The Best Guitar Licks
A guitar lick is a phrase or melody typically played during improvisation or warm-up. Where a riff has a defined melodic structure and relationship with the accompaniment, a lick is a more casual and is generally transferable between keys. For example, you may use your best riffs when recording or writing a song, but you'd pull out some stock licks when warming up, jamming or trying out a new guitar. The best licks the ones that help you develop new techniques.
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Double Stop Slide
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A double-stop is where you press your first finger on one fret, across two strings at the same time, typically the top E string and B string. It's a classic blues lick. Play the two strings together so that both notes sound and then slide your finger up one fret. Start one fret below the key note and slide up to it. If you're playing in E minor, a key common to blues, the key note is E. If you're playing an A major, the key note is A and so on.
Pentatonic Hammer-On
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The pentatonic scale takes a uniform pattern, regardless of your starting note. Place your little finger on any fret above the E string and position your first finger four frets below, on the same string. For space reasons, use any fret above fret four. Strike the note and quickly pull your little finger off the fret board. This makes two notes, the original note and the note created with your first finger. The technique is called a pull-off. The reverse, where you start with the first finger and add your little finger, is called a hammer-on. Repeat the original pull-off on the B string, then hammer-on your little finger. Finish the lick by repeating the hammer-on on the E string. Repeat this six note phrase at any point on the fret board. This lick improves mobility and speed.
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One Step Bend
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When you bend a string, you tighten it and increase the pitch. Place your third finger on any fret on the G string, with your first finger two frets below. Push the string towards you until you the pitch increase is equivalent to a whole step. Release the bend, remove your third finger and pick the string again. Hammer-on your third finger, bend and repeat. This lick improves your pitching and bend accuracy.
Chromatic Runs
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Jazz is characterized by chromatic phrases. In rock or pop, the music is centered around melodic scales where there are defined intervals between the notes. Chromatic runs, or phrases, have no intervals between the notes. Each note is one half-step higher or lower than the previous, depending on whether you are ascending or descending. Play an open string, then hammer-on to the first fret with your first finger, then hammer-on your second finger, third finger and finally fourth finger. This creates a five note chromatic run. Play the string when your fourth finger hits the fret and pull your fingers off in reverse order. This lick develops your legato technique.
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