learning fast phrases to become good at lead

fret_wimp

Im attempting to learn lead guitar but here is my problem.

I hear a bit of lead with some cool phrases, but they are very very fast and above my level.

I attempt to work them out but cant as they are so fast, so i get tabs.

The tabs sound nothing like what the song on the stereo sounds like, as im playing it too slow, and i dont know if its my playing too slow or the tabs are incorrect.

as you can see its disheartening so i generally give up after 20mins on some fast phrases. can you recommend any good techniques to become good at playing phrases and what not. i know the blues scale but am still attempting to break out of the boxes and play it fluidly, and i think thats half my problem.

Karl Hungus

Use a metronome. You can download some free metronome software, and just work with that. Start slow, and increase the speed by small amounts, and you should be able to buid the speed easily.

I'd also recommedn John Petrucci's DVD Rock Discipline.

feylya

What I find to be really helpful is PowerTabs or Guitar Pro. They show you the notes as they're played through the speakers so it shows you that the notes are right.

the fnj

As already said practice with a metronome,
Practice scales and chromatic exercises to the click, this will improve your finger coordination and timing.

Work on your right hand (assuming you're right handed) technique, get very disciplined about alternate picking, it will pay off when you try to increase your speed.

Speed comes from efficiency of movement, watch your fingers and try streamline your movements as much as possible.

Most important, guitar playing is not sport, don't become overly speed focused, it's what you play not how fast you can play it.

Rustar

the fnj wrote:

Most important, guitar playing is not sport, don't become overly speed focused, it's what you play not how fast you can play it.

Bravo. I also notice that many things that sound cool at blazing speeds, really aren't that musical when you slow them down (which makes it a non-issue as regards me practicing them).

-=al=-

if u cant play it right slow u wont be able to play it right fast so practice to what u can, speed is a load of nonsence anyways

Alanstrainor

-=al=- wrote: »

speed is a load of nonsence anyways

Mhmmm, couldn't agree more, focus on technique and feel rather than that speed nonsense, nothing worse than a fast player with no soul.

-=al=-

BUT tis still ncie to throw in a few fast songs/riffs now and again, but its all in the bends and vibrato and playing the instrument gracefully, thats the mark u want to go for



Just back from my 2nd Satch show, amazing night, met him last week in the UK, thurs in musician for a signing and yesterday for the meet n greet and show again, last show tomorow in belfast is on, up in a few hours to catch the bus, i love the guy

Karl Hungus

Guys, the OP is saying he wants to build speed so that he can play licks that he likes, saying speed is nonsense is completely unhelpful, and probably only confusing. Playing with a metronome has many benifits beyond speed, and building a good sense of timing and rythm that'll come with this is essential.

Besides, I've heard as many guitarists play slowly who lack any kind of soul, nuance or originality.

Voodu Child

fret_wimp wrote: »

can you recommend any good techniques to become good at playing phrases and what not.

As mentioned, a metronome is a great way of improving speed and technique. A few bpm extra per day is barely noticeable, but over the course of a week or two, you'll have improved your speed for that particular lick/excercise considerably.

Take an excercise or lick, and really slow it down all the way. Completely disect your playing, making sure its efficient, clean, confident etc. Look at your hand angle, how much of the pick you hit the string with...yadda yadda. See if theres anywhere you think you can improve. Basically, while its very slow, make sure you're 100% happy with your technique, and only THEN start speeding it up. Because obviously, if you practice with bad form, as you speed up, its only going to get worse.

Concentrate on strict alternate picking - ie no matter whether you're moving up or down to the next string, always keep the up/down pattern. This isn't actually the most efficient way of playing, but its much easier to lock into a picking rhythm, (as opposed to economy picking, where the picking pattern is less predictable)

I am still attempting to break out of the boxes and play it fluidly, and i think thats half my problem.

Diatonic (7 note) scales are a very easy way of breaking out of the box patterns. A simple way is this: Take your minor pentatonic shapes, and add the two natural minor scale notes. You can still play them in the same pentatonic 'box patterns' if you want, but its also very easy to play using 3-note per string patters. So as you move up and down the strings, you'll be moving forward and back on the neck. This is great for long legato runs etc, and the mixture of horizontal and vertical movement also just helps map out the scales in your head.

boycey

Theres always the Tascam Cd player/trainer thing as well
http://www.thomann.de/ie/tascam_cdgt_2.htm

It means spending your hard earned cash (or if you're lucky someone elses!!) but it does exactly what you want. I messed around briefly on a friends before, theyre very good.

