tab

Guthrie Govan
20 ESSENTIAL
LICKS
LICK 1

JTC SAYS
This group of licks and phrases center around the B minor pentatonic scale. The first
measure starts off by running up a simple Bm7 arpeggio followed by a quick series of
chromatic notes.

***Adding these types of quick chromatic runs is something Guthrie does often to break
up his phrases - it’s very effective for making simple pentatonic licks sound much more
complex***

He continues from there riffing off the pentatonic scale throwing in a b5 a 9th and another
chromatic note (b9) sliding into the root (B note). But besides those “color” tones ... it’s all
straight B minor pentatonic.

The next part of this solo can be viewed as a 3 note per string type of idea, where Guthrie
plays 3 notes on a set of strings then moves up to the next position on the neck and plays
another multi string 3 note per string idea. He continues up the neck in several more
positions but begins to play 3 notes on the B string and only 1 note on the E string. Take
notice of how this pattern is not just your typical 3 note per string sequence ... Guthrie
cleverly mixes scale patterns with chromatic patterns ... while mixing in slides and hammer
ons.

And to end this section of the solo Guthrie plays a great chromatic pattern. With the
exception of the beginning of this sequence, the pattern/shape used is the same ... just
moved up, down and back up ... and repeated all the way up the neck.

www.jamtrackcentral.com
 LICK 1
As recorded by jamtrackcentral.com
(From the 2014 Album GUTHRIE GOVAN'S 20 ESSENTIAL LICKS)

P = 100
V V fV V
E7

gg 4 l V V f V gV V
V V f V V gV f V V V V
3
1
I 4 V V
V 3 3
3
3 3
9 8 7
T 10 10
A 9 7 9 10 11
7 11 10 9 8 7 9 9
B 9
7 10
sl. sl.

V V V V V V fV V V
Bm

g V V V V gV V V V V V V V V V
3
2
Ig V V
3 3
3 3
MO
1/2

7
T 10 7 10 7
A 9 10 9 7 7 9 6 (6) 4 4 7 9
9 6 4 6 6 4 7 9
B
P sl. P sl. P sl.

V V
8va

V gV V V f V V V
gg f V gV f V V V V gV V V V V V V V e V V f V f V gV V V f V V
3
I 3

12 17 17
T 7 10 11 12 11 10 12 14 15 15 14 12 15 17 16 15 17 18 19 19 18 17
A 10 10 9 7 10 11 12
B
b
F7
sl. H H P sl. H
E7
sl. P sl.

V V V V V } V V V V V V
8va 8va 8va

g
Ig l k Vu V Pz V e V V V V
4
V
M
1 1/2 M
1/2
M M
1/2
Full FullM 1/2
M
1/2
O
T
21 19 19 17 19
x
19 19 17 19 17 (17)
17
O 16 (16)
A 16 16
16 16
B
sl.
Bm

g e V V f V e V V V gV V V V V V V V V V f V V gV V f V
I g gV V V
8va
6

3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3
T 16 17 16 15 16 15 15 14 15 14
A 16 19 19 19 16 15 18 18 18 18 17 18 17
18
B
P P
JamTrackCentral Ltd 2014
Generated using the Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen. http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org
 LICK 1 - jamtrackcentral.com Page 2 of 2

gg V V V f V V gV e V V V V V V f V e V V V f V e V f V f V gV f V V V
8va

7
I
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

T 15 14 15 16 15 16 17 16 17 18 19 18
A 18 17 18 19 18 19 20 19 20 21 22 21
B
Bm

V
8va 8va

8
g V f V V V gV f V V V gV f V V V gV
Ig k Vu V j
M
3 3 3 3
Full

22 17 (17)
T 19 18 19 18 19 18 19
A 22 21 22 21 22 21
B

Generated using the Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen. http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org