@ OC C@ Advaned KEY: Dmajor | Picking oodnaton TEMPO: 125bpm__sFreting hand dextrty CD: TRACKSS-10 | mL Sweeparpeggios “JS BACH WROTE SOME of the most ‘undeniably beautiful music there is," says Paul Gilbert. “His compositions tend tobe more interesting melodically than rhythmically, but I favour melody asa listener, so that suits me fine Paul'sassertion that Bach focuses more on melody than rhythms true here, as TECHNIQUE FOCUS SWEEP AND TAP ‘Anextra taps a useful way toextend the fretting hands physical limitations. A popular approach to executing asmooth transition between the sweep and the tapis tobring your pick over the upper frets so yourmovements are economical ike Michael Lee rkins).Thishasthe advantage ‘of keeping the hand in the position of the subsequent taps but means your pick ravels through the strings ata shallower depth, so youwon'tcoaxas much tone from your strings. The other methodis to execute the ‘weep as normaland then move thepicking handover to the fretboard, when the tap is Fequited. Accuracy comes under threat with these larger movements solook towards the targetfretretherthan the fretting hand. For furtherlistening,check out Michael Angelo Batio, Michael Romeo, Mario Parga and Tony MacApine. Paul Gilbert goes ‘back to Bach’ on one of the great composer's preludes. Steve Allsworth guides you through the transcription. ioe 1UUD ith his modern take Prelude in D major isan onslaught of 16th notes using alternate picking. This will help develop your picking accuracy, but the piece will also improve fretting hand dexterity. Ifyou've ever played or studied Bach before (see GT130's transcription of Partita For Solo Violin No.1 in Bminor), you'll notice his command of modulation (changing keys) and variation, “Although the piece remains in and arguud the key eure of D tajor throughout, italso delves into several different keys, so you'll never find yourself staying in the same area ofthe fretboard for 46 Learning Bach pieces sharpens my technique enormously. Most of my arpeggio techniques have come from trying to get his piano phrases to work on guitar. 99 Pau Gilbert very long. Whilst this makes itharder to memorise the main bulk ofthe piece, the melody retainsits basic shape al the way through, so you should see a phrasing pattern emerge from the beginning. There are no obvious sections to practise ueto the constant semiquaver rhythm, so itmaybe useful toleam itin digestible 4 and 8 bar portions. Since it’s quite difficult to'see’ the keys as you're travelling through them and therefore latch onto any obvious scale shapes, there'll be a strong element of muscle memory and pure repetition in order to memorise the piece in its entirety “Any Bach piece [leam takes a Eddie Van Halen (Eruption) and Randy Rhoads (0zzy's Goodbye To Romance) have nodded towards Bach, Gilbert on THE CD ( TRACKS 9-10 minimum ofthree weeks to get up to speed, although five weeks ismore realistic,” says Paul. “And this is with me practising slowly for15 minutes when I wake up, afew times during the day and right before I go tobed.” Setting yourself similar sensible goals, practising in short sessions every day so that you don't overdo things. The freetime endingis loosely based on the original, with an extravagant cadenza solo section that is quite common in classical musie. The faster arpeggios are based around diminished 7th shapes that include extended notes fretted with picking hhand taps. This isquitean advanced technique, so if you haven't studied combining tapping with sweep-picking, then improvise with one ofthe diminished ath shapes frst off Last thought: Paul plays this at 125m. but some pianists play it at around 1sobpm. What are you aiming for? Hl GETTHETONE ® © © @ & ae ary tee eae humbuckers butt have a smallam eet eer Ree oe ae eet] Pe ete ees Dr Eo Tirenerte ate ete if has recorded several hhomages tothe composer ~B..0 from Racer X's Technical Diffcuties is Bach's Prelude in D minor from Kine Little Preludes and The Jig from his King Of Clubs is the Fugue from the English Suite No in A minor ‘36 Guitar Techniques Jeruary 2 B TRAGK REOORD Rock guitarists and classical music make good bedfellows for developing technique, harmony and general Inspiration WhileBACH'S PRELUDE IN D MAJOR rr He oli Stems Guitar Techniques 37ae Vahey be PLE BAS rE MOAR on THE cD @ TRACKS 9-10 GE [Bart] The glganticstetch from loth fetto 17thfretis necessaryforthe [Bars 4, 23} The tart of beat 3s typical ofthe many position shits Sake of smoothness and alo to avoid any awkward position shifts.Keep that ae requited throughout this piece inorder to stop your fingers yourfirstfinger anchored tothe 10th fretfor the whole of thisfistbar, twisting Into impossible shapes. Yul notice quitea lot of unusual lateral and remember te begin wth an upstioke. (sideways) movements require, especialy with the frst Finger. tora raratorriorans-rataio}tstarens sats. astare|-14ag road 17-164 poesia, arenas oiaraior2 1612141691012 Tsar @*). or 7108-7 16-191416 16-1716 oe ie 1798-1647 s4-1817—1715144-15121418. site 21a saets—1514n2 sar 1616 AS aia at soraratf—aipratane io HO=AS121012 6101108 38 GuitarTechniques January 2009