Andy James - Insta Licks Volume Two
Lessons Included in this Course
Course Content Overview
In Insta Licks Volume Two, Andy James guides you through a collection of concise, technique-rich lead guitar ideas that are built for modern metal players who want vocabulary they can immediately practise and develop. Each lesson focuses on a specific musical concept or technical challenge, allowing you to isolate the details, understand the mechanics, and then bring the lick up to speed with clarity and control.
You will work on the essential ingredients of advanced metal soloing: precise alternate picking for fast note sequences, smooth legato for fluid transitions, sweep picking for arpeggio-based movement, and two-handed tapping for wider intervallic phrases. The course also explores the expressive side of lead guitar, including controlled string bends, vocal-style vibrato, pinched harmonics, and tapped harmonics that add attitude, drama, and colour to your solos.
The course content overview includes the following areas:
- Alternate picking for speed and precision, helping you develop tighter synchronisation between the picking hand and fretting hand.
- Legato phrasing, using hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to create smoother, more flowing lead lines.
- Sweep picking and arpeggios, showing how chord tones can be outlined across the fretboard in fast, musical shapes.
- Two-handed tapping, expanding your reach and giving you access to rapid-fire patterns and wider melodic movement.
- Tapped harmonics, adding bright, bell-like textures that can make modern metal licks sound more dramatic and distinctive.
- Pinched harmonics, developing the aggressive squeals and accents associated with high-energy rock and metal guitar.
- String bending and vibrato, improving pitch control, sustain, expression, and the vocal quality of your lead lines.
- Modern metal lick construction, helping you understand how Andy James combines technique, phrasing, and fretboard movement into complete musical ideas.
- Practical lead guitar vocabulary, giving you phrases that can be adapted into solos, improvisation, and original compositions.
By the end of the course, you should have a stronger understanding of how advanced techniques work together inside real lead guitar phrases. The aim is not simply to play fast; it is to play with better timing, cleaner articulation, stronger melodic intent, and the confidence to use technical ideas in a musical context.
This Course is Ideal for Players Who...
This course is ideal for intermediate to advanced guitarists who already have some experience with rock or metal lead guitar and want to push their technique into more demanding territory. If you are comfortable with basic scales, picking patterns, bends, and lead guitar phrasing,Andy James - Insta Licks Volume Two gives you a structured way to expand into more technical modern metal vocabulary.
It will particularly suit players who want to learn advanced metal guitar techniques online, develop alternate picking and legato guitar skills, or study a sweep picking and tapping guitar course with a tutor known for precise, melodic, high-speed playing. It is also a strong fit for guitarists who enjoy the sound of modern metal, progressive metal, technical rock, and expressive shred guitar, and who want to make their solos sound more polished and professional.
This course is especially suitable for players who:
- Want to build a library of modern metal guitar licks that can be used in solos and improvisation.
- Need a clearer method for combining speed, accuracy, and expression in lead guitar playing.
- Are working on alternate picking, legato, sweep picking, arpeggios, and tapping but want more musical applications.
- Want to add more authority to their phrasing through vibrato, string bending, pinched harmonics, and tapped harmonics.
- Enjoy Andy James’s approach to metal guitar and want to study his style in a focused, practical format.
- Prefer online guitar lessons that break difficult ideas into manageable sections rather than long, unfocused demonstrations.
- Are looking for LickLibrary metal guitar lessons that target technique, fretboard control, and soloing vocabulary.
What will I achieve from completing this course?
Andy James - Insta Licks Volume Two works because it connects technical study with real musical application. Many guitarists practise alternate picking, legato, sweep picking, tapping, and arpeggios as separate drills, but struggle to make those techniques sound natural inside a solo. This course helps bridge that gap by presenting each concept as part of a usable lick, so you can hear how the technique supports phrasing, momentum, and expression.
Andy’s teaching style also makes the material easier to absorb. The course page describes the lessons as step-by-step breakdowns that divide complex licks, solos, and techniques into manageable sections. That approach is valuable for demanding metal guitar vocabulary because it allows you to focus on the mechanics, timing, articulation, and musical shape of each phrase before increasing the speed.
The course also aligns closely with the way LickLibrary organises its wider online guitar lesson catalogue: technique lessons, guitar licks, shred, picking technique, metal guitar courses, and structured guitar lesson videos are all central categories within the platform. For players using LickLibrary to improve their lead guitar technique, this course fits naturally into a broader learning path that can include modern metal guitar lessons, backing tracks, song lessons, and advanced technique courses.
Most importantly, the material is practical. The techniques are challenging, but the lessons are built around phrases you can apply. You are not just learning isolated fretboard patterns; you are developing the control, confidence, and vocabulary needed to create more exciting rock and metal solos of your own.
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Andy James - Insta Licks Volume Two
Andy James - Insta Licks Volume Two is a must-have guitar course for any aspiring or advanced player who wants to master the techniques that define modern rock and metal guitar playing. Andy James, a renowned guitarist known for his technical prowess, offers step-by-step lessons that break down complex licks, solos, and techniques into manageable chunks, allowing players of all skill levels to elevate their playing. Whether you're into shredding, melodic phrasing, or high-energy soloing, this course offers something for everyone, focusing on core guitar techniques that are vital to any player’s arsenal.
