Phrase 5: Jazzercize

The final scalar phrase of the solo employs a little chromaticism and a little arpeggiated sweeping, the overall effect of which is more jazz-like than metallic:

Phrase 5   –   listen (88.87KB MP3)

                      m.24               m.25
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
---------------------|----------15------|----------16-----
---------------------|-15-17-18---18-17-|-16-18-19---19-18
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
                       d  u  d  u  d  u   d  u  d  u  d  u

  m.26                            m.27
-|----------------17-18-20-18-17-|-------------------|----
-|-------17-18-20----------------|-20-18-17-20-18-17-|----
-|-17-19-------------------------|-------------------|----
-|-------------------------------|-------------------|----
-|-------------------------------|-------------------|----
-|-------------------------------|-------------------|----
   d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u    d  u  d  u  d  u

m.28                  m.29
---------17-20-18-17-|------------------------------------
------18-------------|-20-19-18-17---18-17----------------
---19----------------|------------19------19-17-19-17-/\/\
20-------------------|------------------------------------
---------------------|------------------------------------
---------------------|------------------------------------
d  d  d  d  u  d  u    d  u  d  u d  u  d u  d  u  d

The phrase begins by taking a blues-based Paul Gilbert picking pattern and moving it chromatically from the 15th to the 17th frets — in other words, up a whole step. If you’ve made it this far in the solo, this sort of motion should be no problem. It’s merely a matter of shifting up one fret with the left hand each time the pattern repeats:

Got the Chromatic Paul Gilbert Blues   –   listen (39.89KB MP3)

                      m.24               m.25
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
---------------------|----------15------|----------16-----
---------------------|-15-17-18---18-17-|-16-18-19---19-18
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
---------------------|------------------|-----------------
                       d  u  d  u  d  u   d  u  d  u  d  u

What follows is an ascending/descending dorian scale run that includes a swept major seventh arpeggio taken straight from the George Benson (or Joe Pass, or Django Reinhardt, or…) playbook:

Jazz Shred   –   listen (66.93KB MP3)

  m.26                            m.27
-|----------------17-18-20-18-17-|-------------------|----
-|-------17-18-20----------------|-20-18-17-20-18-17-|----
-|-17-19-------------------------|-------------------|----
-|-------------------------------|-------------------|----
-|-------------------------------|-------------------|----
-|-------------------------------|-------------------|----
   d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u  d  u    d  u  d  u  d  u

m.28                  m.29
---------17-20-18-17-|------------------------------------
------18-------------|-20-19-18-17---18-17----------------
---19----------------|------------19------19-17-19-17-/\/\
20-------------------|------------------------------------
---------------------|------------------------------------
---------------------|------------------------------------
d  d  d  d  u  d  u    d  u  d  u d  u  d u  d  u  d

The decidedly bebop overtones of this particular lick aren’t entirely surprising, since Mike frequently cites the influence of 20th-century jazz greats on his playing. What is surprising is how well the lick fits into an over-the-top glam solo without sounding particularly out of context.