Lick Library?

spawnofthesith

Rock Star
TGF Recording Artist
Messages
4,432
Does anyone have recommendations or preferences of a book/resource that is strictly just a compilation of licks? I'm looking for -only- licks

lick GIF
 
You have to be lucky to have most of it being tasty and your taste...
OTOH, a few ideas can be worth it -- especially if you can lend it from the library :p

When I started, I think around 1980 my friend got this one... (or maybe another one, cos it was red/black, IIRC)
www.amazon.com/Hot-Licks-Standard-Modern-Phrases/dp/B005H7YYWQ

Even back then I was more impressed with hearing a real amp sound than the licks themselves.

I wish I could notate or video my own ideas way faster...
Is something built into Windows 11 that can video me straight away? Or which hassle free program would you recommend?

When I'm serious, I may use Guitar Pro sometimes.
I can also make tab ready prints but would need to write on them.
By now I think video would be better. Easier to remind myself of what ideas I've had.

Anyway, I probably have a few lick/solo books and lent many, but nothing jumps out as must have, IIRC.
I think I remember one great idea from a Robben Ford book and that's it.
Better to steal some that jump out on videos nowadays, as you won't get the position 70% wrong... :bonk
It's funny what people come up with sometimes (including me), especially if they are not aware of some player's classic moves.
 
Last edited:
Does anyone have recommendations or preferences of a book/resource that is strictly just a compilation of licks? I'm looking for -only- licks

lick GIF
I'd say it's worth splurging on one month of "all access" at true fire -- they have a whole bunch of lick collections. I imagine within two months you'd find all the ones you need, have all the info you need to finish up mastering them, and can then quit, making it probably most cost-effective approach.
 
I've never used a pre existing library.
I do have many that I've pulled from my fav players solos and modified somewhat to make my own.
I'd highly recommend doing that as opposed to a book. (Write your own!)

EVH, Nuno, Vito, Fogerty, Gibbons, Carl & Luther Perkins, Prince, Scotti & Snake, RR, Berry, Thorogood, Dime, & Gilbert to say the least have all had an influence on licks, riffs, tone and writing in some form or another in how I play.
 
I have a different take on this. I never learned licks or built a library. I focused on the scales and kind of naturally came into some melodic patterns and things that became part of my playing. I have spent the time to figure out solos in songs, which added to finding patterns in the scales. I have always associated everything back to the scales.
 
I have a different take on this. I never learned licks or built a library. I focused on the scales and kind of naturally came into some melodic patterns and things that became part of my playing. I have spent the time to figure out solos in songs, which added to finding patterns in the scales. I have always associated everything back to the scales.
I would assume that this is exactly why he is looking for an already-transcribed set of licks -- as a resource for finding new melodic patterns within scales, etc., not simply to have a host of licks to regurgitate verbatim.

To the dude above that was like "go learn stuff by ear by players you want to sound like" -- one can do both. Most of the lick collections I've gone through haven't been "here are my genius licks" but "here are some licks that I transcribed and then slightly modified and named in the same kind of way digital modeler companies name their amp models". Of course sped plenty of time learning licks by ear. But ain't no shame in also letting somebody else do the transcription work for you at times.
 
The problem with licks though is they mean little without context. Licks mean different things on different chords. Not only that but out of one lick you can create a thousand licks on your own just by varying rhythm, tone, picking ...
 
So instead of licks one should rather learn how a succession of known ( i.e. you have to know them ) intervals ( known as lick ) sounds on a chord/s.
 
The problem with licks though is they mean little without context. Licks mean different things on different chords. Not only that but out of one lick you can create a thousand licks on your own just by varying rhythm, tone, picking ...
I don't know of any of these "lick library" things that don't give chord context. My fave was David Hamburger's 50 jazz-blues licks on Truefire (I think they're actually all posted on YouTube) -- each lick is presented not just as a lick, but as a "here's a way to get from the I chord to the IV chord over 4 bars in B-flat" etc.:

 
Last edited:
My thoughts are that it's more important to learn where the notes are, where triads are up and down the neck for example, and training the ear so you can better play what's in your head rather than getting locked into certain licks/patterns. Of course we all have our habits. Learning scales is cool but it's not something I've put an extraordinary amount of time into, I've always been more of a 'by ear' learner.
 
Does anyone have recommendations or preferences of a book/resource that is strictly just a compilation of licks? I'm looking for -only- licks
I use to use these in the '80s, and some of the licks ended up getting into my playing. I tried to learn the ones I liked in a couple diffrent fretboard locations, diffrent keys and diffrent stringsets.

You might be able to find these on the web. The copyright dates are mostly '80s, so maybe used. The publisher is AMSCO (New York, London, Sydney, Cologne) and the author for the rock, blues, rockabilly and new wave books is Mark Michaels. Rock 2 is written by Steve Tarshis and Jazz by Richard Boukas.

20240604_173123.jpg
 
I use to use these in the '80s, and some of the licks ended up getting into my playing. I tried to learn the ones I liked in a couple diffrent fretboard locations, diffrent keys and diffrent stringsets.

You might be able to find these on the web. The copyright dates are mostly '80s, so maybe used. The publisher is AMSCO (New York, London, Sydney, Cologne) and the author for the rock, blues, rockabilly and new wave books is Mark Michaels. Rock 2 is written by Steve Tarshis and Jazz by Richard Boukas.

View attachment 23679
Does it teach you how to throw a little lightning bolt into yore pickups ?

:unsure:
 
Back
Top