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
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Joe Perry and Jeff Beck
Artists “Of course I was intimidated. He’s a genius. He’s Mozart!”: Joe Perry salutes his guitar heroes Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck
Gary on synth
Artists How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
Jared James Nichols plays his Gibson Futura on a stage lit up in red-pink.
Artists “I felt like I was levitating off the ground. I felt like I was in Cream in 1968”: Jared James Nichols on why he switched to Marshall amps
EVH Gear Wolfgang Special Baked Maple: the high-performance electrics are refreshed with baked maple necks, TOM bridges and Floyd Rose vibratos
Guitars Eddie Van Halen-approved baked maple necks? Check. Flagship pickups? Check. EVH Gear unveils stunning refresh of the Wolfgang Special
Human League
Artists Replicate the sonic magic of the Human League’s defining synth-pop anthem
Kirk Hammett of Metallica performs during the band's St. Anger tour
Guitars “These songs are played a lot. They’re often not played well”: Guitar Center reveal the Top Ten riffs played at their stores
Tool
Artists “Good riffs are good riffs. But very seldom are we playing in unison”: How Tool created enigmatic alternative rock with a late-’90s masterpiece
Steely Dan
Artists From the Purdie shuffle to its extended jazz chords - analysing Steely Dan's Babylon Sisters
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
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai perform onstage during the Satch/Vai Tour.
Artists “I’m watching this genius develop right in front of me”: Joe Satriani on what it was like to teach a teenage Steve Vai
Talk Talk
Artists The complex music theory that underpinned a Talk Talk classic
On the left, Sadler Vaden (in white T-shirt) jams with Jason Isbell. On the right, Mike McCready plays his Strat onstage with Pearl Jam.
Artists Sadler Vaden on when he and Jason Isbell jammed Little Wing with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready
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)
American historic producer of British singer David Bowie, Tony Visconti, poses during a photo session in Paris on November 19, 2019
Singers & Songwriters “Afterwards he sent David an invoice for $10,000”: Tony Visconti on Dave Grohl’s “ludicrious” Bowie session fee
A press shot of Paul Gilbert [left] wearing a tricorn hat and playing a pink Ibanez; Todd Rundgren wears dark shades and performs live in 2021.
Artists “To me, it was like being asked to tour with the Beatles”: Paul Gilbert on why he turned down the gig of a lifetime
More
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Kate Bush Army Dreamers
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Theory of Feels
  1. Tutorials
  2. Guitar Lessons & Tutorials

Quick licks: intermediate #19

News
By Guitar Techniques published 6 April 2013

Take inspiration from '70s Lou Reed and proto prog outfit Patto

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

Intermediate lick one: Dick Wagner lead

Intermediate lick one: Dick Wagner lead

Wear a black top hat and get your Les Paul and Plexi hot for this one! It’s a tribute to Wagner’s onstage work with Lou Reed in the 1970s. Make sure the bends are in tune and concentrate on making the vibrato sing as vocal-like as possible. Check out Dick’s work with the Alice Cooper Band as well!

Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2
Intermediate lick two: Ollie Halsall lead

Intermediate lick two: Ollie Halsall lead

This example uses legato phrasing with a very gritty tone, similar to Ollie Halsall’s sound - Ollie was the hugely influential guitarist in proto-prog band Patto. The run is entirely in D Dorian (D E F G A B C) except for the last beat, which uses the D blues scale (D F G G# A C). Get your hand strength built up slowly to nail 125bpm and faster!

Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2
Guitar Techniques
Read more
Paul Gilbert wears a tricorn and period dress as he poses in shred mode with his signature Ibanez guitar
Artists “I’ve got to compete with Bach and Beethoven and Mozart and The Beatles!”: Inside the mind of guitar hero Paul Gilbert
 
 
Zakk Wylde cups his hand to his ear as he asks the crowd for more during a 2026 Black Label Society performance.
Artists “Look at AC/DC. Whatever was popular, it didn’t matter. It’s like McDonald’s. ‘We make the Big Mac and we make fries and we don’t care about doing sushi’”: Zakk Wylde on musical identity, jailhouse rocking with Ozzy and the return of Black Label Society
 
 
Human League
Artists Replicate the sonic magic of the Human League’s defining synth-pop anthem
 
 
Mark Morton of Lamb Of God takes a solo onstage with his prototype signature Les Paul
Artists Mark Morton on the chemistry behind Lamb Of God's twin-guitar groove and what he owes ZZ Top
 
 
Prodigy
Artists How to replicate the sample-based sonics of a gnarly Prodigy classic
 
 
Gibson Mark Ronson Les Paul Custom
Guitars Gibson unveils Murphy Lab replica of Mick Ronson’s Bowie-era 1968 Les Paul Custom
 
 
Latest in Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
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
 
 
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
 
 
Latest in News
O'Flynn in the studio
Tech 5 things we learned in the studio with O'Flynn
 
 
Mike D head shot
Singers & Songwriters Mike D of the Beastie Boys breaks silence with debut solo single, Switch Up
 
 
Native Instruments InMusic
Tech InMusic confirms Native Instruments acquisition, bringing it under the same ownership as Moog and Akai Pro
 
 
Korg
Mixers Korg sneakily launches a new effects-packed performance mixer, the NTS-4, at Superbooth
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Just in time for Mother's Day, we've found $700 off an unusual Gibson, $500 off a stunning Ibanez Prestige AZ2204, plus heavy savings on recording and live gear
 
 
Jared James Nichols plays his Gibson Futura on a stage lit up in red-pink.
Artists “I felt like I was levitating off the ground. I felt like I was in Cream in 1968”: Jared James Nichols on why he switched to Marshall amps
 
 

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...