Robin May

In this tutorial we continue from parts one and two by simply adding an extension to the first box we considered. It's only a few notes, but it effectively begins to join the two boxes on the top strings ~ enabling us to play all the way up the first 12 frets. As with all the videos in this tutorial, example licks aid in developing your soloing and improvising.

Grab your guitar, tune-up, and select play on the following video. The remainder of the tutorial contains a box diagram and tab plus a backing track for you to practice along with.




Here is a box for the blues scale, root on 6th string, with an extension on the top three strings ~ as discussed in the video:
Here is tab for licks discussed in the tuitional video:

-----0---0-------------------------------------
---s5---3---3s1-----------------------------
-------------4s2---0-------------------------
--------------------------2--------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------


---------------5p3p0----------------------------
---5p3p0---------------5p3p0----------------
---------------------------------------4p2p0----
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------


-----------3------------------
----------------5---3---5----
---2s4-----------------------
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-------------------------------

Begin to recognise where notes are repeated across the neck and play the same licks in different positions in order to learn and remember these new positions. For instance, I showed you this lick in part one of this series:
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
--------0---2---3p2p0--------0---2b3---2p0----
---2------------------------2--------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

The same notes are repeated within the extension that I've covered in the above video, so learn exactly the same lick, but an octave higher, in this new position:
--------3---5---6p5p3--------3---5b6---5p3----
---5-------------------------5-------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------

This approach will aid you immeasurably in learning these new positions and in identifying where note relationships are repeated across the neck.

I suggest you also learn the above lick from the 7th fret of your 5th string.

As in part two, I can't encourage you enough to adapt these licks and 'make them your own'. Try sliding instead of bending, and vica versa, to create subtle variations on the same lick. Change the phrasing, playing notes for longer or shorter periods of time in order to create new licks. One lick can become three or even five different licks in this manner - greatly extending your personal 'lick library'.

Practice along with this backing track: