Ninja Monkey
New member
I wanna know your best tips for playing lead guitar in a rock band.
Thanks, your pal, Ninja Monkey(the one and only)
Thanks, your pal, Ninja Monkey(the one and only)
Tips for lead playing?
- Thread starter Ninja Monkey
- Start date
Frantic_Rock
FragleRockologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
Learn the diatonic scale. major scale.
Learn the modes of the major scale and how they sound. Jam over backing tracks using them.
Practice chord tone targeting. In other words - practice ending phrases with good notes.
Practice putting together phrases that "make sense". They have a beginning and an end. They are a statement.
Practice "telling a story" with your phrases - by starting "Low and Slow" and ending "High and Fast" - pretty simple concept.
Learn the diatonic scale. major scale.
Learn the modes of the major scale and how they sound. Jam over backing tracks using them.
Practice chord tone targeting. In other words - practice ending phrases with good notes.
Practice putting together phrases that "make sense". They have a beginning and an end. They are a statement.
Practice "telling a story" with your phrases - by starting "Low and Slow" and ending "High and Fast" - pretty simple concept.
Lazarus1140
New member
Re: Tips for lead playing?
Practice playing clean.
That is, practice keeping all of the extraneous noises out of your playing.
Practice playing clean.
That is, practice keeping all of the extraneous noises out of your playing.
super rad stuff
Skaforlifeologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
i'd say forego that and practice unplugged
not to counter lazarus or anything like that, i just find that practicing unplugged and getting a sound you like this way really helps your electric playing shine through, lead playing or otherwise.
i'd say forego that and practice unplugged
not to counter lazarus or anything like that, i just find that practicing unplugged and getting a sound you like this way really helps your electric playing shine through, lead playing or otherwise.
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
cream123
JustAskinologist
FretFire
SingedFingerologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
Plenty of time to play jazz after you retire :laugh2:
learn to play jazz...then go out and play everything else.
Plenty of time to play jazz after you retire :laugh2:
cream123
JustAskinologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
lol, jazz is the way to go dude...like you just master the instrument if you are good at jazz...its just...getting good at jazz that is the tough part.
lol, jazz is the way to go dude...like you just master the instrument if you are good at jazz...its just...getting good at jazz that is the tough part.
FretFire
SingedFingerologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
I don't think anyone will ever truly master the instrument. Jazz playing is pretty different than rock is different than ska, etc. IMO just because you can play jazz doesn't necessarily mean you can pull off other styles/genres well. Technical proficiency certainly helps, but isn't everything. You have to bring the right feel/attitude too.
I don't think anyone will ever truly master the instrument. Jazz playing is pretty different than rock is different than ska, etc. IMO just because you can play jazz doesn't necessarily mean you can pull off other styles/genres well. Technical proficiency certainly helps, but isn't everything. You have to bring the right feel/attitude too.
scottish
WeirdScienceologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
+infinity
jazz is very technical and does require a lot of skill. ill bet though, you could take a sick jazz player and ask him to play a wailing rock solo and he wouldnt have a clue. he might be able to play something that was 'technically' a rock solo, but he probably wouldnt have the feel/attitude that fretfire mentioned.
+infinity
jazz is very technical and does require a lot of skill. ill bet though, you could take a sick jazz player and ask him to play a wailing rock solo and he wouldnt have a clue. he might be able to play something that was 'technically' a rock solo, but he probably wouldnt have the feel/attitude that fretfire mentioned.
Lucid_Lunatic
Rebelyellologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
This counts especially with a loud tube amp! When I started using Marshalls, this took me longer to get used to than anything. It was almost like I had to relearn how to play. Things that never came through on a heavy distorted solid state now came through overblairing half of what I was playing. Just touching a string up from a bent note, moving your fretting hand etc, everything came through.
This counts especially with a loud tube amp! When I started using Marshalls, this took me longer to get used to than anything. It was almost like I had to relearn how to play. Things that never came through on a heavy distorted solid state now came through overblairing half of what I was playing. Just touching a string up from a bent note, moving your fretting hand etc, everything came through.
