop combination before finishing with a little blues scale run.
- Double Stop Lick 2. This one is one of Angus Young’s favorites. You can find it in a lot of his solos. You’ll notice that it’s using a note which isn’t in the blues scale shape but normally works great when we add it in.
- Double Stop Lick 3. This one is very used by Slash, Zakk Wylde and a lot of other great guitar players. Watch the fingering on this and use whichever option seems best to you.
- Double Stop Lick 4. It takes a little practice and strength to get this bend happening but it’s worth the effort. Notice how I’m re-picking the bend whilst holding it up and also damping it off to stop it ringing out too much.
With these double stop moves, you can experiment and create some new cool licks. They will help you to power up your solos and make them sound cooler!
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Create killer rock guitar licks with these essential double stops moves! Perfect for high energy rock and metal solos. This double stops guitar lesson will show you exactly how to do this using double stops from Slash, Angus Young, Michael Schenker, Zakk Wylde and others!
Double Stops moves Guitar Lesson for Killer Rock Guitar Licks!
Here’s what you learn in this guitar lesson:
00:07 Hear me jamming using some of the double stops I’ll show you in this lessons.
0:35 Double stops – what are they? A double stop is simply two notes played together on the guitar, kind of like a ‘mini chord’. They give a chordal sound to your rock solos and break up the sound of ‘single note’ licks and runs to create cool contrast.
1:00 Let’s look at a set of essential double stops and a sample lick from each one to give you some ideas for double stop licks of your own.
1:15 Here’s a reminder of how to play the A blues scales down at the 5th fret.
1:32 Double stop lick 1. Using the common double stop we hear on the top 2 strings. It’s using a common bend and double stop combination before finishing with a little blues scale run. A favourite of most of the great players from Chuck Berry to Vai!
3:48 Double Stop Lick 2 – This is a favourite of Angus Young! It’s using a note which isn’t in the blues scale shape but normally works great when we add it in. Try throwing this into your solos…it’s got a wicked punchy sound to it.
5:55 Double Stop Lick 3. Here’s a cool double stop bend which will be an awesome addition to your lick library. Watch the fingering on this and use whichever option seems best to you. Once you get used to using this double stop try digging in to create a gritty, aggressive sound to it.
6:48 Double Stop Lick 4. Check out this common double stop bend. It takes a little practice and strength to get this bend happening but it’s worth the effort. Notice how I’m re-picking the bend whilst holding it up and also damping it off to stop it ringing out too much.
9:20 Double Stop Lesson Tips
Learning these licks is a good start but make sure you take each double stop out and experiment with jamming out some of your own ideas. This is essential! Also notice where the double stops are found in the scale so you can easily find them when you move the scale around to different keys.
Have fun with ’em and see you next time!
GRAB YOUR FREE ROCK JAM PACK INCLUDING THE LESSON BACKING TRACK, ESSENTIAL SCALES (YOU NEED TO KNOW!), LICK LESSONS AND MORE!
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Learn This Classic Jimi Hendrix Double Stop Lick!
Jimi Hendrix Style Double Stop Lick: ‘Double Stopper’
Lesson 2 in my Jimi Hendrix guitar licks series. This is similar to what Jimi Hendrix plays at the start of his classic ‘All Along the Watchtower’ solo. This lick uses trademark Jimi Hendrix double stops and is a cool addition to your guitar lick bag. So let’s jump in and check out the this Jimi Hendrix lick!
0:15 Here’s the Jimi Hendrix lick you’ll learn in this guitar lesson.
0:29 The lick comes from the C# blues scale played up around the 9th fret. Here’s the scale pattern Jimi Hendrix is using for this particular lick.
0:45 Jimi Hendrix used to tune his guitar down one fret remember! So if you hear this lick played on the recording to ‘All Along the Watchtower’ it’ll sound 1 fret lower than it does here (because I’m in standard tuning!)
0:59 Jimi Hendrix Lick chunk 1. Here’s how to play the first set of double stops at the start of the lick.
1:52 Jimi Hendrix lick chunk 2. Here’s how to play the second part of this guitar lick. Notice all the cool double stop bends…take ’em and make sure you’re using these in your own playing.
2:09 Jimi Hendrix lick chunk 3. Here’s how to play the next part of this guitar lick. More double stops! Take these and experiment with making up your own guitar licks using these as a starting point
2:28 Here’s the complete lick played slowly.
2:51 Here’s the Jimi Hendrix lick played over the backing track now.
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IMPROVISING IN MAJOR KEYS WITH THE MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE
We’ve devoted quite a lot of time in Improvisation Bootcamp to using minor scales like the minor pentatonic scale.
But what do you do if you need to improvise in a major key? Play all your minor scale licks in this situaton… and it could sound horrible!.
Don’t worry…because in this lesson you’ll learn how to play and use the major pentatonic scale. It’s just like the minor pentatonic…but it works over major chords and keys.
