a question to good lead players = help a noob :)

[skarhead]

okay so i'm not playing very long (about 1 yr electric , previously classic but ages ago )

i'm now working to become a good lead player ( i wish at least [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] )

i'm already taking lessons twice a week ( 1 or 1.5 hour ) , this guy can teach me at least to medium level

i know some scales ( some complete , some only in a few positions on the neck )

how have you increased your skills ?
playing others solos ?

playing excercises only ? ( ie speed mechanics or whatever ) - scale runs , stretching excercises ...

how do you work on your leads for your bands - at home with this exact part of the song over which you'll be soloing ? during rehearsal ?

sometimes it really pisses me off that my scale runs are so predictable ( in opposite to hmm dimebags ? :> ) that's why i'm trying to combine 2 or 3 scales in one run .

i know i won't be good in a short time ... i know that most good players started when they we're 10 years old ( me at 6 but piano and classical @ 10 but then i had a huge pause ) so i just want to ... shred [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]


aand

how long do you practice ( for a day ) is 1.5 upto 4 hours a day ok ? - but that looks like : 1 hour . then a break , then again

[Miffy rules]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

As for that predictable scale run thing, you could mix together all or some of the techniques you've learned, like string skipping, tapping, arpeggio. Then work on your phrasing and learn when to stop soloing, so you'll no longer need to "fill up the time with predictable pentatonic notes". Or you could invent a scale yourself. Or you could try to play odd notes everywhere and let your imagination decide if this note is a good choice.
Ultimately imagination is the most important thing. Don't just play blindly. Use your heart to listen to what you play. Hope it helps. [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[1trussell]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

I started out learning other people's solos. Then I would use the licks in those to create my own. Recently I've been working more with the scales themselves. I create my own exercises (string skipping patterns, ascending/descending runs, alternating picking with legato, etc.) Then, I can take any number of these "exercises" transpose them to whatever key I want, combine them in any given order and I have a lead. Solos are nothing more than a certain arrangement of motifs and licks. The more motifs and licks you have at your disposal, the more combinations you can come up with and the more unique your solos will be. [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[diablomozart]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

best advice?...record yourself playing over chord progressions...it's instant feed back on your playing...you'll know when you stumble across things that sound good to you...and then realize what you sound like and feel you need to work on...d.m.

[MOSHWITZ]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

work on all the above to tighten your technical mecanichal skills for sure....and drill em till you cant stand it no more then drill them 10 more minutes [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] , but i have to agree most with diablomozart, [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] man record everything, even
if its just on a boom box, and if your feeling really froggy and have a multitrack,record a rythm track and take a few tracks and go off on each one not listening to the others as you do each track, and try not to do the same patterns in the same places each time. then go back and listen to all the tracks one by one and pick out all the cool stuff that you did and piece those parts all together into a cool solo. not only will this help you with your improv. skills but your picking riffs off the record skills to. it has worked well for me......damn...i said record.....geuss im gettin old [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]
MOSH ON
DAVE

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

I agree with d.m...record yourself improvising. Focus on the notes that work and why they are working.

yep...learn some of your favorite solos form players that you admire. Also learn the underlying rhythm or bass lines (the notes ) that the solo is played over.

In the begining I used scales, arpeggios and patterns as technique builders initially. You have to have the physical abilities in order to play well. Later the theory came into play when improvising. I relate everything to scales but more so in terms of notes instead of patterns on the fretboard. It didn't make sense to me until one day the light bulb went "bing" in my head [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I think guitar players like to explain it to make it confusing...more so than what it really is. Have fun, play with emotion and feel and you'll get there. Also practice whenever you can.

[skarhead]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

so getting some sort of recording preamp ( sansamp or better some vamp2/pod style thing) could be good

cause recording 2 pc is imho better sounding than recording to a magnetophone [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

btw moshwitz by :

record a rythm track - u've meant also improvising to somebody's songs ?

[Miffy rules]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

You can try to improvise on some Randy Rhoades songs. He's got good chord progression. Simple but great.

[wfhawk007]

Re: a question to good lead players = help a noob

you should take a look at troy stetina's metal lead guitar books. they are very helpful. learn your scales well, but sooner or later you will begin to see things in terms of intervals and not predictable scale patterns. you can make up your own scales. works wonders for george lynch and his flatted 5th stuff. [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]