Lick 3:

This lick is based almost entirely on an F#m7b5 arpeggio. When played over the Am7 chord this arpeggio outlines the 6th, root, b3 and 5th of the chord giving us that jazzy tonality that Greg is so famous for. We’re basically superimposing chord VII over the II chord in the backing track to achieve this sound. Notice that the phrase starts on the 2nd 16th note of the bar for a syncopated feel and how the use of triplets and 16th notes gives the phrase a ‘changing gears’ quality. The tricky 16th note triplet arpeggio at the end of bar 6 may take quite a bit of practice to get up to speed so start slowly until your muscle memory has nailed the phrase.

Lick 4:

This lick is a variation of something I heard Greg play from his solo ‘Last Minute’. This is a tricky phrase to execute well thanks to the position shifts that start with a full step bend. The idea is to sound like a synth player using a pitch wheel so try to make the position shifts as smooth as possible. In bar 9 I tried to remain synth like with some wider intervals and the subtle pitch bend on the penultimate note. Make sure you hammer into the 20th fret before the band, bending the note up very quickly before releasing. You’re trying to create the impression of a pre-bend but on a hammered note. The result is a very synth-like pitch change as if you pre-bent the pitch wheel and let it return to pitch after the note has sounded.

Lick 5:

This lick is pure Greg Howe with a cool and very hip descending Blues scale phrase followed by Greg’s trademark hammer-ons from nowhere and tapped scalar runs. The first part of the phrase is based on an Am Blues scale but starts on the 4th 16th note of the bar for added syncopation. Make sure to play the three notes of the 2nd beat in bar 11 as hammer-ons in order that you can get your right hand into a tapping position for the next run. The accelerating scale run is based on Greg’s 3 note per string tapping runs that require you to hammer on the first note of each new string with the first finger of the left hand and execute the 3rd note on each string with a right hand tap. I recommend using the 2nd finger on the right hand to tap so that you can keep hold of the pick for the end of the run. This technique allows for hugely fast flurries of notes that sound super smooth and has been adapted and used by many modern Rock and Fusion players. At the end of this line we have more of the ‘side to side’ vibrato and some screaming bends to add rock authenticity.