This set of lessons starts with a wirey rockabilly style lick. I learned this style in the early 80s from Emmylou Harris albums, and Albert Lee's solo albums. I soon incorporated this style into my own, and seamless soloing is the result you can achieve by playing around with the arrangment.

I have included a set of licks to demonstrate my technich for speed twang, or rolling open string licks. These are advanced licks designed to make it more comfortable when playing at warp speed (like on Broadway in Nashville). If you play a 4 hour non stop show at warp speed, you need to know this stuff, or your hands and fingers will cramp.

This lick is really a holding patern to keep momentum during the solo. Use this in between licks, and hold the root note, 3rd, 5th, 7th... whatever you choose to drone over, as long as the note fits into the chord being played at that time. As far as Tab goes... just pick the note.

This is lick 2 of a set of licks to demonstrate my technich for speed twang, or rolling open string licks. These are advanced licks designed to make it more comfortable when playing at warp speed (like on Broadway in Nashville). If you play a 4 hour non stop show at warp speed, you need to know this stuff, or your hands and fingers will cramp.

Part 2 of this set moves you from the open A position to the A position at the 5th fret using slide and roll licks.

This is lick 3 of a set of licks to demonstrate my technich for speed twang, or rolling open string licks. These are advanced licks designed to make it more comfortable when playing at warp speed (like on Broadway in Nashville). If you play a 4 hour non stop show at warp speed, you need to know this stuff, or your hands and fingers will cramp.

This is lick 4 of a set of licks to demonstrate my technich for speed twang, or rolling open string licks. These are advanced licks designed to make it more comfortable when playing at warp speed (like on Broadway in Nashville). If you play a 4 hour non stop show at warp speed, you need to know this stuff, or your hands and fingers will cramp.

This is lick 6 of a set of licks to demonstrate my technich for speed twang, or rolling open string licks. These are advanced licks designed to make it more comfortable when playing at warp speed (like on Broadway in Nashville). If you play a 4 hour non stop show at warp speed, you need to know this stuff, or your hands and fingers will cramp. This is in B-flat to show you how to do this style in a key without open strings available.

This is lick 5 of a set of licks to demonstrate my technich for speed twang, or rolling open string licks. These are advanced licks designed to make it more comfortable when playing at warp speed (like on Broadway in Nashville). If you play a 4 hour non stop show at warp speed, you need to know this stuff, or your hands and fingers will cramp. This is a bit more advanced using many open strings to create a flowing lick.

Simulated B bender and G bender style licks, I learned them with a B-bender, but then re learned them via Vince Gill without one.

Part 4 of this series takes us to the 4 chord, or D chord. This is a reckless abandon lick... I am floating from the D postion at the 5th fret, sliding and rolling off to an open position. As long as you land on a root note, you can jump off at any position of the chords in the song.

Resolution lick from the 4 chord (or D chord) back to the 1 (A chord). This is lick 5 of the set.

Descending harmony doublestop type lick. It's not really double stops, but you can double stop this lick. Starts at the 12th fret E position and winds up in the open E position, used to resolve a solo back to the D or A chords.

This lick is the main riff for the Ramblin song. It's been used in other songs as well but this set of lessons is all about the 1/2 time groove. Heavy syncopated backbeat guitar over a 2/4 bass line, and 4 to the floor half time drums make this main riff stand out. This example is intermediate. I will also post the way I usually play it live and on the Bendegos CD as an alternative to this lesson.

Another countrified lick that can be used in rhythm parts as well as solos, to create seamless flowing parts. Again this can be played straight, swing it, or accent on different notes for a fusion or jazz riff.

Ending lick in the key of A. You can play this straight or swing it hard! notice the banjo roll style beginning of this lick, you can also sweep pick it for a different tonal experience.

Inspired by Mr. Redd Volkaert, this is one of the most stolen licks on Broadway in Nashville. It's a harmony double stop ascending style lick. I use this all the time in live situations for moving positions up or down the fretboard. This one works in any key depending on where you start. And it can be moved to different strings.

