Sentient Glow Intro Riff

[With the exception of ‘Scarlet,’ Mark’s guitar is tuned to Drop-C for all examples in this Masterclass: C G C F A D] The Intro riff for ‘Sentient Glow’ starts out with this chord [Dmin(add9)]. The third time you hit the chord, you change the high voicing of it by shifting the note on the 4^th string from the 4^th fret to the 5^th fret to create a bigger, airy sound [Dmin] – taking away the 9th and doubling the b3rd. Then in measure 6 the first chord I introduced in Part 1 of the Masterclass comes back again, this time up a whole step as [Fmin7(9,11)]. When the riff repeats after measure 8, it changes slightly. [Compare measure 5 to measure 13.]

Sentient Glow Intro

Sentient Glow Verse Riff

The first chord in the Verse riff of ‘Sentient Glow’ is a power chord on the 4^th and 3^rd strings. This run starting in measure 3 is one of those things that just feels good. That run in measure 8 is really easy – it’s like a watered-down Yngwie Malmsteen thing, with the open 1^st string at the end to add a different tail end to it.

Sentient Glow Verse

Scarlet Main Riff

We have a song called ‘Scarlet’ that’s in a different tuning. Sometimes I like to break out of a rut by trying a new tuning. Starting from Drop-C, C G C F A D, you tune the F down a half step to E and the A down a whole step to G, leaving you with C G C E G D. I learned that from Misha Mansoor – he wrote a song called ‘Epic Fail’ for OMNOM, which is a project that we have with Elliot Coleman from Sky Eats Airplane. Misha learned this tuning from Nolly Getgood from the band Red Seas Fire, who’s an excellent guitar player – he taught Misha this tuning.

I just got all of these ideas from it. That’s where the main riff of ‘Scarlet’ popped up, and the Pre-Chorus riff – that whole song basically was written in a whole day. I just went over to Misha’s house with three riffs, and we sat down and we finished the song in a matter of hours. It was really natural. Here’s the main riff of that song, which is repeated a couple of times throughout:

Scarlet Main Riff

Scarlet Main Riff (Octave)

In the song, you’ll notice that the riff pops up again as a Chorus the first time, and it pops in again as a climactic part after a slow break – and then we’re playing everything doubled an octave up. For the most part, the higher layer of the middle riff is the main riff played 12 frets up.

Scarlet Main Riff (Octave)

Terra Firma Intro Riff

This is the Intro riff for a song that started as ‘When Is Oslo’ and is now called ‘Terra Firma.’ The opening chord is again the same chord voicing I showed you in Part 1 of the Masterclass, but down a half step [Emin7(9,11)]. Then there’s this run in measure 2 – you’re doing a hammer-on and pull-off there, and sliding that third note down to the 4^th fret immediately without picking again.

Terra Firma Intro

Terra Firma Chorus Riff

The Chorus riff of ‘Terra Firma’ starts with this quarter step bend, and then this run in measure 2 with hammer-ons and pull-offs. Then there’s a flurry of picking at the start of measure 3 to make things interesting with the kick drum. Those chords in measure 4 are [D7] and [Amin].  It’s a really fun riff to play.

Terra Firma Chorus

[Special thanks to: DP and Editor Zach Jopling, Assistant Cameraman Habib Awan and Soundman Alex Hura, along with Chris Robinson for his excellent intro.]