Why I Suck.. Series 5, Episode 3 - Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)!

 It's been so long since the 1990s that they've almost descended into legend. We look back fondly on Nirvana, Britpop... peace... but let me tell you child, I was there when the deep magic was being written, and I can tell you it was not all plain sailing. Back then, many were the doubters and detractors who mourned the apparent death of high level, super-technical guitar playing, who loathed what they saw as the ham fisted idiocy of the Cobains and the Gallaghers – but the die was cast, and the eye-watering, face-melting solos that had defined the 1980s would not be heard again until The Darkness and Dragonforce ushered in a new era of shred and hairspray in the 00's.

Except that nobody told a certain Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt. No less than Brian May described his epic solo on 1990's “Get The Funk Out” as worthy of it's own medal, and he's absolutely right. Nuno Bettencourt kept the shred flame alive throughout the 90s almost (but lets's be honest, not quite) single handedly through his frankly apocalyptic solos on Extreme's albums, and it's a treat to see that he now his Rihanna as his lead singer. So, as is customary for both my regular readers, let's look at a little potted history before we take a dive into some tasty Mediterranean sun-dried shred licks..

Born September 20 1966 in Terceira, in the Azores Islands as the youngest of ten (!) children, in 1971 (aged 4) his family made the move to Boston and young Nuno began experimenting with a variety of musical instruments, eventually settling on guitar in his early teens. A series of local bands led him to Extreme in 1985 and by 1989 they were on the radar of several labels – the songs that would make up their breakthrough album “Pornograffiti” would be heavily demo'd during this time, meaning that the band had a rock solid basis from which to get their recordings together. They would release their debut album “Extreme” in 1989 but it was in 1990 that “Pornigraffiti” would make it to major release and that's where this months licks are drawn from. So, to business!

Let's start with everyone's favourite Nuno widdle pattern - the string skipped tapped arpeggios from "Get The Funk Out": 

 Clearly, Nuno is channelling his inner Paul Gilbert here - root on the D string, 3rd and 5th on the G, skipping up to the E for another root and 3rd - but he's enhanced with an added hammered note - the 2nd hammered from the root on the D - and then poured a layer of tapping on top, as the right hand taps the 5th on the D, the root on the G and the 5th again on the high E, creating a slick add9 sound. In "Get The Funk Out" he uses this pattern to follow the underlying chord sequence of Bb, C , Eb & F, doubling up on the speed over the Eb & F. 

So I'll be warming up thoroughly before attempting the demo video for this one....

Next, we have a quirky and interesting repeating pattern that kicks off the solo to "Money (In God We Trust)":

This is an Eb7 arpeggio (R 3 5 b7 - Eb G Bb Db) played with a relatively low gain tone using sixteenths, but the interesting thing here is the length of the phrase - 3 beats. This means that the arpeggio cycles round in what is known as a "hemiola" effect, each time starting on a different beat. If you look at the notation you'll notice that it starts on beat 1, then beat 4, then 3, then 2 before finally coming round to start again on beat 1 on the fourth bar. This makes the pattern alot more tricky sounding than it actually is, and I think reflects Nuno's undoubted skill with a groove - although we're focusing on lead licks here, it is important to remember that you can't really be an effective lead guitarist without the feel for groove and timing that underpins a good rhythm guitarist.

The next lick, taken from "L'il Jack Horny", features an interesting mix of a D minor pentatonic outline but with both the b5 (Ab - 13th fret G) and b6 (Bb - 11th fret B) making an appearance, creating an air of tension and dissonance before Nuno concludes the phrase with the b7 (C). However, this is all superimposed over a backing in A, meaning that the Ab and Bb in fact work as 7 and b2 respectively, effectively bracketing the root note before ending on the C which is acting as a b3 - a very nifty piece of superimposition that gives a kind of Harmonic Minor/ Phrygian Dominant vibe.

