Alex Skolnick’s Holdsworth-Inspired Legato on a Testament Lick

From So Many Lies to B Dorian

Allan Holdsworth strongly influenced Skolnick's legato style. The shape came from Testament's So Many Lies, where the phrase uses E Lydian dominant, also called E Lydian flat 7. For this lesson, Skolnick transfers the same melodic and fretboard shape to B Dorian. Its notes are B, C sharp, D, E, F sharp, G sharp and A.

Build the B Dorian cascade

The run starts around the 7th fret, then shifts through areas around the 6th and 5th frets. On the first string, fret B at the 7th fret, hammer on at the 10th fret, then pull off through the 9th and 7th frets. Next, the pinkie hammers on from nowhere at the 10th fret of the B string, with no picked attack. Continue the pull-off and hammer-on sequence across the lower strings while staying within B Dorian.

Use a three-notes-per-string shape for the run. The first octave has 3 notes on each string around the 7th fret. The second follows that plan except for 2 notes on the G string. Practice the shape in both directions, then connect the areas around the 5th, 6th and 7th frets while ascending and descending.

Keep B Dorian in focus

Play a B minor 7 chord before the single-note line. This establishes B as the tonal center and keeps the reference clear when you move the lick to another fretboard area. B Dorian is the 2nd mode of A major, also called A Ionian. The related modes are C sharp Phrygian, D Lydian, E Mixolydian, F sharp Aeolian and G sharp Locrian.

Carry the shape through every mode

The same cascade works over A major around the 5th fret. Use A major as the first of the 6 other related modes, then carry the descending melodic shape through the remaining modes in different fretboard areas. Keep the notes within each mode and retain the connected hammer-ons and pull-offs.