Learning to play lead guitar.

[Trav-ler]

I have been practicing lead guitar for five or six months and have learned about positions, boxes, and patterns. Seems the same thing can be called by different names. I have mostly been practicing pattern one and learning to use it in the different positions or keys. The blues school I have been attending has offered some training on this topic which is helping. This training is mostly in the form of learning or memorizing other people's blues lic's. I'm simply curious how you may have learned to play lead guitar. Are there any good lead guitar training books or online videos?

[Offshore Angler]

I have been practicing lead guitar for five or six months and have learned about positions, boxes, and patterns. Seems the same thing can be called by different names. I have mostly been practicing pattern one and learning to use it in the different positions or keys. The blues school I have been attending has offered some training on this topic which is helping. This training is mostly in the form of learning or memorizing other people's blues lic's. I'm simply curious how you may have learned to play lead guitar. Are there any good lead guitar training books or online videos?

Memorize every note on the neck, start learning scales. Learn why a C major scale will work the nuts over a G7 chord. Understanding intervals and how they work is key. The blues boxes will get you so far, but if you want to learn to do classic rock or shred or anything else you'll need a deeper understanding. Once you understand why the C# vs C natural means everything in the key of A you're on your way.

Best thing to do is get a good, qualified teacher.

Let me ask this: what type of lead guitar style are you interested in? Maybe we can get you on your path.

[melody]

Learn to be a good rhythm player good rhythm = good sense of where the money notes are for lead 99.999999% of what you play will be rhythm anyway.. The blues boxes are great for getting to know the fret board and the notes but like OSA said they will only get you so far...

This is a good tool to get all of the notes memorized..

http://download.cnet.com/Fretboard-W...-10169003.html

[Trav-ler]

Memorize every note on the neck, start learning scales. Learn why a C major scale will work the nuts over a G7 chord. Understanding intervals and how they work is key. The blues boxes will get you so far, but if you want to learn to do classic rock or shred or anything else you'll need a deeper understanding. Once you understand why the C# vs C natural means everything in the key of A you're on your way.

Best thing to do is get a good, qualified teacher.

Let me ask this: what type of lead guitar style are you interested in? Maybe we can get you on your path.

Yes I have been practicing memorizing the fret board. I have about half of it loosely memorized. Would you be willing to explain your point of c#vs. c in the key of a? I am searching for lead training now. Maybe today I will have secured a training source.

[Trav-ler]

Learn to be a good rhythm player good rhythm = good sense of where the money notes are for lead 99.999999% of what you play will be rhythm anyway.. The blues boxes are great for getting to know the fret board and the notes but like OSA said they will only get you so far...

This is a good tool to get all of the notes memorized..

http://download.cnet.com/Fretboard-W...-10169003.html

Rhythm guitar is my part in the blues training band. I am making good progress as a rhythm guitar player. They ask me if I want to solo a lead sometimes I do and play what I know. Usually it's basic, but sometimes I play something that sounds musical. I agree learning rhythm guitar offers the opportunity to learn chord patterns, the rhythm of the song, and where a lead line will change from one position to another. This is a lot of info to become aware of and assimilate. I suppose I am looking for a structured method to learn lead until I become creative with it. Thanks for the link. I will look at your link when I get home tonight.

[Offshore Angler]

Yes I have been practicing memorizing the fret board. I have about half of it loosely memorized. Would you be willing to explain your point of c#vs. c in the key of a? I am searching for lead training now. Maybe today I will have secured a training source.

The C is the 3rd of the A chord. If it's a half-step ( C natural) the chord is minor, if it's a whole-step it's a major chord. So if you're laying down a melody in Amajor you generally want to intervals w-w-h-w-w-w-h. (where w is a whole step and h is a half step), but in the minor chord we would use w-h-w...

So, you can see the intervals line up differently. If you drop the 7th a half step you have a 7th chord. The seventh is an important interval because it's a "leading" tone that can be used to transition. If you mix it the flat 2nd you can really start to drive the solo into transition on the next change.

blah, blah, blah...