Finally, we come to this awesome lick from "Decadence Dance" in A, using the A "major blues" scale - this is the "3 frets back" rule we often employ with the minor pentatonic, except that here Nuno is using it with the blues scale, meaning that he now has the b3 (C) and major 3rd (C#) to play with.. which he does, repeatedly! Notice the use of tone and semitone bands to take the B up to C# and C, as well as hammering between the two in the second bar - and I should mention , the Three Magic Notes that starts it off - even Nuno uses them!

OK, so cards on the table, I haven't come out of this as a huge Extreme fan, there's just something about what they do that doesn't gel with me - but that's a personal opinion, and it certainly does not take away from Nuno Bettencourt being a truly AWESOME guitar player, even if he might not be the household name that Hendrix, Slash or Eddie Van Halen are. I've still learnt a ton of cool licks and ideas, and each of his solos is a treasure trove of great ideas to pilfer!

Next up, the late lamented Irish blues firebrand, Gary Moore... there will be screaming pentatonics, epic string bends and, lots LOTS LOTS of vibrato!

Why I Suck.. Series 5, Episode 2 - Brian May (Queen)!

And so we come at long last to the Greatest Perm in Rock History... the one and only Brian May! In terms of reach and enduring legacy, you could make a pretty convincing case for Queen being the biggest band the world has ever seen, and it speaks volumes that a band can create tracks as disparate as “Another One Bites The Dust”, “Tie Your Mother Down” and of course the gold standard of rock songwriting and musicianship, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - and still have it all sound uniquely Queen. Add to that the fact that “Don't Stop Me Now” will fill a dance floor no matter what generation your audience, the fact that everyone from 1-100 can and will sing along to “We Will Rock You” and you have a band whose contribution to the pantheon of popular music really is quite extraordinary!

So it really is long overdue that we recognise the superlative playing of Sir Brian May CBE, a chap that even Eric Clapton once professed to be in awe of - after all, it's not often you encounter a guitar player where the audience can sing along with each note of his solo! Or that gets invited to play a solo on the roof of Buckingham Palace..

First, as is customary, a little potted history... Born in Middlesex on July 19 1947, Brian was a natural musician as a child – always singing, began playing the piano around age 6 as well as dabbling with the ukulele.. but it was age 7 that he received his first guitar, a nylon strung classical which he adapted, adjusting the neck and even improvising a pickup to fit under the strings – pretty impressive stuff for someone of his then tender years! This saw him through to his early teenage years, but ultimately he coveted an electric guitar – sadly, this was financially out of reach for his family at that point (no Yamaha Pacificas back then), so rather than admit defeat, Brian and his dad Harold (a Ministry of Aviation engineer) in 1963 set to work creating the now-legendary Red Special out of an old fireplace – which is a story that deserves a post all of its own. This remarkable instrument served as Brians' weapon of choice throughout his year with Queen, albeit being supplemented by various copies made by Guild (among others) and of course the Tele that did the job for “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”.

Before Queen, however, Brian cut his teeth first in band called 1984, founded in 1967 with schoolfriends Tim Staffell & Dave Dilloway, who notably opened for none other than Jimi Hendrix in May of that year, which led into May & Staffell forming Smile – a short lived affair from 1968 to 1970 that did however lead to meeting future Queen drummer Roger Taylor, as well as an impressive slew of gigs around West London opening for other more famous bands of the time. Staffell left before long, however, and a young Ealing graduate named Farrokh Bulsara joined forces with May & Taylor.. of course, we wuld come to know Farokh by the name he later took, Freddie Mercury. By May of 1971 the group and settled on John Deacon as a bass player and Queen as we know them were formed!

Brian May's playing was a cornerstone of Queen's sound – his signature, mid-heavy tone typically through a Vox treble booster and a Vox AC30 (something he and Rory Gallagher had in common), but his sense of melody and harmony goes far beyond the conventional Page/ Clapton/ Hendrix pentatonics of the time, having more in common with classical musicians than blues. In fairness, May lists all of the above (plus Jeff Beck, of course) as influences, but also Shadow's lead guitarist Hank Marvin and The Beatles George Harrison.

