E Blues Scale - Extended Pattern


E Minor Pentatonic - Extended Pattern


Teacher: Most of the soloing will come out of the Minor Pentatonic scale. Here is a useful pattern that covers the first 12 frets in the key of E.

Lick 1


Teacher: Notice the use of the repeating motif on the fourth string. Very vocal like in Cantrell's soloing. The use of the wah helps to shape the vocal effect

Lick 2


Teacher: The next lick uses a trill along the 3rd string. Followed with a big 1 1/2 step bend

pj: do you just open the wah on the 4th string?

Lick 3



Teacher: Pressing the wah slowly down as the trill continues and opening the wah on the next note change. The continious staccato picking while releasing the bend is a timeless Seattle style riff.

Riff B


Teacher: To get the pinch harmonics, the 'squel' sound - catch the string with the edge of the thumb on the downstroke.

Teacher: The second riff uses some 'stacked' power 5th chords. Alice in chains often features multiple overdubs of guitars. Altered and dropped tunings as well.

Teacher: These stacked voices can contribute to a big guitar sound when played alone.. Most guitars are doubled in the lesson sample

E Minor Pentatonic - 6th added


Teacher: The last scale is basically a Dorian mode with the 2nd left out right. That major 6th adds interest and is especially nice for double-stop bends on the 2nd and 3rd strings.

Teacher: The last section of the lesson features Alice in Chains, acoustic style.

Riff C


Riff C Jam Track

Teacher: The chords move from F# - G - A - B. Notice this is the standard 6th string major bar chord. First fretted then lifting the first finger off of strings 1 & 2 for added color notes.

Video Clip 1

Teacher: This riff is a mix of B Major and B Minor key centers. The first and last chords are from B Major, the G and A chords are from the B Minor scale.  To solo over this requires mixing the two scales. Here is a sample lick.

Lick 6


Teacher: The run over starts in B major, then modulates to Minor for a run over the G and A chords.

Lick 7


Teacher: This lick could be played by one guitarist but is actually played by two guitars in harmony. Jerry Cantrell often would record 6-8 tracks of guitars and then mix them up or down in the song for this orchestral effect

Lick 8


Teacher: This last lick uses octaves for a full sound with just one guitar

Riff D


Teacher: There are the chords for the last section. They repeat the first two, C and D shapes, but end on a standard E major chord. Then repeat.

Teacher: Suggested listening would be Alice in Chains groundbreaking album 'Dirt'. For a great showing of their acoustic flavors check out their "Jar of Flies" EP or their MTV "Unplugged" concert album and video.

Teacher: And if you want to go more into Alice in Chains songs I would be happy to show them in private lessons. Email to lessons@guitarteacher.com