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
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Robben Ford is photographed at Olympic Studios with his trusty whiteguard Fender Telecaster.
Artists Robben Ford on rearranging John Lennon, iconic collaborations and paying tribute to the great Jeff Beck and amp guru Alexander Dumble
A-Ha
Artists How to re-create one of the most infectious synth riffs of all time
Allan Holdsworth plays his headless guitar live onstage in 2007
Artists How Allan Holdsworth blew Eddie Van Halen's mind and took guitar to a higher plane
Prince embraces Apollonia Kotero in a scene from the film 'Purple Rain', 1984. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
Artists Prince’s Purple Rain co-star recalls the moment he had the idea for one of his greatest songs
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
Let it Happen
Artists The inventive music theory of one of Tame Impala’s most dazzling songs
Musician Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo leaving 24th Annual Grammy Awards on February 24, 1982
Singles And Albums "The record company went berserk”: How Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo had to fight to release Love Is A Battlefield
minimoog model d synth
Samples SampleRadar: 250 free bass synth samples
Eric Johnson wears headpnones as he takes a solo on his Strat during the 2023 G3 Tour.
Artists Eric Johnson on why pick choice and picking style are fundamental to your playing – and how his favourite jazz player got his sound by using his thumb
Talk Talk
Artists The complex music theory that underpinned a Talk Talk classic
Van Halen in 1980
Artists “Eddie was always experimenting”: Van Halen's Michael Anthony on the band’s cult classic Women And Children First
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Basement Jaxx
Artists Re-create the sound of the powerful Where’s Your Head At bassline - which Basement Jaxx nabbed from Numan!
Stevie Wonder
Artists Dissecting the musical magic of Superstition, the song Stevie Wonder just couldn’t let go
ANGINE DE POITRINE
Guitars “They describe themselves as a Mantra-Rock Dada Pythago-Cubist Orchestra, and the band name translates to ‘angina of the chest’”: The microtonal music theory behind viral math-rockers Angine de Poitrine
More
  • Jimmy Douglass speaks
  • Ultravox's Vienna
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Elektron Tonverk Review
  1. Tutorials
  2. Guitar Lessons & Tutorials

Quick licks: intermediate #13

News
By Guitar Techniques published 23 April 2012

Prince and Malmsteen-style

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

Intermediate lick one: Prince-style rhythm

Intermediate lick one: Prince-style rhythm

These chords go by quickly so try to perfect this example in sections and work slowly up to the 132bpm tempo. A clean single-coil solid state sound gives this one extra snap. Get down and funky like the Purple One!

Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2
Intermediate lick two: Yngwie-style acoustic

Intermediate lick two: Yngwie-style acoustic

This example is based on Yngwie Malmsteen's early Rising Force classical stylings. Notice the Neapolitan 6th chord (b2 chord in first inversion, here F/A in the key of E minor) in bar 1 and watch out for the fourth finger trill in the same bar. Play it lyrically and try writing similar etudes using this as a model.

Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2
Guitar Techniques
Read more
Cory Wong in 2026
Artists “Prince told me, ‘You sound so great, man. Keep doing your thing’”: Cory Wong's encounters with The Purple One
 
 
Bruno Mars
Artists A decade on, we look back at the musical theory and retro gear that shaped Bruno Mars’ 2016 classic
 
 
Stevie Wonder
Artists Dissecting the musical magic of Superstition, the song Stevie Wonder just couldn’t let go
 
 
Chic in 1992
Artists The influential Chic classic that spawned one of the most recognisable basslines of all time.
 
 
Cory Wong
Artists “My advice is play the song. Can you find a part that is tailored to the music”: Cory Wong’s tips for better rhythm guitar
 
 
Prince performs at Brabanthallen, Den Bosch, Netherlands 24th March 1995
Artists “Prince had rented out the theatre with free popcorn for everyone”: Cory Wong on the night Prince ditched a jam session for a movie
 
 
Latest in Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
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
 
 
Close up of a person holding an acoustic guitar bathed sunlight
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
 
 
MusicNomad fret tuition
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
 
 
George Harrison
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
 
 
Latest in News
Prince embraces Apollonia Kotero in a scene from the film 'Purple Rain', 1984. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
Artists Prince’s Purple Rain co-star recalls the moment he had the idea for one of his greatest songs
 
 
GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 29: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Olivia Rodrigo performs with Robert Smith of The Cure on the Pyramid stage during day five of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 29, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Established by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. In 2026, the festival will take a fallow year, a planned pause to allow the Worthy Farm site time to rest and recover. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Artists Olivia Rodrigo still has The Cure’s Robert Smith on her mind on new single, Drop Dead
 
 
boc
Artists Boards of Canada are back with their first new music in 13 years
 
 
plugin
Tech You might want to open a window before using The Crow Hill Company's filthy new synth
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: We've found $200 off an accessible Yamaha turntable, $100 off an iconic Korg synth and healthy discounts on guitars and much more
 
 
David Lee Roth performs at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival - Weekend 1 - Day 1 on April 10, 2026 in Indio, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Artists David Lee Roth has clarified his creative role in Van Halen (again)
 
 

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...