Ever get stuck in box patterns when you solo? In this lesson, we’ll build on the vertical riff idea (B-string + E drone) and add a new tool: switchbacks. These descending three-note groups help you break out of rigid scale shapes and connect positions smoothly. Plus, we’ll put it all together in a 6-bar solo over the jam track.
What You’ll Learn in This Lesson
• The difference between melodic vs harmonic drone approaches
• How to use switchbacks (groups of 3 notes) to descend and restart through the scale
• A riff that carries you from the 15th fret all the way to open strings
• How to join two different scale positions seamlessly
• A 6-bar solo riff you can play over the jam track
🎸 Practice Resources For This Lesson 🎸
Jam Track — Play Along Now
Groupings:
Riff Options:
Both bars have the same riff, but one starts on beat 1, the other on beat 2.
💡 Pro tip: Switchbacks are great for breaking out of rigid “box” patterns. They force your fingers and your ear to think in connected lines instead of shapes.
Go Deeper: Unlock the Drone Riffs System
The switchback idea you just learned is one small part of a much bigger system. Hendrix, Van Halen, and even Tom Petty used drone-note tricks like these to make a single guitar sound impossibly full.
Inside the Drone Riffs Course (The Guitar Player’s Bag of Riff Tricks), you’ll discover:
• The Van Halen “Double Guitar” Effect from Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love
• Hendrix’s Voodoo Child Secrets — drone patterns that built legendary solos
• The Raised 6th Transformation — Tom Petty’s minor-scale twist
• Cross-Key Soloing — a pro approach that adds instant color (most players never learn it)