Ezravdb - Shred 'n Roll SI Lesson

Current revision

Ezravdb

Introduction

Hello GMC,

Welcome to my first lesson called "Shred 'N Roll" on the Aspiring Instructors Board. I think you probably have seen me around before but I'll introduce myself anyways

My name is Ezra van den Bosch and I live in Holland.
I'm 15 years old and I've got 3 years left to do on school.
I play the electric guitar from my 14th birthday and I love it.
When I'm not practicing I'm either doing schoolwork or skating/having fun with friends.

My favorite guitarists are Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert and Yngwie Malmsteen I especially like Joe Satriani because of his awesome songwriting skills.

I like playing Classic to Progressive Rock, Metal and Country/Blues styles plus I find shredding fun to do. The bands I like most are Van Halen, Guns 'N Roses and Rage Against The Machine.

Soon I'm going to record a demo with my personal teacher and I'm going to look for a band to join near my hometown.

I hope to be able to teach you lots of stuff on GMC

My Gear

My guitar is an Ibanez RG Prestige with active EMG's and a floating tremolo system (with a whammy bar from a Stratocaster).
I use 1 huge guitar pedal which is the Line6 POD XT Live and I plug that into my computer.

About the lesson

This lesson is in the style of Paul Gilbert (which is in high demand) and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The 2 guitar players mixed together is what I call Blues Shred, which is really fun to play.
Paul Gilbert is popular in the Shred Scene and played in Racer X, Mr. Big and plays solo nowadays.
SRV played in Double Trouble did unbelievable great blues work, and now rests in peace.
Check out SRV's awesome song "Scuttle Buttin'"!!
You'll find some of the licks I used.

The Lesson starts out with a Rage Against The Machine influenced riff in E minor pentatonic with the added blues note (b5).
Then the Bass Guitar and Drums kick in.
The Bass Guitar mainly just plays the same riff as the Rhythm Guitar.
The Drums go with the groove of the Main Riff.

The solo contains some double stops, crazy bends, crazy legato, flashy 16th triplets runs and some bluesy licks.

The piece is at 100 BPM on full speed.
The time signature is 4/4.

Let's Start!!

Main Video & Scales

Main Video: Shred___N_Roll___Ezravdb___GMC.wmv ( 6.73MB )

Parts

Video 1 The Main Riff: Video_1_Main_Riff.wmv ( 4.06MB )

E||--------------------------------|
B||--------------------------------|
G||--------------------------------|
D||--------------s7--5-------------|
A||-s7--5---5----------7-5---------|
E||-------7---7-6----------7-6-5-3-|

|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|---------------s7--5-----7-9-7--|---------------s7--5-------------|-----------------------|
|--s7--5---5----------7-5--------|--s7--5---5----------7-5---------|--5----7----9----12----|
|--------7---7-6-----------------|--------7---7-6----------7-6-5-3-|--3----5----7----10----|

The Main Riff is inspired by RATM which is one of my favourite bands.
I slide with my ringfinger to the 7th fret.
The Blues note makes this riff sound extra cool.

Video 2 Lick 1 SRV: Video_2_Lick_1.wmv ( 4.35MB )

|-----------0--------0----------------|
|---------0---0-3b~----3p-0-----------|
|--2b~----------------------3p-2p-0---|
|-----------------------------------2-|
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|

This lick starts with a little grace note on the 2nd fret on the D string which is the root note of the piece.
A grace note is a note which is played really really short and is written on sheet paper really small.(see guitar pro)
The note after the grace note (2nd fret g string) is played with the same finger as the grace note which is the ringfinger.
This Lick is very SRV-ish, check the song Scuttle Buttin' and you'll notice.

Video 3 Lick 2 SRV: Video_3_Lick_2.wmv ( 3.02MB )

|-------------------------------------------|
|--14br---12-14p-12-x-x-12~-----------------|
|--14br---12-14p-12-x-x-12~--2p-0-----------|
|---------------------------------2p-0------|
|--------------------------------------2p-0-|
|-------------------------------------------|

This lick is also in SRV style.
The double stops on the 14th frets are played with the ringfinger, it's with pinky AND ringfinger possible too.
However pulling off is a little bit harder.
The legato lick down the neck can be played with more/other fingers but I prefer just using my ringfinger because I'm used to it.

Video 4 Lick 3 Paul Gilbert: Video_4_Lick_3.wmv ( 3.34MB )

|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------12----14p-12----12-|
|----------------------------12h-14----14--------14----|
|---------10----12p-10----10---------------------------|
|--10h-12----12--------12------------------------------|

All 16th notes.
Just a cool way to go up the scale in Gilbert style.

Video 5 Lick 4 Paul Gilbert: Video_5_Lick_4.wmv ( 3.57MB )

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------4-7-9---------7-9-10----------9-12-14-----------12-14-16-|
|--2h-5h-7-------5h-7h-9--------7h-9h-12---------9h-12h-14----------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

This crazy lick is hot, it's all in 16th note triplets. It's a segment of Paul's hardest lick he ever recorded.
The notes are taken from the pentatonic scale but are played like a regular minor scale.
Because it's pentatonic, the notes are far apart and there are huge stretches, so start really slowly!! The first 3 notes of every pair of 6 notes are hammerons.

Video 6 Lick 5 SRV-ish: Video_6_Lick_5_.wmv ( 2.65MB )

|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------12b-----12-14-14br--12h-14-|
|--------------14----------14--------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|--12-12-12-12-----12----------------------------|

This lick looks a bit like Lick 2.
We begin with an octave skip and than double stops.

