Amaj9 sweeping arpeggio for electric guitar
For better or worse, I’m going to be posting a series of guitar videos. Even though I don’t shred or play fast, a surprising number of people write to ask for tabs of my guitar solos. I play by ear, and it’s actually easier for me to make a video of what I do than to tab it (I have to be the worst tabber on the planet).
Making guitar videos for the site also gives me a reason to actually practice. The only guitar practice I get is when I’m recording or getting ready for a tour: I *never* work on technique. Ever. That’s something I’d like to change for 2007 (call it a New Year’s resolution).
Here’s the first guitar video: it demonstrates of my favorite sweeping arpeggios. The idea for this sweep came to me when trying to figure out part of what the first violin plays in Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (my favoreeeet). It’s a three octave major shape with an added 2nd (or 9th, whatever you want to call it). And it has some slides in it too (I love doing little sliding thingies).
If you guys like these, I’ll record more.
Download: WMV (10 mb) ::: MOV (10 Mb)
[Update: here's the tab...what I won't do for you, my little chickadees...;-) ]
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Absolutely wonderful ! – (Yes Lori… more please !)
Im pretty sure it counts as an Added 9th. Appregios are usually built by going up in stages such as 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and so on. =)
Awesome video though!
hahah our teacher strikes again
it’s wonderfull Lori, more please
hugs,
Gwen
Hi Lori,
Great, I like it and you are really impressive – if Arjen have selected Lorinator, it proves simply that you are one of the best in the young generation. I like particularly your soli in the SoP works, they are dynamic, melodic and energic and full of feeling. When do you release a CD?
Congrats and a happy new year!
Eric, Brussels
Im totally confused and totally cant follow what you are doing but then I cant play guitar. But the video was funny.. mutant useless pinkies. sounds pretty weird.
Hii Lori!
Congratulations! Great video!
I hope see more new videos!
Hugs!
That was wonderful.
WTF? Waaaay to much for my tiny brain to comprehend. Good thing I’m no guitar player
It sure looks and sounds damn cool though!
Greetz Taz
That was fantastic
Encore!
Hey Lori,
Nice video.
Yes, you can make some more, please !
lori,
Found your site from a link on my good friends site Steven Ravitz!
Looking forward to more video!
The thing I always hate about these video’s is when the guy or girl in the video says “We’re gonna start this slow” … I just KNOW I’m gonna need some serious ego-boost later on … After typing this, I’ll be crying on my wife’s shoulder.
But seriously: this is really cool. It’s funny and educational. It’s funducational! I’m making that a word as of now.
I’m impressed by the slides. It looks really good and it’s mighty confusing
Sad im not a guitar player. I just cant play guitar but i do play electric viola.
You should upload more vids soon!
It would be fun to watch some bloopers too haha.
I like your accent!
As you know, I’m not a guitarplayer either, but it definitely sounds wonderful and looks very interesting!
So I’d love to see/hear more videos, please
Hugs, Rob
Thanks for all the nice comments, everyone. Making videos is fun as long as I can do some BS-ing for the camera, so I’ll be happy to make more like this.
Kristof, I’m not sure if you were joking or not, but next time I’ll make sure to slow the slow part down even more anyway, particularly if I’m gonna be a cheeky strumpet and not post any tab.
Funny enough, I was just about to email you asking if you could expect any Better at Guitar page in the future.
Oh, and thanks the video!
Update: Tab
Best tab I have ever seen! =P
Excelent video Lori!
I’m not guitar player, i play the piano.
This is my first comment on this blog. I listened a song from your “demo 2004″. I think it was called “If”, exelent song, very neoclassical and melodic.
I have a question, i read on the internet that in 1987 or 1988 you were in a band called “Jaded Lady”. Is that true? What can you tell us about this band.. Did you tour with that band? Did you recorded material?
Good luck and keep on doing videos!
Greetings from Argentina
Hi Lori,
at last, a FUNNY educational guitar video =D watched it 10 minutes ago and am still grinning, funducational indeed =)
JoeJoe, yes I am known far and wide for my tabbing prowess
Neo, I was in Jaded Lady for only a month or so, max. I think we only rehearsed a couple of times. They were nice girls, but we were just not a good musical match. I never recorded anything with them, but if memory serves they did go on to record some demos with another guitar player.
Juan, SHHHH! That other site is a not-very-well-kept secret
Bignicko, thanks. Have a good time, ALL the time. That’s my motto! (Extra points to anyone who knows where my motto comes from).
