Tom Richardson: E Dorian scale descending phrase

Lick 17 is based is on a descending phrase built from the E Dorian scale.
Each phrase is made up of 6 notes and one of the notes is played twice consecutively each time. Instead of playing the repeated note on the same fret of the same string, the repeated note is played on the next string down instead.

If you take the first phrase starting in bar 1, the third note at the 12th fret of the E string (E) is then repeated at the 17th fret of the B string. Doubling up the notes like this not only creates a more interesting sound, but it allows for a different fingering to be used which I find makes the lick much easier to play smoothly.

To play the first phrase, I start with my fourth finger and pull off from the 17th to the 15th fret. To play the third note at the 12th fret of the E String I use my middle finger (Hybrid picking) so that I don't have to move the pick, this way it is already in position to play the next note. Then there is pull off again this time landing on the 12th fret of the B string with the first finger. The same thing applies for each phrase with some slight adjustments to the notes in order to fit the scale.

The lick has some big stretches so make sure you are properly warmed up beforehand to avoid injury. If the stretches are a bit much to start with, transposing the lick to play it higher up the neck will make it easier without changing the sound of the lick. The good thing about this lick is that once you have the first phrase in your muscle memory, learning the rest of the lick will be much easier!

Lick of the Week 17 - Tom Richardson