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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Electric → Learning to play lead
Can anyone offer me suggestions on how to start playing lead? I have been playing fo a couple of years and have just about given up on lessons. I have learned more through Chordie than in all my lessons put together. Help!!!
Thanks
Joe
learn theory
scales
read music
chord patterns
modes
common blues licks
learn how to relate theory to the peice your playing
like find out the key and scales used
then you already know what notes to play
Well, try focusing on another part of your playing.
Ask yourself some questions, like what makes it hard for me to play lead? Am I practicing the basics over a few times here and there for a refresher? Am I trying TOO HARD?
Another thing is to just mess around with your guitar, sit down and throw some basic blues scales together, after a while just mix them up and play what sounds good to you. When I hit that point about a year ago, I went back to playing the songs I learned when I was a beginner, and I learned the lead parts to them, and also improvised over the ones I knew by heart.
Also, don't forget the most important elements to expanding yourself musically, #1:PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, #2: HAVE FUN! <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_lol.gif" border=0 alt="Laughing">
Also, bring up what you have told us to your music teacher(s), let them know what you think.
These are just a few suggestions that worked for me, hopefully they will work for you.
Pretty much what's been said.
Give up on the idea it is going
to happen without taking the time
to learn the modes and the triads
up and down the neck.
My contribution the discussion:
learn to play melodies, or tunes.
Even the heaviest of metal songs
follows a tune. The 9 - 12 frets
are a good place to work out the
tunes. Don't go up and down the neck
until you have the tune down, even
to the point of recognizing the
key changes and the notes, especially
the first note of the change, like G/d
means change to G scale but nail the Dmaj
on the change. Write all that stuff down
(unless you can afford to buy sheet
music for all your songs.)
Now you know the tune and the key
changes, start to break the melody
apart by changing fret and inversion
as it flows. When you can do this,
you are ready to start playing lead,
which is really your own interpretation
of a melody. Even Hendrix stayed on
the basic melodic line ...I can hear
the blues players moaning as they read
this.
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I'm starting to learn lead at my guitar lessons now, and all i have to do is basically learn these blue licks, and one good idea is to play a song, on a cd player or something, and just play any note in the rythem of the song, who cares what you play, go crazy. I have found it a lot better to muck around playing to the rythem of the song.
Cheers <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">
Thanks for the help. All good advice.
Joe
One of the best things to do to help you play lead, is to find a couple of scales that you enjoy playing and just practice them over and over again until you can play them smoothly, quickly, and without looking at the fretboard.
Also, its good to research music theory and learn about the circle of fifths.
It helps to understand which notes run into each other, and the reasons for this.
Learn all the individual notes for your chords, especially focusing on the root note.
I still sit there with cd's or friends when they're playing and just improv. little solos over what I hear.
The more you do this, you will find it easier to figure out the key the piece is in, and which scale will suit it best.
At first, with your solo's stick to the scale pattern and just play around with what you can do.
As your speed and knowledge improves, then you can start extending the scales, and possibly even linking them in with each other.
If you do this, and practice, then prety soon you'll be shredding away at the whole fretboard =p
Ben
Check out Ralph Agresta's book 'Blues: Jam Trax'. All the scale patterns it teaches you apply to rock.
Also look to discover 'harmonic fills'. Little patterns of notes that echo the song's main melody but you repeat them in different positions according to the chord at that part of the song.
You could also spend some time taming your plectrum, so that it hits the string you want where you want it, at the angle you want it and when you want it. Then start working on the speed. Five minutes a day will make all the difference.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Electric → Learning to play lead