Ahh too easy, Lori, too easy =)
“Certainly, in the topsy-turvy world of heavy rock, having a good solid piece of wood in your hand is often useful.”
I wont give it away, though
)
Spinal Tap!
I was joking, Lori. The thing is: it’s slow enough for me to see all the little details, but I can’t play any of that stuff at that speed – particularly the first time. It’more a laugh at my own expense, not at yours!
Here’s a very funny video of John Petrucci by a guy who feels the same way about “slow examples” http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5642191623848965230&q=petrucci
Yours is in no way this bad AND yours is a lot more melodical. I prefer your style over John Petrucci’s. John as a soloist is … well … his nickname is “the Exaggerator” …
An Apple for the teacher ! – (Should the Bananas worry ?!)
What AM I talking about ?!
Lori, I’m ever-so curious…
Given that on your Demo 2004 CD, and your “Modes For Metalheads” feature, you used to tune down a semi-tone: I’m wondering why (on this Amaj9 SA for example) you are now back to “concert pitch” ?!
I’d guess (?) that since SoP… ‘cos you’re playing alongside keyboards/strings, you can’t (really) de-tune anymore ?! (Is that correct ?!) If so, is that going to be a permanent thing – (outside of SoP)… and how did you find it readjusting ?! (Lighter strings ?!) M’ self, I l-o-v-e the feel of the “down one half-step” thing !
I know this is a r-e-a-l-l-y boring question, but…
I AM curious !
Bignicko and Kristof got it — hardly an hour of my day goes by without at least one Tapism. One of the coolest things I ever saw was when Merriam-Webster released the 11th edition of their Collegiate dictionary with the slogan “We’re going to eleven.” Now *that* rocks.
Stephen, Arjen wanted standard tuning for playing live with SoP, so I had to retune my guitar. It takes forever for my floating trems to “settle in” to their new tuning, so as long as there are live dates in the works, I’m sticking to standard tuning. I much prefer the feeling of Eb tuning, though. I kept the same gauge strings (9-42) — the first couple of weeks tuned to concert were really uncomfortable. When I can afford to get another guitar just for recording, I’ll definitely have that one tuned to Eb. It sounds *manlier*
I knew it too but Kristof beat me to it.. :p Spinal Tap is the awesome.
Hello Lori,
Congratulations by his one feeling, I am listening its music every day. I be being a guitarist wanting to touching 100000 of noticing by second Until know your music.
They are very beautiful and melodic, I am learning how very with them.
Which are the guitarists that you are going to listen?
Also I am going to be a melodic guitarist.
Greetings from Brazil
grateful
I have NO clue what you are talking about Lori, but the video sure made me lmao and drop my jaw at the same time.
Hope you have a nice New Years Eve, “gott nytt Ã¥r”!
Thanks Lori – (regarding “tunings”…?!)
This curiosity killed cat – Now satisfactorily brought back !
Thanks again !
Arpeggio’s just rock, but your vibrato makes them so much more interesting. As the movie said sometimes “too many notes” (And so did you), but your coloring makes it so much more intersting! Outstanding as we used to say in the Army!
…
God bless!
Tim
Haha, you don’t “shred” or “play fast”? Compared to who – Van Halen or Malmsteen? There is no lack of talent in your playing. I love those beautiful harmonic singing bits, sounds very much like a note Uli Roth squeezes out.
Thanks for the tab. I’ve already been improvizing with it and integrating it into some other fun little runs I like to play.
Thanks for all the riffs.
I love that John Petrucci video. At the guitar clinic I was at, someone even asked John if he had seen them. Apprently he has, and he loves them also…. =S strange man that he is…..
Ha, ha, that gave me some good laughter!
But not because of your playing (which is awesome and perfect) rather than your jokes (e.g. “whatever fret it is!”). Ha, ha! That’s the kind of teaching I really like. If I had that teacher I’d learned to play the guitar really well. 
And you know what? I really dunno what fret it is! I’m just playing and it’s fun… Ha, ha.
Thanks for that outstanding video, Lori.
BTW: besides this, do you think you’ve had a better technique if you had larger hands? My fingers are so tiny compared to the kings of guitar playing (maybe you know what I mean). Distortion, chorus and reverb makes it feel better, but playing the western guitar is a PITA, even with 18 years guitar playing (uh god, I’m growing old).
