Phil X's Pentatonic SHRED SECRET Decoded!

[@InsolentMusicalPeasant]

Phil X is a beast. And he wrote a song with possibly the best title I've ever heard, "I Wish My Beer Was As Cold As Your Heart."

[@cdawg-switchhitter2473]

Yeah that’s definitely the best song title ever

[@MrEnoBeano]

Good to see you.

[@rjprivate]

Wow, checking this out tonight!!

[@bluwng]

Beautiful guitar

[@svartsjokolade]

Found Phil X through those old Fretted Americana videos, very entertaining and funny, especially when he would sing one song over the chords of another like Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell. Thanks for the breakdown Uncle B!

[@guyinpajamapants6892]

Uncle Ben, you’ve reignited my love for playing after a 25 year hiatus. Thank you!

[@davidmarsh9897]

A very, very nice blag, now I've blagged it too!

[@Guitarisforgrins]

This was a terrific lesson. Love how easy it is to open this lick up everywhere.

[@BenEller]

Me too! Dude, I’m addicted.

[@tmitz73]

Great Video Uncle Ben!! Keep on Rockin' Bruddah!

[@thehoppo]

You said intervallically and I am impressed by that !

[@ericwarrington6650]

Both of you are just superstars man🤘😜🎸🔥🎶..the way he constructed the luck and the way you broke that down to molecules is so impressive and I got every word understood first shot..this I'll be working on today..

[@ashamael]

THIS is why music is so fucking awesome! You can take something so simple, something we take for granted, something we learned near the beginning... and you can just subtly change a thing here or there, and it becomes something new and exciting. As always, Ben, your breaking down of something is so inspiring. I wish I wasn't at work so I could pick up my guitar RIGHT NOW! 🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@bigfatengineer]

I always appreciate your teaching chops, Uncle Ben! Even my smooth brain can follow!

[@Haukman66]

You and PhilX need to do a video together !

[@dougrmoe]

Phil is a beast ! I saw him at International guitar festival in Dallas 2019' he's got some really unique stuff !

[@KevinNolin]

Another great one. Thanks Uncle Ben 🤘

[@IstrskaPustinja]

Dear ben! I'm an 18 year old guitarist from Slovenia. I've been playing for 3 years and I have to say that I really admire your work. Your lick explenations just work for me. I practiced the hell out of your 3 note per string Em alternate picking exercise and it really improved my playing. By now I can play it at abt 130 bpm 16th notes. I want to improve a little bit more and them I'd love to make some original music and I'd like to thank you for inspireing me!! You rock and I hope to meet you IRL some day...maybe with me on the stage:)

[@BenEller]

Cheers man, great to hear!!

[@Haukman66]

Awesome video Uncle Ben!!!

[@patrickb2422]

I’ve actually been using this pattern for a long time in my solos but with a pull off/legato thing going on and the effect is pretty cool if done quickly. You can change the position and use it ascending or descending and it creates a lot of tension

[@jaspermeyers8500]

GREAT LESSON UNCLE BEN

[@FGC_Archer]

I feel like I’ve been wait for this video for so long

[@ScottfromBaltimore]

Thanks for something new to practice! I've been playing one finger per fret for all the the practicing I do. That's 2 notes per string in a pentatonic scale. Using 3 note per string pentatonic really stretches things out into a completely different hand position. And this pattern gives me a way to make exercises that do that.

[@rexnorris3586]

love the shirt

[@magutanko]

I've chatted to you on insta about feeling out of touch with playing and not knowing where to start re-learning. And it's content like this that keeps me so inspired to pick up my guitar again. Cheers Ben, if you're ever in Aus - I owe ya few beers.

[@maximejerjise276]

What a great video, Ben your just one of the best guitar teachers in the game been following this chanel for yeaaars and stil can't believe the amazing job and quality consistency in your videos, thank you so much man. Without you I wouldn't be the player I am today. Cheers from France !

[@BenEller]

Thanks so much, man!

[@ajrocker1353]

just wanted to say this about your " You Don't Know the Major Scale!" video, since you are the only guy who isn't charging for the whole breakdown video I will be joining your Patreon Friday, thanks for the video it's helped me a ton already!

[@davereith54]

By far my favorite channel! Wish I could have had a teacher like you in my youth. Thanks Uncle Ben!

[@KILLA-J]

That's explained and demonstrated with excellence! Very helpful - mega thanks!!!

[@B.W.Broom-xc6gs]

Speaking of creative thievery. Just like some great bands have done with their cover songs, its a cover but they don't cover it note for note 'cause that'd be boring, they make it their own. Thanks Ben for bunches of inspiration and ideas.

