Lick of the Day: Faux Octavia Lick by Paul Riario, Sponsored by Guitar ToolKit 2.0

The Octavia was a stomp box that generated a pitch one octave higher than the actual note. It had a distinct sound and was popularized by Jimi Hendrix in the solo of the song "Purple Haze."

In this bluesy, straight-up minor pentatonic, Kenny Wayne Shepherd-esque lick, I emulate the sound of the Octavia by employing pinch harmonics throughout. The key, though, is to execute the pinch harmonics in such a way that they don't completely overtake the fundamental (the original pitch), but rather so that you can hear the fundamental and the harmonic simultaneously.

The tempo is 145 beats per minute, 81 for slow practice.

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