Best Regards
Kai (who probably will do a picture with his really “girl-Strat” in his hands. Indeed it is a girl-Strat, it was made for a girl! You know which girl is as famous to have her own Fender Strat…?! Have fun to work it out… Hey, and the amazing thing is – that Strat really do rock!!)
Caramba y Carambita…You say you do not play fast? You say you don’t work on techniques? I can not believe…
you ask if we like it? I loved too much..PLease, more!
Happy new year!
Kristof, those Petrucci vids are funny! They’re poking fun at him in a good-natured way, so I’m not surprised he knows about them and thinks they’re funny, as JoeJoe pointed out.
Victor, I’m not sure I understood your message, but it sounded nice just the same. Good luck reaching your musical goals!
Tim, thanks!
Chad, nice to see you here! Thanks for the heads up about that Uli interview the other day; it was interesting reading. And no, I don’t play fast — anyone who thinks I do probably hasn’t seen Rusty Cooley.
Appel, thanks — hope your New Year rocks as well. Tonight (New Year’s eve) I’m going to sit at home and read “The Google Story,” a cool book I got for Christmas (Google totally rocks my world). So metal… *rolls eyes*
Kai, thanks! Glad you like the vids; you guys have convinced me to make more (as if I need any excuse to ham it up for the camera, hahah). And yes, if I had larger hands (particularly a longer/stronger pinkie) I could play a lot of things that are physical impossibilities for me. I don’t mean to say that having small hands is an excuse for SUCKING, but there are plenty of cool things involving pinkie barres and huge stretches that will always be beyond the limits of my itty-bitty girlie hands and mutant pinkie. And no, I don’t know about the girl with the Strat, sorry to say. Enlightenment would be nice!
Carvalho, no I really don’t practice or work on technique — when I do pick up my guitar I get distracted by melodies. And compared to the REALLY fast players, I’m slow as molasses in January! I did go through a phase about three years ago where I spent about a month working on my sweeps, but since then I’ve simply been too busy trying to make a living to do any practicing. Sometimes weeks (or even months) go by and I don’t even touch my guitar. But 2007 will be different
I nearly died when I saw this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APRpFOwmNWU
I revived again after I saw this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2qY_Rn_qKs&mode=related&search=
What I love about your playing is the overall colour of your playing: the technique that blends perfectly with the scales you use. I miss that a lot in players like Rusty and Herman. Yngwie hasn’t played a decent melodic solo in over 15 years and don’t get me started on Michael d’Angelo. I mean, what’s up with the two necks and the hair?
See you next year!
As far as speed goes. You have more than enough to convey the ideas and music you are playing.
I think everyone who reads this blog will agree, feeling is more important than playing.
There is a good reason so many people love David Gilmours playing more than Yngwie’s.
you have a slight accent but i cant tell what it is. is that from you living there in norseland or originally coming from somewhere else other than the us? its very faint. and cute. heh.
your sweeping is very clean. not many guitarists can do that. real nice.
Kristof, thanks for posting those interesting vids. The one dude had cool hair. I can tell you more about what I thought in person; there are limits to where I’m willing to go “in public.” :-p
JoeJoe, I agree with you about preferring feeling to speed, but I think we’re in the minority.
Michael, yeah, I talk kinda funny, I know. I think it’s from many years’ practice speaking English mostly with non-native speakers (like you do when you live abroad), combined with speaking lots of Swedish.
Lori… Being in the minority just makes us more metal! m/
Joejoe and Lori: The majority of the minority is proud of being a minority!
wow!! it looks very difficult but it’s beautiful!
Kristof: Amen
Excellent video! It’s educational for a guitarist like me. I’m a guitar player too but i know no tecnique because i have never taken up an educational course. Actually i’ve never got the chance of it. So videos like that are educational for me.I’m playing by ear too. I’m always listening, listening than practice the songs by ear. And i know very little about notes. And the video will help me improve my playing..What is best for me about the video is that the guitarist playing is a female. I’m a guitar player but my father always says that i will never shred even though i take up an education because of my fingers. Yes my fingers.. He says they are too short,like that of other female guitarists(in his opinion), to play fast. In his opinion, as anotomical it’s easier for men to make some works than women, maybe he’s right but i don’t think it is not so in playing a guitar, i wonder Lori what would you say about that.. Do you think short finger is an disadvantage to play. Ä°f it’s so, can practices and exercises overcome it? Actually my fingers aren’t short at all, my father wants me to play the “BaÄŸlama”(it’s a Turkish instrument)instead of guitar.
