Player Style File - June 2001

Allan Holdsworth, Part II

By Daz Malekpour

Hey there shred fans. Last month if you remember, I showed you a small starting

chunk of Allan Holdsworth's 'City Nights'... as promised, here is the second part,

which isn't really an equal 'half' but all contains the similar technique. I have

included the first half so you don't have to rumble around the murky depths of the

archives.

Admittedly, these last two moths have been for real 'guitar achievers' or

those interested in Holdsworth, but I totally recommend a listen to his music to

every shred\fusion\jazz guitarist in the world... we all can learn a thing or two

from a old fat balding Yorkshire man it seems... and I'm not sure whether it's a

bonus or a hinderance, but thats the same description I can fall into give it a

decade or two. Hmmm...

Next month, some totally insane and extreme techniques and licks from my own playing...

ego trip time!

Best Wishes,

dazmalekpour@hotmail.com

www.dazmalekpour.homestead.com

www.mp3.com\dazmalekpour

www.insaneguitar.com

Last month...

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------

|----------------------------------------------------19-------------------

|-7--------/7-------------------------------------16----16----------------

|---7~-5------7~p5---8--------/8---------------14----------14----------14-

|----------------------8~-6------8~p6-----0h12----------------15p12h15----

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 1 3 4 3 1 3 1 3 1

|----14-15p14---------------------------17-22p17---------------17h21/24~-21~

|--15--------15-----------------------19--------17-----------17-------------

|16------------16-------------------17---------------------17---------------

|----------------14------12h16p14h17---------------17p14h17-----------------

|------------------15p12----------------------------------------------------

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 3 1 1 3 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 4 4 1

|----------------------------------------------------

|-15-----------/15-----------------------------------

|----14~-12--------14~p12----15-----------15---------

|-------------------------------15p~13-------15p~13--

|----------------------------------------------------

|------------------------------13-----------10/12~~~~-----------------------

|-----12/14~----------------------------------------------------------------

|---------------------------14---14--12\10------------12\10p9-9----9/11~~---

|-14------------11h12-----14------------------------------------11----------

|-------------12------------------------------------------------------------

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------

|----------------------------------------------------------------------------

|-12~p10~p8~-----------------------------------------------------------------

|------------12~p10~p8~~-h10~~--/12~~----10p9~-------------------------------

|-----------------------------------------------12p10~----10h12~------10-12--

|-------------------------------------------------------10---------10--------

|---------------------------------------------

|9-12--11-10--9-------------------------------

|----------------12-11-10-9-\8----------------

|--------------------------------11p9---8-----

|----------------------------------------11~~-

|------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|-----------------------9h14p9--9-------------9------------11-------------9----

|-------------------9h14------14-14p9-14-9-14---14-9\11-16----16-11\-9-14---14-

|-13-----10--11p9h14-----------------------------------------------------------

|---13p10--12------------------------------------------------------------------

3 3 1 1 2 3 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 1 4 1 4 1 1 4 1 4

|------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|---------12-------------10-------------12-------------10----------------------

|-9/12-17----17-12\10-15----15-10/12-17----17-12\10-15----15-10-15p12p10h12h15-

|------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 1 4 1 4 1 1 4 1 4 1 1 4 1 4 1 1 4 1 4 1 4 2 1 2 4

|---------------------------------10h13h15p13p10h11h12h13p12p11p10-------------

|-------------------------10h13h15--------------------------------14p13p11p10--

|-10--------------10h13h15-----------------------------------------------------

|---15p12p10h12h15-------------------------------------------------------------

|------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 4 2 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 3 1 2 3 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1

|-12-----10--------------------------------------

|---13p10--13p10---------------10h15p10~~~~~~~~--

|---------------12~p10---------------------------

|---------------------12p10h12-------------------

|------------------------------------------------

3 4 1 1 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1

Continuation...

Okay, I'm not separating the following tabs into chunks because it all pretty much

flows as one devastatingly long solo, barring the end. It took me flipping *ages* to

just learn, let alone nail down. But it's worth it, and at least you can say you've

'done' some Holdsworth...? A good technical exercise if nothing more, and a piece that

is sure to tax most shredders. I've included at parts some fingering notation, as it

may be a little hazy to some.

Points of notice include the lovely pentatonic usage (in an Eric Johnson feel),

tasteful chromatic legato phrasing, the cool octave descending slides, as well as the

obviously smooth legato movements... Allan has an incredible jazz timing, and many of

His phrases are purposefully off-beat, making his legato runs all the more difficult,

just to get back into rhythm! No problem for him, but you and me? Lets be inspired!

