Yngwie Malmsteen Guitar Methods

I have many tricks was inspired by all the Yngwie Malmsteen. I have a lot of good ideas to offer. I am a big Yngwie fan and I have always been impressed by the "sweep picking" idea. Once you complete this leeson you will able to play really fast and sweeping like a true shred god. You must practise with a metronome and if you're patientent you master this stuff. If you find it hard slow it down or ask someone(it helps).

Key - A major
E |--5----------------|
B |----8-p-5----------|
G |----------7b/\5----|
D |----------------7--|
A |-------------------|
E |-------------------|

Sweeping Up With Arpeggios.
A lot of you out there are probably looking to increase your speed as a guitarist. You can go right into playing songs by Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, and so on. But what good is learning a song when you can't play that fast yet? Well here are some arpeggio scales that may help you in a technique called sweep picking. My style may be unlike many people since I have learned it on my own but I hope that it'll help you in playing. When you play these be sure you follow the pick directions.

Important! Be sure to start off slow and then speed up to warp speed. You will learn better this way. It would also help if you use a metronome. Start at around 50 or 60 bpm and move up to as high as you can go. Some of you may recognize that this is the piece that Ralph Macchio plays in the end of the duel between him and Steve Vai in the movie "Crossroads," the best movie in the world. I have a clip of the entire duel on my website separated into many different real audio files. Come check it out if you'd like.

Sweep Picking Arpeggios

e |-----------------8-12-8----------------|
b |-------------10----------10------------|
g |---------5-9----------------9-5--------|
d |-------7------------------------7------|
a |-----7----------------------------5----|
e |-5-8--------------------------------8--|

e |-----------------7------------------|
b |---------------9---9----------------|
g |-----------7-9-------9-7------------|
d |-------6-9---------------9-6--------|
a |---5-7-----------------------7-5----|
e |-7-------------------------------8--|

e |-----------------7----------------|
b |-------------5-8---8-5------------|
g |-----------6-----------6----------|
d |-------5-7---------------7-5------|
a |-----7-----------------------7----|
e |-5-9---------------------------9--|

e |-----------------10-12-10-----------------|
b |--------------10----------10--------------|
g |---------7-10----------------10-7---------|
d |-------7--------------------------7-------|
a |---5-8------------------------------------|
e |-5----------------------------------10-8--|

e |----------------------------------------|
b |-------------------9-12-9---------------|
g |----------------10--------10-7----------|
d |-----------9-12----------------9-6------|
a |------8-11-------------------------8----|
e |-7-10--------------------------------7--|

e |-------------------5----8-5--12--8--16--|
b |---------------5-----5------------------|
g |-----------5-----5----------------------|
d |-------7-----7--------------------------|
a |---7-----7------------------------------|
e |-5---8-------------------------------0--|

Left Hand Warm Up.
These two exercises will help you warm up your fretting hand. If you haven't already done so, please go do the "right hand warm-up" exercise on my page. The first exercise is really just a simple run in E minor, but it is a good warmup because it uses all four fingers and three strings. Repeat the lick over and over in a cycle. As before in my previous lesson, use a metronome and start slowly. You are not trying to be Yngwie Malmsteen with this. The main goal is to warm up your hands to prevent injury. I have had tendonitis in my left arm before, and it is bad news for guitar players! The second exercise is the same pattern, but the key is C minor, therefore the fingering is a little different. Don't forget alternate picking!

Key - E minor/C minor
Ex.1 (E minor)
E |-------------12----------15-14-|-12----12-------------------------|
B |----12-13-15----15-13-12-------|----15----15-13-12----------------|
G |-14----------------------------|----------------------------------|
D |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|

 Ex.2 (C minor)
E |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G |-------------12----------15-14-|-12----12-------------------------|
D |----12-13-15----15-13-12-------|----15----15-13-12----------------|
A |-15----------------------------|----------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|

Half Tone Drill.
I got inspired by Yngwie when I saw him on the Grammy Award in Sweden, he played a live solo for the audience and he played a drill sequence and I thought that I wanted to play something like that so I just drilled every halftone steps in the Harmonic A Minor Scale.

