Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • "She knew what she'd created": Back to Black
  • Trower's '80s supergroup
  • Music theory tricks
  • Stage Tour game
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tutorials
  2. Guitar Lessons & Tutorials

Quick licks: advanced #2

News
By scott mcgill
Published 17 June 2011

Allan Holdsworth-style chording and fast arpeggio shred!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Advanced lick one: Holdsworth-style chording

Advanced lick one: Holdsworth-style chording

This chord study is modeled on the distinctive harmonic style of Allan Holdsworth. It dips into a number of different tonalities and string combinations very quickly so use either a pick and fingers or fingerstyle exclusively. Use a clean chorused tone with delay.

Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2
Advanced lick two: Fast arpeggio shredding

Advanced lick two: Fast arpeggio shredding

Fans of shred and advanced fusion might like to check this one out. These are three-octave arpeggios built on A major and A minor chords using sweep picking in the style of Jason Becker. Watch that notes don't bleed into each other and make sure your hands are synchronised.

Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2
scott mcgill
Read more
Music theory basics: understanding intervals, and how they define the distance in pitch between two notes
Music Theory And Songwriting 10 music theory tricks every producer and songwriter should know
 
 
Carlos Santana
Artists Carlos Santana on Miles and McLaughlin, Hendrix and SRV, and his quest for eternal melody
 
 
Sophie Lloyd shreds on her signature Kiesel
Artists Sophie Lloyd pays tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne with a shred cover of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid
 
 
Guitar Picks
Electric Guitars Do you know that there's a right and wrong way to hold a guitar pick? How to best handle your plectrum while playing
 
 
Brandon Ellis demos his signature Jackson Kelly in Gold Crackle
Artists Jackson and Brandon Ellis unveil a top-tier 27-fret Kelly that's designed especially for metal solos
 
 
Joe Bonamassa wears a blue suit and plays his signature Epiphone Les Paul [left]; the late great Albert Collins with his Telecaster.
Artists Joe Bonamassa on how Albert Collins taught him to wield his guitar as “a weapon”
 
 
Latest in Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Guitar Tricks Summer Black Friday promo
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Get almost $1k of guitar tuition from our number one online platform for only $99 with this epic Summer Black Friday deal – over 11,000 lessons, plus bonus gifts
 
 
Chords
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Confused by guitar tabs and notation? Use this complete guide to reading music for guitar
 
 
Scale
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials "Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
 
 
Guitar maintenance
Guitars "There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
 
 
Tom Morello
Artists How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
 
 
Close up of a person playing guitar
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
 
 
Latest in News
Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris at SXSW 2023
Keyboard Players “Thankfully, he is well”: Gillian Gilbert reveals she's seriously ill with cancer, not husband Stephen Morris
 
 
 Dave Mustaine of Megadeth visits SiriusXM Studios on January 16, 2026
Guitarists “It wouldn't be a young generation”: So who would be in Dave Mustaine’s new big four of thrash metal?
 
 
Rubber Soul logo
Singles And Albums “It seemed to hit the spot”: Hear an early version of Norwegian Wood with an unfamiliar arrangement
 
 
Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran (L) and rapper Macklemore perform during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival
Gigs & Festivals "Taking a side can cost you": Macklemore blames stadium owner kicking him off Ed Sheeran tour
 
 
audient
Tech Audient launches Horizon, a flagship Thunderbolt interface range with sub-millisecond latency
 
 
Coast Highway 101 at sunset
Guitars "He didn't tap a foot or move his head or anything. He listened to it all the way through and I thought he hated it": When an Eagle, Heartbreaker, Roger Linn and an Oberheim OB-X combined forces for a pop masterpiece – the Boys Of Summer story
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...