Here are 4 John Scofield inspired licks that are all about the strut

No matter what genre you’re into, this month’s tracks are sure to get you dancing. And once again, Pickup Music is here to deliver the goods, this time with the help of the remarkable Arianna Powell.

We’re interested in a performance inspired by jazz-fusion John Scofield. If you want to hear more in this style, we recommend checking out A Go Go album.

There’s nothing too difficult in our lesson, but getting that elusive feel is key. The balance between a relaxed feel and a tight sound can be tricky to perfect. Be sure to check out the accompanying video to hear each lick broken down and demonstrated.

In terms of technique, there’s plenty to dive into, and we’ll cover hammer-ons, pull-offs, palm-muting, double-stops, and more. The riffs and licks all fit neatly into the B minor pentatonic scale, and the backing is a fairly simple three-chord loop (Bm, Gmaj7, F#m).

So if you want to accompany rather than take the lead, you can either use standard barre chords or try something a little funkier, like sparser three or four note partial chords.

Example 1.

Let’s focus on the playing hand here. We want this phrase to bounce—and palm-muting is a great way to make each note pop. It’s also important to know when to use upstrokes and downstrokes. For the best attitude, use downstrokes whenever possible, but if there are two or more notes coming in quick succession, use alternate picking.

Example 2.

This lick follows the classic “call and response” format, with each subsequent lick “answering” the previous line. Reduce the palm-muting at the end of each phrase – the last note should ring out.

The trickiest part is the “tied” note in bar 4, which runs from the 10th to the 9th fret on the third string. It just needs to be a hint of that 10th fret – move away from it as soon as you hit the note. On these longer notes, add a slow, wide vibrato – nothing too frantic.

Example 3.

Tricky timing here – this lick starts on the “&” of beat 2. That’s “1 & 2 &”. Again, use palm muting to give each note that clean “pop”. Only release the muting once you’ve hit that lazy bend on the 10th fret.

Why is it lazy? Because it never quite reaches the next note – it’s between the frets. If you’re having trouble controlling the bend, use two fingers.

Example 4.

Our last stroke starts with a hammer-on/pull-off combo! It’s almost like a mini trill. Use your index finger on the 7th fret, then move your third finger to the 9th, then immediately back again.

Remember to only pick the first of these three notes. This may take some practice to execute cleanly, but most licks follow this idea, so it’s worth perfecting them. The final touch is a down-up chop with a double stop on the upstroke.

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