[@garylisbon8933]

I always gert something great out of your vids. Now that I'm done messing around with adding the b5th and 6th for the past 20 minutes I can now move onto learning the lick and watch the rest lol...man that was fun and I'm warmed up!

[@lordlucifer]

When I heard you play it I was instantly reminded of John Petruccis outro licks on 6:00 off Awake. Very cool.

[@sagig72]

Great lesson Ben! loved it, especially how you used the 6 note phrase in the 16 bit pattern, really sounds great. I'll practice that!

[@curtdupriez3775]

Awesome lesson. Bravo!

[@eightbars1]

I have to agree that Phil X is very inspirational! To learn "Eruption" using a pick when he was 12 or 13 just blows me away. I'm glad to say this: He reminds me a lot of a younger me! And let's not forget how amazing you are! So glad you are out there, available to see whenever I feel the need. Cheers!

[@supernothing77]

That's weird because I watched a Skype lesson with him and he said he was still working on picking Eruption

[@alexgenova9632]

From 3:00 to about 6:00 it reminds me of the first sextuplet from overture 1928, especially when you repeat on the next string down. Even gets the downwards pick slanting thing in there.

[@BenEller]

Aah yeah!

[@privettk]

Love it! Something I'd be curious to see you teach is breakdowns - I feel like on one level they're stupid easy but rhythmically and intervalically can get super complex

[@DoubleBarrelDarrell]

This lesson is so badass. It's like it was made for my specific style of playing. Thanks Uncle Ben! \m/

[@Kevin-nr9lj]

Thanks, Uncle Ben. Andy James plays a lick very similar to this

[@francocerasuolo1200]

Another great lesson, uncle Ben. You're the man

[@MrORLY]

As someone that has been fortunate enough to meet Phil after a Drills show on three separate occasions, the secret is being a completely awesome, down to earth dude.

[@BenEller]

He is a legit amazingly cool guy. The real deal!

[@MrORLY]

@@BenEller the first time I saw them perform live was the weekend after I'd seen Metallica, Sabbath et al at Download 2012. I told him that I had as much fun that night watching them as I had watching Iommi, Hammer, Hetfield etc... Just the week And he looked so genuinely pleased/honoured. Dude can play with the best of them and it hasn't gone to his head at all.

[@vincent7160]

I really like the way teach!! Very easy to understand it the way you approach the lesson!! Keep it up bro! You have a talent no doubt! Great player as well!!

[@JoeysSG]

Excellent video lesson. Always inspiring!

[@_drizzle2237]

You're the Best! Thank you, for sharing your thoughts.

[@joestentzalienguitarist9814]

Another awesome lesson. Thank you.

[@BotsWeekendCovers]

Thanks for another great lesson. Although I have decided I can only play at stepdad speed its always a treat to listen to your fun personality and excitement to show us new things. Appreciate ya Uncle Ben!

[@JT_Grogan]

Fantastic lesson, thank you man

[@ayandey137]

that guitar is wowwww 🔥🔥😍😍

[@DaveLovallo]

another great one Ben!!!

[@PTGuitars-Music]

Another great lesson! Love the Gemstones shirt! Thanks again Uncle Baby Ben!😂

[@IdoN0TneedTherapy]

I see Phil X, I up-vote

[@cpeplinski]

Killer pattern and it totally lends itself to a lot of cool sounds. I'm even testing it with standard modes, but I like the Pentatonic a little more.

[@PooNinja]

Expand your vocabulary,remember to smile like Phil X does!! 😆 15:53 very cool lick

[@eddiejr540]

Great stuff Uncle Ben…perfectly explained as always…and truth be known, Phil probably got the idea from someone else…thats how this stuff works…rock on my man!!!!

[@gjy5150]

Thanks for the lesson and that is a sick guitar!

[@satchrules101]

Hey Ben great lesson.. the run you were doing 13;19 when you went to the lower A and E strings you used the flat 5.. instead of stretching like u showed us doing it slow..So when I was trying to play along with you ..I kept messing up thinking it doesn't sound right.. Than I slowed it down and seen what notes you were picking..

[@skipkelton]

Never heard of Phil X but instantly likeable. I'm in the east bay of SF/ Cali and you can through a rock and hit a blues guitarist. So I like to be different (like this video). Once I was playing around with the Diminished scale and had an epiphany - the whole-half diminished scale contains Nearly ALL notes of the blues scale (no 4th). So you'r in D Blues: C D Eb. (b7 R b9). Frets 10 12 13 F Gb Ab (b3 M3 b6) Frets 10 11 13 A B C (5 M6 b7) Frets 10 12 13 D Eb F and Gb (R b9 b3 M3) 10 11 13 14 (or bend to the Gb ) My preferred way would be to use this patter in some sort of ascending or descending pattern - create some dissonance - it's what we want - then bring it back to the blues scale. You have the R, the m3rd to the M3rd, you have the b9 (SRV) and b5 and M6. Applying one of those 6 groupings to this then "resolve" it to normal blues and back to the listener's comfort zone. It may not get you free drinks at the bar but you will start to sound *different*. And in a genre like blues it can be a challenge.

