Music Lessons: HOT LICKS!

by Leon

As guitarists we are instinctively drawn to 'hot licks', the lines, runs and melodies that our heroes use to define their own unique, idiosyncratic styles. We stand in awe as, with one note or many, they leave us in no doubt as to who we are listening to. But how do you go about developing your own style, creating the same effect on your listeners?

A good place to start is by learning the licks of your heroes, which can be achieved in many ways – through transcription directly from recordings by ear, transcription books that can be bought at any good music shop (or online), guitar magazines, etc. However, this is where many guitarists will stop. They learn their hero's licks, and when it comes time to write or improvise a solo, the licks get stuck in verbatim, resulting in a lack of overall melody and flow and often sounding tired and clichéd.

The next step along the path to your own style is analysis of each individual lick you have learnt. Check out the melodic contour, the intervals between each pair of notes, the inflections (e.g. bends, slides, vibrato, slurs) used, how the notes used relate to the overall harmony, and everything else you can think of. This will allow you to determine what made the lick so appealing to you in the first place. For example, Steve Vai makes extensive use of slides in his playing, an inflection I love and regularly use in my own licks.

When you have worked out what makes your favourite lick tick, it's time to mess around with each concept you've picked out. For example, you might like the sound of 4^th intervals, so why not pick a starting note and the 4^th above it, and play anything you like, however you like, using those two notes? Or you might make up licks that ascend quickly before suddenly dropping a 5^th from the highest note. Or maybe a lick that slides all over the place matches the feeling of confusion resulting from so much analysis. Whatever – the point is, you now have a direction in which to take your playing, new areas to explore. And the more you follow this path, the closer you will get to discovering your own individual voice on the instrument.

So now you know what you like in a lick, and you have some brand new concepts you want to explore. At this point I recommend getting a hold of some backing tracks over which you can improvise and try out your ideas, allowing you to hear how they sound in relation to different harmonic backdrops. Programs like Band In A Box, or any music software that allows MIDI sequencing (I use Logic – if you have a PC.....get a Mac! ;) ) allow you an incredible amount of freedom (completely unlimited in the case of Logic) to create and play with your very own personal backing band. Recording your own rhythm playing is also an option, or buying books with backing CDs, and even......getting out of the bedroom and playing with others! Seriously though, this last point is absolutely crucial in developing yourself as a well-rounded musician – all the hot licks in the world won't get you anywhere if you can't play with other people.

Finally, after much analysis, experimentation and jamming, you will come out with licks that will define you as a player much more effectively than mere repetition of your favourite player's ideas. They will define you because you created them. It might take some time, but don't be discouraged – you will get there. And the journey doesn't have to end at this point. Using the above method you can create as many licks and variations as you like. You are only limited by your own imagination.

A great idea (recommended by session ace Carl Verheyen) is to create your own 'lick book' – a tab/manuscript book in which you can write down every lick idea you have. This is a fantastic tool that allows you to see how your licks have developed over time, as well as acting as a dictionary (licktionary?) for your own personal playing vocabulary.

I hope you have as much fun discovering new and exciting ways to express yourself with the information in this article. Remember, there are no limits to what you can do – and if it sounds good to you, it is good!

My related items:

• The Great Debate - Technique And Theory VS 'Feel' And Using Your Ear