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Jeff Beck circa 1970 © Neal Preston/CORBIS

Welcome to the fifth and final part of our special feature showing you how to dramatically increase your rock soloing potential, and boost your fingerboard knowledge at the same time. If it's your first time here, please check out part one for background information and the first 10 licks, part two for licks 11-20, part three for licks 21-30, and part 4 for licks 31-40. If you've already mastered those, let's go...

Playing tips: area five

Listen: licks 41-50

Example 5.1: Phrasing

The only thing that separates many classic rock phrases from their closely related blues cousins is the amount of gain and dynamic attack. This lick is one such example and would be equally at home in either setting.

Example 5.2: Bends

Each position presents new possibilities, with the new fingering placing different notes under string-bending fingers. Here the minor 3rd bend between E and G is easily attainable as it is found under the third finger. To achieve the same sonic result in Area 1 you would either have to use your first finger (not the most desirable digit!) or shift back a position, which effectively puts you in area 5 anyway.

Example 5.3: Repetition

The first bar of this example features a triplet hammer-on pattern that toggles between the use of the major 6th and the flattened 7th intervals, both present in the harmonically appropriate Dorian mode (R 2 b3 4 5 6 b7). Paul Kossoff was particularly fond of using this kind of idea. He also had one of the best vibratos in rock (ask Joe Bonamassa), so we'd urge you to check him out!

Example 5.4: Slides/pedal-tone

Here's a pedal-tone idea that is melodically simple yet retains interest via the use of some crafty slides. It's also got a rather interesting rhythmic shape. Why not keep the rhythm and change the notes to come up with an idea of your own?

Example 5.5: Sequential (Descending)

We can view this pattern as a descending four-note group that has been shifted forward by a single 16th note, or alternatively as a three-note pattern that goes 3 2 1 3, and then descends from each scale degree in turn.

Next: playing tips and example tab for sequential (ascending), triadic/arpeggio, double-stop, scalar and horizontal

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