[@cdawg-switchhitter2473]

I’m loving these videos man. You always post quality content. I always play a half step down with A Floyd rose to your videos and sometimes it gets confusing hearing the different notes. Would you ever make a video doing a lesson a half step down?

[@RIK_-rq1yd]

When you start talking about rhytmic side of this lick (about sextuplets) i glad that you mentioned, that you can play it in 4 note groupings, because i immediately thought about that because this lick reminds me little bit of that one phrase in middle of Petrucci's second solo in "Lie", but he's playing hybrid bluse scale or something like that

[@robindavis726]

This is so good

[@GoCreateSomething]

You see Satch using patterns like that all the time when he's soloing. I'm going to mess around with that pattern a bit playing the two higher pitch notes with my right hand and see where that goes. That should make it easy to do that lick as low as the first fret, once you're used to using two fingers on the right hand. Thanks for a terrific video!

[@OnlyAson]

Thnk u unkle Ben for being such a good frand to my Gortar!

[@kaymansolo]

Cool video! So inspiring.

[@jeffreyjones3228]

Awesome lesson "Uncle Ben" ! Thanks. Any help with improving picking speed ?

[@ChuckEldon]

really cool lesson thanks

[@easyguitarlicks2131]

Great lesson!!

[@planetdrinker5385]

Cool!

[@fraydiethemachine7541]

COOL VID!

[@Mike_D_5150]

Phil X. Man, would i love to jam with him or drink a beer. Cheers, Ben!

[@SteveHatzman]

Hey Ben. Could you sometime go over pinch harmonic positions? I just got a tab book that had fret 3.2 pinch harmonic and I never knew there was a certain spot on the fret to hold for the harmonic. I’m wondering if this is why I can’t get my 6th string 5th fret harmonic to squeal correctly like EVH does.

[@marceliptero]

Thanks for the tips…🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@GarrettRC5thscaler]

Lord have mercy...This is going to make me break out the ax and it takes a lot for that to happen. Sheeeeesh

[@Ryderguitarplayer]

Nice! Would love to get my hands on that Axe patch you’ve used in the vid? (Stock preset?, Amp? Cab?)

[@BenEller]

I think it was Andy Wood’s 90’s EVH patch he made

[@GillRigged]

Hey man, that's pretty much what Cliff would do with his creations but with classical and other material he was into at those times.

[@brettmorton6513]

Bro! Your tone is great! Can you tell me what you are playing through?? Brett

[@tom12ta]

A creative thief 🙃? fantastic,fantastic lesson too . Thanks 🍺🍺😉🤘💚

[@Jkirk1988]

I wish my beer was as cold as your heart...

[@aarontours]

Very similar to a section of the solo to "Crazy Babies" by Father Pentatonix ZW.

[@twanja08]

Great video here man!! Coming from a guy that picks with his recessive hand!!!! Weak Sauce 🤣🤣 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@homer1268]

oh that's badass!

[@OmnipotentO]

That was like 10 licks off one motif. That's wild. I gonna try this. But like super slow bc I can't fast

[@mhunter1969]

Ben, I can't find that Phil X video with the 5 note pentatonic... help

[@iggie_za]

Great advice not to copy licks but use it to develop/create your own “sound”. Spend more time on this than copying KZbin licks! (Keep watching Uncle Ben though!!)

[@donald-parker]

Cool. Another approach to getting new mileage out of it ... change the timing. So, for example, instead of thinking 6 tuplets, think 5 tuplets. Then each beat starts and ends on different notes. Physically, the pattern is still repeating but sonically and rhythmically it has a completely different feel. Instead of repeating every beat it feels like it repeats once every 6 beats (which is cool if you are playing in 3/4 or 6/4 time. If you are trying to stay in 4/4 it probably means you skip a bit of the pattern to make repeat more frequently, otherwise it takes too many bars of 4 beats for most mortal listeners to grok as a repeating pattern).

[@Ordinary_Peasant]

Really helpful vids Ben! I've improved so much did you know that in terms of male human and female Pokémon breeding, Vaporeon is the most compatible Pokémon for humans?

[@BenEller]

And now you’ve taught me something hahaha

[@Cougar139tweak]

Tone is all in the fingers, but having a guitar definitely helps

[@EVEROSFP1]

Hamer had a super strat model called Diablo in the mid 90s ... Phil plays bouzouki too.

