re ae Rock pt Ultar TE ca rT ea | NHSCountry Rock 1 S for Guitar by Mike Levine great @ R:| 1 i TresAY. About The Author Mike Levine js a session guitarist, composer and producer who lives and works in the New York City area. He plays guitar, pedal steel and dobro on many recording projects and nationally broadcast ‘commercials, as well as for television shows including Sesame Street. He played in the Broadway and road productions of The Will Rogers Follies, ‘and was a band member for the recent Off-Broadway musical Das Barbecue. As a commercial composer/arranger/producer, his most recent credis include spots for MCI, Kool Aid and Advil. Although he now works pri- marily in the studio, Mike spent years playing country and rock in clubs across North America, KON KON —— Acknowledgments —— fd ike to thank the folks at Cherry Lane Music who helped guide mein putting this book together. 'm particularly grateful to Jon Chappell for choosing me for thls project and getting me started, Mark Philips for al of his assistance withthe details, ‘and Arthur Rotfeld for answering my questions, also want to thank my brother; Eric Levine, who taught me my fst fs and started me off n the right atection as a guitars. Finally, Yd like to express my gratitude to Laura for al ofthe support she gave me while I was ving and recording fortis project.Contents i 17...Descendliig Gihs 6...Classic Country 18... Chromatic Seal WalkUp 6....low Bend & la Pete Anderson 18...Clarence White-Stye Steel Solo 6. Double Siop Ini 7. Rhythm Vamp 7... Palm-Muted Melody 20...Chicken Pickin’ 20.....Basic Chicken Pickin F , 20.... Descending Chicken 8...Rockabilly & ‘50s Rock 20... Fingerstyle Chicken Pickin 8... Rockabilly Double Stops Low & Nasty 8 9....Chuck Berry-Style Rif 4 3 ee 21...Lyrical Country Rock 21.....Alber! Lee~Siyle Lyrical Passage 21....Buchananesque 1.5 I'd la Vince Gill 11...Blues & Southern Rock eee oe Slow & Tasty Solo cocked Out Rhythm Intro Funky Minor Blues lick 12....Dickey Betts-Style Passage In A 12. Dickey Betts-Siyle Possoge In D 23...Flashy Speed Riffs 12...,Allman Brothers-Style Dorian Phrase 23....low Pull-Offs 13...,Allman Brothers-Style Blues Licks 24... Hot Chromatic Tag 24.....Earl Scruggs~Style Banjo Lick 24... Moveable Bluegrass Run 25....Bluegrass Fiddle Tune Run m 25....Chromatic Speed Riff 14...Slide 25. n Speed Riff ‘ 14....Duane Allman-Siy 2 Sie ercee ound Ri 14... Standord Tuning Slide Lick Mae 15....Bonnie Raitt-Style Open A Slide 15....Lop Steel a la David Lindley 28...Tablature Explanation 16...Pedal Steel-Style Riffs 16....Pedal Steel Ending lick 7.....INN4I Steel IntroIF you asked musicions to define the phrase country rock, most would probebly say it refered fo the period in the 1970s and early 1980s, when Country Rock cette the Exes, Poco, Pure Prairie League end Emmylou R | F F S Her aweet ine ecect their popularity. INTRODUCTION Athgh we wll deal wih is FOR GUITAR from that era, this book will se «@ looser definition of country rock that encompasses many different periods over the last 40 years as country cand rock have crossed paths. By using a brooder brush, we can touch upon many of the influences that have contributed to making contemporary country the stylistic melting pot that itis. After all, today’s country music is really @ blend of country and rock (with some R&B thrown in for good measure, in which you're almost ly to hear a distorted, bluesy slide solo os a Wwangy Tele break. Ironically, while country was « significant factor in the early development of rock ‘n’ rell, rock music has now become @ major influence in contemporary country. This book will present exemples in many of he styles that make up the orsenal of a medern Nashville session gui foris. There are also exomples in the syle of fomous gui forists, both past end present, such os Albert lee, Vince Gill, Clarence White, Pete Anderson, Dickey Bets, Duane ‘Allman and Rey Buchanan. But fs, a litle history The earliest mixing of counlry and rock occurred in the mid 1950s with the development of rockabilly, which is sll on enduring influence on county. Ebi Presley, Jerry ee Lewis end Bill Holey were among the artists who sue cessfully blended elements of country and R&B together— the gular, of course, was on integral pat of his union. In the mid 1960s the Byrds emerged os « popular band, with roots in folk, rock, country and bluegrass. The omaz- ing Clorence