This is an overview of the set of Albert style licks. What I'm doing here is playing the licks together as a solo, so you can see how they might be used together. The tab for each lick is included in each lesson named Albert style Rockabilly Country part 1 - 10.

Twangy intro style for Vince Gill or Jerry Reed style songs. I've used licks similar to this on many of my own songs over the years. Try it in different rhythms too, shuffle, straight 4/4, back beats...

Blues Rock lick over an A chord. Fun stuff and useful in a bunch of genres.

After years of playing Baritone guitars on sessions to create that deep fat tone, in any genre, I realized nobody had ever explained the style. So here it is. The tutorial will begin with several lessons on very simple but necessary riffs. Also, if you don't have a baritone Tele Like the one I built in this lesson, You can also put very heavy strings like 13's on a regular guitar and tune it down to a lower key. So you tune the E strings down to a B note. A string down to E etc... So the tuning is B E A D F# E You could also use a 7 string guitar, which has the fatest s...

Lick 1 of the new tutorial is a blues style riff and lick incorperating styles from the 50s country/rockabilly/blues artists, heard on 100s of songs. And finished off with a sliding blues riff.

A roll off lick closely related to the lick in G, but ending on an E chord.

Basic Rolloff lick in the key of G.

Chickin's taste preatty good once you get 'em down! This is a tasty lick I've used a thousand times during warm up for a gig or session. This was a request for a friend here on Guitar Tricks...

I will explain several uses for the Baritone Electric Guitar. Some are classic licks you've heard but didn't know what "that sound" was coming from. Many of the lessons here will show what other uses a Baritone like the one I built, and used for this video are good for, from tic tac bass, to tremelo licks heard on many new country and rock records.

There are many definitions of hybrid picking, and many styles directly associated with the technique. The common definition is using the pick and fingers to play different notes on the fretboard individually or simultaneously. Many different styles such as chicken pickin', banjo rolls, single stops, double stops and triple stops rely on the ability to use your fingers along with a pick to play the licks. When you begin to learn hybrid picking, it may seem difficult to choose which strings to pick, and which to pluck with your fingers. While there is no rule to the te...

Many years of playing styles from Bluegrass to Heavy Metal have shaped this style of guitar. I utilize this stuff everyday on sessions, and rip this stuff up on live gigs. It will enable you to fly by the seat of your pants in any genre, Blues, Country, Rock etc... but with a flair and flow, that many flat pickers will marvel at. The most important aspect of this tutorial, is learning to use your pick and fingers to find the closest string, to build the speed you need to flow through the solo. All of these licks are meant to be an example of what you are capable of with ...

When you are subbing for a guitarist on Broadway in Nashville, The singer/artist generally has no idea what a sub knows other than the classic stylings of JR Cash, Buck Owens or Merle Haggard. Because everybody in Nashville should know the standard tourist requests... and general "money" songs. What I'm trying to show here is a basic understanding of the "rockabilly" concept for country songs, so that you can add the energy that the audience craves, and will ultimately make you more money if you get them tipping. A little bit of flash, a little guitar trick here and there...

What I'm showing you is a set of 10 licks played on my Tele, in the out of phase position with no compressor! (what?) The reason for this setting is to make the guitar sound similar to Albert's. And show licks in that style.

Blues Rock lick over an A chord. Fun stuff and useful in a bunch of genres.

This lick is the main riff for the Ramblin song. It's been used in other songs as well but this set of lessons is all about the 1/2 time groove. Heavy syncopated backbeat guitar over a 2/4 bass line, and 4 to the floor half time drums make this main riff stand out. This example is intermediate. I will also post the way I usually play it live and on the Bendegos CD as an alternative to this lesson.

This is one of those licks I play many variations of. But this is the basic lick. It works great for Vince Gill style songs, and any kind of Memphis shuffle or pumping 4/4 songs. Very bluesy... or twangy... your choice.

Sounds lick a mosquito getting ready to bite you! This is a fun lick I used in a song on my Telethon album to follow Roger Fishers surreal solo. It's an ear bender for sure.

This could be used from Blues to Country To Metal depending on the amount or lack of distortion. It is essentially a blues lick following a twang train beat pickin part... with a bit of distortion.

