Pine - H30 - Lead

Hellcat - Mic

Hellcat - DI

Epilogue - Pine 75 - Gtrs

Transcribing a Steve Vai gem from the movie Crossroads. You know the one: Jack Butler flicks off his jacket and launches a slashing, high-speed display of alternate picking intimidation. The run ends in a devastating right-hand harmonic shake as Steve -- er, Jack -- nods to the band. It's on.

Steve launches this ferocious and precise attack with his glare locked not on his fretboard or his picking hand, but on his adversary. As a teenager, I was terrified. I was also surprised that such a domineering display seemed to sneak past the script, in a way almost stealing the thunder of the ensuing slugfest. The "intimidation breakdown", as I'd taken to calling it, was almost too good. Let's take a look at how it's played.

Includes analysis of the Elephant Gun lick, from Steve's classic album with David Lee Roth, Eat 'Em and Smile, as well as a look at Jack Butler's climactic solo -- the "Evil Solo" -- in the final Crossroads duel.

Article and analysis here:

http://troygrady.com/2014/01/22/steve-vai-crossroads-intimidation-breakdown/

Harmonics

Sixes

Evil

Elephant Gun

Intimidation

E Harmonic Minor Dagger

Daggers

D#dim7 Inversions

Grace Notes

No Grace Notes

Opening Statement

Perfect Pick Structure

Now Your Ships Are Burned, Solo 1

SLOW: Michael Angelo-style scale noodling at 20% normal speed

FAST: Michael Angelo-style scale noodling

FAST: Suspicious sounds on Speed Soloing

SLOW: Alternate picking issues on Speed Soloing

FAST:  Chris Impellitteri's "Walk Away"

E Dorian Scale

Two-Octave Pattern

16th-14th-Fret Arpeggio Pattern

Ex. 2:  Ab major (Fmin) scale w/unison

Ex. 1:  the "Hey Tee Bone" lick

Ex. 5:  UDL variation #1, full lick

Ex. 4:  UDL variation #1

Ex. 7:  UDL variation #2, full lick

Ex. 6:  UDL variation #2

Ex. 3:  the core UDL pattern

Buck - Rhythm

Buck

Buck - Lead

Speed Racer

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