White ployed guitor for the Byrds, ond his seminal acoustic and electric playing, as well as his pio- neering use of the string bender, were milestones in the development of contemporary county guitar The 1970s witnessed the heyday of country rock os a gonre, Artists such os Linda Ronstadt ond Jackson Browne, omong others, proved that this shlistc minfure could be © pop music gold mine, The guitar work inthis period offen leaned more toward rock—Dovid Lindley's distorted lop steel playing on Browne's albums, for exam ple, was a signature sound of the era ‘Around the some time, in the town of Macon, Georgio, the Allman Brothers were pioneering enother hybrid form that was to become known as southern rock, Duane ‘Allan ond Dickey Bets! lenghy improvisations, harmo rized laod lines and searing blues ploying [with on occo- sional bit of country favor) would hove 0 very tangible inlvence on medern county itr playing In the late 1970s Albert Lee began making couniryrock gui- tar history while playing with Emmylou Horrs ond the Hot Band. His inventive blend of lighning-fost runs, doublestop bends and imaginative note selection is to this day, the most frequently imitated syn county guitr. The mid 1980s sow the birth of the new traditionalist movement in popular country, which brought fiddle, steels and guitars back to prominence. During this period Ricky Skoggs helped bring © strong bluegrass influence ino mainstream county, which resulted in many blazing guitar soles In the 1990s a new breed of country singers and groups, raised in the rock era, have changed country to a more youthfulsounding, contemporary genre. And guitar is, of course, never far from center stoge.The chapters in this book are organized by concepts rather than by degree of difficulyy. For those who want to sample the different styles without having to deal with the more difficult riffs, ve put a relatively easy example at the beginning of each section, (CD tracks are indicated in the black boxes.) When learning an example, get com- fortable with the left-hand positions first. Depending on your taste and style, figure out the right-hand consid- erations next—whether you will be using a pick, playing fingerstyle, or using a combination of a pick and fin- gers. There are some examples in which I've specified a method that | feel is necessary. Because this is not a beginner's book, the recorded examples are played at authentic tempos, which can some- times be pretty brisk. If you find that a HOW TO USE THIS BOOK riff is too fast for you, practice it slowly with a metronome until you are comfortable with it. After a while, you should be able to play it faster and faster until you've reached the tempo on the recording. The shorter examples on the recording are generally repeated with another count-off (which is sometimes a partial one, depending on where in the bar the example ends). There are a few cases where a short example doesn’t repeat, because it would have been musically awkward to do so. As you work your way through the examples in this book, you will find yourself playing in the styles of some of the world’s most famous guitarists. Learning how these players approach a given musical situation is the first step toward developing your own sie. Good Luck!CLASSIC COUNTRY Low Bend a la Pete Anderson This example is similar to a riff Dwight Yoakam’s guitarist Pete Anderson might play, and works well over a V4 progression in E. The low range of this riff is characteristic of classic country guitar playing. Note that the lick in bar 3 is palm muted. ShutMe (J2-J'5) 12 1p 12 Double Stop Intro This is a nice, mellow intro on the | chord, which combines hammer-ons and slides.Rhythm Vamp This is a widely-used rhythm guitar figure. It can be used in other keys if you omit the open bass note. Palm-Muted Melody ‘A muted melodic line was very common in classic country lead pl 12 See 4 st PM. throughout a Full 6 piasROCKABILLY & ’50s ROCK Rockabilly Double Stops The diminished Sth interval used at the beginning of this riff adds tension and excitement. As with all rockabilly, make sure to play this one aggressively. Shue (J2-J'3) FT c soit 40 19-40-40-40-40-40 4040-40 10 1 Low & Nasty ‘Make sure to add vibrato when bending those low notes; it makes for a very cool effect. go Shuttle (J2-J 3) PM. throughout 12Chuck Berry-Style Riff Berry's playing emerged in the same era as