This example highlights an aspect of Devin’s unique lead approach. The tonality of the piece is C Lydian (R 2 3 #4 5 6 7 ) fourth chord in the key of G Major.
This particular mode is a tonality frequently heard in Devin’s work and provides an atmospheric quality to his compositions and soloing. While you are looking into this example it would be a good idea while your guitar is tuned to C to investigate some scalar concepts. The tuning we are using is in Fifths across 2 string sets, so you can take your 3 note per string major scale shapes and play the first six notes, going up in octaves simply by playing the exact same shape across the strings vertically!
Bars 1-3 use left hand tapping with the pick simply starting the open string. Try to wack down the left hand first finger and land with full force simultaneously muting the string above with the tip of the finger. This may take some getting used to so isolate this concept for practice. Bars 4-7 use a combination of left and right hand tapping. Again the muting technique is vital to the clean and solid execution of this type of idea, and I would suggest a very slow initial practice speed in order to develop the strength and accuracy needed. The last bar features a very nice tapped three octave major triad (R 3 5 ), which is all under the fingers in the same region of the neck thanks to the open tuning. As always I would advise that the individual elements of this example be isolated and practiced in separation, before gradually linking the ideas together and building up the profile of the entire piece.
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