P
pedalguru
Guest
Re: Tips for lead playing?
first thing is teach you ears to the 430 tuning...and learn a 7 string....
why dont we just tune everyting half step own..ugh
first thing is teach you ears to the 430 tuning...and learn a 7 string....
why dont we just tune everyting half step own..ugh
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: Tips for lead playing?
What a bunch of useless junk! Are any of these guys famous - NO! But I am...so here is what you need to know:
#1 Learn the pentatonic minor scale - the basic "blues box." That's it. Don't worry about anything else. That is more than enough musical knowledge. A and E will get you through almost anything. If not, it must be some sucky jazz song...
#2 Play as fast as you can all the time. Don't worry about hitting the right notes - Pentatonic minor sounds good over everything! And people will be so impressed by the speed that they won't notice. Most are not musicians anyway. The only way to develop speed is to practice quickly. Playing really really fast is part of jazz too, by the way.
#3 Use a TON of distortion. This will make it easier to play fast, and blur the notes giving more of an impression that you played the right thing. It's that rock sound that you want, and you can't have too much ever! Playing clean, really fast, IS jazz. We don't want to do that though.
#4 You HAVE to practice making your musical "grimace" in the mirror - that face that at any other time would say "I have a turd stuck and it's killing me" except when you hold a guitar - then the same face means "I'm twisted in agony pouring out my soul in this distorted fast pentatonic minor solo" People will feel the emotion in your solo because you look emotional. Most jazz guys can't play rock because they look bored. Don't forget your big rock stances too!
#5 Cool threads. The chics dig them. Find a girl to take you shopping for your rock star threads. The chics could care less about what you play - they are checking out your pants, shirt, shoes and hair. If you can bring the chics around, you can be in any band you want. Chics are why we want to be in a band in the first place, right? Musicianship is for a bunch of moody, lonely, black turtle neck wearing jazzers.
#6 Great gear. Absolutely essential. No body ever got famous without cool gear. serious gear makes people think you can play good enough to need it. Jazz guys all play the same lame guitar. And a BIG amp. You must be able to sonically overpower any band member you disagree with. The volume of your instrument tells the chics who the most important person in the band is.
Learn this scale, that scale - pffft. when you listen to Nickelback do you even hear them play a solo? If they did would you know the scale or care?
Clothes, grimace, gear
Those will get you farther than any of that foolishness the others said. You've seen my avatar - you know who I am. Or you can listen to some 17 year old kid named "cream" who is in the band in high school.
You found the right place kid - we are gonna raise you right! You'll be the most in demand band guy for a hundred miles of where ever it is you are! Do your parents know you are on this board?
What a bunch of useless junk! Are any of these guys famous - NO! But I am...so here is what you need to know:
#1 Learn the pentatonic minor scale - the basic "blues box." That's it. Don't worry about anything else. That is more than enough musical knowledge. A and E will get you through almost anything. If not, it must be some sucky jazz song...
#2 Play as fast as you can all the time. Don't worry about hitting the right notes - Pentatonic minor sounds good over everything! And people will be so impressed by the speed that they won't notice. Most are not musicians anyway. The only way to develop speed is to practice quickly. Playing really really fast is part of jazz too, by the way.
#3 Use a TON of distortion. This will make it easier to play fast, and blur the notes giving more of an impression that you played the right thing. It's that rock sound that you want, and you can't have too much ever! Playing clean, really fast, IS jazz. We don't want to do that though.
#4 You HAVE to practice making your musical "grimace" in the mirror - that face that at any other time would say "I have a turd stuck and it's killing me" except when you hold a guitar - then the same face means "I'm twisted in agony pouring out my soul in this distorted fast pentatonic minor solo" People will feel the emotion in your solo because you look emotional. Most jazz guys can't play rock because they look bored. Don't forget your big rock stances too!
#5 Cool threads. The chics dig them. Find a girl to take you shopping for your rock star threads. The chics could care less about what you play - they are checking out your pants, shirt, shoes and hair. If you can bring the chics around, you can be in any band you want. Chics are why we want to be in a band in the first place, right? Musicianship is for a bunch of moody, lonely, black turtle neck wearing jazzers.