I ALWAYS show this lick to my live students... It's usually one of the first exercises I make them learn. This is bluegrass 101, flat pickin licks ELECTRIFIED!

With this lick you can start or finish a guitar solo in the key of D. Tempo should be medium to fast around 140 BPM such as a train beat. This shows an open string run with passing tones, using as many open strings as possible. And the finishes with a pull off lick on the D, A and E strings for a speedy, tricky sounding ending.

This is an opening riff to a song I recorded for the Bendegos album. Its a classic 4 to the floor country song vibe, with a bit of syncopation. You can use the basic idea for several other things, in solos, as an outtro. It's a cool lick you can split up, and make a rhythm part out of the first half. It starts with a pull off in the key of C on the G string, I often use this style in rhythm patterns for 1/2 time country songs (4 to the floor).

This is the classic West Coast pedal steel lick in the style of Ralph Mooney, from those early Buck Owens records. This was one of the first bender licks I heard, being played by the inventor Clarence White (Byrds, Flying Burrito Bros). This is B- bender 101 as far as I'm concerned. Keepers of the flame include Marty Stuart, who's used this lick on darn near every album he's put out!

Chickin's taste preatty good once you get 'em down! This is a tasty lick I've used a thousand times during warm up for a gig or session. This was a request for a friend here on Guitar Tricks...

This would be the next step moving up to the 4 chord on a blues rock solo in the key of A. If you put all the blues rock licks together in this set they will make a complete solo section.

Drop D honky tonk rockin twang! This is a New Country / Southern Rock style rhythm riff... add more distortion and it's a funky alt rock riff.

This is an explanation of my style of picking. With muting and banjo roll hybrid picking.

This starts as an open string descending lick, which I've covered in another lesson here on Guitar Tricks... but this is an extra that I had, so here you go! You can rip on this, and dont be afraid to change up the keys. As long as you have an open string... you can move this anywhere.

Using pick blocking for time and half delay style country licks, or rock harmonic licks. Stacatto pick and finger blocking can help create a lick out of very simple scales. Just play around with this with various levels of distortion and volume. And try it with a delay set exactly 1 and 1/2 beats behind the tempo.

This is a standard riff I've used hundreds of times on recording sessions for new style country music. You can use this for various styles but, it's on the radio in several country songs.

This is the most common rhythm pattern on Broadway in Nashville. You'll hear this rhythm a hundred times a night in Nashville! Think Workin Man Blues, One Way Rider, Freeborn Man, Oklahoma Borderline, Thats Alright Mama... etc, etc...

This is lick a hammer on pull off tapping lick, but it's picked instead, which makes it sound more country. Try this with all your tapping stuff! It's cool and fairly basic.

Shows how to do swells with the volume knob, and also with a volume pedal.

Twangy intro style for Vince Gill or Jerry Reed style songs. I've used licks similar to this on many of my own songs over the years. Try it in different rhythms too, shuffle, straight 4/4, back beats...

Wirey stuff you can throw into Merle songs, Jerry Reed style etc... Lots of fun stuff to play with!

Chicken Pickin' open string run that starts with a B bender release lick. This lick descends in a 1 - 5 - 1 chord change, a resolution ending for a solo section based on country hot pickin.

Basic understanding of B bender usage, with simple chord shapes. Bending from a D chord using a B string bender to a B the E note, suspending the chord. The secong half of this segment shows the Dm position, and a very country pedal steel type lick.

Another drop D tuning lick, pure new country or swampy southern rock. This was originally the beginning to a solo, but would work well as the main riff in a 4 to the floor strait in your face rocker...It starts with an open D (the E string tuned down to D) and hammers onto the 3rd fret. Very bouncy hybrid style lick with a fat bottom end sound.

Drop D tuning, artificial harmonic ending lick. You start by playing the harmonic on the E string tuned down to D, at the 5th fret or D artificial harmonic. Then the harmonics on the 7th fret of the D string, G string and B string, followed by the E harmonic at the 12th fret. The last note is fingered at the 15th fret of the B string, which is the D note.