It’s obvious that one of the best ways to develop your own style is to combine the styles of musicians you like. Instead of merely learning solos you like note-for-note, however, look to the theory and patterns behind the solo you’re studying. To learn more of an artist’s style, analyze solos or riffs from different songs to see if there is an overarching pattern, or distinct patterns used for different applications.
Today we’ll look at the style of Kings of Leon:
“Ragoo” – Key of D
The solo for this song is based around the D major chord shape at the 14th fret, and moves to the D major chord using the “F shape” at the 10th fret. Notice the use of arpeggiation and double-stops with unison-bends in the 14th position and half-step bends in the 10th position (bending from the major 3rd to the 4th).
“Velvet Snow” –Key of C
This is an up-tempo song. The solo is all harmonized-3rd double stops.
“Notion” – Key of E
Here, the intro riff uses the ringing open high-E string as a pedal tone. Another good example of this technique is The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.”
“Fans” – Key of E
Similar to “Ragoo,” “Fans” outlines an E major chord (F shape on 12th fret) with a few unison-bends. Notice the barred chord at both the 4th and 16th fret is like a “D-shaped” E major 7th chord.
Once you get a feel for these riffs individually, it is helpful to put them in the same key (E major is a logical choice) to better visualize how they relate to each other. By now, hopefully you can move through a few E-major positions, using double-stops, bends, hammer-ons, and arpeggios, to not only sound like the Followills, but to develop your own style through chord embellishment.
No, not their fashion preferences, but rather their riffs...
In the video, I show how parts of “Taper Jean Girl” and “The Bucket” build on my past lessons about major chord inversions and the major pentatonic scale. The following examples are more detailed and have been tabbed out for reference. Get the Guitar Pro or .PDF.
“Ragoo” – Key of D
The solo for this song is based around the D major chord shape at the 14th fret, and moves to the D major chord using the “F shape” at the 10th fret. Notice the use of arpeggiation and double-stops with unison-bends in the 14th position and half-step bends in the 10th position (bending from the major 3rd to the 4th).
“Velvet Snow” –Key of C
This is an up-tempo song. The solo is all harmonized-3rd double stops.
“Notion” – Key of E
Here, the intro riff uses the ringing open high-E string as a pedal tone. Another good example of this technique is The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.”
“Fans” – Key of E
Similar to “Ragoo,” “Fans” outlines an E major chord (F shape on 12th fret) with a few unison-bends. Notice the barred chord at both the 4th and 16th fret is like a “D-shaped” E major 7th chord.
Once you get a feel for these riffs individually, it is helpful to put them in the same key (E major is a logical choice) to better visualize how they relate to each other. By now, hopefully you can move through a few E-major positions, using double-stops, bends, hammer-ons, and arpeggios, to not only sound like the Followills, but to develop your own style through chord embellishment.