#6 Great gear. Absolutely essential. No body ever got famous without cool gear. serious gear makes people think you can play good enough to need it. Jazz guys all play the same lame guitar. And a BIG amp. You must be able to sonically overpower any band member you disagree with. The volume of your instrument tells the chics who the most important person in the band is.
Learn this scale, that scale - pffft. when you listen to Nickelback do you even hear them play a solo? If they did would you know the scale or care?
Clothes, grimace, gear
Those will get you farther than any of that foolishness the others said. You've seen my avatar - you know who I am. Or you can listen to some 17 year old kid named "cream" who is in the band in high school.
You found the right place kid - we are gonna raise you right! You'll be the most in demand band guy for a hundred miles of where ever it is you are! Do your parents know you are on this board?
Petrovsk Mizinski
New member
Re: Tips for lead playing?
Clean technique is your friend.
It doesn't matter if you're fast, you'll impress more playing moderately fast and extremely clean than warp speed and sloppy.
Spend serious time on bending and vibrato, get that intonation right.
Learning good vibrato? Listen to Adrian Smith, Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Mikael Akerfeldt for superb vibrato as well as incredible bending technique.
Phrasing............if you don't got it, you can't write a good solo, no matter how good your technique is or your theory knowledge.
Learn to be tasty, but yet, remember that virtuoso speed and taste are not mutually exclusive......some of the best solos IMO are by guys like Satch, Guthrie Govan or Vai, who know when to back off, play some simple hummable and memorable melodies and can turn the intensity factor up to 11 when it comes time to burn.
But shredding without good vibrato, phrasing, bending, control......a big no no...leave that to youtube bedroom shredders please.
You don't need all the theory in the world.
Once you know the modes of the major scale, you're totally set to write almost whatever you want, because you'll know how to construct chords from those scale tones.
On tone, you want a tone with a good amount of mids, with enough bite without being harsh and a nice, rounded bottom end without being flubby and muddy.
And don't wind the gain up to 11......some of the best playing out there, like the stuff on the debut Van Halen album wasn't done with huge amounts of gain. EVH just knew how to play.
Clean technique is your friend.
It doesn't matter if you're fast, you'll impress more playing moderately fast and extremely clean than warp speed and sloppy.
Spend serious time on bending and vibrato, get that intonation right.
Learning good vibrato? Listen to Adrian Smith, Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Mikael Akerfeldt for superb vibrato as well as incredible bending technique.
Phrasing............if you don't got it, you can't write a good solo, no matter how good your technique is or your theory knowledge.
Learn to be tasty, but yet, remember that virtuoso speed and taste are not mutually exclusive......some of the best solos IMO are by guys like Satch, Guthrie Govan or Vai, who know when to back off, play some simple hummable and memorable melodies and can turn the intensity factor up to 11 when it comes time to burn.
But shredding without good vibrato, phrasing, bending, control......a big no no...leave that to youtube bedroom shredders please.
You don't need all the theory in the world.
Once you know the modes of the major scale, you're totally set to write almost whatever you want, because you'll know how to construct chords from those scale tones.
On tone, you want a tone with a good amount of mids, with enough bite without being harsh and a nice, rounded bottom end without being flubby and muddy.
And don't wind the gain up to 11......some of the best playing out there, like the stuff on the debut Van Halen album wasn't done with huge amounts of gain. EVH just knew how to play.
Diocletian
BrandNewGlossologist
Re: Tips for lead playing?
There's no escaping the fact you need to just practice.
Actually trying to learn some solos note for note is very worthwhile too - once you know you can play something like the "Enter Sandman" solo it'll give you a bit more confidence.
I just joined a new band last night and the rythm guitarist said I'd have to show him how to solo and I just said "I don't think I can". I don't really know how I do it, it just comes naturally after practice and listening to a lot of music.
There's no escaping the fact you need to just practice.
Actually trying to learn some solos note for note is very worthwhile too - once you know you can play something like the "Enter Sandman" solo it'll give you a bit more confidence.
I just joined a new band last night and the rythm guitarist said I'd have to show him how to solo and I just said "I don't think I can". I don't really know how I do it, it just comes naturally after practice and listening to a lot of music.