rockabilly, and is one of the basic building blocks of all rock guitar playing. This lick combines single notes and double stops. B 17 | if 7 : s e Full Full ull Rockabilly Solo This solo puts together some of the licks from earlier examples in the chapter, and then adds a few new tricks It starts with the diminished 5th double stop, and then drops down for some low, chromatic, palm-muted lines. There are also Chuck Berry-style bending licks in bars 10-13. Be careful of the fast-moving chord sequence that starts in bar 14—to play it smoothly you need to use alternating strokes with your right hand. Shutfte (42-'5) 8 ;Full Full Full Full Fu Pula Ful } iBLUES & SOUTHERN ROCK Rocked-Out Rhythm Intro This sounds like it could be the intro to a Kentucky Headhunters song. Distorted rhythm parts like this are no longer heard only in rack—they have become common in country as well Cit SSS oe oa te Funky Minor Blues Lick This must be played with a pick and middle finger, or with the thumb and either the first or middle finger. It is basically a lick to be played against a minor chord, but you can use pieces of it against a dominant 7th for a chromatic sound, | ie — 7. . ar ive 8 HRyyey | 1"Dickey Betts-Style Passage In A This lick, based on the A major scale (without the G#), is in the style of Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band. Notice the subtle variations in the melodic and rhythmic ideas, helping create the weaving-like effect of his style. Dickey Betts-Style Passage In D This Betts-style run uses the D pentatonic major scale in a high register. D fe G A D os 2 sh_sh BeOS Allman Brothers-Style Dorian Phrase In the style of some of the Allman Brothers’ early minor-key jams, this lick uses the A Dorian mode (A B CD E F# G). Am Cmaj7 % Am 12Allman Brothers-Style Blues Licks The Allmans helped to prove that repetition can be a good thing. This blues phrase shows that repeating ideas can make a solo more memorable. Shuffte (J2-J'5) ef eT gr gt Brat sk AMA 4 ¥ — = Full ne st RU ANN B.B. King-Style Blues Lick One of B.B.’s classic moves is to jump up an octave to the high tonic (the high G in the last bar) and give ita stinging attack with a lot of vibrato. Shum (J2-J'5) G Full HO Full Full o Full Aw nn awn rake pull rake Full Full aman ull AWWA at 13SLIDE Duane Allman-Style Slide In Open E Notice how well this lick sits on the neck when played in open E tuning (E B E GB E). Shuffle (52-3°) o wéslide *Open E tuning (low to high): EBEGIBE Standard Tuning Slide Lick There are some situations when alternate tunings are not practical. Learning to play slide in standard tuning is extremely useful, and this example shows you some of the possibilities Shuttle (2-1 5) D — Fi “4Bonnie Raitt-Style Open A Slide Bonnie Raitt often uses open A tuning (E A E A C# E) for her tasty slide work. In this example, notice that vibrato is used extensively to add emotion to the held notes. 6 > z ee + Dp tp oe as Lap Steel a la David Lindley This example, in open G tuning (D G D G 8 D), is reminiscent of the lap steel playing David Lindley has done with Jackson Browne. A “Open G tuning (low t high): DGD GBD. 16PEDAL STEEL-STYLE RIFFS Pedal Steel Ending Lick Each bar of this example is a riff unto itself. The bend in bar 2 should be played with your middle and ring fingers for maximum bending strength. D J Full 16IV-V-I Steel Intro A classic steel-type intro. Note the hammered double stops in bar 2. In addition to bends, hammer-ons are another good way to make your guitar sound like a steel Shute (£2-J'3) ler ring Full Descending 6ths This is a variation on a standard country lick, with the rhythm turned around and some chromatic passing tones thrown in for interest. Even more important than the note selection is the phrasing, which gives this example a steel-like sound. B sk B 7Chromatic Steel Walk-Up The most difficult part of this riff is to coordinate the sliding up with the release of the bends. If it seems too hard at first, get your metronome out and practice it at a very slow tempo until it becomes more fluid. ¢ : cfs dias ae cee en zi = a ah Full Full Pull st\4 TINA Pv Clarence White-Style Steel Solo Although Byrds guitarist Clarence White used a “B” bender to achieve his steel sound on guitar, this solo attempts to capture that flavor using ordinary string bends. Not for the faint of heart, this break con- tains some of the same type of