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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

	Lick 23 Tablature Lick 23 mp3

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.

Check back tomorrow for Figure 24!

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