**DISCLAIMER:- My theory sucks a bigger one than Fidel Castro, so don't look for it, I play what sounds right, half the time I don't even know what key I'm in** :biggrin:
I love legato.
I play it non stop.
Mainly, I suppose, because it sounds fast and fluid and doesn't involve right hand technique too much (which I suck at)
Both Satch and Holdsworth have great
legato technique, plus others such as Brett Garsed(sp?)
Satch being my favourite musician is where I get most of my inspiration and the crux of his music is based around this technique, IMHO he is the most talented legato player in the world.
His
alternate picking ain't very good, but with Legato, Trem picking (not used enough these days if you ask me), Big bends and fluidity he rules the world (but that's another story).
Legato is simple enough, the tab looks busy but the technique is easy enough.
If you are competent with hammer on's and pull off's you will have no trouble, plus it sounds fast and liquidy (and looks impressive) if done well.
99.9% of people find descending legato the easiest, but for some reason I find ascending much easier, don't ask me why, we'll get into ascending licks in lesson 2.
Below are a couple of standards.
Number 2 is basically an expansion of number 1, taking in all strings (sounds to me in the right key, but who the hell knows!)
Personally I use these as warmups, but they are very useful and well used licks.
Make sure you dampen the un-used strings well.
This can be done by right hand (remember to move the hand with the strings), or will be covered (almost always inadvertantly) by the left hand, you can also grasp the neck behind the fretted notes to dampen the strings a'la' Satch (looks good too)
Just to add, don't be afraid to pick a string if things start sounding weak!
I couldn't get the site format right so I made a link to the text file....
Here it is
Part 2 next week (my fave lick....ascending, a bastardisation of a lick from Satch - Rubina's Blue Sky Happiness)
Have fun.
Steve
P.S. Thanks to Chris for giving me the inspiration to post this stuff.....he is the undisputed ambassador of this particular forum.
(Edited by ripl3y at 2:18 pm on Jan. 5, 2002)
