How to Master Lead Guitar Basics
Play notes, solos, and riffs over other guitars and melody instruments to play lead guitar., Learn the pentatonic scale to play solos and licks in 90% of popular music., Practice playing up and down the pentatonic every single day., Play your scales...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Play notes
A lead guitarist generally plays single note lines, meaning they aren't playing chords so much as solos and licks.
A lick, or riff, is a short piece of guitar work that is often repeated through the verse and chorus.
A solo is when the lead guitarist takes center stage and commands the melody line.. -
Step 2: and riffs over other guitars and melody instruments to play lead guitar.
The pentatonic minor scale is by far the most commonly used scale in rock, blues, pop, and even some jazz.
It is also the simplest scale to learn, following a basic "box" pattern.
Here's the complete A minor pentatonic scale on all 6 strings, shown in tab:
---------------------5-8----
-----------------5-8--------
-------------5-7------------
---------5-7----------------
-----5-7--------------------
-5-8------------------------ , A lead guitarist needs to know their scales so well they never have to think about what notes they are playing.
You want the scale to come so naturally that any idea you have for a riff can be found almost instantly.
Once you feel comfortable learn other scales, like the major and minor, to expand your tone and playing. , You can keep the exact same shape of the pentatonic scale no matter where you start it, meaning you can change key by simply changing the starting note.
You can do the same with the major and minor scales, as well.Keep the same number of frets between your fingers no matter where you start
- the position changes but the pattern stays the same.
For example, here's the scale in C:
-------------------------8-11
---------------------8-11----
----------------8-10---------
-----------8-10--------------
------8-10-------------------
-8-11------------------------ , Your index and ring fingers are the most dexterous, and can spread to cover a large range of notes.
That said, the fastest lead players focus on using their whole hand to play
-- some even curl their thumb up to fret the 6th string on occasion. , These are string bending, string skipping, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, vibrato, and chromaticism. -
Step 3: Learn the pentatonic scale to play solos and licks in 90% of popular music.
-
Step 4: Practice playing up and down the pentatonic every single day.
-
Step 5: Play your scales in different keys up and down the fretboard.
-
Step 6: Get most of your speed by using the first and third fingers when possible
-
Step 7: but train all four of them.
-
Step 8: Know that there are seven basic things you'll use to spice this up and make it a solo rather than just a scale.
Detailed Guide
A lead guitarist generally plays single note lines, meaning they aren't playing chords so much as solos and licks.
A lick, or riff, is a short piece of guitar work that is often repeated through the verse and chorus.
A solo is when the lead guitarist takes center stage and commands the melody line..
The pentatonic minor scale is by far the most commonly used scale in rock, blues, pop, and even some jazz.
It is also the simplest scale to learn, following a basic "box" pattern.
Here's the complete A minor pentatonic scale on all 6 strings, shown in tab:
---------------------5-8----
-----------------5-8--------
-------------5-7------------
---------5-7----------------
-----5-7--------------------
-5-8------------------------ , A lead guitarist needs to know their scales so well they never have to think about what notes they are playing.
You want the scale to come so naturally that any idea you have for a riff can be found almost instantly.
Once you feel comfortable learn other scales, like the major and minor, to expand your tone and playing. , You can keep the exact same shape of the pentatonic scale no matter where you start it, meaning you can change key by simply changing the starting note.
You can do the same with the major and minor scales, as well.Keep the same number of frets between your fingers no matter where you start
- the position changes but the pattern stays the same.
For example, here's the scale in C:
-------------------------8-11
---------------------8-11----
----------------8-10---------
-----------8-10--------------
------8-10-------------------
-8-11------------------------ , Your index and ring fingers are the most dexterous, and can spread to cover a large range of notes.
That said, the fastest lead players focus on using their whole hand to play
-- some even curl their thumb up to fret the 6th string on occasion. , These are string bending, string skipping, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, vibrato, and chromaticism.
About the Author
Douglas Morgan
Creates helpful guides on creative arts to inspire and educate readers.
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