Why I Suck.. Series 4, Episode 11 - Zakk Wylde!

 The 1980s were an amazing decade for guitar playing – pioneered (arguably) by the incredible virtuosity of one Edward Van Halen, a guitarist capable of absolutely blistering fretboard gymnastics became the absolute must-have accessory for any self-respecting rock and metal act. Amidst the blizzard of 3 note per string legato and swept arpeggios however, one man stood tall, with pinch harmonics that made wolves howl and vibrato that could choke a dinosaur – and that man is longtime Ozzy Osbourne cohort and Black Label Society frontman, Zakk Wylde!

I've always had a fondness for Zakk's playing – rootsy pentatonics cranked up beyond 11 with insane speed, attitude and that aforementioned vibrato just resonated with me even if I've never been much of a metal fan. In interviews Zakk has often stated that when he got serious about playing he made a conscious decision about sticking to the pentatonic as a way of differentiating him from his peers, using chromaticism where necessary to season this basic framework. He also credits an instructional video by country legend Albert Lee with influencing much of his hybrid picking and double stop techniques.

So, as is now customary, let's start with a little potted history while warming up the fingers...

Born Jeffery Phillip Wielandt on January 14^th 1967 in Bayonne, New Jersey, Zakk initially began playing aged 8 but didn't really get serious about it until around age 14, when he would regularly practice all night after getting home from school, catching up with sleep during school time (disclaimer – for parents and kids reading this, JM Guitar Tuition does not endorse this as a sustainable approach) – Zakk himself has described the following day often being “rough”...

There doesn't seem to be much information surrounding Zakk's early playing career pre-Ozzy, and he credits a side-interest in powerlifting as being instrumental in how the pair met – Zakk claimed that he met Ozzy around 1987 at a weightlifting meet and offering to cut him a deal on some steroids in return for a job with his band, as things had recently gone bad with guitarist Jake E. Lee (which is a complex story in its' own right) – Zakk put together a demo tape and the rest is history! He has gone on to be Ozzy's longest serving sideman despite stints away focusing on his own bands Black Label Society and Pride & Glory and the two have a close longstanding relationship. In terms of influences, Zakk has consistently referenced Frank Marino from Mahogany Rush, Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, and a passing nod to Elton John – in addition to his guitar skills, Zakk is a fine singer and pianist (and I bet he never brings his lyrics on stage.. just saying ;-) ).

Potted history thus complete, let's take a look at some licks! We'll dive in with an absolute classic – the blistering end part of “No More Tears”. Here Zakk is using D minor pentatonic with a sextuplet picking pattern moving through positions 1, 2 and 3 of the scale before moving to arpeggios on the Bb and C chords of the underlying progression using 1^st inversion shapes before finishing on a howling D root note right up on the 22^nd fret. I'll demonstrate Zakk's uncompromising pick attack and vibrato on the demo video so stay subscribed to the YouTube channel for that one!

For this second example, we'll take a look at Zakk's solo work on the Book of Shadows album with a lick taken from “Sold My Soul” in E minor. Zakk starts off with a trademark soaring harmony bend using position 4 of E minor pentatonic, before trilling his way up the E minor scale along the G string before a massive overbend on the D note at the 19^th fret sold with some of his signature wide vibrato – as ever, it's the articulation, the sheer fire with which he plays which makes this line stand out.

Like many players, Zakk has a few signature patterns that he gravitates towards when he puts pedal to the metal and gets into serious shred territory – this third example is drawn from “Farewell Ballad”, a solo recorded for Guitarist magazine back in 2006, using the D blues scale – notice that Zakk is using the exact same fingering pattern on both string groups and you can even trace a line here back to the Magic Three Notes (a concept students of mine will be familiar with), simply extending out to include both positions 1 and 2 of the scale.

For our final example, I've drawn from the solo to “Crazy Babies”, based in B and then E minor pentatonic – Zakk sets up a “call” hook in B minor pentatonic with signature savage vibrato, before bending the 9^th fret G and pulling off to the 7^th before tapping with the pick hand on the 21^st fret G, bending up and pulling off to the 9^th and then the 7^th, back to the E root on the 9^th before a blistering run grouped in fives through positions 4, 5, 1 & 2 of the E minor pentatonic!

This has been an absolute blast, Zakk has long been one of my absolute favourite guitar players and working through his stuff has been a joy.. and I do think I can feel my vibrato getting wider by the day! Keep an eye out for the demo video and see you soon, happy practicing!