When I was a kid I used to transcribe solos of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Guns ‘n Roses, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, etc. And all those famous blues, rock, metal guitar players had one thing in common. They used repetitive guitar licks.
Repetitive licks create a sound that makes it seem like you’re playing really fast. Well maybe you do :) Besides that they just sound really cool. Those licks have made history.
The trick is to use them occasionally, but certainly not too often assuming that you want your solos to sound fresh and don’t want people to get bored out of their minds.
Use them in the middle of your solos when you are working towards a climax or you feel like you’re on a roll. Something like that.
The best way is to listen to those rock n’ roll guitar players and see how they incorporate them into their solos.
Try not just to copy these licks but also change them around a bit. Create your own repetitive licks. Explore and evolve those licks.
These licks are played using A minor or A pentatonic scale.
You can use them over an Am chord progression or a blues rhythm in the key of A.
I always keep repeating this, because I think it’s important. First play the licks slow and make sure you can play each lick perfectly clear before you build up speed.
Good luck!Continue Reading
I grew up listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan. My oldest brother was a big fan of Stevie and he introduced me to the wonderful world of blues and rock. He did not play guitar himself but he loved listening to guitar players all the time.
