Owning the lick – that’s really what it’s all about.
My thoughts on this are ten fold and it basically starts out from the beginning and trying to figure out all the notes on the fretboard. I’ve seen on numerous occasions where people have transcribed things wrong, or put chords in a position that could very well have been made easier with finger economics.
Some of this “ownership” has to do with how well your ear has developed so let me give you an example. Metallica’s new album Death Magnetic came out and immediatly I gave it a one time through before attempting to play it, and sure enough my ear told me the opening track “That Was Just Your Life” was almost entirely the same as “Enter Sandman” off the Black Album so that’s the position I decided to learn it in (Vth). Now looking at the “professional” transcription it’s in (Ist) position. Now I can be bias and say ya know “the tone is going to be thicker on the E string than the A” but personally I think it’s important to learn how to play a riff/lick/lead in as many different spots as you can find. Master a riff in 2 spots and it’s yours.
Other times I’ll be showing a riff to a future rockstar and the chord will span a four or five fret fingering. This may be okay for someone with developed technique, but if you’re stretching that far, there is more than likely another way to make that same chord. I’ll give you another example… The intro to the Incubus song “Are You In?” has a C#/A diad on the B and E string. Pretty big stretch… but if you move the C# on the B string to the 6th fret of the G, you’ve narrowed your stretch down from 4 frets to 1. And now not only is it more economical, but now you also know it in 2 positions!
Do the same thing with your leads and you will most certainly, own your lick.
Suzy S.