You’ll learn:
- Two ‘must know’ major pentatonic scale patterns (you probably already play…without knowing it!)
- How to know when it’s the best scale to use (so your licks fit the chord sequence perfectly!)
- Essential major pentatonic ‘lick fragments’ you can easily use to create hundreds of amazing sounding major pentatonic licks
- 3 complete licks to learn and use for smoking major key solos (demonstrated and taught step-by-step for fast learning)
Any questions just put them in the ‘question form’ in the Members Only Area.
Have fun!
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In the last Improvisation Bootcamp lesson we looked at how to play the minor pentatonic scale using the ‘shape 4’ pattern.
You saw how to play it, how to move it to other keys, as well as a powerful way to really nail the scale shape.
If you missed Part 1 of this lesson then you might want to check it out first:
In this lesson I’ll show you 5 essential moves you need to know to use this scale shape effectively.
You’ll learn:
- Essential bends for cool position 4 licks
- A wicked sounding little double stop move…sounds awesome in blues,rock,metal and even country!
- How to use a ‘hidden’ minor triad shape to give your licks a strong melodic framework..
- And a whole lot more…
Any questions just put them in the ‘question form’ in the Members Only Area.
Have fun!
Would You Like the Expanded Improvisation Bootcamp(with special features!) PLUS Loads of Awesome NEW Training? Then Check Out My TOTAL GUITAR LAB Academy!
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Welcome to another Improvisation Bootcamp Lesson…
In this lesson we’re going to look at how to bust out of that first minor pentatonic scale shape we all use so much…by learning how to use ‘shape 4’ minor pentatonic.
This is an easy way to start covering a new area of the guitar neck when you play.
This video will show you:
- How to play the ‘shape 4’ minor pentatonic pattern
- What you need to know to be able to move this scale around into all keys (easier than you might think!)
- The best way to learn a scale pattern quickly (it really works!)
- Confused about when you can use this pattern in your solos? Let me sort out the confusion for you (so it doesn’t hold you up!)
Look for the follow up lesson next week for all sorts of great ideas for how to use it ( bends, double stops, triads and more) …to help you sound like a minor pentatonic master when you use this pattern!
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Here’s what’s in this lesson:
- 0:46 Here’s how you play the shape 4 minor pentatonic pattern in the key of E.
The root note is on the A string in this pattern…very important to know this!
- 0:46 Here’s how you play the shape 4 minor pentatonic pattern in the key of E.
- 2:36 Learn how to move this scale around the fretboard and use it to improvise in any key. For this you need to know the notes on the A string. Don’t worry if you don’t know them yet…we’re going to go through them here.
- 5:03 Here’s a great tip for learning the scale pattern…fast!
- 6:54 So which pattern should you use – shape 1 or shape 4?
Here I answer this really common question I hear a lot about using different scale patterns…if you’re confused by this, let’s end it now.
- 6:54 So which pattern should you use – shape 1 or shape 4?
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How To ‘Groove’ Like a Pro!
(master this and 10x your soloing power!)
Welcome to another Improvisation Bootcamp lesson!
In this video we’re going to look at possibly the most important and overlooked area of playing guitar – rhythm.
Simply put, how good your rhythmic feel is determines how awesome your playing sounds – so it’s a good idea to focus on nailing the groove when you play.
But think about it, when was the last time you saw a guitar magazine or YouTube video all about improving your rhythmic feel?
Probably never!
Flashy, popular topics like sweeping, tapping and ‘celebrity’ licks get all the attention…but without a great rhythmic feel none of that stuff even sounds any good.
In this lesson I’ll show you how to get ahead of the game by nailing the rhythmic groove in your playing.
You’ll learn:
- How to practice with drum loops to help you really ‘zoom in’ on your rhythmic feel
- The three most important rhythmic groupings you need to focus on to supercharge your rhythm
- How to make the leap from rhythmic exercises to soloing with great rhythmic feel every time
So dive in now and hear the difference in your playing…straight away!
Would You Like the Expanded Improvisation Bootcamp(with special features!) PLUS Loads of Awesome NEW Training? Then Check Out My TOTAL GUITAR LAB Academy!
Play along to the DRUMLOOPS I use in the lesson! Listen here:
Here’s a breakdown of what we look at in this video:
- 0:45 What is meant by ‘groove’?
- 1:17 Here’s a great way to develop your groove and rhythmic feel when you solo. See me demo the general idea before we look at how you can use this in your playing.
- 2:45 Quarter notes. Playing common rhythmic ‘groupings’ can super charge your groove. Here I demo this by improvising just with quarter notes.
- 3:46 Here I demo the same approach using eighth notes.
- 5:30 Now we’re going to look at playing tripet rhythms and groupings.
- 6:49 Now it’s your turn! Here’s a short workout you can do over the drum loops I give you with this lesson.
- 8:32 Now we’re going to break out of this ‘mechanical’ approach and see how we can start to mix things up a bit. This is more like how you’d actually play on a gig or at a jam session.
