*Player Style File* by Daz M March 2001 - Steve Vai [again] Part II - Legato & Alternate Picking Hello again, you lovely people, you. As promised, I deliver another tasty column for your playing pleasures. However, I have been a dildo as of late, last month's clips never actually materialized.. for this I can only beg for lenient beatings. They will appear eventually, maybe. OK, legato and alternate picking - here are some examples that will test your mettle. Sound clips *WILL* be posted, eventually, and as for a certain transcription I promised.. uhhh.. I will also transcribe that too (WTTS), it will be posted on my home site. Stay frosty, shredders! Winter's wishes, Daz M. daz@insaneguitar.net www.mp3.com/dazmalekpour/ www.dazmalekpour.homestead.com Example One - Legato, simple \ warm-up As a rule, its best to warm up before getting 'physical'. Try trilling (rapidly alternating between two notes, hammering and pulling-off) with all finger combinations (Index-pinky, middle-ring finger etc..) and at different positions on the neck. Trill with a semitone gap, trill with a 3 tone gap (if you can make it)! Prolonged practice of trilling really REALLY helps your overall playing stamina and articulation and this is vital to legato, as the whole tricks relies totally on finger strength, not picking action. For the examples below, you don't have to bother looking up the actual bits on the cd, they should also be seen as exercises, play them with uniform speed, or however you want.. just play with the pattern and ideas. i) The delightful B major scale, a la legato. Try it, you might like it. Follow on by trying all your scales this way. ii) A nice warm up; a 'break' in the Fire Garden Suite's final movement. iii) A lick from the frenzied Erotic Nightmares; a simple downward A major scale run. iv) The Crying Machine, an interlude lick. i) |--------------------------------9h11h12h11h9--------------------------------| |-------------------------9h11h12------------12h11h9-------------------------| |-------------------8h9h11--------------------------11h9h8-------------------| |-------------8h9h11--------------------------------------11h9h8-------------| |-------7h9h11--------------------------------------------------11h9h7-------| |-7h9h11--------------------------------------------------------------11h9h7-| ii) |-7h8h10p8p7-----------------------------------------------------| |-----------10p7p8h10p8p7----------------------------------------| |------------------------9p7p6h7h9p7p6---------------------------| |-------------------------------------9p5h7h9p7p5----------------| |------------------------------------------------9p5h7h9p7p5-----| |-----------------------------------------------------------9p7~-| iii) |-17~~\10p9p7--------------------------------| |------------10p9p7--------------------------| |------------------9p7p6---------------------| |-----------------------9p7p6----------------| |----------------------------9p7p5-----------| |---------------------------------9p7p5/10~~-| iv) |12h14h16~~p14p12----------------------------------------| |----------------16p12h14h16p14p12-----------------------| |---------------------------------15-13h15p13-11/13\11~~-| |--------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------| Example Two - Advanced OK, lets test your abilities. This should not be a big problem for seasoned shredders, but I recommend everyone to try this solo. Liberty was perhaps the first track many people ever heard from Vai, on his ground breaking Passion & Warfare album. Tackle it in small bits if you're finding it difficult. Good luck! i) The outro solo from Liberty.. A totally 100% accurate version, its amazing how many crappy versions there are on the net. OK there is some alt\pickin' and some tappin', but hey, you're a guitarist, right? Its mostly legato though, so be happy. And don't try to play it EXACTLY like Vai does it, I'm sure he would never would himself. i) |-16-16-16h17p16p14--14--------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------17--17-15-14-14-14-14-14h15p14--14------PH------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------16--16-14-16~~-\13-13-13-14h13p11--11------ |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------14--14-12- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |----------------------------------------------------------------------------8h10h12- |---------------------------------------------------------------------9h10h12-------- |11-11-11-11-11h12p11--11--------------------------------------9h10h12--------------- |--------------------14--14-12-11h12p11--11-------------8h10h12---------------------- |--------------------------------------14--14-12\8h10h12----------------------------- |8h10h12t17p12p10p8---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------t17p12p10p8-t15p6h8p6\5h6h8p6p5-------BU------------------------------------ |-------------------------------------------------7p5h7-7(9)p5h7p5\4h5h7p5p4------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------7p5/12\7\5\4h7p5p4- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------19-\-14-/16~~----| |---------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------------| |------PH-------------------------------------------| |7p5/7-7~-p5h7p5\3h7p5p3----------------------------| |-----------------------7-5\0~----------------------| Example Three - Alt picking, simple \ warm-up i) A 'true' chromatic run, in G#. This is a proper example of the chromatic scale, and contrary to popular belief, the scale is NOT 1-2-3-4 all the way up and down the neck!!! I can't believe it when so many people ask me if that is the correct way! A nice example of position shifting too. ii) An ascension, Vai style. iii) More Firegarden Madness. Minimum movement, pick from wrist, and speed ought to be no problem. iv) From The Animal.. as above, minimum movement. The most 'Malmsteen' lick here. Together with a typically-Vai harmony part. Perfectly pick! i) |-4-3-2-1-------------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1- |--------5-4-3-2-----------------------------------------------------------5-4-3-2-------- |---------------5-4-3-2---------------------------------------------5-4-3-2--------------- |----------------------6-5-4-3-------------------------------6-5-4-3---------------------- |-----------------------------7-6-5-4-----------------7-6-5-4----------------------------- |------------------------------------8-7-6-5\4/5-6-7-8------------------------------------ ii) |-----------------------------------------------------------5-7-5--5-7-8~~- |----------------------------------------------5-7-5--5-7-8------7--------- |---------------------------------4-5-4--4-5-7------7---------------------- |--------------------4-5-4--4-5-7------7----------------------------------- |-------3-5-3--3-5-7------7------------------------------------------------ |-3-5-7------7------------------------------------------------------------- iii) |-13--------13--------13---------13-18-13--------13-18-13---------13-18-13---------13-18- |---16-12-16--16-12-16--16-12-16---------16-12-16--------16-12-16---------16-12-16------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------etc.. |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv) |-17-18-20-18-17-18-17-15-17-18-17-15---------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------18-17-15-17-18-17-15-------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------17-15-14-15-17-15-14------------ |----------------------------------------------------------------------------17-15-14-15- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |-12-13-15-13-12-13-12-10-12-13-12-10---------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------13-11-10-11-13-11-10-------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------12-10-9--10-12-10-9------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------------12-10-8--10- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------15-17-18~~~- |------------------------------14-15-17------------ |17-15-14--------------14-15-17-------------------- |--------17-15-13-15-17---------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------- | |-------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------10-11-13~~~- |-------------------------------9-10-12------------ |12-10-8----------------8-10-12-------------------- |--------12-10-7--10-12---------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------- Example Four - Advanced Perhaps Steve's greatest and most passionate song to date, For The Love Of God is an amazing piece of music quite unlike any other. Yes, it has 'that' solo, with 'that' technique.. While a lot of you may already know or have the tab for the solo, many actually don't (surprisingly), and I thought it might be A Wise Idea to put the tab here.. again, I've made sure this is 100% off the record. i) OK, breathe deeply, there's a LOT of notes to get through, and at such a little time. The key here is being agile and calm.. don't fret! LOL. What I mean is don't rush it, in order to pull it off with any amount of success, you have to be calm and focused, not flailing like a strangulated drunk moron. Patience! Warm your fingers up with trilling, then stretch them - those interval leaps aren't exactly small. For the first bit, plant your first finger so it holds fret 14 on both the E and B strings (the F# and C# respectively).. a mini barre, if you like. Then, keeping your pinky hovering above fret 19 (B), flick down over the alternate picked notes. Timing is essential! Remember, don't even try to get it perfect, because I'm sure Mr Vai would never be able to perform every exact nuance and articulation as he did on the record. BF = Bar flutter. Flick the bar, try it now. Helps with a floating trem! Vintage Fender bridges need not apply (Try a Floyd Rose or Ibanez LoPro- Edge\Edge)! i) |-14-14-14-14-19p14h19p14-14-14-14-14-----------14-14h19p14-14-14h19p14-14------------14- |------------------------------------15h19p15-14---------------------------15h19p15p14--- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |----14h19p14--14h19p14h19p14h19p14--------14h19p14--------19p14--------- |--19--------19--------------------17p15h17--------17-15-17-----17-15---- |18-x----------------------------------------------------------------12~\ |------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------ |13--------13h19p13--------13-19-13--------13-19p13--------13-19p13---------13h19p13----------- |--17-13-17--------17-13h17--------17-13h17--------17p13h17--------17-13-17---------17p13h17p13 |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |----13h19p13--------13h19p13------------13h19p13--------22p17---------17-19-17--------- |--17--------17p13h17--------17-13-----17--------17p13/-------20-17-20---------20p17h20- |17-------------------------------16-16------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |17-22p17--------17-19p17--17-22-17---------19-17-19--17h22p17--------17-19p17-15p12-15p12- |--------20-17-20--------20--------20-17-20---------22--------20-17-20--------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |-------------------------------------------15p12-17p15--17-17p15--22p17- |12h15p12h15p12------------------12h15p12-12-----------17--------17------ |--------------14p12h14p12--12h14---------------------------------------- |-------------------------14--------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------ BF BF BF BF BF BF BF BF BF BF |--------------22p17--------------22p17--------------22p17--------------------17------------17---------- |20-17-22-20-17-----20-17-22-20-17-----20-17-22-20-17-----22-22-22-20p17p22-22--20p17-22-22---20-17-22~- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BU |22\--12-------------------------12------------------------------------------- |-------15p12----------15(17)~~----15p12-------------------------------------- |------------14p12----0-----------------14p12------12~~----------------------- |-----------------14-------------------------14p12------14p12----------------- |------------------------------------------------------------14\12p10-10/12~~- |----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-12-13-12--12--------12h14p12--12----------12h14p12--12--------------12-14-----12--12h13p12--12---- |---------15--15p14-15--------15--15-1412h14--------15--15-14-12-14-15-----12-15--15--------15--14~- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |--12-14-12--12-----12--12h13p12----------------------------------------------------------------------- |15--------15--15-14--15--------15-16-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14 |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14 |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-------------------------------------------------------BU-------- |-----------------------------------------------------15(17)~~---- |16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14-16-15-14---------x\- |--------------------------------------------------------------x\- |----------------------------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------- Well screw me, that was long. Try to enjoy, see you next month.. with.. perhaps.. some.. Satch? www.dazmalekpour.homestead.com www.mp3.com/dazmalekpour www.beneathshatteredskt.homestead.com daz@insaneguitar.net |