Quick Licks - Synyster Gates: Mastering Modern Metal Guitar

"Quick Licks - Synyster Gates" is a comprehensive guitar lesson series designed for players who want to delve into the high-octane and technically demanding style of Avenged Sevenfold's lead guitarist. This series provides an in-depth exploration of Synyster Gates' signature techniques, including alternate picking, shred guitar licks, wide interval licks, and the use of exotic scales. Each lesson is meticulously crafted to not only teach these techniques but also to imbue the dynamic expression and technical prowess that Gates brings to his music. This couse is taught by Andy James.

What You Will Learn In This Course

35 killer metal licks in the style of Synyster Gates. This course also includes a backing track to play over. The techniques you will learn include:

• Exotic Scales
• Whammy Bar Use
• Fast Alternate Picking
• Sweep Picking

Technique Breakdown

Alternate Picking: The Foundation of Speed

Alternate picking, a technique involving rapid, alternating downstrokes and upstrokes, is fundamental in Synyster Gates' playing. This series teaches you how to develop a fluid and precise alternate picking technique, enabling you to tackle fast-paced licks and riffs with ease. You'll learn the importance of pick angle, hand synchronization, and economy of motion, all crucial for increasing speed without sacrificing clarity and precision.

Shred Guitar Licks: Unleashing Fury on the Fretboard

Shred guitar licks are synonymous with Synyster Gates' style, characterized by their speed and complexity. These lessons delve into the art of shredding, teaching you how to play lightning-fast runs and arpeggios that are staples in Gates' solos. You'll explore various shred techniques, such as sweep picking and tapping, and learn how to integrate them seamlessly into your playing.

Wide Interval Licks: Expanding Your Melodic Range

Synyster Gates often employs wide interval licks to create a sense of drama and unpredictability in his solos. This part of the series focuses on how to construct and execute licks that span across several octaves, breaking out of traditional scale patterns. These wide interval licks are essential for adding a modern, progressive feel to your solos, a hallmark of Gates' innovative style.

Exotic Scales: Adding Unique Flavors

Exotic scales are a key element in adding diversity and distinctiveness to your playing. Synyster Gates frequently incorporates scales like the harmonic minor, Phrygian dominant, and diminished scales into his solos. These lessons will guide you through these exotic scales, teaching you how to use them to create solos with a unique sound and feel.

Practicing Over a Backing Track: Real-World Application

Each technique and lick is practiced over a backing track, providing a practical context for your learning. Playing with backing tracks helps you understand how to apply these techniques within a song, enhancing your timing, rhythm, and improvisational skills. It's a crucial step in learning how to integrate these advanced techniques into your playing in a musical and cohesive way.

Synyster Gates’ Guitar Style

Synyster Gates is renowned for his technical skill, innovative playing, and ability to blend metal with other genres. His playing is marked by aggressive rhythms, intricate solos, and a flair for the dramatic. By studying Gates' style, you'll gain insights into modern metal guitar playing and learn how to infuse your playing with a similar level of intensity and creativity.

The Benefits of Learning These Techniques

By mastering these techniques, you will:

• Enhance your alternate picking skills for faster, cleaner playing.
• Develop the ability to execute shred guitar licks with precision.
• Expand your melodic vocabulary with wide interval licks.
• Incorporate exotic scales into your playing for unique soloing ideas.

List of Guitar Techniques Used:

Below is a list of guitar techniques covered in the "Quick Licks - Synyster Gates" lessons. Click on the links to explore the glossary entries on Licklibrary.com and delve deeper into each technique.

• Whammy Bar Use
• Fast Alternate Picking
• Sweep Picking

By learning these techniques, guitarists will not only be able to play Synyster Gates-style licks but also broaden their overall guitar skills, enabling them to explore new genres and play with greater expression and technical prowess.