Download Lesson MP3 File [HERE]

OK, so in my most recent post "Black Ice" i tried using a lot of extended legato licks, adding RH tapped notes into the scalar/modal mix for extra-fluid smoothness. I must have done SOMEthing right, LOL, because at least one person asked me to tab some stuff out.

There are number of great professional players who are well-known for this approach; they include Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth, Reb Beach, and others. Some notable players on this site who use this technique expertly are Razor Ray, Vibetronic and Ambidextrous Kid [Vibe and Ambi both have excellent school articles on this topic also- go check 'em out].

Rather than transcribe parts of my solos verbatim, i decided it would be more useful to show the exercises i use to prepare these techniques, because they're a little less random than my improvisations, and much more structured.

i've been playing for about 20+ years; so i started working on a lot of this stuff a long time ago. The legato thing is ALWAYS problematic, and it takes a lot of work not only to achieve it, but to maintain it as well. Two tips that might help in practising this stuff, which i use all the time:

1. Practice on your electric without an amp. Spend at least half your practice time doing this. Your ears will get more sensitive, and it'll really force you to clean up your technique.

2.Practice your 3-note/string scales LH only, without a pick, ESPECIALLY ascending. The reason is that in order to make the most of tapping/legato you MUST learn to hammer-on with your LH index finger "from nowhere", and it is SUPREMELY difficult to do it cleanly. It's the fundamental secret of Holdsworth's sound, and it takes constant work to keep up on it.

Here is the basic A-major scale fingering we will be using; the E at the [9th fret/G-string] is doubled at the [5th fret/B-string] for a pattern that lies nicely across the neck and under the fingers. Steve Vai uses this fingering extensively (check out a transcription of "Liberty" from "Passion and Warfare").

E |-------------------------------5-7-9-|
B |-------------------------5-7-9-------|
G |-------------------6-7-9-------------|
D |-------------6-7-9-------------------|
A |-------5-7-9-------------------------|
E |-5-7-9-------------------------------|

Here is an exercise for the LH alone. DO NOT USE A PICK. Hammer the index-finger notes "from nowhere".

[repeat 2-4x or as long as you can stand it]
E|---------------------------------h5h7h9p7p5--------------------------------|
B|---------------------------h5h7h9----------h9p7p5--------------------------|
G|---------------------h6h7h9----------------------h9p7p6--------------------|
D|---------------h6h7h9----------------------------------h9p7p6--------------|
A|---------h5h7h9----------------------------------------------h9p7p5--------|
E|(h)5h7h9-----------------------------------------------------------h9p7p(5)|
LH:  1 2 4  1 2 4 1 2 4 (etc.)

Next is an exercise for RH/LH together:

E ||----------------------------------------------t14p5h7h9-|
B ||-------------------------------------t14p5h7h9----------|
G ||----------------------------t14p6h7h9-------------------|
D ||-------------------t14p6h7h9----------------------------|
A ||----------t14p5h7h9-------------------------------------|
E ||-t14p5h7h9----------------------------------------------|

                                                [repeat 2-4x]
E |-t14p9p7p5----------------------------------------------||
B |----------t14p9p7p5-------------------------------------||
G |-------------------t14p9p7p6----------------------------||
D |----------------------------t14p9p7p6-------------------||
A |-------------------------------------t14p9p7p5----------||
E |----------------------------------------------t14p9p7p5-||

The third exercise is again for LH alone, following a slightly more
complicated but fairly standard pattern. Again, NO PICK:

E||---------------------------------------------------------------------h5h7|
B||--------------------------------------------------------h5h7h9p7p5h7h9---|
G||------------------------------------------h6h7h9p7p6h7h9-----------------|
D||----------------------------h6h7h9p7p6h7h9-------------------------------|
A||--------------h5h7h9p7p5h7h9---------------------------------------------|
E||h5h7h9p7p5h7h9-----------------------------------------------------------|

                                                               [repeat 2-4x]
E |-9p7p5-----------------------------------------------------------------||
B |------h9p7p5h7h9p5p5---------------------------------------------------||
G |--------------------h9p7p6h7h9p7p6-------------------------------------||
D |----------------------------------h9p7p6h7h9p7p6-----------------------||
A |------------------------------------------------h9p7p5h7h9p7p5---------||
E |--------------------------------------------------------------h9p7(p5)-||

Last, we have an exercise which combines the previous with RH tap-ons:

E ||----------------------------------------------------------------|
B ||----------------------------------------------------------------|
G ||----------------------------------------------------------------|
D ||-------------------------------------------h6h7h9-t14p9p7p6h7h9-|
A ||-----------------------h5h7h9-t14p9p7p5h7h9---------------------|
E ||-(h)5h7h9-t14p9p7p5h7h9-----------------------------------------|

E |-----------------------------------------h5h7h9-t14p9p7p5h7h9-|
B |---------------------h5h7h9-t14p9p7p5h7h9---------------------|
G |-h6h7h9-t14p9p7p6h7h9-----------------------------------------|
D |--------------------------------------------------------------|
A |--------------------------------------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------------------------------------|

E |-t14p9p7p5-------------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------h9p7p5h7h9-t14p9p7p5-----------------------------------------|
G |------------------------------h9p7p6h7h9-t14p9p7p6---------------------|
D |--------------------------------------------------h9p7p6h7h9-t14p9p7p6-|
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

                         [repeat 2-4x]
E |---------------------------------||
B |---------------------------------||
G |---------------------------------||
D |---------------------------------||
A |-h9p7p5h7h9-t14p9p7p5------------||
E |---------------------t14p9p7(p5)-||


I hope this lends a little insight into some useful techniques; enjoy! -dave