Malice

fret_wimp wrote: »

Im attempting to learn lead guitar but here is my problem.

I hear a bit of lead with some cool phrases, but they are very very fast and above my level.

I attempt to work them out but cant as they are so fast, so i get tabs.

The tabs sound nothing like what the song on the stereo sounds like, as im playing it too slow, and i dont know if its my playing too slow or the tabs are incorrect.

as you can see its disheartening so i generally give up after 20mins on some fast phrases. can you recommend any good techniques to become good at playing phrases and what not. i know the blues scale but am still attempting to break out of the boxes and play it fluidly, and i think thats half my problem.

I don't play much lead guitar but when I do, I always make sure I start off playing slowly. The metronome suggestion mentioned earlier is a good one. I find that a metronome tends to bore me so I prefer to play along to drum beats that I key into a sequencer and then speed up and slow down as required. The goal is the same regardless, it keeps you in time and helps build a sense of rhythm which may not become apparent immediately but as soon as you start interacting with other musicians you will be glad of it.

Feyla mentioned Guitar Pro, I would also highly recommend this piece of software as, assuming the tab is well-written, you can mute all the other instruments except the lead guitar and then use the Play Looped/Speed Trainer function. With that you can either loop the same section repeatedly, loop it at an increasing speed or loop it repeatedly at a slower speed than normal.

The key thing is patience. Don't just give up after 20 mins!

fret_wimp

thanks for all the advice guys. I have started learning to string the 7 note scales together. i was re-learning whiskey in the jar ( learned it years ago but have since lost the ability to play it) and decided to learn it by ear rather than tab. I noticed the pent scales didnt cut it. so i set the metronome to a nice speed for me, and just walk around the first pattern for 20 mins, then try walking around the dorian pattern for 20 mins etc etc. after only a couple of days i feel an improvment, and only an hour or two practice per night.

Although i didnt learn whiskey, i have become famaliar with the various patterns, and merging them to become a more fluid player.

Just to clarify, although i think its now understood, im not looking to be a shredder. i just want to be able to play the solo's from some of my fav artists such as jimi, Rory ( which may not seem fast to you guys but are above me at present).

also soloing around the pentatonic, which im pretty famaliar with has become much better using a metronome. looking forward to my Rock Dicipline DVD also. hopefully that will give me some useful exercises.

Karl Hungus

fret_wimp wrote: »

Just to clarify, although i think its now understood, im not looking to be a shredder. i just want to be able to play the solo's from some of my fav artists such as jimi, Rory ( which may not seem fast to you guys but are above me at present).

also soloing around the pentatonic, which im pretty famaliar with has become much better using a metronome. looking forward to my Rock Dicipline DVD also. hopefully that will give me some useful exercises.

Aye, best of luck with it man. Rock Discipline is a really exceptional DVD, there's a lot of excersizes on there that sound pretty ugly, but really help you nail your technique, it helped me with my picking immessurably.

darrenw5094

Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar by Troy Stetina is another good one.
Tab book and cd....not dvd.....

I also have Petrucci's dvd and although it's very good, it's not a complete tutorial in my book. A combination of both would be better.

Demeyes

I would recommend moving away from pentatonics and getting more into major/minor scales. The pentatonics are fine but a lot of faster playing is 3 notes per string or else exercises based around the minor scale. It'll help you develop a bit more on the theory front aswell as you get the complete picture and can work at naming chords and intervals. The extra notes can be used to make your lead lines more melodic and a bit less run of the mill because a lot of the pentatonic stuff has been done hundreds f times before.
It really a comfort thing. I see lots of people trying to play fast and they look so tense and they usually don't pull the stuff off very well. Working with the metronome and your on the right track. Another thing I would say is to keep consistent practice and you will really develop. Playing a bit everyday will serve you better than playing for 6 hours straight just 1 day a week.