This presents a problem for a blog like this, as Brian is not exactly a “lick guy” - to really get a handle on his style, we're going to need to look at his playing in a little more context. To this end, rather than tackle a handful of licks, we'll instead look at a couple of his standout guitar solos – and to address the elephant in the room, no Bohemian Rhapsody (that deserves its own video) and no Killer Queen as you can't really do that one justice with just one guitar!

First though, we'll take a crash course through May's signature technique – harmony.

We'll start with the scale of A major laid out along the G string – A B C# D E F# G#

Next, we'll add a harmony note. This is typically (but by no means always) a 3^rd higher: So C# will harmonise with A, D with B, E with C# etc. Note that this is not always a major 3^rd harmony – we're sticking to diatonic (ie notes in one key) to get the hang of this technique.

The second harmony will typically (although again, by no means exclusively) be a 3^rd up again: so root - 3^rd distance - 3^rd - 3^rd distance – 5^th, and again will occasionally be a diminished 5^th.

Brian would occasionally add 7ths or 6ths or sometimes go underneath the root (a 3^rd down from the root taking him to the 6^th) – so take the tools given here and experiment!

Now, on to the solos – we'll start with “Don't Stop Me Now”, an absolute tour de force of melodic string bending. Of particular note is how Brian really milks the repeated bend on the Bb (4^th) – this is interesting, as most players would have simply slapped F major pentatonic over the top (R 2 3 5 6) which doesn't include that interval, but Brian really makes it sing. Be accurate with your pitching – try playing the target pitch before the bend when practicing – and make the vibrato string and confident.

Next up, Brian May meets Chuck Berry, as we tackle perennial favourite “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, this time blending D major and minor pentatonics. Notice his use of doublestops as a way of building tension to be released by those held re-picked string bends, mixing his signature melodicism with rock & roll attitude, not to mention deftly navigating a key change with the end phrase!

Finally, we'll take a look at the impeccably phrased “It's A Kind Of Magic” in A. Brian starts of with the Keith Richards I-IV chord move, before a languid string bend leading into an effortless sounding legato blitz through the A major blues scale (R 2 b3 3 5 6)– it's over in moments but an absolute masterclass in tension and release phrasing, pulling back the spring and then letting fly!

It's been a privelige working through these classic solos and it's brought home to me just how firmly the Queen back catalogue is stitched into the soundtrack of our lives – and May's incredible sense of melody and dynamics is a huge part of that. As a casual listener/ appreciator rather than out and out fan, I was really struck by how much of this stuff would trigger memories and that speaks volumes for what this band managed to accomplish over the years. Definitely a month well spent!

Join me next month as we dive into the the Extreme Shreddery of the one and only Nuno Bettencourt!

Why I Suck.. Series 5, Episode 1 - Satchel (Steel Panther)!

 January sucks. All the fun of winter without Christmas to look forward to, it goes on forever and everyone's skint. But seeing as hibernation isn't an option, you've got to make the best of it – and what better way than glorying in the ridiculous excesses of The Greatest 1980s Hair Metal Band Ever – Steel Panther!

If you're unfamiliar with The Pantheon Of Panther, we're talking massive riffs, massive solos, massive hair, completely over the top, gleefully absurd sexist lyrics.. and it works because we're all in on the joke. It's what we all imagine life on the Sunset Strip in 1987 would have been like, where life was one long non-stop hedonistc party without there ever being a hangover. It's completely daft and utterly glorious because of it!

However, although the personas the band adopt might be a joke, their musicianship most certainly is not, and Satchel (nee Russell John Parrish) is one HELL of a guitar player! So as is customary, a brief potted history and I advise the reader to use this opportunity to limber up, because you're going to need it!

If Steel Panther lore is to be believed, the band originally formed in the early 80s and pioneered the combination of bandanas, Spandex and men wearing makeup that would define an era – and their success would result in them spending the 90s and 00s high (presumably for tax reasons) before finally returning to earth long enough to record their first album, 2009's “Feel The Steel”, and I would dearly love that story to be true.

