“RHODE ISLAND SHRED”

Guthrie Govan

THIS FUN INSTRUMENTAL barnburner showcases Guthrie Govan’s highly refined electric bluegrass and country-style chops and mastery of the art of crafting flowing single-note lines that describe chord changes with long, unbroken streams of 16th notes. The versatile guitarist uses mostly dominant 7 arpeggios and major and minor pentatonic scales as his melodic framework and inserts a few perfectly placed chromatic notes, which serve as transitional passing tones or approach tones that help to seamlessly connect the targeted chord tones. Also noteworthy is the guitarist’s use of quick position shifts from shape to shape, which are equally seamless.

Guthrie alternate picks most of his 16thnote lines, occasionally using hybrid picking for some of the twangy pedal steel-style bend licks, such as those in bars 31 and 32 and 39-42. At bar 13, he masterfully employs the “echo trick” with downpicked eighth notes and a delay effect precisely timed to produce a single repeat in a dotted eighth-note rhythm. The result is cascading 16th notes that bring to mind what Albert Lee famously did in “Country Boy.” Govan adds an interesting twist here by also engaging an envelope filter (a.k.a. autowah) effect, which creates a charming “quacking” sound.

Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal lends his brilliant talents to the festivities here, turning in a breathtakingly flashy and tasteful solo and sweet harmony lead lines with Guthrie. Entering at 1:12 (see bar 49, Gtr. 3 part), Thal performs amazingly authentic-sounding “fiddle” licks on his fretless guitar and makes great use of legato finger slides without having to go over any “speed bumps.”

Once you’ver mastered this, be sure to check out the Erotic Cakes album transcription packages available at jtcguitar.com/store/ package/erotic-cakes-album, as either just the Album, Official Album Backings (with tab booklet containing all composed parts) and a Deluxe edition that includes both.