7. Mark Tremonti - Descending Pentatonic Lick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fasxdLJQI6M The anchor for which nearly all great rock and metal solos have spawned, the pentatonic scale. Hell Metallica wouldn't even sound like Metallica if it weren't for this scale, and whilst we'll be returning to it with varying amounts of gusto throughout this article, Tremonti's run here is a great way to way your fingers up, without wearing them out. The man himself has much more to offer than this simple lick, most notably on his band Alter Bridge's
new album, his sumptuously finger-picked solo Bleed It Dry. That's not to mention his career of legato-perfected runs, the furious endings of songs Blackbird and Cry of Achilles, or any of the intros from his skyscraper-levelling solo album. For now though feel free to have a play around with the instantly-identifiable notes contained within the E Minor version of the Pentatonic scale, and when you've got this one down, we'll continue.