Further investigation reveals, however, that Parrish graduated the legendary Los Angeles Guitar Institute Of Technology in 1989 and worked there as an instructor and became good friends with the equally legendary Paul Gilbert, frequently house sitting for him when Pablo was out on tour and his first break seems to have come in 1992 when he was introduced to ex-Judas Priest singer Rob Halford and joined his nascent band Fight, recording the War Of Words album in 1993. After Fight, the next major event came in 2002, forming a Van Halen tribute called The Atomic Punks, which introduced him to Ralph Saenz (Michael Starr in Steel Panther), whilst also playing with his own band The Thornbirds which featured Darren Leader on drums who would become Steel Panthers' Stix Zadinia. It was also around this time the Parrish was playing regularly in the musical Rockalypse Now by Dean Cameron (occasional contributing songwriter for Steel Panther). Saenz & Parrish filmed this advert for Discover:

as fictional 80's glam metal band Danger Kitty, and ths seems to have been the catalyst for Steel Panther as the two started the glam metal band “Metal Shop”, soon changing their name to “Metal Skool” and drawing in Steel Panther bass player Travis Haley and his old mate Darren Leader on the drums. The Panther was born. The world drew breath.

Right, I hope you're good and warmed up, because it's time to get to the licks! Parrish cites Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Van Halen, RitchieBlackmore, Tony Iommi and Blue Oyster Cult's Buck Dharma as his main influences so you know we are dealing with one SERIOUS guitar player. With all of these examples, be advised to start slowly and focus ontne and clarity to begin with, let the speed come naturally.. but you knew that, right?

We'll jump in with the pedaltone string skipped outro from the solo to “Asian Hooker” (the intro was in a recent One Minute Lick video) – here Satchel outlines the underlying chords of Fm (adding a b2), Am (add2), D(add2) G(add2), C(Add2) and F#(add2) before launching into a tapped B arpeggio figure played against the open B string, outlining B, Bmaj7 and then weirdly a Baddb6 before resolving to the F# note over the E minor chord, giving an Em9 harmony. This harks back to the influence of one Paul Gilbert...

The second example is from “The Shocker” featuring C# Dorian mode with Satchel extending the lateral range of the lick by adding a tapped root note on top of the phrase, which on the final repetition gets slid up to E, before a blistering run down the C# blues scale.

The humble blues scale is most definitely a favourite of Satchel's, as this third example from “Death To All But Metal” shows – check out the soaring minor 3^rd bend that starts it off and the wide interval jump from that note (F) to the root A, and notice how Satchel moves the rhythmic and fingering pattern down across the strings, any “out” notes being swallowed up by his blistering speed.

The final example shows Satchel in more melodic mode, thundering up the B major scale to kick off the solo to “Tiger Woods” and again, notice the way he takes the same melodic “cell” and extrapolates it out across the whole scale to dramatic effect.

This really was SO MUCH FUN and I found myself wishing January was actually longer... and dare I say it, I find myself wondering whether I too could pull off the spandex.... guess that's an extra reason to keep an eye on the YouTube channel then! Back next month with true Rock Royalty...

I'll See Myself Out - Heartbreak For Dummies, The High Noon Cats

Why I Suck... Series 4, Episode 12 - Dave Gilmour!

 As regular readers of this blog (both of them) may recall, back inNovember I posed the question, Have AC/DC Ever Made A Bad Song? And if memory serves, we concluded that, no, they hadn't.. so I'm here to pose a follow up question – Has Dave Gilmour Ever Played A Bad Note? Certainly, I found that while recording “Heartbreak ForDummies”, the best warmup I could do before recording a solo was to spend 10 minutes or so transcribing some of his epic Pink Floyd solos..

Now, before we continue, a spoiler – no, I won't be covering the “Comfortably Numb” first solo. It is undeniably sublime, and an absolute favourite of mine, but I'm planning to give it it's own lesson on a new experimental series for the YouTube Channel.. so another reason (as if one was needed) to go and subscribe!

