What is the most important...

[daveinspain]

thing to practice to improve your solos?

[retrosurfer1959]

Timing

[pippy]

It depends on a great deal of things.

 

If you are shredding it will require a slightly different approach from playing a Dire Straits cover or from playing some original work.

 

As far as covers go; from the info I know about your (last) band I'd say just listening - and then, later, playing along - to the original over and over again so that you get a really good feel for the song and so could make up a solo to fit in - even if it was different from that on the original - would be my approach.

 

I know your new project/group should have some original compositions so you will need to know the tracks inside-out and get the feel for them that way.

 

Listening to yourself on a recording is a good eye-and-ear-opener too.

 

Knowing where on the fretboard to find any particular note is a handy trick to learn.

[cookieman15061]

Become a better listener honestly.

Many guys just rip into it and have nowhere to go but down. Every great solo has an ebb and flow in context with the song itself. Listen to the song and where its headed. I guess I'm saying a solo should add to the song and not distract from it.

That and the fact that every beat of every measure does not require a note to be played.

[saturn]

I sometimes think "lead guitar" should be called "follow guitar" because a good solo follows along with the chords being played behind it. Know what chord you are soloing over in every measure and try to emphasize notes in that chord. Or you can do the opposite and play like a 7th or 9th of the chord being played to create some tension.

 

One of Page's best and most overlooked solos IMO is "I'm Gonna Crawl". A fairly simple bluesy solo, but notice how he plays perfectly with the chord changes and uses dynamics to great effect.

[ChanMan]

Scales, with a metronome.

[Thundergod]

I ask my students to learn to play slow to a metronome. Slow, really slow. Only then can you learn to use time and silence wisely.

 

Anyone can shoot thousands of notes a minute with no order whatsoever, and make it sound interestinng, but very few people can follow a slow metronome and make it sound like a song.

 

First:

 

Learn to play slow.

 

Second:

 

Learn your scales, specially the diatonic scale in all its modes.

 

Third:

 

Learn about harmony.

 

Fourth:

 

Same as 3, and this time, make sure you know exactly how chords are formed, not only the easy ones, specially the really hard ones "no one seems to use".

 

Fifth:

 

Learn to do bendings properly, for that you have to know your scales and how to fit a desired number of notes into a designed period of time, so, go through all of the above again. Then practica bending. Bending should be done acording to your scale of choice's intervals.

[Tman]

Playing in front of people. Nothing like being on the spot and the anticipation of such to help improve.

[FirstMeasure]

I ask my students to learn to play slow to a metronome. Slow' date=' really slow. Only then can you learn to use time and silence wisely.

 

Anyone can shoot thousands of notes a minute with no order whatsoever, and make it sound interestinng, but very few people can follow a slow metronome and make it sound like a song.

 

First:

 

Learn to play slow.

 

Second:

 

Learn your scales, specially the diatonic scale in all its modes.

 

Third:

 

Learn about harmony.

 

Fourth:

 

Same as 3, and this time, make sure you know exactly how chords are formed, not only the easy ones, specially the really hard ones "no one seems to use".

 

Fifth:

 

Learn to do bendings properly, for that you have to know your scales and how to fit a desired number of notes into a designed period of time, so, go through all of the above again. Then practica bending. Bending should be done acording to your scale of choice's intervals.[/quote']

+1 or More.

 

Unless, of course, you've done all this and you're just not happy with your Phrasing. Then I'd say try playing notes instead of words while holding a conversation in your head. That is, phrase the note in your lead line as if they were words in a sentence. That slows you right down and puts pauses and accents in places you may not have thought of in other circumstances.

[rocketman]

All good advice. Another one is to sing along with your solo. If you can't do that then it's not a good solo....

[vincentw]

yup. practice scales very slowly until every note is consistent. Increase speed only minimally. This builds muscle memory.

[DAS44]

I ask my students to learn to play slow to a metronome. Slow' date=' really slow. Only then can you learn to use time and silence wisely.