slide/bend combinations as the previous example, as well as two slidefhammer-on combinations in bar 15. Once you have this one mastered, you'll have a large arsenal of steel licks at your disposal Shuttle (J2-J 5) 6 or Fall ell ll 24 eae NA eerie 18Ful . Fall all ull EuCHICKEN PICKIN’ Basic Chicken Pickin’ By sounding only selected notes and blunting the rest in this example, you achieve a syncopated rhythm, This one really sounds like a chicken. Descending Chicken Note the rhythmic variation in this riff. In the first two bars the notes change every two beats, while in the second two bars the notes change on each 8th note. This makes for a nice feeling of acceleration. G Pull 26] } Fingerstyle Chicken Pickin’ By using your thumb and one finger to chicken pick, you will naturally create a muting effect similar to palm muting.LYRICAL COUNTRY ROCK Albert Lee-Style Lyrical Passage Though Lee is known mostly for his amazing, fast playing, he also excels at slow, melodic soloing Pay close attention to the 16th-note-triplet flourishes, which are key to this passage. x Hep D eee! ree 2 sk Ay st He st st Buchananesque This gritty example, in the style of the late Roy Buchanan, incorporates artificial harmonics in the 3rd bar. Shume (1-15) B ch FH B A. Hsvsesseeeneeteseceenneeny (oa) ull Zz Slow, Soulful a la Vince Gill Like most contemporary country players, Vince can play in a wide variety of styles. This example is in the style of some of his more lyrical playing, and has a definite R&B influence. 21Bsus 5 e A Ful Slow & Tasty Solo This solo demonstrates some of the more expressive qualities of country guitar. it blends sensitive melody lines, a little blues and some pedal steel riffs to create an emotionally charged feeling for the listener. The rakes (bars 5 and 6) are added to selected notes for emphasis. Dadd2 A Full = : & Hpat sh HP sk sh rake rake Hook eee Dadd2 Full, i" ope Full FullE Fim Dadd2 Full FLASHY SPEED RIFFS Low Pull-Offs . You can play this with a flat pick and palm mute it, or you can use your thumb and fingers and chicken pick it unmuted. ky E A 23Hot Chromatic Tag This bluegrass ending works equally well on electric or acoustic. Earl Scruggs-Style Banjo Lick This riff, in G, has an Earl Scruggs-style banjo sound, yet doesn’t use open strings. The #4 to 5 (C# to D) hammer-ons are the key to this sound. Moveable Bluegrass Run This moveable riff has a first position bluegrass sound as well. Notice how the one slide in this run smooths ‘out the whole passage—subtle variations such as this can make your playing much more interesting. o sl ca 24. Bluegrass Fiddle Tune Run This is a moveable version of a fiddle tune-style bluegrass run—try it as a flatpicking exercise with the metronome. A D A Bm E A Chromatic Speed Riff This run sounds best when played fingerstyle or with a pick-and-finger combination (hybrid picking). 6 37 ee Mixolydian Speed Riff The Mixolydian mode works well for fast country picking, This run includes two chromatic slides (Fk to F4) that add a bluesy feel. 25Vince Gill-Style Fast Open-String Riff This is typical of the kind of passage Vince Gill might play during a fast two-beat song. Here, the open D string creates a drone-like effect. D G 1n ye 7 1 De sh a P a Fast & Furious Solo Reminiscent of Albert Lee, this solo combines fast sequences, chromatic flourishes, fiddle-like low drones and pedal steel licks—have fun with it! Ar Full Full Full Full, 4 26ul 27IBLATURE EXPLANATION/NOTATION LEGEND * TABLATURE: A sine staff that graphically represents the guitar fingerboard. By ‘number on the appropriate lin, the string and the frot of any note can be indicated. For example: Definitions for Special Guitar Notations rete PULLOFF Pc bt Sse PALM MUTE: a me oat Si ees on "poy beng nd osctecomds St. hin pay meh ey tneatgvnnair sete (ay actng re og tote ‘ho eee al“Tperd. Country Rati Rock cee TLE eaGlUiieele Dy tad The (1/5 SOUrEE for Country Rock Riffs & Licks Featuring: Major, Minor & Pentatonic Country Licks Pedal Steel Effects ¢ Slide Licks Chicken Pickin’ * Four Complete Solos The Great Riffs Series captures, transcribes and presents the hottest riffs in your favorite style of music. In Country Rock Riffs For Guitar you get everythir you need to play classic country bends and vamps, rockabilly riffs, hot slide licks, flashy speed riffs, fingerstyle chicken pickin’ and more in one riff-packed, easy-to-follow book.