First, as is customary, a lttle personal history – although given the tangled web of intrigue that surrounds Pink Floyd the band could easily fill a book, I'm not going to be touching on that either. We'll go up to him joining the Floyd and then on with the licks, I invite the reader to do their own research if interested!

Our story begins in Cambridge on March 6 1946 in the immediate aftermath of World War Two and all the attendant privations prevalent across Britatin at that time. Like many British guitar heroes of that time, he quickly became entranced by the glamour of American rock & roll and in 1954 bought his first record, “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley and The Comets. Further inspired by Elvis and the Everly Brothers, he acquired a Pete Seeger book & record kit, borrowed a guitar from a neighbour and never looked back!

Starting secondary school aged 11, Gilmour would meet Syd Barrett and Roger Waters – Pink Floyd's other luminaries – and as their academic careers progressed, Barrett and Gilmour regularly practiced guitar together. Aged 18, in 1962, Gilmour joined his first regularly working band Jokers Wild who built a sizeable local following around Cambridge. They recorded an EP which Gilmour described as “a vanity project. I booked Regend Sound in Denmark Street. We all headed off to London in our van, did five songs, all having absolutely no idea what we were doing. The songs were all covers from our live set Dont Ask Me Why, Thats How Strong My Love, Beautiful Delilah, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, You Don’t Know What I Know. We had 50 five-track albums (RSLP 007) and 50 two-track singles (RSR 0031) made. We had a bit of a following around Cambridge and sold them to friends. Ive still got the original stereo mastertape somewhere in my stores. “ (ref - https://www.pinkfloydz.com/interviews/david-gilmour-record-collector-interview-may-2003/ )

After Jokers Wild went the way of many early bands, Gilmour headed to Europe, describing his time there - “I initially went to Marbella, Spain, for three months in the summer of 66. Then I came back and went to a club in St. Etienne in France. I moved to Paris and did three months residence in a club called the Bilberquay and then spent a period just gigging all over France. “. During this period, Gilmour hooked back up with two former members of Jokers Wild, performing under the name Flowers, but the group had a hard time – club owners frequently refused to pay them and they had their equipment stolen. Despite this, Gilmour was still able to contribute vocals to two tracks recorded for the film “Two Weeks In September” starring Brigitte Bardot – but this didn't help with the band's impoverished status, to the point where they had to push their tour bus off the ferry when they returned to the UK, having completely run out of fuel!

Pink Floyd, meanwhile, featuring Gilmour's previous schoolmates Roger Waters & Syd Barrett along with drummer Nick Mason, were becoming progressively more successful, releasing their debut album “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” in 1967 – however, success was taking a toll on Barrett's mental health (a sadly too common occurrence), and as Barrett became increasingly erratic, Gilmour was brought in to replace him. Gilmour recalls the moment as “we were on the way to the gig and someone said, shall we go pick up said? And someone else just said “oh, let's not” “.

And with that, let's start playing some guitar! Before we look at Gilmour's tastiest licks, it's worth noting his signature technique – his absolutely exquisite string bending. He counts his influences as “Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, John Fahey, Roy Buchanan, and Hank Marvin of the Shadows” as well as “all the blues guys” which I'm told includes Albert King (thanks George Groove for that nugget!)

And with potted history thus complete, let's turn our attention to his playing – and we'll begin by looking at Gilmour's signature technique, his absolutely exquisite string bending control. In this first exercise (which we can consider a primer for the licks to follow), I'm demonstrating a variety of bends – first playing the target note and then bending up to pitch, similar to what I demonstrated in the recent FAQ video. For those of you with a floating tremolo, don't be afraid to pull back on the bar to get a bit of additional lift, Gilmour has been known to do this himself so it's not cheating!

OK, so fingers warmed up and hopefully no broken strings – on to the licks!
We'll start with an absolute classic – the opening lick from “Another Brick In The Wall” using the D minor pentatonic. Note the use of doublestops – another Gilmour signature move to help fill up sonic space – and the super wide bend on the 13^th fret B.

