Repeat-Licks For Soloing

This lesson is an introduction to repeat licks. It is geared mostly toward intermediate players who haven't really gotten into soloing yet, or for advanced players who have been living under a rock and may not know these licks yet. Repeat Licks can be added to a solo to spice it up a bit, they are not hard (well, sometimes), but the challenge comes from making them smooth and clean, with a strong focus on precision. Even if you don't solo that much, these licks can be used as finger exercises. Well, enough talk; let's start. The first lick can be most famously heard at the end of the Stairway To Heaven solo:

E--8-5---8-5---8-5---8-5----|
B------5-----5-----5-----5--|
G---------------------------|
D---------------------------|
A---------------------------|
E---------------------------|

These are all triplets. The best application of this lick is just before the end of your solo; it has a senseof finality to it. If you break your solo into measures, do this lick on the second-to-last measure, leaving yourself one measure to conclude your solo on a more finalizing chord-tone. This next repeat lick is a triplet followed by regular 8th or 16th notes, depending on how fast you play it.

     ---3---          ---3---
E---12p10p8------8---12p10p8------8---|
B-----------10---------------10-------| etc..
G-------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------|

Note that the first figure is a triplet. This lick can be played as 8th notes or as 16th notes, remember that the most important part is accuracy and fluidity. This lick can be thrown in for effect very easily and it fits into most areas of a solo. A good tip to remember: always build up to a repeat lick, don't just start it randomly, they are the climax of many solos. This same lick can be moved up and down the neck with only slight variations of fingering, all staying in the same key. All the examples I give are in A minor.

    --3--         --3--         --3--         ---3-- 
E---5p3p2-----2---7p5p3-----3---8p7p5-----5---10p8p7-----7-|
B---------3-------------5-------------7--------------8-----|
G----------------------------------------------------------|
D----------------------------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------------------|

     ---3---          ---3----          ----3---
E---12p10p8------8---13p12p10------10---15p13p12------12---|
B-----------10----------------12-----------------13--------|
G----------------------------------------------------------|
D----------------------------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------------------|

Etc...
Practice going both up and down the neck. Try playing them in different orders. This gets tricky because you might have to make some big jumps, but always remember, don’t get sloppy! Now try this one, similar to the first lick, yet melodically modified:

E---8-5---7-5---8-5---7-5-----|
B-------5-----5-----6-----6---| etc..
G-----------------------------|
D-----------------------------|
A-----------------------------|
E-----------------------------|

These are all triplets. You see that by changing only a few notes, the entire repeat lick has a different tone to it. Knowing this, you can make your repeat lick fit into whatever type of solo you are playing.

Next on the list of repeat licks are open strings. Hammering on and pulling off to open strings sounds cool and is impressive. Luckily, it is also very easy. Start with this, all 16th note triplets, each three-note figure is all pull-offs:

E--3-2-0-------------------3-2-0-------------------|
B--------3-2-0-------3-2-0-------3-2-0-------3-2-0-|
G--------------3-2-0-------------------3-2-0-------|
D--------------------------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------------|

E--3-2-0-------3-2-0-------3-2-0-------------------|
B--------3-2-0-------3-2-0-------3-2-0-------------|
G--------------------------------------3-2-0-------|
D--------------------------------------------3-2-0-|
A--------------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------------|

Easy, huh? This lick isn't perhaps the easiest thing to fit into a solo, but for impressing your friends, it's great! Ok, once you've built up finger-strength enough to rip that out no problem, move on to the next one, it utilizes the same pattern as one of the previous licks I've given, except this time it's all triplets and all on one string, it just gets easier and easier doesn't it?

Note: I put an extra "-" in between triplet figures so that each figure is easier to see. It doesnt't count for any extra time, just blast through it.

E--5p3p0--7p3p0--5p3p0--7p3p0--7p5p0--8p5p0--7p5p0--8p5p0-|
B---------------------------------------------------------|
G---------------------------------------------------------|
D---------------------------------------------------------|
A---------------------------------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------------------------|

E--8p7p0--10p7p0--8p7p0--10p7p0--10p8p0--12p8p0--10p8p0--12p8p0--|
B----------------------------------------------------------------|
G----------------------------------------------------------------|
Â----------------------------------------------------------------|
G----------------------------------------------------------------|
G----------------------------------------------------------------|

And there it is. Make sure that each note is clear and can be heard. It might be a little impractical or boring if you played this entire thing as part of your solo, but taking pieces of it is great fun, try isolating one area of it, say the one in 5th position: E--7-5-0--8-5-0-- and play just that bit one hundred or two hundred times. Then move to a different section.

