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Learning Lead Guitar - tips?

  • 02-01-2014 11:46am
    #1
    IamtheWalrus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,075 ✭✭✭


    I would like to learn lead guitar. I've been playing acoustic for about 10 years (still very average player) and want to move to electric. I own a cheap electric I bought years ago for 300 quid (including amp).

    What I would like know is the best way to learn. Should I buy a better guitar? Amp? Are lessons the way to go? Would YouTube do? If I get lessons, how do I choose a good teacher?

    Any tips are welcome.


Comments

  • #2
    Shakey_jake
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 539 ✭✭✭Shakey_jake


    IamtheWalrus wrote: »
    I would like to learn lead guitar. I've been playing acoustic for about 10 years (still very average player) and want to move to electric. I own a cheap electric I bought years ago for 300 quid (including amp).

    What I would like know is the best way to learn. Should I buy a better guitar? Amp? Are lessons the way to go? Would YouTube do? If I get lessons, how do I choose a good teacher?

    Any tips are welcome.

    Here's a tip! Don't get so bogged down with specifically learning "lead guitar". A better guitar won't make you a better player, it might give you confidence but as the old saying goes "it's the indian, not the arrow"

    Pick songs you want to learn and get the tabs off the net, it's all very simple really.


  • #3
    IamtheWalrus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,075 ✭✭✭IamtheWalrus


    Shakey_jake wrote: »
    Pick songs you want to learn and get the tabs off the net, it's all very simple really.

    So there are no specific techniques? I'd hate to pick up bad habits.


  • #4
    Shakey_jake
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 539 ✭✭✭Shakey_jake


    IamtheWalrus wrote: »
    So there are no specific techniques? I'd hate to pick up bad habits.

    It depends what you want to achieve really? Are you looking to shred like Metallica or groove like the Beatles or stones either way it all available on the web. Plus learning yourself will give you confidence and will train your ears to be able to pick up songs without the use of tabs.

    I personally don't believe that are set roles when playing guitar, most guitarists in band scenarios will often switch between lead and rhythm sections anyway.

    Basically I guess what I'm saying is you can learn as many scales and techniques as you want, but that doesn't mean your a lead guitarist it means you can play a load of scales.

    Plus it's a lot more enjoyable to whack a song on print out some tab and pick it up yourself


  • #5
    topcatcbr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,477 ✭✭✭topcatcbr


    I have been playing guitar for a few years now but it was only rhythm and no lead.

    I have in the last 6 months started to learn lead. Its slow going at the start. The first thing to do is do a search on YouTube. You will find many great guitar tuiters. My two favorite's are Marty Swartz and Justin.

    I would advise to get a grip of the pentatonic scales major and minor to start. Practice the five positions for this with your route notes. You can practice to backing tracks all available for free on the net.

    Then find some songs with fairly simple lead parts and try to work them out.

    This is as far as I have gotten in about six months of intermittent practice. You'll obviously learn quicker the more practice you put in


  • #6
    IamtheWalrus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,075 ✭✭✭IamtheWalrus


    Shakey_jake wrote: »
    It depends what you want to achieve really? Are you looking to shred like Metallica or groove like the Beatles or stones

    I want to be Johnny Marr and find a Morrissey.


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  • #7
    quicklickpaddy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 888 ✭✭✭quicklickpaddy


    IamtheWalrus wrote: »
    I want to be Johnny Marr and find a Morrissey.

    Great advice so far in this thread. I've been bogging myself down with a similar problem recently. I've played electric guitar for about 10 years, self thought for the most part. For most of those (teen years) I spent the time wanting to play "faster/better". Now I haven't been playing in a while and I'm trying to rethink my approach to have a much better understanding of what and how I'm playing - which is a more difficult one to get my head around. I had stalled on trying to take the "correct" approach but really there is no substitute for just doing it.

    So what I'm doing - and my advice on where to start - is to learn songs similar to the music you want to emulate. For me the aim is to train my ear and my fingers for tonality and phrasing. For example, I'm trying to learn Jazz at the moment and one of the biggest problems I'm facing is that the shred-dy stuff I used to play keeps coming through and making it sound really cringy and out of place.

    So just start, regardless how basic. There's just too much to grasp all at once. I'm finding it a much more rewarding process by letting it happen more naturally. Once you start, something new will hopefully grab your attention and you can develop that way. Best of luck!


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