Notice
This tab was featured in the May 2003 issue of Guitar World magazine. I take no credit for the transcription of the notes. That Goes to Guitar World transcriptionist Andy Aledort. I only take credit for puting it in Power Tab format. The performance notes included in the magazine were written by Matt Scharfglass and go as follows.
Yngwie Malmsteen "Black Star"
By the time Yngwie Malmsteen's solo debut, Rising Force, was released in 1984, the guitarist had already built up quite a buzz for himself as the shredder-for-hire with the bands Steeler and Alcatrazz. His very first statement as a solo artist, howeveer, is the serene classical guitar intro heard in the albums's opening track,"Black Star."
Playing a traditional nylon-string acoustic guitar, Malmsteen uses each finger of his picking hand to pluck individual strings in a manner reminiscent of flamenco music, as opposed to strumming with his thumb.
Of course, this nice classical diversion lasts for only 12 bars. Regarding the rest of the song. where Yngwie plugs his Strat into his Marshall amp and does his thing; the delvelopment of Malmsteen-caliber speed is strictly a physical issue. The guitarist has stated in numerous interviews that to become a fast guitarist, one has to be "obsessed" with the instrument; 14-hour practice days were typical of his formative years as a musician.
Outside of this, I can't really tell you how to play fast, but I can offer a few tips. First, Yngwie has said in the past that he uses a custom set of strings(.008, .011, .014, .026, .036, .046 from low to high): the super-thin E(.008) no doubt facilitates the wide bends he executes at the 20th and 21st frets throughout the main theme(section C)
Second, he's a fan of heavy picks, the reason being that thicker picks don't bend, thus help your right hand attack the string at the precise moment your brain tells it to. This line of logic may seem a little obsessive, but when every note is picked, you'll appreciate not being slowed down by a thin pick that bends when it comes in contact with the string.
Finally, its well known among his fans that much of Yngwie's playing is heavily rooted in harmonic minor scales. The electric guitar has six strings and at least 21 frets, so you'll want to practice harmonic minor scale shapes in as many different fretboard configurations as you can think of.
