The Edge - Stijl

In 1980, U2's first album 'Boy' was released. From the very first note, The Edge stands out

The Edge distinguished himself from all other guitarists from the very first note. Instead of playing steely pentatonic riffs and elaborate solos based on the blues, The Edge opts for 'simple' parts around a chord and short, powerful solos that testify to creativity rather than technical skill.

This song is not a rebel song, this song is Sunday Bloody Sunday', Bono shouted just before

Larry Mullen Jr. started the drum intro of the song on their 1983 live album 'U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky'. The solo that The Edge plays here, both in the studio version and live, is a typical style feature of how he plays/writes a solo: rising and falling on one string, while often playing a loose string.

Exercise

Using the tab below, let's take the scale of B minor pentatonic, but not in a specific position. We play the notes on the thin e string, while we let the loose B string resonate. After that we do the same on the B string, letting the thin E string resonate separately.

Lick

The lick is not really a traditional lick like many guitarists play. The Edge rather chooses a theme or riff to which he can add variations. Keeping a certain theme over a progression of different chords gives a very fat sound! Start with the part below and feel free to add some notes from the above scales with loose strings!

What should I pay attention to when playing this lick?

1. Make sure you memorize the scales in the tablature on the E and B string, that way you are very free to play it;

2. Try to bend your fingers well when you press the frets on the B string, so that you can make the thin string sound good;

3. Make sure from the start that the loose strings always resonate. With a bit of overmodulation, the sound of the fretted note and the loose string together creates a very beautiful and characteristic sound.

If you have any questions or remarks, please ask them at the bottom of this blog or in our forum!

Good luck!

Jeroen for GuitarTabs