Anyway… Generally female guitarists are said to be bad guitar players or only good for their appearance not for their tecnique. In my opinion it’s not true because the people thinking like that haven’t seen you and if they did, i’m sure they would love it.
Lori you are wonderful and i will always follow your records to improve my playing guitar. And i think you are playing quite fast and you can shred.. Tabbing is not a problem at all, playing is the main thing about it i think. And playing by ear shows your talent at music. Your playing is impressive.I’m looking forward to your new videos!
Hazal
Greetings from Turkey!
Alef,
don’t let anyone else tell you what you can and cannot do (well, there’s the occasional thing though where, for example, if people tell you that RED means STOP at the traffic light, it’s a good idea to listen to them and let them tell you what to do).
But small fingers are no reason to be able to play fast or be a musician. Being a musician is not about how fast you can play or what weird time sigs you can play. Being a musician is about playing what’s in your heart. If you just remember that, you should be allright.
I’d love to see Eric Clapton going “I’m a noob, I can’t shred at 260 bpm” … Or hear Bob Dylan say that “I’m a lousy singer”. Well, he is a lousy singer but that’s not the point. He’s a good musician.
Kristof,
I don’t mean playing fast is being a good guitarist. I just think long fingers are an advantage while playing, so is playing fast… And that does never mean i omit playing well is occured by playing sincerely. To some, very fast notes being played in short seconds can be very good to listen while to some like melodic solos not only fast.(for example in emotional songs shredding would be absurdity)And i think both are essential. Playing guitar well isn’t as a minor thing as thinking it is only good when being played fast. (I can’t tell my thoughts efficiently as i don’t know English well.)
Anyway.. I hope, i have been understood.
happy new year lori,great video,great sound and yes more video’s please.TTFN.
“Mutant useless pinky”… There’s a song in there somewhere…
Keep up the major A 9’s Lori.
Thank you for your very VERY musical performance with SOP.
Keep up the guitar!
Oh my…you are quite inspiring! I’m old enough to be your Mom but have picked up a guitar for the very first time a few months ago. (Always a dream of mine after seeing Justin Hayward play guitar with the Moody Blues about a million years ago.) Lessons are coming along slowly and my finger tips are getting nicely callused…have been feeling like giving up and went to the internet for inspiration and found your website! Perhaps I’d best keep at this…make the kiddoes proud of dear old Mum!
How long have you been playing?
Thanks!
Kimama, thanks for the kind words, and by all means KEEP AT IT. Time is going to pass anyway, so you might as well spend it learning new things.
Thanks to all who have commented since I last stopped by — it’s really great to see you discussing/debating things here. As for the hand-size issue, given the choice I’d take Paul Gilbert’s or Rusty Cooley’s monster hands instead of my own tiny micro mitts. But I suppose all we can do is try to make the best of it and develop what we can within our physical potential.
i smell gimmick, also; yawn.
Congratulations, Zetbot! Almost 800 comments here so far and you are the first EVER to post something mean-spirited and nasty. Your parents would be SO proud.
My condolences about the narcolepsy thing, by the way. That must be a real PITA.
Oh, snap …
The only thing around here that I can smell is your jealousy Zetbot.
=O amazing!!! you are one girl in a million
I wish you were my girlfriend..
Your single?
Drop me a line if so..stripe_z@hotmail.com
ROCK ON!
K, I’ve only been playing guitar for a year now, and I’m wondering, how did you go about learning all the theory on guitar, and getting so goddamn pro lol… I play everyday and practice alot, just need some useful tips on that sorta thang.
i’ll practice this arpeggio some other time… it’s 2am i have school tommorow and scales to do before i sleep lol… you’ve shown me that i’m not playing enough…. must… get … proooo
Hahaha Andreas, you were a day early
Metal Apricot:Chivalry is not dead! :*
xguitar:Thanks!
Andreas:Ha ha. If you had seen me having my hourly hissy-fit rants about all the BROKEN stuff in the world, you’d re-think that girlfriend thing. Trust me. And anyway, I’ve already got a hot stud boyfriend (who is smaaaart, a good cook, AND puts up with my crap!).
Mike:I really don’t know much theory at all, that’s why I’m not very articulate about it in the videos. The little theory that I know is all that is left from my year as a music major in college (I’ve long since forgotten most of what I was taught). When it comes to guitar, I just play by ear. And I don’t practice nearly enough either (read: ever), but this year I plan to change that!
