"THE LICK" - Guitar Lesson With Exercises
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2020-08-04
- In Jazz Guitar Lessons
- 1 comments
"The Lick" is considered as the most famous phrase in jazz music (and also in other styles). It has been played so many times, by so many players, in so many tunes that it has become a cliche.
Although there are a significant number of common jazz lines, this one is surely the most popular, an essential part of the Bebop language. This guitar lesson with tabs, charts and theory explains what is "The Lick", how it is built and how to apply it in different harmonic contexts.
The Lick
Analysis of "The Lick"
The lick is built with only five notes. The interval pattern is 1 - 2 (9) - b3 - 4 (11) - 2(9) - b7 - 1, making it a minor (Dorian) lick. As shown in the example below, in Dm the notes would be D (root), E (second or ninth) , F (minor third), G (fourth or eleventh) and C (minor seventh).
Major Triad
It is interesting to note that "the lick contains" a descending major triad (1 - 3 - 5), C Major triad in the example (G - E - C).
Target Note & Enclosure
The last note which is actually the root (D), is approached from above and below by E and C. This is what we call a "Diatonic Enclosure".
Rhythmic Syncopation
The second half of the bar starts with a down-beat on 3 and ends on the “and of 4”.
Modal Harmony
We can consider "The Lick" taken from the second mode of the major scale, the Dorian mode (1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - b7) which is a minor mode.
Related Chords
Basically, "the Lick" can be employed over minor chord types (min, m7, min9, min11 and min13). Here are some common guitar shapes.
Variations On The Lick
Here are some ideas to make evolve The Lick. There are several tools and guitar techniques that help to embellish the basic line as grace notes, passing tones, rhythmic varirations, etc.
Adding Grace Notes
Try adding one or both of these chromatic approach note using fretting hand guitar techniques as slides, hammer-on, pull-off, bends.
Adding Passing Tones
These two exercices contains passing tones that make the link between two notes of The Lick. In the first example, C# makes the link between C and D repectively the minor third and fourth of Am7.
This second example contains an extra note (G#) between G and A.
Adding Chords
Here, some chords are integrated in The Lick. The first chord is an inverted Em (third in the bass), the second chord is an Am.
Here two notes are harmonized in fourths (quartal harmony), giving a modern cool sounding to the phrase.
Pickup Notes
Adding a pickup note adds a little bit of dynamism to the Lick.
Rhythmic Variations
Adding syncopations add rhythmic interest.
"The Lick" Over Common Chord Progressions
The following show how to play the lick in different harmonic contexts.
Modal Progression - So What Style
Here is a modal example in the style of So What (Miles Davis). The lick is played in Dm7 then in Em7, included fourth chords (Em7add11, Dm7add11 and F#m7add11).
Long II V I
Here, The lick is played over Dm7, the ii chord of C major. The ii V I progression being Dm7 G7 CMaj7.
Short Minor II V I
Here The Lick (key of Dm7) is played over the iim (Em7b5) and V7 of a short minor 2 5 1 progression.
​
-
Guitar Scale Dictionary
This E-book is a printable PDF method including over 700 scale diagrams and formula charts for guitarists. -
Guitar Chord Dictionary
This PDF eBook provides over 550 guitar chord shapes. This is the perfect reference guide to understand how chords are built and how to play them on the guitar neck. -
30 Groovy Jazz Guitar Licks
This downloadable package contains a PDF WITH audio files giving access to 30 groovy guitar phrases mixing jazz, blues and funky licks for beginners. -
172 Arpeggio Shapes For Guitar
This printable PDF is a method dedicated to guitarists of all styles who want to learn build and play the most important types of arpeggios. -
126 Triad Chord Shapes
This handbook for guitar players is intended both for teachers and students. It includes 126 guitar shapes for mastering triads. -
Major Scale Harmonization
This package provides a printable PDF with exercises and audio files to learn how to harmonize the major scale with 3 note chords and their extensions. -
30 Minor Arpeggio Licks
This package includes a printable PDF method containing 30 exercises with tabs, staves and audio files for practicing minor arpeggios on guitar. -
II V I Bundle - 170 Exercises
This bundle contains 4 PDF methods for a total of 170 exercises with tabs, staves, analysis & audio files for practicing scales, arpeggios licks & chords over the 2-5-1 progression. -
Diatonic Licks Bundle
This package contains 120 jazz guitar lines based on diatonic modes as Mixolydian, Dorian and Ionian. PDF format with tabs, audio files and analysis. -
30 Smooth Jazz Guitar Licks
In this package you'll get a printable PDF Method with tabs, notation, analysis, scale shapes and audio files for practicing 30 smooth jazz guitar licks. -
40 II V I Jazz Guitar Licks
This pdf method for guitar contains fourteen 2 5 1 jazz guitar lines with tab, standard notation, analysis, scale charts and audio files. -
50 II-V-I voicings
