SHRED!
SHRED!
Things become a little ‘Extreme’ this month as Charlie Griffiths ‘Gets The Funk Out’ with Nuno Bettencourt’s ‘Monster’ style.
SCOTT LEGATO / GETTY IMAGES
Nuno Bettencourt is one of the most capable of all the rock guitarists
Nuno Bettencourt’s playing entered most late 80s ears via Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure in which the Extreme song Play With Me appears. The song from their debut album featured a passage from Mozart’s Alla Turca, played with all the accuracy and swagger of more established players such as Vinnie Moore, Steve Vai and of course Yngwie Malmsteen.
In this lesson we’ll take a look at some of the techniques that make up Nuno’s style, starting with a riff employing some 16th-note, palm-muted hammer-ons in the vein of Kid Ego, He Man Woman Hater and Midnight Express. This percussive effect is surprisingly difficult to mimic, and the exact position and pressure of your palm on the strings will have a big impact on the sound. Aim to get the notes as even in volume as possible, with plenty of low end coming through.