Modern Metal Solo Breakdown

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Metal

Excerpt: Hello again! This is the 4th and final lesson on Modern Metal! If you're new to this series, check out the first tutorial here. We're finally to the guitar solo! We'll be breaking this solo down into 3 sections. 1. The first section is the first pentatonic line based around the 3rd (fret)  position G minor pentatonic scale. 2. The second section is t...

Media Length: 1:23

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Metal

Excerpt: Onto the first set of ideas. I'm a big fan of solos that build into a climactic ending whilst still maintaining some nice technical lines throughout, so I started this solo with a short melody followed by a pentatonic/blues oriented lick. This was an improvised solo so in the mindset of improvisation I chose to hit as many chord tones as I could manage, he...

Media Length: 2:24

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Metal

Excerpt: The second part of the solo is very similar to the first part and together the two of them almost act as a call and response (minus the rest that would usually accrue between the two ideas in a call and response). I start again with some simple melody notes into another pentatonic/blues style line. The hard part is the phrasing that takes place, especially...

Media Length: 1:32

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Metal

Excerpt: Now onto the final lick. This lick can be very hard to master because of the mix of techniques and phrasing so take your time and go sloooowwww. It starts with a 9th (fret) position F# diminished 7 arpeggio that is played ascending in groups of four using hybrid picking. You are totally free to try another technique to accomplish this lick but I find hybri...

Media Length: 3:34