Key - A Harmonic Minor
|-12h13p12h13-------------|----------------------|
|-------------12h13p12h13-|-9h10p9h10------------|
|-------------------------|-----------9h10p9h10--|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|

|-----------------------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------|----------------------------------|
|-9h10p9h10-------------|----------------------------------|
|-----------11h12p11h12-|-----------------------------2----|
|-----------------------|-12h13p12h13-7h8p7h8-4h5p4h5-0----|

Beyond Inspired.
This trick is inspired by a short drill in the song "Far Beyond The Sun" By Yngwie. When you can play it, try changing fingers to drill with each finger.

A Minor
|-----------12h13p12h13-----------12h13p12h13--|
|----------------------------------------------|
|-9h10p9h10-------------9h10p9h10--------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|

|---------10h12p10h12---------10h12p10h12--|
|------------------------------------------|
|-7h9p7h9-------------7h9p7h9--------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|

|---------8h10p8h10---------8h10p8h10--|
|--------------------------------------|
|-5h7p5h7-----------5h7p5h7------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|

|---------7h8p7h8---------7h8p7h8--|
|----------------------------------|
|-4h5p4h5---------4h5p4h5----------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|

Dim Arpeggios.
Ok, here's a diminished arpeggio trick. The ending of the trick is much like the ending of a dim sequence in the song "Far Beyond The Sun" by Yngwie J. Malmsteen.

Key - C# dim
E |-------9-12-9-------------12-15-12-------|
B |----11--------11-------14----------14----|
G |-12--------------12-15----------------15-|
D |-----------------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------|

E |-------10-13-10-------------13-16-13-------|
B |----12----------12-------15----------15----|
G |-13----------------13-16----------------16-|
D |-------------------------------------------|
A |-------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------|

E |-------12-15-12-------------15-18-15-------|
B |----14----------14-------17----------17----|
G |-15----------------15-18----------------18-|
D |-------------------------------------------|
A |-------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------|

E |-------13-16-13----------------------------|
B |----15----------15-------------------------|
G |-16----------------16-13-------------------|
D |-------------------------15----------3-----|
A |----------------------------17-------4-----|
E |-------------------------------------------|

E |-------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------|
D |-4-----------------------------------------|
A |-4-----------------------------------------|
E |-2-----------------------------------------|

Warm Up.
Ok here is my idea of a warm up program. It's made for practising the technics I most often uses and it may not be adapted to your playing style. But if you are a Yngwie wanna-be or into some speed/sweep/alternate/economy-picking this might be something for you.It's a really good thing to go through a list of warm up exercises before you play fast tricks and/or solos. It improves your playing. If you play something wrong every time you play it, it gets stuck in your head (the muscle memory) and than you will keep playing it wrong. Some of that effect could, of course, be prevented by warming up before you play.

Tip for all tricks. Play through each exercise a couple of times so that you memorise it. Than increase the speed starting from a real slow pace. Always hold a steady beat, a metronome or a drum machine would be of great help. Don't play so fast so that your left and right hand go out of sync. If they do go out of sync, play a little slower for a while and than increase your speed. It's important to remain in sync. If you lose it the tones start ringing less clearly. Memorise the trick before increasing speed. Play them over and over again. Play slow at first and increase the speed gradually. Always hold a steady beat. Remain in sync, The tones should ring clearly.

Warm Up Program.
To Yngwie or not to Yngwie. This my attempt(s) at an Yngwie style ascending run. Lord knows how he does it, I certainly can't (use the force, and alternate picking).

Key - A minor
E |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------|----------------------s-----------|
G |-------------------------------|---------------9-10-12/14~~~~~----|
D |-------------------------7-9-10|-12-10-9-10-12--------------------|
A |-------5-7-8-10-8-7-8-10-------|----------------------------------|
E |-5-7-8-------------------------|----------------------------------|

Key - Chromatic Scale
E |9-------8-------7-------6------|
B |--8-7-6---9-7-6---9-8-6---9-8-7|
G |-------------------------------|
D |-------------------------------|
A |-------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|

The bottom string should ring clearly until it's picked again! How do you learn how to do chromatic stuff? I have always just played notes at random for that effect, but I get limited results. Any suggestions? Well, the chromatic scale is based on halftones as you already know. So try to just play some halftones in a row! Here are two examples. I made the first example after some inspiration from Paganini. When you have played it all the way down you should play it backwards all the way up.