This printable PDF guitar method provides 50 exercises with audio files, analysis, tab and staves for learning major 2-5-1 chord voicings. -
40 Minor 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
This PDF method contains 40 exercices with tabs, scores and audio files for practicing jazz guitar chords over the minor 2 5 1 progression. -
40 Minor II V I Licks
This guitar method is a printable PDF with tabs, diagrams, theory and audio files providing 40 minor 2 5 1 jazz patterns. -
40 Mixolydian Jazz Guitar Lick
PDF guitar method with tabs, audio files and theory providing 40 dominant jazz guitar lines for teachers and students. -
40 Minor Jazz Guitar Licks
This printable guitar method in PDF format contains 40 easy minor jazz guitar lines based on the Dorian mode. -
40 Major Jazz Guitar Licks
Printable PDF eBook method containing 40 major jazz guitar licks with tab, standard notation and audio files for beginners and intermediates. -
Guitar Walking Bass Lines
This jazz guitar method about walking bass lines and chords is available as a PDF files containing 35 exercises with tabs, analysis and audio files -
101 Dominant Arpeggio Patterns
This printable PDF method provides 101 dominant arpeggio exercises with tab, theory and standard notation for the jazz, blues and rock guitarist. -
49 Essential Jazz Lines
This printable eBook method in PDF format provides 49 jazz solo transcriptions of the greatest jazz musicians. Tab, standard notation, audio files & analysis. -
11 Jazz Blues Studies
11 jazz blues chord studies with tabs, standard notation, analysis, and audio recordings and PDF. -
10 Easy Fingerstyle Blues
This PDF with Tabs and audio files provides 10 easy acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar studies for kids and beginners. -
25 Altered Jazz Guitar Lines
This PDF eBook method contains 25 altered jazz guitar licks with tabs, patterns, scale charts and audio files to master, apply and develop the altered scale. -
40 Blues Dominant Patterns
This printable method is available as a PDF file containing 40 easy dominant jazz-blues guitar lines with tabs, standard notation, analysis, audio files and scale charts. -
Mastering Pentatonic Scales
This jazz guitar method is an eBook available as a PDF with standard notation, guitar tabs, diagrams, analysis, audio files and backing tracks. You will find in this booklet 25 easy jazz guitar lines with theory using common and rare pentatonic scales. -
25 Soul Jazz Guitar Licks
You will find here an eBook available in PDF containing 25 soul jazz and hard bop guitar licks in the style of Grant Green, Melvin Sparks, George Benson. -
25 Diminished Patterns
This eBook PDF with audio files contains 25 dominant diminished jazz guitar patterns using the half-whole diminished scale and diminished 7th arpeggios. -
6 Tritone substitution licks
This Printable PDF eBook available for free download contains 6 easy jazz guitar licks with tabs/notation, youtube video link and analysis about the tritone substitution. -
10 Minor 7 Arpeggio Patterns
This printable PDF eBook offers 10 easy minor 7 arpeggio patterns with its related YouTube video for beginner guitarists. -
10 Easy Major 7 Arpeggio Licks
This is a printable PDF for beginner jazz guitar players providing 10 easy licks to practice major 7 arpeggios. -
10 Chord Melody Lines
Within this package, you'll discover a set of ten chord melody exercises for beginners. Printable PDFaudio files, a backing track, and a link to the associated YouTube video. -
10 Minor Blues Scale Licks
You'll find here a PDF with 10 easy jazz guitar licks to practice the minor blues scale on guitar.
-
Guitar Arpeggios Poster
This giant guitar poster for any guitar player, student or instructor contains colorful arpeggio diagrams. Giant size 24 x 36 inches (60 x 90 cm). -
Guitar Scales Poster 24*36
Guitar posters and wall art with eighteen neck diagrams representing the most used scales in music. -
Guitar Chord Poster
This printed color posters contains 63 guitar chord diagrams for jazz players, students, teachers and schools. -
Guitar Modes Poster
Guitar reference posters and wall art about modes of the major scale for guitar teachers, students and music schools. -
Melodic Minor Modes Poster
Educative and decorative giant guitar poster with neck diagrams, interval names about the seven modes of the melodic minor scale. -
Pentatonic Scale Guitar Poster
This guitar reference poster shows the positions and intervals of the major pentatonic scale. -
Guitar Notes Poster
This is a giant poster showing the notes on the guitar fret board and their positions on a musical staff. -
Triads Guitar Poster
This reference poster show the positions and intervals of the main triads used on guitar. This is a useful tool for guitarists, teacher and students. -
Four Archtop Guitars Poster
This is a decorative poster with four archtop jazz guitars. Several size and colors in landscape format available on Teespring and redbubble. -
Intervals On Guitar - Poster
This giant poster for guitar provides neck diagrams with interval positions.
music lesson jazz guitar guitar tabs the lick
Comments
-
- 1. John solis On 2021-08-08
Likeyourlessons
Add a comment