About Andy James
Andy James is a highly respected guitarist in the rock and metal communities, known for his precision, speed, and melodic sensibility. With an extensive career as both a solo artist and a guitarist for iconic bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Andy's influence on the modern metal scene is undeniable. His playing is a blend of virtuosic technicality and musicality, making his licks not only challenging but also deeply expressive. In Insta Licks Volume Two, Andy distills his years of experience into bite-sized lessons, each focusing on a specific technique that will dramatically enhance your guitar playing.
Techniques Explored in Insta Licks Volume Two
Each lesson in this course emphasises a particular guitar technique that is crucial for mastering the style of Andy James. Here's a breakdown of the techniques covered and how they can benefit your playing:
Alternate Picking
Alternate picking is a foundational technique that involves alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes when playing notes. This technique is essential for speed and precision, especially in fast-paced solos and riffs. Mastering alternate picking will allow you to play complex passages with greater accuracy and fluidity, helping you build endurance and control.
Legato
In the world of lead guitar, legato playing allows for smooth, fluid note transitions. Rather than picking every note, you rely on hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to create a flowing sound. This technique is key to achieving the seamless, effortless sound that defines Andy's soloing style. By focusing on legato, you'll improve your phrasing, reduce finger fatigue, and add a melodic touch to your playing.
Pinched Harmonics
Pinched harmonics are used to create high-pitched, squealing notes by catching the string with the edge of the pick and thumb. This technique adds a screaming, aggressive tone to your playing, particularly in metal and rock. Pinched harmonics can make any riff or lick stand out, adding an extra layer of expression and dynamics to your performance.
Sweep Picking
Sweep picking is one of the most efficient ways to play arpeggios at high speeds. By sweeping the pick in a single, fluid motion across multiple strings, you can play complex patterns that would be difficult to execute with alternate picking. This technique is ideal for fast, intricate passages and allows you to create dramatic, cascading sounds that are a hallmark of virtuosic guitar playing.
Two-Handed Tapping
A signature of Andy James' playing, two-handed tapping involves using both hands to tap notes on the fretboard, allowing for rapid-fire arpeggios and complex licks. This technique opens up a new realm of possibilities for speed and creativity. Mastering two-handed tapping will not only enhance your soloing but also give you the tools to explore unique melodic ideas that would be difficult to achieve with standard picking.
Vibrato
Vibrato is one of the most expressive techniques in guitar playing, involving subtle pitch modulation by bending a note slightly up and down. Andy James uses vibrato to add emotion and sustain to his solos, making notes "sing." Proper use of vibrato will bring more feeling and personality to your playing, giving your notes a richer, more vocal-like quality.
String Bending
String bending is another expressive technique where you push or pull a string to raise its pitch. Andy's use of bends, particularly in blues-inspired licks, adds soul and power to his playing. Learning to control your bends accurately is essential for creating dramatic and expressive solos that convey emotion and intensity.
Arpeggios
Arpeggios are essential to both rhythm and lead guitar playing. They are broken chords where the notes are played individually rather than strummed together. Andy’s use of arpeggios allows him to move across the fretboard efficiently while outlining the harmony of a song. Mastering this technique will improve your understanding of chord structures and enhance both your soloing and rhythm playing.
Tapped Harmonics
Tapped harmonics create bell-like tones by tapping specific frets in conjunction with harmonic nodes. This technique is a perfect way to add an ethereal, shimmering quality to your solos, making them stand out. Andy incorporates tapped harmonics for unique sound effects, enhancing the sonic diversity of his playing.
Influential Guitarists
Andy James has been influenced by a wide range of legendary guitarists, including players like John Petrucci, Zakk Wylde, and Paul Gilbert. These guitarists are known for their technical ability, melodic phrasing, and mastery of various guitar techniques. Their influence is evident in Andy’s music, as he seamlessly combines precision with emotion. Learning from Andy will give you insight into the techniques that these icons have popularised and used to craft their unique sound.
Techniques Covered in the Course
Below is a list of the key guitar techniques used in Andy James - Insta Licks Volume Two:
- Vibrato
- Alternate Picking
- Legato
- Pinched Harmonics
- Sweep Picking
- Two-Handed Tapping
- Tapped Harmonics
- String Bending
- Arpeggios
This course is packed with techniques that will help you expand your skill set, enabling you to play with greater speed, control, and expression. Whether you’re looking to master fast, technical playing or improve your melodic phrasing, Insta Licks Volume Two by Andy James is an essential tool for your guitar journey.
About The Tutor
Tutor Profile
Andy James
Andy James needs little introduction as one of the most popular LickLibrary tutors, respected the world over for his unbelievable technical skills and teaching material. "As a player Andy has released a string of solo albums, the last being 2012's ""Andy James"" on Transcend Music which was met with huge...