- 9:15 Here are some general practice tips and ideas about how you can use this in your practice routine.
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Expand Your Soloing Power
with
‘The Octave Shift Technique’
Use this simple ‘octave shift’ device to play over more of the guitar neck, create better phrasing and catchier, more interesting solos!
It’s a simple trick…and you might know something about it already…but do you use it in your improvisations?
And if you are…could you do more with it?
In this EXCLUSIVE Members Only lesson you’ll learn:
- What is the ‘octave shift’ technique?
- How you can use it easily and straight away to create more variety and interest in YOUR solos
- 3 simple ways you can start using it today (with what you already know)
- How you can use it to create a ‘mirroring’ effect in your solos (sounds great!)
So check it out now and see how this simple trick can really open up your playing…
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Here’s a breakdown of what’s covered in this lesson:
- 0:42 The ‘Octave Shift’ Technique is basically the idea that anything you play on your guitar can be duplicated 12 frets higher or lower on the guitar neck. Scales, licks, arpeggios – anything!
- 1:11 See how you can move a simple lick up an octave to make it sound different.
- 2:09 One cool exercise is to practice playing a whole solo up an octave. You probably wouldn’t do this on a gig or recording but it’s a great way to focus on learning this skill. Here me demo this here.
- 2:52 ‘Mirroring’ Phrases Up an Octave – exercise and demo.
- 3:53 Start Low…Then Move Up – exercise and demo.
- 4:42 Switching Freely Between Octaves – just experiment with the general idea to learn how you like to use it in your playing.
Remember…
No James Shipway Guitar Member is left behind!
Any questions or confusion…leave it in the Members Only area question box!
Have fun and see you next time 😉
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How To Use
‘Call & Response’ Phrasing In Your Solos
(like all the guitar legends do!)
A big hello to all Members,and welcome to another Improvisation Bootcamp lesson.
In this lesson I’m going to show you how you can start to get some super cool ‘call and response’ phrasing into your playing.
‘Call and Response’ can make a HUGE difference to the sound of your solos…and it isn’t hard to do!
In this lesson you’ll learn:
- What is meant by ‘call and response’ phrasing?
- How you can start easily getting some call and response phrasing into your playing.
- How using short phrases of a similar length can help you to create call and response in your solos.
- One simple device which can help you become a ‘call and response’ maestro!
PLUS more…
The approaches I teach you in this lesson made an enormous difference to my playing after a great teacher I had explained them to me a few years back.
I’m pretty sure you’ll find the same…so dive in and discover the wonderful world of call and response..
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Here’s a breakdown of what’s covered in this video lesson:
- 0:23 Call and response is a tried and tested way to give your solos structure and identity.
- 0:52 What is meant by ‘call and response’ phrasing?
- 1:35 Here’s a quick and spontaneous example of what call and response sounds like!
- 2:33 Hear me demo this over a 12 bar blues in G. I’m going to ‘overuse’ it here to make it super clear.
- 4:00 Here are 3 guidelines and suggestions for easily getting some call and response into your playing. Here me demo each one.
- 4:08 Start by using short phrases of a similar length. This makes it much easier to create call and response.
- 5:10 Use repetition in your ‘call’ phrase to set up ‘expectation’ that an answer is on its way. A repaeted note or bend works great.
- 6:26 Play contrasting phrases. For example a low phrase answered by a high phrase. See demo! This can really set up the call and response effect.
- 8:00 Here’s what to do to get the most out of this lesson and start playing great call and response ideas of your own.
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Play More Powerful Solos
Using Simple Repetition!
Do you want to play guitar solos that:
- sound more musical?
- tell a story (instead of just rambling)?
- sound more like your guitar idols when they play?
Repeating phrases, licks, rhythms and ideas can transform a guitar solos from a series of rambling, random notes…into an awesome sounding ‘mini composition’ which shows of your musical creativity!
In this Improvisation Bootcamp lesson you’ll learn some simple and straightforward ways to harness the power of repetition in your solos…right away.
So dive in and prepare to be amazed by the difference you’ll hear in your guitar solos…have fun!
Would You Like the Expanded Improvisation Bootcamp(with special features!) PLUS Loads of Awesome NEW Training? Then Check Out My TOTAL GUITAR LAB Academy!
Here’s a breakdown of this video:
- 0:00 In this lesson we’re going to investigate how you can start to use repetition in your solos. Simply repeating a phrase in your solo might sound basic, or stupid – but the results can sound amazing.
- 0:58 Why you should use repetition in your soloing and what it can do for your solos.
- 2:00 Repetition exercise.
I’ll demo this over a 12 bar blues in the key of G. Basically I’m playing a phrase, leaving a little gap, and playing it again. This gets you used to using repetition in your playing.
- 3:25 Here’s the exercise demonstrated over a rock backing track.
- 4:55 How to start getting a bit more creative with repetition. Here’s how you can stop it sounding ‘like an exercise’.
- 6:15 Here’s what to do next.
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