Go get to the end.

------------------------------------------------------------

-9~~-----------------------------------------10-12-13/17p16-

------12----10B(12)~~~10p8---------------10-----------------

-----------------------------13p11p10-11--------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

4 2 1 2 1 1 3 4 4 3

-----------------------------------13h17p14h15------12h15p13

-----------------------------13h15--------------12----------

-16/19--14h17---------14h17---------------------------------

---------------14h17----------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

3 3 1 4 2 3 1 4 2

--10h13p12-----8h12p10p8----------10-------------------10---

------------8-----------------------------------------------

--------------------------12/14-------14p12----10h12--------

------------------------------------------------------------

1 4 3 1 1 4 3 1

---------10---------10------------10---------10---------10--

------------------------------------------------------------

--12h14------12h14------12h14/15------15\14------14p12------

------------------------------------------------------------

-12p10p9h10h12p10p9-----9-----------------------------------

---------------------12----10h12p10p8------8----------------

---------------------------------------12-----12p10p8h10h12-

------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------9h14p9--------

----------------------------------------9h11----------9h11--

---------------------------10h13p11h13----------------------

---------------9h13p11h13-----------------------------------

--13-11--9h11-----------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

3 1 1 3 1 4 2 4 1 4 2 4

-------8h11p10--------11p9---------12p9---------------------

--9-------------9h11--------9--12--------12p9---------------

-----------------------------------------------11p9----9h11-

------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------9/12------------------------

----------------------------12------------------------------

------------9h11------9h11----------------------------------

-9h11---11--------11-------------------------15-------17----

---------------------------------------15h17----15h17-------

------------------------------------------------------------

3 1 3 4 1 1 1 3 1 1 3 3

-------------------------------------15/17h22p17~~~20~~~----

--------18--------------------------------------------------

-15h17-----15h17--------------------------------------------

-----------------17-----------15----------------------------

--------------------17p15h17--------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

1 3 4 1 3 2 3 1 3 1

-20p15p13-12h15-10h13p12p10-------10------------------------

----------------------------13p10----13p10------------------

-------------------------------------------12B(13)-12p10----

------------------------------------------------------------

4 2 1 1 3 1 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 1

------------------10h14-------------------------------------

------------------------10h14-------------------------------

-----------10h12---------------9h14p11p9--------9-----------

-12p10h12---------------------------------12p9----9h14p12p9-

------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------8--------------------

--------------------------8h10h11p10p8---11p10--------------

---------------------7h10----------------------12~~~--------

------------7h10p7h8----------------------------------------

-12-----7h8-------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 3 4 3 1 1 4 3 4

-----------------8h10h11p10p8---13p11~~p10p8----------------

------------8h11-----------------------------11---10~~~~----

-10\9\8p7h8-------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

0h12------------------------------15p14-------13------------

------12-----------------------14-------14\13----15p14p13---

------------12~~~~-------14h17------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------15p13----------

-13---------------------------------------15--------15p14---

----14h16p14p12------14p13p12h14----12h15-------------------

-----------------16--------------15-------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

3 1 3 3 3 1 3 2

-13--------12-----------------------------------------------

-----16p15----12-17p15----------14h15p14--------------------

-----------------------17B(18)-----------17p16p15p14--------

------------------------------------------------------------

1 4 3 1 1 4 3 3 1 2 1 4 3 2 1

---------------------------16h18h19p18p16-------16----------

---------------------14h16----------------19p16----19p16----

--------------15h16-----------------------------------------

--17p16p15h17-----------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

3 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 3 4 3 1 4 1 1 4 1

------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------19B(21)

-18h20p18p16----18p16-18p16-----------------------16--------

-------------18-------------18p16-----------16h18-----------

----------------------------------18--16h18-----------------

------------------------------------------------------------

2 4 2 1 3 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3

-17p14-16p12------------------------------------------------

-------------14---------------------------------------------

----------------14p13h16-12h15-14p12p11---------------------

----------------------------------------14p12p10------------

-------------------------------------------------14p12p10~~~

------------------------------------------------------------

3 1 4 1 3 3 2 4 1 4 4 2 1 4 3 1 4 3 1

------------------------------------------------------------

-----7--------9----------7---------------------6/7----------

-----7--------9-------------7-------5~-----------------7----

------------------------------------------------------------

---5~~~--------6/8--------------------8---------------------

----------------------8-----6~------------8------6------4---

------------------------------------------------------------

(Phew!)

dazmalekpour@hotmail.com