That's the kind of stuff you learn as you delve into the mechanics of playing.

All that said, you can be a very effective player without knowing all the theory, but it will limit you to certain styles. Hey, Sir Paul can't read music and I think the Beatles still had some degree of success.

There comes a point though, where a lot of players want to get away from playing what they know and be able to make up what fits as they go. If you get a bass player that's got the ears and is hip to what you're doing you can basically tell him what comes next as you build the transitions in the solos. Such as if you're say, playing a solo in D, and you move to a flat 2nd in the solo at the end of the phrase, the bass player pretty much knows the next context will be in e minor.

In the mean time, when you practice "boxes" focus more on moving from one box to the next while playing. Focus on playing diagonally on the neck rather than parking in a box and using up all those notes and then moving to another box. Doing so will create fluidity in your playing and force you to think about where you're going next rather than focusing on where you are.

The most important note you will ever play is the next one.

The main thing though is to play what you like to play. Enjoy playing and don't get frustrated if you're no Robben Ford or Larry Carlton on day one. Take as long as it takes to find out who you are as a player and then be yourself. Anybody who you look up to as a player understands completely and respects you for the effort. It's the journey and how you travel it that matters.

Chuck

[Trav-ler]

The C is the 3rd of the A chord. If it's a half-step ( C natural) the chord is minor, if it's a whole-step it's a major chord. So if you're laying down a melody in Amajor you generally want to intervals w-w-h-w-w-w-h. (where w is a whole step and h is a half step), but in the minor chord we would use w-h-w...

So, you can see the intervals line up differently. If you drop the 7th a half step you have a 7th chord. The seventh is an important interval because it's a "leading" tone that can be used to transition. If you mix it the flat 2nd you can really start to drive the solo into transition on the next change.

blah, blah, blah...

That's the kind of stuff you learn as you delve into the mechanics of playing.

All that said, you can be a very effective player without knowing all the theory, but it will limit you to certain styles. Hey, Sir Paul can't read music and I think the Beatles still had some degree of success.

There comes a point though, where a lot of players want to get away from playing what they know and be able to make up what fits as they go. If you get a bass player that's got the ears and is hip to what you're doing you can basically tell him what comes next as you build the transitions in the solos. Such as if you're say, playing a solo in D, and you move to a flat 2nd in the solo at the end of the phrase, the bass player pretty much knows the next context will be in e minor.

In the mean time, when you practice "boxes" focus more on moving from one box to the next while playing. Focus on playing diagonally on the neck rather than parking in a box and using up all those notes and then moving to another box. Doing so will create fluidity in your playing and force you to think about where you're going next rather than focusing on where you are.

The most important note you will ever play is the next one.

The main thing though is to play what you like to play. Enjoy playing and don't get frustrated if you're no Robben Ford or Larry Carlton on day one. Take as long as it takes to find out who you are as a player and then be yourself. Anybody who you look up to as a player understands completely and respects you for the effort. It's the journey and how you travel it that matters.

Chuck

Thanks OSA. All good comments. I have so far been playing in one box for a particular key. While its good practice to get familiar with that position staying there limits the possibility for expression. I think i may have found a good lead training course called Guitar Zoom.com. They have several lead training programs. Time will tell if they have a good program.

[Jeffp]

Try licklibrary.com. Danny Gill is an excellent teacher! That's what i'm doing!

[dirtdog]

Look into chord theory. That’ll help you figure out what scales and modes will work with a tune in any given key.

Nothing wrong with using tab to figure things out but the theory will help you figure what does work and why.

Ine thing i did with tab tab was to plot the notes inthe neck instead of in the linear way its laid out in tab. Then I can visualize the pattern being used over which chords and figure out the scale or mode being used.

Theres also a so a big difference in being able to cop someone else’s solo compared to improvising your own!

[Jeffp]

I have a set of dvd's from licklibrary store. Harmony & Theory. Good stuff!