The whole tone lick you brought to the jam session totally killed! Fear grips your whole body now as you realize that now you’ll have to bring the heat to the next tasty jam session once again to cement your reputation as a total guitar maniac. I’ve got just the thing – a totally sick legato based half whole lick that will definitely keep that neighbor boy away from your wife.
So let’s talk the half whole diminished scale before we break down this lick. The half whole diminished scale can often be used to get an outside sound on a dominant chord. The scale is spelled 1-b2-#2-3-#4-p5-6-b7. Notice that this scale contains 8 notes, and therefore spelling it can be a little messy, but this should keep you on track. Also notice that the pattern of this scale is completely symmetrical, as the intervals alternate evenly between a 1/2 step and a whole step (as the name of the scale implies).
One fantastically shred-friendly detail of this scale is that the shapes repeat and invert in minor thirds. With this in mind, you can take simple shapes and ideas and move them up/down the neck just the same as a regular heavy metal diminished lick. That is the basis of this lick.
Now for the lick! This lick is based over an A dominant chord, but really can be played over an A, C, Eb, or Gb dominant chord. Start on the #2 and then hammer on the major 3rd and #4. Personally, I use my ring finger on my right hand to pluck the A note on the high E string, but using a pick is just fine as well. From there, it’s a down stroke on the #4 and then use hammer ons/pull offs to deal with the notes on the G string. When switching to the high E, starting with a picked note is totally okay, but try to use a hammer on from nowhere just to get used to that technique.
As we enter the second half of the lick, slide up a minor 3rd to the C on the E string and use hammer ons/pull offs to carry you through the notes. Next is a small dominant chord shape with an added b2 starting on the Bb on the B string. Picking through this can be tricky, so try to use hammer ons/pull offs and keep it as clean as possible.
Before continuing, take note that this is actually the end of the pattern, which lasts exactly 7 beats when played as straight 16th notes. One thing I like to do a lot in my style is to create patterns that don’t line up properly but play them as straight 16th notes and then hear how the beat placement changes everything.
To finish everything off, repeat the pattern exactly and then use hammer ons/pull offs to shred through the 2 beat tag at the end of bar 4. The note that’s resolved to is a C, which is a very strong sound when played against an A dominant (A-C#-E-G), but this can be resolved nicely in a number of ways, the easiest being just go back to the major 3rd.
Congrats! You now have a totally rockin’ lick to bust out during another crunchy jam session. Those other players are going to burst out in histrionics at the intensity of this lick, leaving you free to consume the tears of unfathomable sadness. Enjoy those tears, you’ve earned them. Happy practicing!
Tab: Half Whole Lick 1 https://www.instagram.com/p/BrOHuiSBxjC/%5B/et_pb_text%5D%5B/et_pb_column%5D [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]