 

Anyone can shoot thousands of notes a minute with no order whatsoever, and make it sound interestinng, but very few people can follow a slow metronome and make it sound like a song.

 

First:

 

Learn to play slow.

 

Second:

 

Learn your scales, specially the diatonic scale in all its modes.

 

Third:

 

Learn about harmony.

 

Fourth:

 

Same as 3, and this time, make sure you know exactly how chords are formed, not only the easy ones, specially the really hard ones "no one seems to use".

 

Fifth:

 

Learn to do bendings properly, for that you have to know your scales and how to fit a desired number of notes into a designed period of time, so, go through all of the above again. Then practica bending. Bending should be done acording to your scale of choice's intervals.[/quote']

TG's done a fine job here.

 

I find that improvising on scales and over rhythm tracks helped me the most, and it still is. It's become so natural that I do itwhile talking to people without realizing I'm doing it, then I catch myself and stop (yeh I think it's rude).

 

Slowing it all down was something my guitar teacher emphasizes often, and I'm glad he does. It's helped me loads.

[djroge1]

All good advice but let me add

 

Listening

 

This is when you are practicing with other musicians ~ listen to what they are playing and how they are playing it. Find the pocket, play in the pocket.

[duane v]

Playing in front of people. Nothing like being on the spot and the anticipation of such to help improve.

 

Nailed it!!!

 

I became a lead guitar player when I started playing live

[Jon S.]

I ask my students to learn to play slow to a metronome. Slow' date=' really slow. Only then can you learn to use time and silence wisely.

 

Anyone can shoot thousands of notes a minute with no order whatsoever, and make it sound interestinng, but very few people can follow a slow metronome and make it sound like a song.

 

First:

 

Learn to play slow.

 

Second:

 

Learn your scales, specially the diatonic scale in all its modes.

 

Third:

 

Learn about harmony.

 

Fourth:

 

Same as 3, and this time, make sure you know exactly how chords are formed, not only the easy ones, specially the really hard ones "no one seems to use".

 

Fifth:

 

Learn to do bendings properly, for that you have to know your scales and how to fit a desired number of notes into a designed period of time, so, go through all of the above again. Then practica bending. Bending should be done acording to your scale of choice's intervals.[/quote']

 

 

+100! Great advice!!

[Guest rogerb]

Don't play fills over vocals. Sometimes Less is more.

[cabba2203]

Scales' date=' with a metronome.[/quote']

 

That's what I do as well as watch instructional videos to reapproach rudiments.

I love those Guitar DVD lessons that Andy Aledort does for Guitar World magazine. He's really laid back and easy to listen to. Whenever I get in a slump or feel I'm not progressing, I watch those and retouch the way I approach my playing.

[ChanMan]

That's what I do as well as watch instructional videos to reapproach rudiments.

I love those Guitar DVD lessons that Andy Aledort does for Guitar World magazine. He's really laid back and easy to listen to. Whenever I get in a slump or feel I'm not progressing' date=' I watch those and retouch the way I approach my playing.[/quote']

 

 

Yeah, now that you mention it, I gotta give props to Guitar World magazine. The DVD and the articles in there have helped a lot, especially given that I've only recently begun playing lead at all!

[FirstMeasure]

Personal motivation makes it all work for me' date=' from trying to listen and figure out the lead. The only leads I really work on are either Gilmore or SRV; the rest I do try but some times I get close and some times I don't. Although I try to nail the rhythm as I fell its more important; IMO[/quote']

 

I definitely agree here. In fact, I'd go so far as to say nailing the rhythm is Paramount to selling a cover tune to the audience. All you have to do with MOST solos or leads is capture the feel and essence of the original, but flub the rhythm and you loose the crowd.

 

I believe there are some solos that absolutely should not be copied exactly under any circumstances. If a song was written with a free form lead section or with improv in mind, then improv or free form is just what the player should play.

[brundaddy]

Not over playing.