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Alan Lennon

Shred Techniques


Here are some techniques which might help some of you shredders out there.

"Internal snaps" I have discussed in my previous columns.They are basically a combination of "snaps" with inside the string picking. "Snaps" are when you hammer the first 3 notes and then alternate pick the following 3 which ends out with that "snappy" sound. Inside the string picking is what the name says it is. Picking within 2 strings rather than outside them. It is a technique which will increase your picking speed tenfold. And when you combine the two you have a distinct technique which sounds a little different to a strict alternate picking run and when mastered will have you playing with more speed and accuracy. Ex 1 is from a song named "Ode To Becker" and is in D minor.


Example 2 is a simple sweep and tap lick from "Ode To Becker". Most of you guys can already do this stuff in your sleep, but it's worth practicing for anybody new to the technique. It can help develop your knowledge of the notes on the higher part of the neck. It's simple: sweep your arpeggio and tap the root of that arpeggio on your high E string. I prefer to use left hand hammer-ons when descending the arpeggio rather than sweeps as it is a far cleaner sound.


Example 3 is from a song called "Cherry Bomb". It combines some useful 7 arpeggio shapes with sweeps and some speed picking. It's a great lick to practice for your left hand dexterity also as it's a bit of a finger twister. Make sure to warm up before this one.....

Alan Lennon is 24 years old, from Bagenalstown, Ireland, and has been playing guitar for 8 years. His main influences are Greg Howe, Shawn Lane, Jeff Beck, Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Jason Becker.

He is currently recording his first album "Heavens Call" which he hopes to have finished by the end of summer 2002.

He was featured in the "Guitar9 Undiscovered" in February 2001. Be sure to visit Alan's website @ www.altheripper.moonfruit.com.