Speed Mechanics For Lead Guitar

[tapper mike]

Some new gadget or software will only keep you going for so long then it fades. Play out and play with others if you want to be inspired and grow.
learn 10 songs and take them to a park. Learn them all the way thru. Don't try to be someone your not. Play them all the way thru as if you were playing a set even if you are only playing to birds and squirrels. Seek out other musicians. Go to shows. Go to jams. Don't be concerned that it is not exactly "Your style" Watch and listen first. Learn the songs they are playing it's thier stage not yours. Then start sitting in.
Bombing or not it will give you the impetus to try harder.

Playing live is your best educator.

[pc999]

Why don't you just have fun and play for a while, applying what you know already, instead of browsing through books & tut.videos and making it difficult for yourself?

Don't get me wrong...my browsing time, comparing with my daily playing practise, is less than 20%. Everyday I play my scales but I felt that was not enough. I was feeling bored so I had to find another set of exercises that would not interfere in my theory learning (to avoid mixing subjects). This book is excelent because it is focused only in the mechanical aspect of playing which is something that I really need to develop.

Allow me to give you a advice.

Music can be and SHOULD BE a lot of fun and those kind of exercices certainly help a lot to make you a better guitar player, but you meybe should reserve those for later or at least dont do only exercices.

You should start, do a lot of your playing, by playing the things you like to hear. I mean if you like to hear Rock, then get a Rock Guitar Method book WITH REAL SONGS. Or go to http://www.powertabs.net/ and get your favorite band tab and try to play it.

Do a litle search on music you like and see if there is methods with the artist you like (eg there is full method only with Mettalica), most will teach you things like hammer/pull/bends and give you all the skill you need to progress (some of them even may very well be the hardst thing possible to play)... but you get two things:


1- a lot of pleasure from things that you like

2- a great feedback from things that you already know how they sound and will help you corret yourself.


Speed is that last thing that a GOOD musician can get, there is a lot of work before it and too many things to learn.


Two more advices, really listen to what you are playing and try to think in what you are playing (improvisation/jams are good for that).
I know that very well, I did the same mistake early one.

[pc999]

Anyone who has more tips on how you practice lead guitar? I've been stuck for years now, mainly because I do not find the motivation to practice on my own. I'm thinking about looking for a tutor who can point out my wrongs and rights and give me some concrete exercises to practice on. Anyone who has other suggestions?

Good motivations include: other people to play or show your music, try play/learn music (genres) that you usually dont listen, , get a interface and record/make some songs, if you cant get people to jam along then get/download some backtracks, get a new "toy"...

Whatever is (used to be) your routine, break it.

[jancivil]

when you are doing slur exercises, one thing which really gets to be painful is the thumb and index finger area of the fretting hand. ULTIMATELY you want to not really squeeze the neck with the thumb. It's a hard one to do. If I feel a great need to practice hammers/pulls I intentionally do it with no thumb grip behind the fretboard, all fingers. If you find you are really squeezing that puppy with a vise grip... I'll just say this: you're wasting some work.

You need good hand position, especially if you're say pulling off with the little finger. The hand position might not be that similar using all four fingers consistently compared to a three finger approach where you're bending a lot.

All in all, it's like any calisthenics, you're able to do them when you have the muscle, which could take some time.