One of the main reasons why young musicians start learning the guitar is so they could play lead sections. And it’s not a surprise, since this is arguable the most attractive thing about the instrument. Whatever is the genre, it seems that guitar solos always take a center spot for many music listeners. No wonder so many people ask us, “How to play a guitar solo?”
But although the whole thing seems really attractive, becoming a lead guitar player is not exactly the simplest task. And that’s especially the case if you want to improvise. The moment they start trying to experiment with it, beginner guitar players seem to immediately lose themselves.
But even though it’s a difficult path to become a lead player, it’s still far from an impossible one. This is why we came up with this brief guide that will help you out on your journey to becoming a true rock star!
Cover All of the Basics First
Before you jump into improvising and trying to play through scales and arpeggios, you should first get familiar with the basics. Firstly, you’ll need to get acquainted with some basic techniques and fingering patterns. Alternate picking, economy picking, fingerpicking, hybrid picking – you should be able to do this in perfect coordination with your fretting hand.
And secondly, although it might seem a bit boring, you should really learn all of the basic chords in the open position, as well as other chord and scale shapes on the fretboard. Sure, you may be really keen to start shredding right away, but it won’t make any sense if you don’t cover all of the basic territories first. The key here is to be patient and take things slowly.
Learn Music Theory
We could spend hours, days, weeks talking about how important music theory is. And while some may think that learning music theory can potentially ruin your creativity, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, it is one of the most important “tools” that you’ll have to equip yourself with if you want to become a great musician.
And with this said, you shouldn’t look at music theory as your “master,” or like a set of rules that should be obeyed at all costs. Quite the contrary, these rules can help you play properly within certain styles, or can even guide you in creating your own unique style. Knowing how intervals, chords, and scales work together in creating different moods is essential if you want to be creative.
Start With Simpler Scales
Before you jump into learning all of those complicated passages, we’d first advise you to start with simpler scales and phrases. The easiest way to go about it is to use minor and major pentatonic scales and go from there. Pretty much all of the musical styles today can work hand-in-hand with these two scales. And whatever note you hit, it will sound good enough. Therefore, it will motivate you to keep learning and practicing as this is one of the most rewarding feelings a beginner guitar player can get. Just make sure not to get stuck with these two scales and eventually start learning more, all in combination with your music theory knowledge.
Don’t Just Go Up and Down the Scale
But even when you learn all the scales and theory about how they work with different chord progressions, you shouldn’t just go up and down and call it a solo. Well, sure, it can technically be a solo, but it won’t exactly be an expressive and enjoyable one. And that’s the whole point – creating a lead section that both you and the audience will like to hear, and the one that will serve the song.
One of the main things you can try is to use sequences within scales. This means you play a small portion of the scale, then use that same pattern by going diatonically one step higher, or lower, and so on. This breaks the common linear patterns and helps you create your own unique licks.
What you can also do is try to learn various licks that are available online. You can try and “borrow” some from famous guitar players and then rearrange them in your own way.
Pay Attention to Chord Progressions
After getting ahold of the basics of basic music theory, playing techniques, and some scale patterns on your guitar’s fretboard, you should then focus on chord progressions. No matter the musical style, it’s of absolute importance to know what the chord progression is before you start jamming. Firstly, this will help you determine the key of a song or any potential modulations (key changes) throughout the piece.
Additionally, knowing the chord progression will help you in your choice of notes. In some ways, a lead section can act as an “extension” to these chords. For instance, you can hit a certain note over this particular chord and create a completely different mood in the song.
How to play a guitar solo: Get Accustomed to Metronomes
Yes, metronomes are absolutely one of the most boring things ever invented. But guess what? They’re also one of the most useful tools that help create great musicians. Just like your choice of notes, having perfect timing is of absolute importance. And even if you want to add that “swing” or “offbeat” feel to your lead sections, you still need to have that perfect timing.
Use Backing Tracks
As the final part of our answer to the question of “How to play a guitar solo?” – before you set out to play with a band, you can start by using backing tracks. A lot of them are available online for free and you can practice your scales over them, all while keeping the perfect timing. However, this should never replace metronome practice sessions and is just a great method to occasionally implement some of the new things that you learned.
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