2.11: Hooks, Questions, and Answers…

Every classic song has a ‘hook’ – be it a vocal line, tune, or guitar riff. These are the primary melodic tools that ensnare a listener, and as such you should endeavour to make your guitar playing liberally laden with melodies that everyone can relate too. Too often, shredders widdle around high speed playing lines that are undeniably dextrous, but appeal only to fellow guitarists. This limits your market, and thus your potential ability to make a living out of the six string. We can all fall into this trap so be vigilante and try and ensure that what you play is musically valid.

A tried and tested way to create listener friendly and memorable lines is to apply the oft used blues guitarists staple of playing a simple phrase almost as a ‘question’, and then ‘replying’ with a similarly structured but melodically different ‘answer’. It provides a pleasing ‘symmetry’ to your playing, and when repeated with subtle variations engages the listener. This ensures that what you play will be memorable, and thus easy to ‘hook’ into – which takes back to where we began…