Now I've noticed that almost all these examples have included some kind of triplet, and while it is true that a lot (and I do mean a lot) of repeat licks involve triplets, they don't always, try these licks built around the B-minor Pentatonic scale. They are all straight 16th notes.

 Fig. 1                    Fig. 2
 
E--10-7----7-10-7----7-- --7-10-7----7-10-7----|
B-------10--------10---- ---------10--------10-|
G----------------------- ----------------------|
D----------------------- ----------------------|
A----------------------- ----------------------|
E----------------------- ----------------------|

 Fig. 3
E-------7-10-7-------------7-10-7--------|
B--7-10--------10-7---7-10--------10-7---|
G-------------------9------------------9-|
D----------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------|

Try making up some of your own too; there are almost of unlimited combination of notes that can be made into a repeat lick.

Next we come to a very popular repeat lick nowadays, at least among shredders, fingertapping--specifically Right Hand Fingertapping. Try this lick, as fast as possible. This is the first part of the tapping part of Van Halen's Eruption. The "T" above the TAB means tap that fret with the index finger of your right hand. Or your middle finger, if you're mind is set on always holding your pick.

     T      T       T       T
E--------------------------------|
B--9p2h5--9p2h5--10p2h5--10p2h5--|
G--------------------------------|
D--------------------------------|
A--------------------------------|
E--------------------------------|

You have to "pull" the string a bit with yur finger and hit is sort of hard to get an equal sound from all the notes.

Another great way to spice up solos with repititious licks is to add little trill-effects. On this next example (in the key of Am) play the pull-off/hammer-on part as fast as possible (as a "trill").

   (1)(3) (3) (2)
E--8h10p8-----8h10p8-------------------------|
B---------10---------10--8h10p8----8h10p8----|
G-------------------------------9---------9--|
D--------------------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------|

Remember, always make sure each note is clear. In parentheses () I put my suggested fingering (something which I have neglected to do thus far, sorry).

And that's it for now, I hope that this little lesson has taught you something, or if nothing else, given you a few ideas about some stuff to play, please rate this lesson nad post feedback comments. Thanks! And if popular demand is high enough, I can post more of this kind of stuff.

Comments

[revoan]

Not bad.

[fly fly fly]

meh, ok. It doesnt teach technique for it.

[the_triangle]

its good for people who don't know this I guess

[jani_sorry]

thats avesome lesson! first time i EVER really learned something from internet site. Great! i want more this kind of lessons! thanks

[travguitarist92]

pretty good, now i know another trick i can do to solo!

thanks

[sstratman1958]

This Lesson was pretty cool! I got anouther wrinkle in the gray matter! Keep em coming.

[Xiaden]

It's an ok lesson, but it doesn't really teach much in the way of actually using the technique.
But it's really good for beginners, to introduce them to this style of soloing.

[annihilation]

ok, but i knew some of these already. the best and hardest repetetive lick I can do is:
v v v v
E-----6-----6-----|
B-----9p6-----9p6----|
G--8b10-----8b10-----|
D-----|
A-----|
E-----|

[annihilation]

well, that didn't come out as planned, lol

[BodaciousBob]

That was pretty cool, you explained it well. I've been playing for a while so i didn't really learn anything a part from one lick. Your tapping part had me really confused because me being so dumb i was tapping the second fret because that's where you got the T and i was like WTF overhand tapping?!

[eerrmm]

cheers that going to help me to create my own solos, so simple yet so effective

[Tomhigton]

Learning scales helps to make creating sol's easy.

[Tomhigton]

*solos

[hamerhead12345]

those r just some riffs anyone can do easily i ts o kay i guess

[onoj]

nice thanks for that

[xsoftsorrowx]

Good job! This is for others as well... don't get frustrated if you can't get it right... keep practicing, and eventually one day, you will surprise yourself!

[Meccallica]

Another lick would be 'Enter Sandman' riff at the start:
E)--0--
A)--7--
D)--5--
E)--6--
E)--5--
A)--7--
Repeat, thats how I've started, and it's workin' pretty
well.

[farlige-john1]

what does triplet means..?

[travman_401]

e|---12-----|
B|-----15p12-----| (repeat, repeat, etc.)
G|-----14-----|

Here' some licks that sound cool repeated. I figured out the one below.. The one above is really common and heard played alot by angus young and most classic rock songs like "Sweet child o' mine".

e|-----9--12p9-----9--12p9--| (repeat, etc.)
B|-12^B-----12--12^B-----|
G|-----|

[travman_401]

dammit!

[L_J_R,81]

thanks for takin the time bro!

[craze25]

cool.. tnx dude!

[Dnalrafcmb3]

here's one I like to do like for a end blues riff

|-3p0-----3p0-----|
|-----3p0-----3p0-3p0-----|
|- ----2p0-----|
|-----2~~~~~-|
|-----|
|-----|

very basic easy to do riff that is fun and sounds cool.

[Dnalrafcmb3]

sry about the screw up above the stupid internet messed it up.

[skater66]

right on

[<mos~sedated23>]

Cool Cool..tnx

[<mos~sedated23>]

Iv jus started out payn guitar, i find the best lick 4 sand man..
E -0-----6-5----0-----
b ---7-----7-----
g -----5-----
but i dunno it soundz right to me but like i said im jus startin out, any tipzz?

[<mos~sedated23>]

ah little on that, but you shuld b able to find it if ya play it~

[worton]

when you tap what fret does it want you to do it on?

[slashno1fan]

beginners could maybe learn something out of that

[MetallicGod07]

Oh wow! Thanks man! This whole time I've been trying to do a solo but I just finger strings randomly. Iv'e been playing for 11 months. (how sad is that?) This really helped. thank you. \m/(^o^)\m/

[Iheartnirvana]

This Is Great Man, Thanx

[wolfmother_911]

nice, my hand is drilling now never streched it soo far

[philipp122]

This really helped me with coming up with cool licks. The good part about short, simple licks is that you can change them and move them all over the fret board very easily, so this really helped me with my improvising as well. 2 thumbs up. I gave it a 10.

[Ruben94]

this is the tab i were looking for

[punk Rocker 32]

decent lesson angus young uses this skill with bends

[Arycama]

This lesson was really good, I played through all the licks in this several times, I think these will help alot with my solos =D

[willingwellIV]

wow, i liked this a lot. also, one song that really helps with this kind of soloing is reassurance rests in the sea by the fall of troy. check the bridge out, its pretty repetitive but reall fun to play.

[juanmarnr]

Nice, i learned a lot
thanks

[HethaHORRIFIC]

some more would be awesome.
with some bends in them.
and some longer repeated licks.
and movies or sound clips so we know how they are to be played.

[lordsod]

good exercises, cheers

[josh88888]

pretty boring and easy write a harder lesson

[gdavid]

hmm nice

[mister doodles]

this lesson really helped me, thanks sooo much, but i wouldnt mind even more lessons like this

[reder677]

try this at the end o a blues rif

|-0-0-3-5-5~6~5-3-0-3~4~3p0|
|-----|
|-----|
|---- -|
|-----|
|-----|

[WeeHa]

Great Lesson. Thanks A lot.

[ryantherocker]

awesome lesson dude

[silverstar01]

hey this is an easy yet valuable lesson. great job.

[davsim]

great lesson

[Syn_a7x]

cool... I guess.... I have just left this band I was in (because one of them had middle-child syndrome and acted like a control freak) so now I want to make a solo that none of them could ever do so I guess I'm trying to learn as many ways to make interesting solos. yeah this was helpful.... there's one Repeat-lick I'm struggling with though:

e|-15-17-15-13-----15-17-15-13---15-17-15-13--15- 17-15-13---15-17-15-13----15-17-15-13----20-22-20-18---20-22 -20-18--20-22-20-18---20-22-20-18--20-22-20-18-----21B22
b| -----15-----15-----15-----15-----20-----20-----20-----20---- -
g|-----
d|-----
a|-----
d|-----

^^ It's off 'Afterlife' (Avenged Sevenfold)

[xXa7Xx]

Pretty good. Actually not bad at all.

[godofdeath_666]

thanks but me and the band wanted to ask any one who can think of a solo for a song?

[Drome371]

Great lesson, helped me and our drummer come up with a good solo for one of the songs we were making.

[Freshnoise]

Although I'd like more riffs and more about come up them, I thought this lesson was awesome. 9/10. I'm going to practice these licks, my solos have been frustrating me a lot recently, and this helps a lot.

[per-rock]

what means whith ---3---
it was like this:
--3-- --3-- --3-- ---3--
E---5p3p2-----2---7p5p3-----3---8p7p5-----5---10p8p7-----7 -|
B-----3-----5-----7-----8-----|
G-----|
D-----|
A---- -|
E-----|
it is 7 strings öö :s i don't understand mail me in ultimate guitar please

[zeyth]

And if popular demand is high enough, I can post more of this kind of stuff.

(^hopes that comes out right.)
:Please do.

[per-rock]

can somebody answer my question about 7 strings

[andrew1234]

cool