|-------------------------------|----------------1-2-3-4--------|
|-------------------------------|--------2-3-4-5----------------|
|-------------------------------|2-3-4-5------------------------|
|------------------------3-4-5-6|-------------------------------|
|----------------4-5-6-7--------|-------------------------------|
|--------5-6-7-8----------------|-------------------------------|
|6-7-8-9------------------------|-------------------------------|

I don't realy know who the author of the second example is. But I heard Yngwie Malmsteen plays it every now and then!

|------------------------|----------------------|
|-12-11-10-9----13-12-11-|-12-11-10-9---9-10-11-|
|------------12----------|------------12--------|
|------------------------|----------------------|
|------------------------|----------------------|
|------------------------|----------------------|
|------------------------|----------------------|

These examples should be played over and over again to increase speed.

Trick 1.
Here's a funny arpeggio idea. It's inspired by Yngwie but it's not Yngwie, it's me. Play it fast but don't let the notes ring into each other. You can tap the very last note (high A) for making it a really cool trick.

A minor
|-12p8---------------------------------------10--------------|
|------10-------------------------------9h12----12p9---------|
|---------9--------------------------10--------------10------|
|-----------10------------------9h12--------------------12p9-|
|--------------12-12~--------11------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|

A major
|----------------------------------------------9-12-17~------|
|-------------------------------------------10---------------|
|-----------------10-9--------------------9------------------|
|----10-9-12-10-9------12-10-9---------11--------------------|
|-12---------------------------11---12-----------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|

Trick 2.
A simple trick, but it can be very difficult playing at fast speed. Yngwie Malmsteen plays it sometimes.

A minor
|-0h5p-0h7p-0h8p-0h10p-0h7p-0h8h10p-0h12-13-12-10-8-12-10-8-7-10-8-7-5-8-7-|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|5-4-5--12p8-----------------------0---------------------------------------|
|------------10---10---------------1---------------------------------------|
|---------------9----9-------------2---------------------------------------|
|----------------------10----10----2---------------------------------------|
|-------------------------12-------0---------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Trick 3.
This is a Cm arpeggio. Use sweeping technics and play it fast. Yngwie Malmsteen plays it sometimes.

Key - Cm
E |--------5-8p5--------|
B |------6-------6------|
G |--5-8-----------8-5--|
D |---------------------|
A |---------------------|
E |---------------------|

Trick 4.
This is what I use in one of my solos. It utilizes tapping and sweeping, along with speedy legato and acurate picking. This is influenced by Yngwie Malmsteen by use of sweep picking, influenced by Steve Vai by incorporating tapping, sweeping and legato and by John Petrucci by the use of fast picking in parts of this lick. Enjoy and play loud.

Key - A Dorian
E |-----------12-15-20\19-14-12-10|----------------------------------|
B |---------13--------------------|-12-10-8-10-19-10-19-8\7----------|
G |-------14----------------------|-------------------------7--------|
D |-----14------------------------|---------------------------7------|
A |12-15--------------------------|-----------------------------7----|
E |-------------------------------|-------------------------------8-5|

E |-------------------------------|---------0\12--8\12---12-17-29----|
B |---5-7-8-7-5------8-7-5--------|--------1----10-----13------------|
G |--5----------9-7-5-5-5-9-7-5-4-|-------2--------------------------|
D |-7-----------------------------|-5----2---------------------------|
A |-------------------------------|--5--0----------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|---7------------------------------|

Trick 5.
This is very simply an example of an "E Minor" scale with a harmonic twist thrown in at the end. This is used frequently with artists like George Lynch and Yngwie Malmsteen. It sounds best when played very quickly!

