Guitar player magazine 1984 - Gary Moore interview 1)

[iplayLouD]

For me, EVH is everything on other people's playing but x4 (not only on speed, but energy and tone).

There's a lick on VHI on, at least, three songs; it's the starting lick on I'm the one (the one that cuts the riff just before drums entering, pentatonic lick to open strings  on Am).
The same lick (fingering, not notes) is on the second solo of the same song (pentatonic lick to open strings, on Bm).

The same thing is on Eruption, the lick on two different tones, the second part afeter the drums faded.

It's a very country lick but with more than estheroids.

 

True. If you just look at fingering patterns, Eddie repeats himself a lot. Everybody does, but with Eddie, at least to me, it’s more noticeable.
 

[Dinosaur David B]

There are times I realize I'm repeating myself on recordings as well. Once you notice it, you can't un-notice it. 
 
But then I remember that all the guys I love use their pet licks over and over again as well, and if they do it (and I notice it), it probably isn't so bad that I've done it, too. 
 

[eduardoritos]

There are times I realize I'm repeating myself on recordings as well. Once you notice it, you can't un-notice it. 
 
But then I remember that all the guys I love use their pet licks over and over again as well, and if they do it (and I notice it), it probably isn't so bad that I've done it, too. 
 

 

Not bad at all. 
just, try changing keys and put some rithmic displacement and voila. 


 

[Dinosaur David B]

There are times I realize I'm repeating myself on recordings as well. Once you notice it, you can't un-notice it. 
 
But then I remember that all the guys I love use their pet licks over and over again as well, and if they do it (and I notice it), it probably isn't so bad that I've done it, too. 
 


 

Not bad at all. 
just, try changing keys and put some rhythmic displacement and voila. 
 

Well, sure, but it's also what becomes characteristic of one's style.  And that's when I update my alchemy profile to read something like: Dave has several pet licks and turnarounds you hear him use in many of his songs.    
 

A teacher of mine once said something like:  All the best players -- including the guys we love -- have about 30-40 licks (at most) in their arsenal that they lean on over and over. You're average bar band non-pro player may have 10-15. 

I don't know how accurate those numbers (it was just an approximation) are, but I believe those ratios are probably right.  And then you start realizing how many additional licks you can create from one idea by just changing the fingerings from like a 1-3-4 to a 1-2-4 or a 1-3-5, and it starts to add up. 



 

[iplayLouD]

There are times I realize I'm repeating myself on recordings as well. Once you notice it, you can't un-notice it. 
 
But then I remember that all the guys I love use their pet licks over and over again as well, and if they do it (and I notice it), it probably isn't so bad that I've done it, too. 
 



 

Not bad at all. 
just, try changing keys and put some rhythmic displacement and voila. 

 

Well, sure, but it's also what becomes characteristic of one's style.  And that's when I update my alchemy profile to read something like: Dave has several pet licks and turnarounds you hear him use in many of his songs.    
 

A teacher of mine once said something like:  All the best players -- including the guys we love -- have about 30-40 licks (at most) in their arsenal that they lean on over and over. You're average bar band non-pro player may have 10-15. 

I don't know how accurate those numbers (it was just an approximation) are, but I believe those ratios are probably right.  And then you start realizing how many additional licks you can create from one idea by just changing the fingerings from like a 1-3-4 to a 1-2-4 or a 1-3-5, and it starts to add up. 



 

 

That’s all? I would’ve expected hundreds…
 

[Dinosaur David B]

That’s all? I would’ve expected hundreds…
 

As I said, I can't vouch for the actual numbers, but the ratios are probably right. 

It also kind of depends on how you want to count them. For example, for any given 3 note per string lick, you can play it ascending or descending. Is it then still one lick, or two?

If I then play the same picking pattern across different fingerings and get 2 more variations, and play both of those ascending and descending, is it still one lick? Or six?
 
But at the end of the day, what makes great players great is NOT how many licks they have. It's what they express on the instrument. How they use licks and all of the other equally or more important tools in their toolbox.

Frankly, if you focus on just licks, you run the risk of becoming a "licks player." A guy who just strings licks together. Playing that way doesn't convey much -- other than I can play a lot of licks.  Great solos are comprised of melodies, phrases, bends, vibratos (etc.) -- and licks too.  Licks are great, but without the connective tissue in between them, you're just kind of wanking.