The second lick is drawn from the end solo on – of course - “Comfortably Numb”, but this one comes from the “Live In Pompeii” version – although it is present in “Another Brick In The Wall” but in D minor pentatonic as opposed to B minor which we're in here. You can draw a line back to the Magic Three Notes here – even Dave Gilmour bases his style on them!

Staying with “Comfortably Numb” in it's “Live In Pompeii” iteration, here's a high register lick based around position 4 of B minor pentatonic before morphing into a diatonic run down the B natural minor scale and featuring a rare instance of Gilmour using three note per string scale fingerings. Note the sneaky bit of chromaticism on the position shift – Bb over any of the chords in this progression (Bm / A / G Em / Bm) ought to be an absolute HOWLER but Dave makes it work through what I can only assume is sheer force of will!

The final example is taken from the climax to the “Money” guitar solo, again featuring the B minor pentatonic scale but here Gilmour is in position 1 right up at the dusty end of the fretboard, starting at the 19^th fret. There's nothing particularly technical here but really try and make a statement with each note, and ensure that your bends are in tune and the vibrato is smooth and even.

PS - don't forget to keep an eye on the YouTube channel for the demo video...

That concludes this peek at the style of one of the world's greatest guitarists, but I'm left with a question – there is nothing here that a guitarist of intermediate technical ability can't play and indeed Gilmour rarely plays anything quick, rarely goes outside the minor pentatonic... what is it that makes him so great? I can only surmise that it's the care and quality he puts into every note, the perfect grasp of when to play and when not, how to let each phrase breathe... I think that without a doubt, ANY aspiring lead player needs to sit and study Gilmour's solos to grasp just how you can make an immensely powerful impact from a relatively straightforward technical base. Certainly, I've absolutely loved this time studying his playing and have learned a huge amount about that most elusive and intangible of qualities – feel.

Of course, all this goes out the window next month as we tackle Steel Panther's Shred God Extraordinaire, Satchel! See you then, and Happy New Year to you all!

Why I Suck... Series 5! The Plan for 2024....

 The votes have been cast, the polls have have been tabulated and the results are in! After what has been a quite startling year for the YouTube channel with the Style Guide videos now regularly racking up view counts in the thousands as opposed to around 70, allow me to reveal the plan for 2024!

January – Satchel (Steel Panther)

February – Brian May 

March – Nuno Bettencourt

April – Gary Moore

May – Albert Lee

June – SRV (Soul to Soul)

July – Hendrix (Electric Ladyland)

August – Allan Holdsworth (sharp intake of breath...)

September – Jeff Healey

October – Justin & Dan Hawkins (The Darkness)

November – Steve Lukather (Toto)

December – Randy Rhoads

So there we go, quite the classic rock slant this year but seasoned with a little country & blues and continuing with my attempt to transcribe every note Jimi & SRV ever committed to tape!

Meanwhile I am now in possession of a new PC with far more powerful video editing capability which should mean I'll be able to actually edit videos.. hopefully some clever stuff like multiple cameras, colour balancing etc., all courtesy of my long-suffering good friend (and ferociously takented keyboard player) Leigh of Dave The Rock Band & Guilty Pleasures fame!

So as well as the One Minute Licks (which haven't really been One Minute for quite some time but no one seems to be complaining...) and the Style Guides, there will be actual lessons and performances going up and I'm planning a few "Five Minute Lessons" to be a slightly more in depth but still easily digestible guide to various techniques and solos.. but I want this channel to be reactive and a genuine resource for all you  guys out there in internet-land, so I'm very open to suggestions!

So roll on 2024, let's do this! Happy New Year to everyone out there :-)

Why I Suck.. Series 4, Episode 11 - Zakk Wylde!

 The 1980s were an amazing decade for guitar playing – pioneered (arguably) by the incredible virtuosity of one Edward Van Halen, a guitarist capable of absolutely blistering fretboard gymnastics became the absolute must-have accessory for any self-respecting rock and metal act. Amidst the blizzard of 3 note per string legato and swept arpeggios however, one man stood tall, with pinch harmonics that made wolves howl and vibrato that could choke a dinosaur – and that man is longtime Ozzy Osbourne cohort and Black Label Society frontman, Zakk Wylde!

