Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

Jason Becker

2 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Instrumental Rock

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Opus Pocus - Guitar Tab

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Air - Guitar Tab

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Artist Overview

History and Guitar Legacy

Jason Becker emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area shred scene in the mid-1980s alongside Marty Friedman. Together they formed Cacophony, releasing two landmark neoclassical shred albums. At 19, Becker was recruited by David Lee Roth to replace Steve Vai, establishing himself as one of rock's most extraordinary guitar prodigies. Though diagnosed with ALS in 1989, he continues composing using eye-movement technology.

Playing Style and Techniques

Becker's playing synthesized classical composition with jaw-dropping technical execution. His arsenal included sweep picking across all six strings, two-hand tapping sequences rivaling Van Halen and Satriani, classical-inspired legato runs, string-skipping patterns, and hybrid picking integrated into high-speed lines. What distinguished him was compositional depth behind the speed. His pieces feature genuine harmonic structure, dynamic arcs, and emotional weight rather than pure technical display.

Why Guitarists Study Jason Becker

Becker represents the absolute ceiling of late 1980s technical electric guitar playing. Studying his work teaches invaluable lessons in sweep arpeggio construction, neoclassical phrasing, and solo composition that tells a story. His catalog demonstrates how to combine devastating technical difficulty with genuine musicality. Songs like 'Altitudes' and 'Opus Pocus' are fully realized compositions that advance both technique and musical understanding simultaneously.

Difficulty and Learning Path

Jason Becker's material ranks in the top tier of difficulty ever recorded on electric guitar. Even intermediate shredders will struggle with the required speed, accuracy, and stamina. However, songs like 'Air' showcase his lyrical, melodic side and are more approachable entry points. Starting with these accessible pieces before tackling full-speed material provides the foundation needed to eventually master his entire catalog.

What Makes Jason Becker Essential for Guitar Players

Becker's sweep picking is among the most refined ever recorded. His arpeggios span all six strings with perfect note separation and dynamic control, not just raking through shapes but articulating every note at extreme tempos. Study his sweep patterns in 'Opus Pocus' for a masterclass in economy of motion.
His two-hand tapping goes far beyond simple Van Halen-style licks. Becker employs multi-finger tapping on the right hand to create wide-interval arpeggiated patterns and cascading sequences that sound almost harp-like. The tapping sections in 'Altitudes' are legendary for their complexity and musicality.
String skipping is a signature Becker technique. He leaps across two or three strings within high-speed runs to create angular, unpredictable melodic lines that break free from standard scalar patterns. This demands exceptional pick accuracy and muting discipline.
Becker's vibrato and phrasing on slower passages reveal deep blues and classical influences. On tracks like 'Air,' his note choices and subtle bending show that his musical ear matched his technical ability, something every guitarist should study alongside his faster material.
His legato technique features hammer-ons and pull-offs executed with remarkable evenness and speed, often combined with position shifts that cover large stretches of the fretboard. Becker maintained consistent volume across legato passages, a hallmark of truly polished technique that separates great players from good ones.

Did You Know?

Becker was hired by David Lee Roth at age 19 to replace Steve Vai, arguably the most intimidating guitar chair in all of rock. He recorded the album 'A Little Ain't Enough' (1991) while already experiencing early ALS symptoms, making some of his parts on that record even more remarkable.

Jason and Marty Friedman developed a unique dual-guitar approach in Cacophony where both players traded lead lines at extreme speeds, often harmonizing in thirds and sixths in the neoclassical tradition. Their interplay influenced an entire generation of shred guitarists.

Becker's 'Perpetual Burn' solo album (1988) was recorded when he was just 18 years old. The title track features one of the most technically demanding guitar solos ever recorded, combining sweep arpeggios, tapping, and scalar runs at speeds that still challenge top players decades later.

After losing the ability to play guitar, Becker composed entire albums using a computer system he controls with his eyes. His 2018 album 'Triumphant Hearts' features guest solos from Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, and other legends, all playing compositions he wrote with eye-tracking software.

Becker studied classical music theory extensively as a teenager, incorporating Bach-style counterpoint and Paganini-inspired melodic ideas into his playing long before it was common in the shred world. This gave his compositions a structural sophistication that pure speed merchants lacked.