Video 7 Lick 6 SRV-ish: Video_7_Lick_6.wmv ( 2.82MB )

|--x-x-10-10-x-x--9--9-x-x-7-7-x-x-5-5-|
|--x-x-12-12-x-x-10-10-x-x-8-8-x-x-7-7-|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|

It's all 16th notes.
SRV uses these double stops in the solo "Scuttle Buttin".
Experiment with playing 2 notes at the same time in pentatonic scale but also minor scales
For the dead notes don't forget to lightly touch the strings AND palm mute a little bit.
The palm muting makes sure you won't hear any natural harmonics!

Video 8 Lick 7 Paul Gilbert: Video_8_Lick_7.wmv ( 4.02MB )

|-----------7---10-7-10b---------------------|
|-------8-----8-----------------10pbr--8-----|
|--7h-9---9-------------------------------9--|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|

This lick involves a bend which you don't see often.
You start with doing a full bend on the E string with your ringfinger and when you hear the aimed note you let the E string slip and stop the string from ringing with your right hands finger (or palm).
Put your ringfinger on the string below, the B string, and act as if it's a prebend.
Look carefully at the video!!
Practice this part really good because this technique gives a refreshing sound instead of just a normal bend. (don't overdo it ofcourse!) The rest of the lick is pretty straight forward.

Video 9 Lick 8 Paul Gilbert: Video_9_Lick_8.wmv ( 2.61MB )

|--19p-17p-15----------17p-15p-12----------15p-12p-10----------------------------|
|-------------17-15-12------------15-12-10---------------------17p-15p-12--------|
|-----------------------------------------------------16-14-12------------14-12-9|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

This lick is a segment of the descending part of Paul's terrifying lick. The Picking is the same as Lick 4.
Start slowly!

Video 10 Lick 9 SRV-ish (Jimi Hendrix!): Video_10_Lick_9.wmv ( 1.42MB )

|--------------------------------|
|----------------8------8--------|
|------------7------7------7-----|
|----------5---5------5------5---|
|-----6s-7---------------------7-|
|--0-----------------------------|

This chord is a Em7.
SRV is familiar with this shape, it sounds really cool.
SRV likes to play a major 3th on the 6 fret of the D string which is called a E7#9 whre #9 stands for minor 3th 1 octave higher.
That chord has a "jazzy" sound.
But this piece is in minor so I played a Em7.
Make sure to let the notes ring but not too loud because it will sound a lil' bit messy, so palm muting a little bit with your right hand would be great.

Video 11 Lick 10 SRV-ish: Video_11_Lick_10.wmv ( 1.89MB )

|-----------------------15---------|
|--14br---12-14p-12-x-x-15---------|
|--14br---12-14p-12-x-x------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|

This lick is a variation of Lick 2.
It's played almost the same.

Video 12 Lick 11 Paul Gilbert: Video_12_Lick_11.wmv ( 5.93MB )

|--------------7h-10h-12p-10p-7----------------------7h-10h-12h-15p-12p-10p-7----|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----7h-9h-12------------------12p-9p-7----7h-9h-12--------------------------12p|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--10------------------------------------10--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

This lick is played in groups of 7 notes (!).
It flows really nice. You don't have to worry a lot about the weird note length because it will go naturally.
If it doesn't work for you practice slowly with the metronome and make sure to accent the first note of every group really well!!
Practicing with Guitar Pro works great too!

This lick is a typical Paul Gilbert lick, especially because it involves string-skipping.
Paul Gilbert uses this technique a lot because sweeping doesn't work for him (he says).
The arpeggio I play here is an Em7.
I start on the minor third and then go all the way up the arpeggio and I even tap one note with me picking hand.
I only pick the first note on every string, the rest is hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Damp the strings which you don't play with the palm of your right hand, and the left hand fingers.
(Check Racer X - Scarified out for more from this kind of licks)

Video 13 Lick 12 Random Double Stop Blues lick: Video_13_Lick_12.wmv ( 2.61MB )

|--3----5----7----10----|--------------------||
|--3----5----7----10----|--------------------||
|-----------------------|--------------------||
|-----------------------|--2-----------------||
|-----------------------|--2-----------------||
|-----------------------|--0-----------------||

This lick consists of 4 double stops going up the neck with the power chords.
We end this piece on the root: an Em power chord.

That was the last lick!

I want you to really practice the 16th notes patterns en 16th note triplets patterns (on a beat) because these are very common in Paul Gilbert's playing. Also spend lots of time with the double stops and fast bends because SRV uses them a lot. And don't forget to play around with the backing tracks

I think that wraps it up for this lesson.
One tip before you go:
If you practice with the 60 BPM Backing Track don't forget to tap your foot because you can easily lose the rhythm and come in to late or too early when the drums kick in

I hope you liked this lesson, because I did my very best and it was hard work for me.(first timer) Do you Have questions? Feel free to ask me!

Tabs & Backing Tracks

I've included a Guitar Pro 4 file of the Lesson so everybody can view it.
(The extension is .gp5 because I couldn't upload it as .gp4)

There's free software out there which can view these files

Guitar Pro Tab: GMC___Shred___N_Roll____Ezravd_2.gp5 ( 8.77K )

Backing Track is sequenced with REAPER.
The camera I used is a Sony DCR HC90E.
I used Toontrack's EZDrummer for the Drums, and 4Front for the Bass.
Everything is composed in Guitar Pro.

Backing Track 60 BPM: Shred___N_Roll_Backing_Track_60_BPM_Ezravdb.mp3 ( 1.31MB )

Backing Track 100 BPM: Shred___N_Roll_Backing_Track_100_BPM_Ezravdb.mp3 ( 827.06K )

If you have a Line6 Pod XT you can now use my tone:

Line6 Pod XT Patch: Shred___N_Roll___Ezravdb___TONE.l6t ( 2.09K )

I see ya in the Forums.

Greets and Good Luck,

Ezra