I've always had a fondness for Zakk's playing – rootsy pentatonics cranked up beyond 11 with insane speed, attitude and that aforementioned vibrato just resonated with me even if I've never been much of a metal fan. In interviews Zakk has often stated that when he got serious about playing he made a conscious decision about sticking to the pentatonic as a way of differentiating him from his peers, using chromaticism where necessary to season this basic framework. He also credits an instructional video by country legend Albert Lee with influencing much of his hybrid picking and double stop techniques.

So, as is now customary, let's start with a little potted history while warming up the fingers...

Born Jeffery Phillip Wielandt on January 14^th 1967 in Bayonne, New Jersey, Zakk initially began playing aged 8 but didn't really get serious about it until around age 14, when he would regularly practice all night after getting home from school, catching up with sleep during school time (disclaimer – for parents and kids reading this, JM Guitar Tuition does not endorse this as a sustainable approach) – Zakk himself has described the following day often being “rough”...

There doesn't seem to be much information surrounding Zakk's early playing career pre-Ozzy, and he credits a side-interest in powerlifting as being instrumental in how the pair met – Zakk claimed that he met Ozzy around 1987 at a weightlifting meet and offering to cut him a deal on some steroids in return for a job with his band, as things had recently gone bad with guitarist Jake E. Lee (which is a complex story in its' own right) – Zakk put together a demo tape and the rest is history! He has gone on to be Ozzy's longest serving sideman despite stints away focusing on his own bands Black Label Society and Pride & Glory and the two have a close longstanding relationship. In terms of influences, Zakk has consistently referenced Frank Marino from Mahogany Rush, Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, and a passing nod to Elton John – in addition to his guitar skills, Zakk is a fine singer and pianist (and I bet he never brings his lyrics on stage.. just saying ;-) ).

Potted history thus complete, let's take a look at some licks! We'll dive in with an absolute classic – the blistering end part of “No More Tears”. Here Zakk is using D minor pentatonic with a sextuplet picking pattern moving through positions 1, 2 and 3 of the scale before moving to arpeggios on the Bb and C chords of the underlying progression using 1^st inversion shapes before finishing on a howling D root note right up on the 22^nd fret. I'll demonstrate Zakk's uncompromising pick attack and vibrato on the demo video so stay subscribed to the YouTube channel for that one!

For this second example, we'll take a look at Zakk's solo work on the Book of Shadows album with a lick taken from “Sold My Soul” in E minor. Zakk starts off with a trademark soaring harmony bend using position 4 of E minor pentatonic, before trilling his way up the E minor scale along the G string before a massive overbend on the D note at the 19^th fret sold with some of his signature wide vibrato – as ever, it's the articulation, the sheer fire with which he plays which makes this line stand out.

Like many players, Zakk has a few signature patterns that he gravitates towards when he puts pedal to the metal and gets into serious shred territory – this third example is drawn from “Farewell Ballad”, a solo recorded for Guitarist magazine back in 2006, using the D blues scale – notice that Zakk is using the exact same fingering pattern on both string groups and you can even trace a line here back to the Magic Three Notes (a concept students of mine will be familiar with), simply extending out to include both positions 1 and 2 of the scale.

For our final example, I've drawn from the solo to “Crazy Babies”, based in B and then E minor pentatonic – Zakk sets up a “call” hook in B minor pentatonic with signature savage vibrato, before bending the 9^th fret G and pulling off to the 7^th before tapping with the pick hand on the 21^st fret G, bending up and pulling off to the 9^th and then the 7^th, back to the E root on the 9^th before a blistering run grouped in fives through positions 4, 5, 1 & 2 of the E minor pentatonic!

This has been an absolute blast, Zakk has long been one of my absolute favourite guitar players and working through his stuff has been a joy.. and I do think I can feel my vibrato getting wider by the day! Keep an eye out for the demo video and see you soon, happy practicing!