Pentatonic Slap Lick — Week 6 Complete

At last, the final day of Week 6! Today you complete this week's hammer-on and pull-off into one lick over the E minor pentatonic. The slap moves beyond rhythm and begins to sing.

Today's finished lick is the E-G-A-B-D ascent. Slap E (R) with the thumb, then hammer-on up to G (b3); slap A (4) again, then hammer-on up to B (5) — one strike, two notes twice in a row. Then slap D (b7) and land on the root E. The smoothness of the ascent is today's point.

Start slowly at BPM 75 and focus on whether the hammer-on notes G and B are as clear as the struck notes. If the lick smears, drop the tempo and revive the two hammer spots first. Stop cleanly on the final root E, and the lick ends like one sentence. This short single measure is this week's fruit. The thumb's drum-like strike and the left hand's singing legato meet inside one lick.

On a 5-string, the fingering and the notes are the same as on a 4-string. But using the low B (5th string) opens an extension that starts the same lick heavily an octave lower. The thumb, pop, ghost, and syncopation you built over the past five weeks are all held in this lick today. One clear lick beats flashy tricks by far — leave it slowly and accurately. Now it's truly the last step — this lick is the finish line of six weeks. Leave this lick on both a 4-string and a 5-string today, and it's Week 6 complete. First mark the five notes on the fretboard.

▶ 4-string. The five notes the ascent lick passes through. Thumb on the open strings (E·A·D), and the 3rd/2nd frets (G·B) are the hammer-on spots.

▶ 5-string. The hand shape is the same as on a 4-string. Keep the low B deadened with the thumb.

Today you leave behind the finished lick! First warm the hand with an ascending pentatonic walk, then repeat and record the pentatonic slap lick. Each example comes in both a 4-string and a 5-string version.

First, the pentatonic ascent walk. Go up E-G-A-B-D, then retrace back down, warming the hand spots of the finished lick in advance.

▶ BPM 70, 4-string. Ascend E-G-A-B-D, then retrace back down. Warm into the hand the spots the finished lick travels.

▶ 5-string. The notes and spots are the same as on a 4-string. Keep the low B deadened with the thumb.

This week's finished piece — the pentatonic slap lick. Slap E·A with the thumb, attach G·B with a hammer-on, slap D, then land on the root E. The ascent must flow like one sentence.

▶ BPM 75, 4-string. Slap, then hammer-on (E→G, A→B) for one strike, two notes. Ascend E-G-A-B-D and land on the root E.

▶ 5-string. The notes and the move are the same as on a 4-string. Starting on the low B (5th string) also introduces a heavier extension lick an octave lower.

0–10 min · Warm-up Flow yesterday's short lick lightly at BPM 60 to wake the hand. Today you'll capture this very flow in a recording.

10–20 min · Brain training Run the finished lick very slowly as below, carving into your hand the spots of the two hammer-ons (E→G, A→B).

▶ BPM 60, 4-string. Very slowly. Check by ear that the hammer-on G and B are as clear as the struck notes.

▶ 5-string. The notes and the move are the same as on a 4-string. Keep the low B covered with the side of the thumb.

20–40 min · Real play Repeat the finished lick at BPM 75. If the ascent smears, drop the tempo and revive the two hammer spots into clarity first. Learn it on the 4-string, then confirm the same lick on the 5-string.

40–50 min · Record/feedback At last, the recording. At BPM 75, record two or three loops without stopping, and keep the best one as this week's lick. Leave both a 4-string and a 5-string take, and Week 6 is complete.

Done when: you can record the E minor pentatonic slap lick (thumb + hammer-on ascent) at BPM 75 on both a 4-string and a 5-string smoothly. — Weekly deliverable: a recording of my first pentatonic slap lick. (Week 6 complete!)

Nudge the finished lick up to BPM 85 and check that the hammer-on ascent stays alive even as it speeds up.

▶ BPM 85, 4-string. Check that the hammer-on ascent (G·B) stays clearly alive even as it speeds up a little.

▶ 5-string. The notes and the move are the same as on a 4-string. Always keep the low B deadened with the thumb.

• The hammer blurs. When the ascent picks up speed, G·B weaken easily. Strike decisively, aiming just behind the fret.
• Only the D pokes out. If the hand striking D is too strong, the lick gets bumpy. Trim D to the same size as the other notes.
• The landing rushes. Rushing the final root E cuts the sentence short. Rest one beat and stop cleanly.
• Neglecting low B (5-string). Absorbed in the lick, B rings easily. Always keep B covered with the side of the thumb.