The instrumental piece 'Air' was inspired by Bach's 'Air on the G String' and demonstrates Becker's ability to craft deeply emotional, melodic guitar music without relying on sheer speed, proving his artistry extended far beyond technique.

Becker's right-hand picking technique was notable for its relaxed wrist position and minimal movement, allowing him to alternate pick at extreme speeds without tension. Many modern technique coaches point to his economy of motion as a textbook example of efficient picking mechanics.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Perpetual Burn 1988

This is the essential Jason Becker album for guitarists. 'Altitudes' is a must-learn piece that covers sweep arpeggios, two-hand tapping, and neoclassical phrasing in one devastating track. 'Opus Pocus' showcases his compositional ambition with rapid key changes and technically punishing sequences. 'Air' provides a beautiful study in melodic phrasing and vibrato. Every track on this album teaches something different about advanced guitar technique.

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Speed Metal Symphony 1987

Cacophony's debut is a dual-guitar shred landmark. The title track and 'Burn the Ground' feature Becker and Marty Friedman trading blistering leads and harmonized lines that will teach you about playing in a two-guitar context at extreme speeds. Great for studying how two lead players can complement each other rather than compete.

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Go Off! 1988

Cacophony's second album pushed the technical envelope even further. 'Images' and 'Sword of the Warrior' feature some of Becker's most aggressive and technically demanding playing. The interplay between Becker and Friedman is tighter here, making it excellent material for studying synchronized dual-lead arrangements and advanced rhythm playing underneath solos.

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Triumphant Hearts 2018

Composed entirely through eye-movement technology, this album proves Becker's genius is in his mind, not just his fingers. Guest solos from Vai, Satriani, Friedman, and others are played over Becker's compositions, giving you a fascinating study in how different elite players interpret the same musical ideas. The compositions themselves are rich with interesting chord progressions and melodic frameworks worth analyzing.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Jason Becker is most associated with his custom Carvin/Kiesel guitars, particularly his iconic 'Numbers' guitar, a Stratocaster-style body hand-painted with a racing numbers design. He also played Carvin DC series guitars with Floyd Rose tremolo systems. In his early Cacophony days, he used a Hurricane by Peavey guitar. Becker later had signature Kiesel models with 24-fret necks, alder bodies, and maple necks designed for fast playing and comfortable access to upper frets.

Amp

Becker primarily used high-gain tube amplifiers. During his prime playing years, he favored Marshall amps and ADA MP-1 tube preamps run through a solid-state power amp and 4x12 cabinets. The ADA MP-1 was a rack-mount preamp popular with late-'80s shredders for its smooth, saturated lead tone and MIDI-programmable channel switching. On the David Lee Roth sessions, he used a combination of Marshalls and rack gear to achieve a thick, singing lead tone with plenty of sustain.

Pickups

Becker's Carvin guitars were equipped with Carvin's own high-output humbuckers, which delivered a hot signal ideal for high-gain lead tones while retaining enough clarity for fast passages. The higher output helped drive the preamp into smooth saturation for sustained legato lines and singing sustain on held notes. In an HSS or HSH configuration, the single-coil middle position offered cleaner tones for his more melodic passages like those heard in 'Air.'

Effects & Chain

Becker kept his effects relatively minimal for the era. He used a Digitech Whammy pedal for pitch-shifting effects, delay (typically rack-mounted units like the TC Electronic 2290) for added depth on lead lines, and chorus for clean and melodic sections. A noise gate was essential given the high-gain settings. His core lead tone was largely amp-driven, smooth saturation from the preamp with just enough delay to add dimension without muddying the articulation of fast runs.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Becker's custom Carvin Stratocaster-style 'Numbers' guitar became his signature axe, offering the single-coil and humbucker versatility needed for both singing sustain and cleaner melodic passages like 'Air'.

Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

Becker used the Whammy pedal to add dramatic pitch-shifting effects and harmonic depth to his lead lines, creating the spacious, otherworldly textures that defined his neoclassical fusion style.

Pedal

ISP Decimator Noise Gate

Essential for controlling feedback at high-gain levels, the Decimator allowed Becker to sustain blazing legato runs and harmonic passages without unwanted noise between notes.

How to Practice Jason Becker on GuitarZone

Every Jason Becker song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Opus Pocus - Guitar Tab Practice Air - Guitar Tab