Making some shred cliches easier by changing one note

Playing Technique
#1

I’m going to explain this with two examples, because sometimes a tab is worth a thousand words :slight_smile:

My initial idea was to modify some double-escape licks to make them playable with single-escaped pickstrokes (e.g. in my case I like downstroke escapes the most). Ideally, one only changes a small number of notes that don’t fall on the beat, so as to give a very similar feel to the original lick.

Example 1: Vinnie Moore descending 6s

Original (mixed escape)

-8-7-5------- Repeat
-------8-7-5-

Single-escaped version

-8-7-5-----5- Repeat
-------8-7---

Example 2: Petrucci’s circular 5s

Original (mixed escape)

-----------5-7-8-7-5- Repeat
-8-7-5-7-8-----------

Single-escaped version

-----------5-7-8-7--- Repeat
-8-7-5-7-8---------5-

what do you people think?

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The struggles with upward pickslanting/downward escape motion
#2

I think it’s a great idea, if you could just continue on and do every other lick ever that would be great.

I’m still waiting for someone to write out all the possible permutations for 5 and 7 note patterns (in a single position with 3 fretted notes) as well.

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#3

Fantastic idea and concentrates on the core: music and fun and the idea of just doing cool things without worrying about technique (and here without directly copying already existent licks)!
Always a nice method is the good old built-in legato note, too. It is then not a changed note, but a little different sound flavor. But his is already discussed here enough. Anyways, I am sure everyone just wants to plug in and play! So, nice ideas!

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#4

that’s a lot of permutations :smiley: maybe easier to write a code for something like this!

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#6

long story short, (in general) taking a 6 note phrase that is 3 nps and changing it to 4nps and 2notes on the other string. Changing from on odd number per string to an even number

of course the idea would apply to other numbers of notes

I sort of went thru a phase of this right before I ran across CTC. I absolutely hated attempting to go to a new string with an upstroke so I made some licks that avoided it.

Even if we are 2 way slanters i feel it is a great idea to make some fast 1 way licks as they can be your fastest and smoothest licks

the blues note can come in handy in this regard too…for example a nice one way lick in A aeolian with blues note

B-----------------------5–8 bend etc
G---------4–5--7–8
D—5–7

or even better:

B-------------------------------5 etc
G---------4–5--7–5--7–8
D—5–7

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#7

God damn Tommo you’re smart as fuck

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#8

dont like 3nps stuff? no problem

uwps, add one blues note. I just slide down with the 1st finger on the b string from 12 to 11

its sort of a uwps cousin of the Black Star lick. Its in eminor, ends on f# note which sort of leaves it hanging and ready to go into another phrase

the first 4 notes can be looked at as pick up notes…the real pattern is starting on the 5th note, the 12th fret e note. you see its a nice desc pattern in 16ths

e—12–14–15–14–12------------------------------------------
b-----------------------------15–13–12–11------------------------------------
g-------------------------------------------------14–12–11–9-----------------
d--------------------------------------------------------------------12–10–9--7
a-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10–9

I have always been better at the inside change from e to b as compared to the awkward outside change. its a feeling similar to pushing off the end of a swimming pool to turn around for another lap

of course its the same as a stock 3nps descending run with blues note…but it sounds and feels totally different

e—12–14–15–14–12---------------------------------------------------------------------
b-----------------------------15–13–12-----------------------------------------------------
g--------------------------------------------15–14–12----------------------------------
d------------------------------------------------------------14–12–10-----------------
a---------------------------------------------------------------------------14–12–10—
e---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15–14

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#9

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I’ve been blazing this run all morning. I start with an upstroke to change it to be DWPS compatible. Recently I’ve been practicing that very same stock descending run but my TWPS sucks so this is a great help.

Depending on the context you could swap out the blue note (Bb) for the harmonic minor note (D#) so it’s 16-15-13-12 on the B string.

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#10

It’s funny, Tommo… These are messing me up more than the original patterns, lol. The Vinnie 6s thing is something I do a fair amount (though i’m awful at ascending or descending it up and down the neck, I need to spend some time on the fretting hand component of that), but I don’t think I’ve ever played the petrucci 5s thing before. In both cases the displaced note feels weirder to me than the original pattern.

But… That means it’s probably worth exploring. :smile:

EDIT - I take that back, actually, the petrucci pattern is something I do a ton, too, but I think of it as starting from the 5th fret and not the 8th fret, and somehow that was enough to throw me!

#11

dwps? no problem

e—12–14–15–14–12–10----------------------------------------
b----------------------------------13–12–10–8-----------------------
g-----------------------------------------------------9–7-----------------
d-----------------------------------------------------------10–9--7–5--
a--------------------------------------------------------------------------7

or a more blues oriented version

e—12–14–15–14–12–10----------------------------------------
b-----------------------------------12–11–10-8-----------------------
g-----------------------------------------------------9–7-----------------
d------------------------------------------------------------9–8--7–5--
a--------------------------------------------------------------------------7

and you can always repeat notes to get more mileage per string change. This one is pretty easy to get going fast and it sounds like you covered way more distance than you actually did: (again, first 2 notes are pickup notes so the strong beat would best fall on the 15 on high e then its just 16th notes on downward)

e—12–14–15–14–12–10–12–14–12–10------------------------------------
b-------------------------------------------------------12–11–10–8--10–12–10–8
g---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

my sort of convoluted way to “turn the beat around” so I can start on a downstroke and still go to the next string with a downstroke using dwps is this little mechanism:

e–12–14–15–14–12–14–12–15–14–12

so you can do stuff like this:

e–12–14–15–14–12–14–12–15–14–12---------------------------------
b------------------------------------------------------15–12-----------------------
g----------------------------------------------------------------15–14–12–11----
d------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14

of course the most straightforward way to start on down and leave after up in the basic box position is this:

e–12–15–14–12 and then you are off on your merry dwps way lol

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#12

Bebop scales can function similarly.

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