Key - E minor
tap
E |----------12-13-15-17^18^17-15-13\12-------------------------------|
B |-12-13-15----------------------------15-13-12-10-------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------------12-10-9-----------|
D |---------------------------------------------------------12-10-9\7-|
A |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |-10-9-7-6-7~~~~~---------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

Trick 6.
Rimsky-Korsakov (Flight Of The Bumble Bee) Chormatamania: Part I. It comes from Rimsky-Korsakov's composition "The Flight Of The Bumble Bee". It was named after the sound you get playing this song on the violin, for which it was written. Playing tips. Start off playing this lick slowly, the slower the better and get your technique down first, then increase the speed each day as you practice it. Pay attention to the left hand fingerings. Read John Lindgren's post on chromatics and do these exercises to help warm up for this lick. After you play these first 4 bars, you then play the same thing over at the 10th fret instead of the 5th fret!

Key - E
left hand
    1 4 3 2 1 2 1 4 1 4 3 2 1 2 3 4   1 4 3 2 1 2 1 4 1 4 3 2 1 2 3 4
E |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B |-5---------6-5---5---------------|-5---------6-5---5-----------------|
G |---8-7-6-5-----8---8-7-6-5-6-7-8-|---8-7-6-5-----8---8-7-6-5-6-7-8---|
D |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Beat: 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

left hand
    4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 1 2 1 4   4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4  1  2  3  4
e |---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------5-6-5---|-------------------------------------|
G |-9-8-7-6-7-6-5-4-5-6-7-8-------8-|-9-8-7-6-7-6-5-4-5-6-7-8-10-11-12-13-|
D |---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|

Comments

[Raakis]

NICE! thanks a lot.

[NOnamesLEFT]

i like those exercises but they could have been tabbed better
oh and dont u use hammer ons and pull offs in ur playing?
and arent some of these 'tricks' in different scales?

[Led_Zeppelin992]

You have some of the examples tabbed with 7 strings.

[Salmon86]

6j

[Salmon86]

(sorry about the 6j)
Anyway, that '29' on trick 4 is a mistake right?

[TAN1357]

Yes, i believe its "20"

[vakok]

nice one.

[Neebster]

ya sweet, my guitar instructer when i was a kid taught me that crossroads riff and i still play it, i think he still is teaching it. you should put the last part on there i have it tabbed out if you want to post it.

[Neebster]

thats not seven strings you idiot thats the 1234 count

[earlearl]

its not bad but tabbing's a bit dodgy

[Guitargod12345]

If you want to truely learn yngwie's guitar method, learn how to read and practice Bach Pieces

[loserboyjay]

|-----|-----1-2-3-4-----|
|-----|-----2-3-4-5-----|
|----- |2-3-4-5-----|
|-----3-4-5-6|-----|
|-----4-5-6-7-----|--- --|
|-----5-6-7-8-----|-----|
|6-7-8-9-----|-----|

Actu ally, I think that's seven string

[ooblah]

Guitargod12345 wrote:

If you want to truely learn yngwie's guitar method, learn how to read and practice Bach Pieces

And paganini's..=] amen to that..Vivaldi is also good to learn.

[frailpoignance]

You forgot to unleash the foocking burgers part. Great lesson though!

[mosh_face]

dhuuurrrrr, trill perhaps? instead of drill

yea but otherwise pretty sweet

[Fragmented]

Great lesson.

[javy11]

it wouldve been nice if you added the fingerings to these tabs

[sebaluengo]

nice lesson, i think that is a complete lesson because all the things that are necesary to play fast are teached in this lesson, i say that because i can play fast but i just learn it myself trying to play easy things first and later harder.

[XsickX]

I think ive seen this in a shredding book at Hastings..but cool.

[misfitsramones]

sick, cant wait to start this lesson

[curle]

There is no such thing as learning to play like a "Shred God" by completing one lesson.The only way is to take your F***** guitar and play all day long and maybe if you are lucky you`l get there in few years

[Lrn2play]

yea
but u shouldnt get a whole technique off one source, u should see other styles and stuff from other people

[Lrn2play]

btw that last comment was supposed to quote sebaluengo

[Jazz4Ever]

Excellent topic and tabs thanks, this is really a huge help!!

[ismith]

curle wrote:

There is no such thing as learning to play like a "Shred God" by completing one lesson.The only way is to take your F***** guitar and play all day long and maybe if you are lucky you`l get there in few years

Totally agree, except for the luck part. I'd replace it with dedication, obsession, natural skill, or hyper attentiveness.