[@libertyfreedom380]

🤘🤘

[@Nickbaldeagle02]

Phil X has met me. Twice.

[@luigizanellato2959]

A creative thief, I definitely agree. When you learn something from another player (unless you are just a tribute guitar player) it's about taking the idea and adding it to your vocabulary tastefully in your own approach. Just another way to help create your own musical ideas.

[@c1ph3rpunk]

Read the book “Decoding Greatness”, there’s a good deal in there about this subject, notable amongst musicians over the centuries.

[@eltonbird6109]

Did Uncle Ben mean to (almost) play Led Zep's Dancing Days at 15:50??

[@BenEller]

Maaaaaybe!!!

[@joe800096]

Less clicking, more picking. I like that

[@stevet.4974]

Another bitchen eye opening lesson. You always give me some new viewpoint, which is awesome. I would like to try and apply the approach down close to the nut and come up with something really snarly and low register. I'll let you know what I come up with and Thanks for all you do.

[@deeforty]

Ben, I can't for the life of me synch these 2 note per string pentatonics, I find I have 2 versions.... Version 1 is where I focus more on the picking and really dig in... I find it has too much attack... Version 2 is where I kind of legato the lick and try and get the picking hand to follow. Hope this makes sense, I'm torn between the two and which I should progress at.... I. Love the fluidity of version 2 but love the loud attack of version 1.... For instance if I was playing on an acoustic it would be audible.... Please help on what the hell I need to do to improve.

[@Xplora213]

More compression. Maybe more gain, but Uncle Ben is using an eye watering amount of gain, delay and compression to get that fluid sound along with extremely fluid playing. The pick slanting stuff dramatically improves the fluidity as well.

[@deeforty]

@@Xplora213 that's the thing though, I don't like hiding behind gain, Phil x for example uses very little and seems to have alot of attack, just seem to find the picking very choppy and difficult to synch unless I pick almost way too hard.

[@Xplora213]

@@deeforty Phil DOES hide behind gain, he makes it via the pick attack and soul rending volume. Plus I hate to say that he’s also playing with Bon Jovi because he’s very very good. Don’t lie to yourself about how good you should be based on extremely talented examples. I worked out a very long time ago that I simply didn’t have the fast twitch muscles to play as fast as Kirk or Dave or Phil or Dime or Zakk. Or Yngwie or Steve. You have more tools outside your hands than any of them had. It’s ok to cheat a little bit. You are not covering up anything with gain. You are compressing the sound. That’s it. I find it marvellous how clean Zakk Wylde is despite insane amounts of gain. I have a similar tone and I am not that clean. Just do your best and remember that everyone telling you that you’re hiding behind gain merely wants you to look bad so they can look better. If they used the same gain they would probably sound worse than you without the same speed (because gain makes it harder to play clean than an jc120/ES335)

[@deeforty]

@@Xplora213 I can kinda do the 2 note per string pentatonics alternate picked stuff both ways, I was just wanting to know which approach Ben would take, focus on the picking or a more legato approach while adding the picking, focusing on the picking I can get to like 150bpm for 16th notes which tbf, is pretty quick for those licks, but the legato version I can get quicker than that, I just can't get the synching correct if I'm not really digging in, it's hard to explain.... Im obsessed with these kinds of licks, zakk, ej, Ritchie faulkner ect ect... They all excel at these.... I'm definitely getting there but I find them really difficult and I'm just wondering if I'm making it harder on myself by really digging in with the alternate picking, because when I focus more on the legato it sounds better with gain and feels more effortless.... But then if I used the same technique on an acoustic it would have no attack.... Appreciate the discussion though.

[@Xplora213]

@@deeforty the simple answer is that if your fingers can do it legato, you can pick it. You just haven’t practiced enough to develop the timing. Now… you don’t need to play 150bpm 16th. That is the final blitzkrieg to finish the solo. The vast majority of lead playing is not like that. You should take a week off, and relax. It isn’t necessary to pump out 16th at 180. Almost all music is only 90-110. 😉 If you’re recording, you will do some legato. Worry about the perfection on tour. It’s more important to get the music out.

[@newhampshirenate]

@15:50 Zep's Dancin' Days

[@BenEller]

Haha exactly!

[@ayandey137]

Btw the scale length looks a little longer, is that a 26.5 inch one??

[@crazyade9556]

He is sick man lol

[@Imokyourok440]

Dat boy good! He a mucal genia!

[@Dcba964]

Really hard to pick this but works great with legato too 👍❤️🎸

[@hansschepens]

The minor D made me sad…wait…

[@bobdeluxeandtheideals1356]

Cool