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• 101 Amazing Licks - Lick 40
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• 101 Amazing Licks - Lick 42

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.

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	Lick 43 Tablature mp3 Coming Soon

FIGURE 43

Origin: This pattern-based lick is an attention grabber to be sure. Check out some of Mike Einziger’s early work with Incubus or the solo break in Sugarloaf’s classic “Green Eyed Lady” for similar pattern-based madness.
Theory: Centralized around a Bm7b5 chord, this lick cycles through a series of unique melodic patterns based mostly on the tritone, or b5 interval. It eventually concludes with a nifty chromatic line that resolves on the tonic.
Playing Tip: When executing this lick, make sure to shift the position of your hand from 5th to 3rd position on the upbeat of measure 2.

Check back tomorrow for Figure 44!

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