Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
A-Ha
Artists How to re-create one of the most infectious synth riffs of all time
Bolan live
Artists When T. Rex opened the floodgates of glam rock with the riff-driven groove of Get It On
Robben Ford is photographed at Olympic Studios with his trusty whiteguard Fender Telecaster.
Artists Robben Ford on rearranging John Lennon, iconic collaborations and paying tribute to the great Jeff Beck and amp guru Alexander Dumble
Let it Happen
Artists The inventive music theory of one of Tame Impala’s most dazzling songs
Basement Jaxx
Artists Re-create the sound of the powerful Where’s Your Head At bassline - which Basement Jaxx nabbed from Numan!
Eric Johnson takes a solo onstage with his Gibson SG
Artists Eric Johnson on the $400,000 rig he hardly played, the Dumble that got away, and his masterplan for setting his playing free
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Eric Johnson wears headpnones as he takes a solo on his Strat during the 2023 G3 Tour.
Artists Eric Johnson on why pick choice and picking style are fundamental to your playing – and how his favourite jazz player got his sound by using his thumb
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitars 2026: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
Talk Talk
Artists The complex music theory that underpinned a Talk Talk classic
A Warm Audio Tube Squealer guitar pedal on a wooden floor with guitar cables in the background
Guitars Calling all guitarists! Guitar Center's legendary Guitar-A-Thon sale has finally dropped including up to $700 off a Gibson - here's 9 of the best deals selected by an expert
ANGINE DE POITRINE
Guitars “They describe themselves as a Mantra-Rock Dada Pythago-Cubist Orchestra, and the band name translates to ‘angina of the chest’”: The microtonal music theory behind viral math-rockers Angine de Poitrine
Stevie Wonder
Artists Dissecting the musical magic of Superstition, the song Stevie Wonder just couldn’t let go
Taylor Academy 10E
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitar for beginners: Strum your first chords with our choice of beginner acoustic guitars
Gretsch Synchromatic Flacon close up of pickguard
Electric Guitars Best Gretsch guitars 2026: Nail that Gretsch sound at any price point
More
  • Jimmy Douglass speaks
  • Ultravox's Vienna
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Elektron Tonverk Review
  1. Tutorials
  2. Guitar Lessons & Tutorials

Quick licks: intermediate #14

News
By Guitar Techniques published 21 May 2012

Mastodon-riff and Paisley-style country pop

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Intermediate lick one: Mastodon-style riff

Intermediate lick one: Mastodon-style riff

Are you ready for some massive heavy riffing in the style of metal masters Mastodon? For a suitably elephantine roar you'll need to tune your sixth string down a tone to D, dial in some heavy Marshall plexi-esque crunch and keep it in the pocket at 90bpm!

Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2
Intermediate lick two: Brad Paisley-style

Intermediate lick two: Brad Paisley-style

Now it's time for some country style with a pop twist. Make sure you use your second finger (m) for plucking the first string, in conjunction with the E blues scale (E, G, A, Bb, B, D, E) licks underneath. Get your Tele and your ten gallon hat for this one!

Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2
Guitar Techniques
Read more
Mark Morton of Lamb Of God takes a solo onstage with his prototype signature Les Paul
Artists Mark Morton on the chemistry behind Lamb Of God's twin-guitar groove and what he owes ZZ Top
 
 
Eric Johnson takes a solo onstage with his Gibson SG
Artists Eric Johnson on the $400,000 rig he hardly played, the Dumble that got away, and his masterplan for setting his playing free
 
 
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
 
 
Harley Benton TE Tremolo Series
Guitars Harley Benton unveils three entry-level T-styles with Bigbsy-style vibratos and vintage mojo to burn
 
 
The Fender John Osborne Telecaster comes factory modded with a B-Bender and has an extended black pickguard on a Road Worn Olympic White body.
Artists Country star John Osborne’s signature Tele comes factory modded with a distressed nitro finish, custom pickups – and it’s even got a B-bender too
 
 
Zakk Wylde cups his hand to his ear as he asks the crowd for more during a 2026 Black Label Society performance.
Artists “Look at AC/DC. Whatever was popular, it didn’t matter. It’s like McDonald’s. ‘We make the Big Mac and we make fries and we don’t care about doing sushi’”: Zakk Wylde on musical identity, jailhouse rocking with Ozzy and the return of Black Label Society
 
 
Latest in Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Guitar maintenance
Guitars "There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
 
 
Tom Morello
Artists How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
 
 
Close up of a person playing guitar
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
 
 
Close up of a person holding an acoustic guitar bathed sunlight
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
 
 
MusicNomad fret tuition
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
 
 
George Harrison
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
 
 
Latest in News
Prince embraces Apollonia Kotero in a scene from the film 'Purple Rain', 1984. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
Artists Prince’s Purple Rain co-star recalls the moment he had the idea for one of his greatest songs
 
 
GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 29: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Olivia Rodrigo performs with Robert Smith of The Cure on the Pyramid stage during day five of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 29, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Established by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. In 2026, the festival will take a fallow year, a planned pause to allow the Worthy Farm site time to rest and recover. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Artists Olivia Rodrigo still has The Cure’s Robert Smith on her mind on new single, Drop Dead
 
 
boc
Artists Boards of Canada are back with their first new music in 13 years
 
 
plugin
Tech You might want to open a window before using The Crow Hill Company's filthy new synth
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: We've found $200 off an accessible Yamaha turntable, $100 off an iconic Korg synth and healthy discounts on guitars and much more
 
 
David Lee Roth performs at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival - Weekend 1 - Day 1 on April 10, 2026 in Indio, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Artists David Lee Roth has clarified his creative role in Van Halen (again)
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...