Guitar Licks and Runs

tolosenc

Whats te difference, could anyone tell me?

It wasn't me!

I wouldn't really differentiate personally, to be honest. They're just little tags a guitarist sticks on a short chunk of interesting guitar they want to hold onto really, call them whatever you like.

tolosenc

that's what i thought, but the other day i was jammin and i was told to use runs rather than licks over this piece when improvising

herbieflowers

Licks (I think) are generally shorter bursts of notes, a run on the other hand (I think) is a longer lasting lick, let's say, usually in realtion to a scale or a mode, you "run" through it, or someting, bleurgh

Parsley

Runs usually go straight from low notes to high notes or vice-versa I think. Licks are just short little riffs... or something.

stevejazzx

obl wrote:

that's what i thought, but the other day i was jammin and i was told to use runs rather than licks over this piece when improvising

a run might be more scalar than a lick, a lick might be an arpeggiated motif but tbh they're both open to interpretation