Kristof:Thanks for the reminder — I always forget about “guilty-conscience” day
Music major eh… yeah that’d be sweet lol, i’m considering taking an extra 2 years in college for music theory (so i can get more pro at guitar) and i say extra cause, i don’t forsee a career in music, so i’d have to major in an actual career path… fucken life if only you could just play the great guit all day everday… except when im skiing or maybe both…. that’d be mad chops but thanks for the reply
on a side note, how long you been playing anyways? Lately i’ve been more keen on learning metal riffs/grungy sorta death stuff? cause it’s koo
I think that a lot of theory can be learned from books, outside school. I’m certainly not claiming to be a music theory expert, but I’ve certainly learned a huge lot from books.
And, indeed, I have found it to be very interesting to apply theory when actually composing.
random i just read your “new years resolution” … me and my buddy have the same one, to practice mad everyday of the year (we started a two weeks earlier to new year and just came up with this after jamming and drinking lots of beer on new years eve) been two months now and still goin strong heh… and it’s not really practice if you’re having fun or.. high…
K, i get the fingering of the arpeggio but what’s the picking pattern you use? it looks like you sweep most of it but the top two string you alternate pick to hit all the notes… im confuzzled
you should probably make a forum up for your website lol, favoruite guitar video of all time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UsuhdLtQts
Agree with Kristof that theory can be useful – I mainly think about theory when I’ve written myself into a corner in a song. I consult the circle of fifths and look for chords that might get me out of wherever I’m stuck.
Mike, I’m one of those people who plays for a couple of years, then gives it up for years at a time. I’ve done that at least three times since I first started. I think if I added up all the years total, it would be 10 to 12 yrs.
As far as picking patterns go, I really have no idea. I don’t actually work things out that way; I just let my hand kind of do what it wants, and hope for the best! That’s why I kinda suck at explaining my solos: I don’t think about them or analyze them, I just play by ear and focus on how they sound.
Good luck with the practicing routines. I’ve been sick this winter and one of the symptoms is horrible tiredness and malaise, so my practicing is not going as well as I’d hoped. Yet
Bah, wussie, that just means you get sick days and mad time to sit in bed with your guitar
, lately shit has been gettin in the way too but i still practice/play everyday. watch the buckethead video… he’s so pro…
I’m in love
XXXX
niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice work there gal. certainly impressed. Guitarist myself, in a metal band called GrievancE. U should all check us out when we record in a month or two. . . . .keep up the shredding woman
Hi,Lori.
Omg,You are great!!!!!!!
rock on!!!nice video!!!!!!!!!!!
kisses,bye:D
Hello again Lori,
A question for you:
You said you don’t work on techniques, but IMHO you’re a great guitar player. How many years have you been playing the guitar and how you started to learn?
Hugs from Brazil!
hey hey:P just wondering… *embarased* where can I get posters of you?
ps her er en liten hilsen, jeg er norsk, bor i vestfold:P det virker seriøst litt uvirkelig at du kan snakke nesten samme sprÃ¥k, hvis du var svensk da, hørte hvertfall noe om det:P if not, I guess you don’t understand shit of that, but ciao:P
Hej och välkommen, Nicho. Nej, jag är inte svensk, jag är amerikanssk. Men jag bor i Sverige och fattar ett och annat ord svenska (och dess kusinsprÃ¥k) i alla fall. Norge är ett oerhört vackert land — jag har cyklat lÃ¥ngfärd där ett par gÃ¥nger. Men det svÃ¥rt att hitta en platt tältplats, och man fÃ¥r akta sig för fÃ¥r i vägen…
There are no posters available that I know of. But I could change that in about 24 hours. Would it be worth the trouble? Are there any photos you’d like to see a poster made of?
I’m having a hard time creating sweeping patterns of my own, got any leads*? haha, get it, LEADxD (ok I know that one sucked, but I am actually a funny guy:P)
and that poster thing, course it would be worth it:D neh, just one with you on it and I’ll be happy:)
your vidioes are sooooo cool i wish i could play lik you but im only 12 so i got time you really inspired me to reach for my dreams and dont give up
power to the pinkies,
keep tryin
Thanks a lot for publish this video! I learned guitar by myself and sometimes I see no path to develop my technique. You showed me one!
Kathryn and Felipe: Cool, I’m glad you’re getting something out of the videos. Thanks for letting me know!