PHIL HILBorNE’S oNE-MINUTE LICK

A Minor Tapping Lick

This month’s lick started as an exercise I used to give pupils who wanted to play Van Halen’s Hot For Teacher intro, but found the stretches too tough. Although it uses the same techniques it stands perfectly well on its own. Which just goes to show how manipulating other people’s ideas can spawn new ones. It’s based on notes from Am Pentatonic with added 2nd/9th: A-C-D-E-G-A-B. Keep it rhythmically and dynamically even, and avoid handling noise by silencing strings you’re not playing with palm muting and frettinghand damping. When trying ideas of your own, keys that facilitate the use of open strings will be best; so look at keys such as G, Em, D, Bm, A, F#m, E, C#m to begin with.