Hammett's solos are packed with fast runs through the minor pentatonic, picked hard and aggressively. The trick is a small, repeating pattern that your hands can play on autopilot.
We're in E minor pentatonic, box 1 at the 12th fret (E G A B D). Two notes per string: index on fret 12, pinky (or ring) on 14 and 15.
Picking
- Strict alternate picking: down, up, down, up, never two downs in a row.
- Keep the pick movement tiny and from the wrist; the pick barely clears the string.
- Rest the side of your picking hand lightly on the low strings to keep them quiet.
The first exercise repeats one four-note cell on the top two strings. The second shifts that cell down a string every four notes, so the run cascades through the whole box and lands on the low E.
It should sound fast, even and a little aggressive. The usual mistake is the hands falling out of sync at speed: the pick hits before the finger is down. Slow down until both hands land together, then raise the tempo 5 bpm at a time.
Tone: high-gain amp, bridge humbucker, mids slightly scooped but not removed, a touch of delay for solos.