LESSON } Improve your…

This month Simon Barnard showcases some approaches to inject speedier lead licks into your repertoire and breathe new fire into your playing.

Eddie Van Halen was brilliant at pulling out sudden bursts of speed

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Having a set of fast lead licks is a useful tool to add some flair and spice to solos. Quite often, these licks may sound a lot harder to play than they actually are, creating quite the illusion for the listener. There are many techniques, many of which have been covered in this series, that work well for playing fast lead licks. Legato is a great example of this. Even a simple two-note trill played at speed can sound flashy. Adding a third note takes the excitement up a notch. Combining the picking hand to add some tapped notes takes things even further. Not only does this sound flash and enable fast licks to be played with some ease, it also looks incredibly cool!