Writing Guitar Licks

I always prefer to write a new guitar lick instead of using a standard one, but since anyone can throw in a bunch of notes that don't sound good, how do you write something fast, impressive (they must always be that, of course), and musical? Through experience, I've developed an approach. To do this, you'll need a song with which to play along, with a drumbeat.

For starters, it's important to write to the music. It's easy to write a lick that sounds good out of context, but then you play it over a song and it doesn't quite fit. It's too long or too short. The rhythmic groupings are off. The pitches just don't sing. All of the above. Maybe breaking it down would help.

Step 1: Identify the core pitches of your new guitar lick. While the recording plays, slowly play guitar and identify two or three notes that seem to ring out well over the chord(s). Chord tones are a good starting place, so if the chord (or key) is E Major, try Es, G#s, and Bs. Try different registers to find notes that really sing.

Step 2: Identify the note grouping/rhythm. Will it be a three or four note grouping (or six or eight by extension)? Let the recorder play while you hold down one note, striking it at the speed you want your new guitar lick to be. I generally start at my top speed and work my way down, and I sometimes alternate between two pitches to help identify the grouping. You may have to stop the recorder and slow down what you're playing to figure out what the grouping is. Let's say you've realized it's a six-note grouping.

Step 3: Invent possible patterns. With the recorder off, write some six-note patterns using mostly those three pitches. Here are some examples I tried over one of my songs.

e|---19141719171419141719171419---|---19171419171419171419171419---|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

e|---14171419171914171419171914---|---14191714171914191714171919---|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

Step 4: Improvise. When you're ready, it's time to improvise along with the music. This time, you have an advantage. The pitches work and the grouping fits. You just have to decide on the pattern(s), which might take time but is more fun now that it's less frustrating. You'll have to decide how many times to repeat the pattern(s) and how to break it near the end.

Step 5: Add some melody at the end. Part of what makes most guitar licks work is the ending, which is often a melody that's a departure from the guitar lick itself. These little melodic snippets bring the guitar lick home. See the example below, from my song "Motif Operandi" from my upcoming CD. As I wrote the descending guitar lick (a three note pattern), I thought it was going well but seemed to dribble off into nothing, so I wasn't going to keep it. Then I improvised the last four climbing notes and the whole thing worked. Many times it seems like a guitar lick is almost cool, but not quite. You have to end it well.

e|---12h16p12-----------------------------|-------------------------|
B|------------16h17p16-12h16p12-----------|-------------------------|
G|------------------------------14h16p14--|--13h14p13-------13-14---|
D|----------------------------------------|-----------13h16---------|
A|----------------------------------------|-------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|-------------------------|

Coda. Even if you don't want a stationary guitar lick, but one that moves (or a scale), the same techniques can get you started. Best of luck, and may your fingers fly true.

Randy Ellefson is an instrumental guitarist with endorsements from Alvarez Guitars and Peavey, and a Bachelors of Music in classical guitar, Magna Cum Laude. His debut album was independently released in June 2004, and he is now performing in the U.S. The album's title, The Firebard, is a nod to his experience with tendonitis, which took away his playing for five years before he fully recovered it and rose from his ashes. For more details, mp3s, tabs, articles, videos and other cool stuff, visit the official site.

Comments

[x_themetalfan_x]

Pretty nice article, maybe now I can write some good catchy licks!

FIRST!!! (for once, hopefully) :P

[Ibanez3]

Good article..it will help me out.

[loyd]

nice article writing man.. props for u i mean stars.

[ibanez666]

i liked that article, good stuff. i'll have to take this stuff into consideration.

[thejester]

pretty cool that ellefson actually wrote this. you guys should check out his site

[Burdell]

nice...short and to the point

[kennethdave]

really good stuff

[projectmin25]

if a lick doesnt sound good over a song...make sure you know the chords and always know what key you're in...if its to long...you should already know how long of a window you have for a lick or a solo so as a guitar player, you should have that kind of sence that a lick will work or not...(but as you did state there is always trial and error)

[nightonthesun]

I like.

[Rivers]

good article....i think any articles that have a good method for inspiring creativity are valid and helpful.....9/10

[Tablour]

Different approach that you dont usually think about...great article

[Wiegraf]

Very nice.

[mikeman]

tally hoe mate

[2ndslash]

i suck at writing

[kevinm4435]

Good job. An 8.

[dmcphedran]

excellent...thats the way i write my tunes too!

[Kadaj]

I dont get the tabs or whatever they are in step 3.

[Red.Washburn77]

it's nice to see a valid and helpful article on here. Thanks man. 9/10!

Kudos

[CrazedGuitarist]

I agree ... pretty impressive bro, keep it up!

[rollingstones]

dude the only word to describe this is sweet
thanks alot man
\M/ rock on

[ac/guns n zep]

it was good although it doesnt really tell you how to write a guitar lick, it tells you how to fit. a guitar lick into a song.

[_/Ratt&Roll\_]

Hey i just thought of something hilarious and off subject. How about, instead of you losers trying to get glory for being first to post, get it for being last! I am now the last to post! And by the way, i didn't really care for your article because writing licks comes naturally to me so whatever.

[bradbradbrad]

i just thought id write something to piss ratt&roll off. and good article too, 9/10.

[Orion333]

I also with to adress the Jackass like nature of Ratt&Roll. I predict a gas station, and no women in his future.

[shadows666]

Orion333 you are my hero!!

[evvo_gc_fan]

pretty good article. nice one.

[pixi3]

yeah...um...good

[zeebie]

Great article! I printed it out and am saving this on my desk. KEEP ROCKIN!

[ibanez87]

how come all these articles are so confusing?

[greeneggs'n'ham]

ratt&roll, i just thought of something hilarious and off-subject... now that people have posted after you, your post is completely pointless and makes you look like an arrogant retard. Good article, but i would adress exactly what in music theory makes a lick catchy- you only told us how to fit it in. at least you gave us good tab examples, which some people rarely do, so kudos.

[thechangling]

What makes a Catchy lick if it grabs your ear and takes you someplace then its catchy

[Gilmour_Rocks]

does it always has to be fast? heck no! define impressive too....are David Gimlours toneful bends not as impressive as Yngie's bloody shredding? I beg to differ

[emhaslam]

ibanez87 wrote:

how come all these articles are so confusing?

cant u read???

[local_hippy]

i didnt get da second step

[local_hippy]

like wat the hell are patterns
?

[local_hippy]

like wat the hell are patterns?

[sa1nt_dave]

that was an interesting article

[sa1nt_dave]

that was a cool article... patterns are patterns

[RandyEllefson]

hey all thanks for all the comments. A pattern is just a group of notes you play repeatedly.

[AH@2112]

NICE..... time to go write music

[emoaintthatbad?]

my name is jacob dwarfson

[emoaintthatbad?]

really no joke

[emoaintthatbad?]

sorry , i shouldnt be making fun, sorry

[Metalmouth]

Great article well done

[aRyl Machine]

read the article, went to ur website, heard some stuff, enjoyed. peacepipe

[Stratocaster17]

blah blah

[James Dissent]

funny.....i use the same approach when i write my licks too. funny thing is that i tought myself everything i know and i figured no one else used that approach. works well.