[last_biscuit]

Neebster wrote:

thats not seven strings you idiot thats the 1234 count

Yep, he's a complete idiot...oh wait that's...seven strings...in the two examples between 'Warm-up Excercises' and 'Trick 1'

So yes...who's the idiot now?

[Shaggadellicfuz]

Totally agree, except for the luck part. I'd replace it with dedication, obsession, natural skill, or hyper attentiveness.

No such thing as natural skill! Or luck!

Slash, Yngwie, and Steve Vai all got where they are by practice. They didn't pick up the guitar one day, play a couple notes, and start shredding.

They might naturally have very dexterous fingers that are able to move quickly from fret to fret, but that can be learned through conscious and muscle memory.

[Unkown Soilder]

Top of the line lesson man!

Rock Hard!

[torchedsinner69]

about the seven string thing. i think he just accidentally repeated the 2345 series on the 2nd string

[Paul Carbonella]

Great. Now all I have to do is be really cocky.

[Grimripper13]

nice lesson ...can spot a few tab mistakes but hey its probably just typos any ways bravo

[Iron Horse]

ooblah wrote:

Guitargod12345 wrote:

If you want to truely learn yngwie's guitar method, learn how to read and practice Bach Pieces

And paganini's..=] amen to that..Vivaldi is also good to learn.

And Albinon's, and Ritchie Blackmores, Randy Rhoads's, and Uli Jon Roth's, all of you should listen to ULI JON ROTH's METAMORPHOSIS OF VIVALDIS FOUR SEASONS, especially the ones that aren't completely original Vivaldi pieces (From Thunder Cadenza to Venga La Vita)

[smlmclean]

thanks for posting this, it has really helped me,my fingers hurt right now, and this is my break

[67SG]

Wouldn't learning the theory behind the sweeps be better than just random exercises.

[chROniCmiKe]

i read the tab, not bad; good exercises.. i have to admit though that i could not stand to read any of the text. you sir, who has made this lesson, should really learn how to speak properly. i only say this because it is frustrating trying to read and re-read just to understand what you were trying to say.

[DEATHbyBLOOD]

sweet lesson, some parts or a little vague, but all in all it has some good information.
thanks, dude

[Madhur Damn]

Sweeping takes years...I doubt one lesson will get you there.

[Madhur Damn]

...well. Good sweeping.

[AngryGoldfish]

How can this be a lesson that will make you play like Yngwie Malmsteen?! You have to play this for at least 6 hours a day for a year, if you've got long fingers and nothing else to do! Some poor person is going to really think that they can be that good from this lesson when thats not a guarentee.

[linkinwayne]

Well, I completed this 'leeson', and I'm not a sweeping guitar god yet. You lied.

But, honestly, good stuff. Work on tweaking some vague areas and implement more theory into the lesson so we guitarists understand how to actually construct sweeping patterns, rather than just memorize a bunch of random exercises.

[cwtg911]

well. Good sweeping.

[XTheAlchemistX]

Respect.

[hinrix]

great lesson!

[brutaltxdm]

sweeping is badass. and for all ya'll noobs who are gonna go learn it now do what he says...PRACTICE W/A METRONOME. its really annoying but it'll make you super clean in the end. nice lesson dude.

[zeppelinfan7777]

all you ppl hatin on him hang it up hes jus tryin to help an doin pretty good thanks man it helped me

[Kastor Arkantos]

i'm so sorry guys but i'm an egyption guy and i understand nothing ..... could anyone be in touch with me online [e-mail] and thanks alot

[Kastor Arkantos]

i play the Guitar but not a prof so i wanna take some lessons to be prof

i appreciate that

[avtok]

nice.works for me.

[paliyo]

fass

[guitarz_rock]

cool

[guitar_freakgr]

malmstreen sucks . he was good once but now he always masturbates on guitar . loomis can kick his ass for sure

[easynow7]

Hey good stuff man. Thanks a million!

[MalmsteenIsGOD]

Yngwie does not masturbate on the guitar. He rules the guitar. Nobody can touch him. Petrucci is awesome but still doesnt stack up to the speed and flawlessness of Yngwie's technique. Michael Angelo Batio failed so much, he wrote a song that is named "Yngwie can't touch this." What the **** is that all about?

BTW great lesson man. Far Beyond the Sun is amazing.