Eric Johnson - Manhattan Pt.2 - First B Section - Guitar Lesson

About Manhattan Pt.2 - First B Section

The first B section of "Manhattan Pt.2" sits right at the heart of what makes Eric Johnson such a demanding and rewarding guitarist to study. This piece calls for clean phrasing and precise melodic control at 120 BPM in standard tuning, a tempo that sounds comfortable until you try to match Johnson's note clarity across every phrase. The B section specifically tends to involve the kind of legato-inflected melodic lines that Johnson is known for, where every hammer-on and pull-off needs to ring out evenly or the passage falls apart. That even note weight is the real challenge here, not raw speed. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the B section slowed down and listen carefully to where your weaker fingers drop in volume. Coming from the Progressive Rock world, this track rewards the patient approach: clean up one phrase at a time before chaining the section together at full tempo.

• The B section features Johnson's signature legato phrasing, requiring consistent finger strength across all four fretting-hand fingers to maintain even note volume.
• At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is moderate but leaves nowhere to hide any unevenness in picking or hammer-on technique.
• Isolating short melodic phrases with the Practice Toolbar at reduced speed is the most effective way to build the clean articulation this section demands.