Arlen Roth, originator of the outstandingly successful 'Hotlicks' Cassette Tuition tapes, has just launched a 'Heavy Metal' tutor, selling at £8.95 - IN TUNE dons ear-muffs and samples the lessons.

Say what you like about heavy metal guitar playing - that it's contrived, repetitive, downright cliched - it remains the vital force in bringing guitar playing to mass audiences, and as a result a vast number of new players come to the guitar wanting to emulate Eddie Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore, Schenker et al. Don't knock it - if it helps keep the guitar alive then it's good news for every lover of the instrument!

Recognising this need, America's foremost teacher, Arlen Roth, has responded to the demand for H.M. playing hints and tips with a single new cassette in his 'Hotlicks' series, covering some of the basics of this dynamic playing style.

Arlen's approach is casual - really casual. Shut your eyes and you can imagine that he's right there in the room with you. He makes verbal mistakes, he stutters, he slips - but he never defaults on teaching what he promises.

Side 1 of the new Hotlicks tape begins with basic two- and three- note 'power chords,' moves through the history of the style, and soon gets into 'Blues-scale' licks which comprise so essential a part of this technique. Right hand picking styles, the fundamental scales used in H.M., string damping, alternating picking strokes, right-hand positioning - the lessons take even the rawest recruit through the basics of H.M. solo work. Compared with teaching yourself the hard way, this cassette has to be worth ten times the price!

Side two covers extended (pentatonic) Blues scale soloing, through right and left hand exercises, hammer-ons, pull-offs, the importance of even picking during runs, string bending (including the use of 'spare' fingers to make long bends easier) and so on. It continues with the favoured intervals for bends, choking unwanted notes with the left thumb, 'flash licks', and Arlen then goes on to discuss 'clipped' (or 'false') harmonics, wham-bar use and more; covering the raw essentials of H.M. guitar style - with more than enough information to get you going.

It would be misleading to suggest that this tape is exhaustive - no single cassette could ever be, but it does provide the sort of grounding which will help the younger player get enough good ideas to propel him or her further on. Learning just what is on this one tape won't make Motorhead give up, Iron Maiden hang-up their manacles or Van Halen turn vegetarian - what it will do, however, is give you a fine start in this vital style. From this point there are countless other Hotlicks tapes to help you develop, and we'd (especially) recommend the 'Advanced Lead Guitar' and 'Blues Guitar' series, if H.M. and its roots appeal to you.

Worth trying? We'd give it a resounding 'yes' - especially if it propels you towards the more 'in depth' Hotlicks tapes. As a basic introduction it's fine - as an encouragement to further endeavours, even more so!

More details from Labtek International Ltd., (Contact Details).