Learn To Play Lead Guitar

Many guitarists want to learn and master lead guitar, which is one of the most fascinating types of guitar playing. Lead guitar performs guitar solos and melody lines within the structure of a song. Electric guitar is most commonly used as a lead guitar (especially in rock bands), supported by the strumming of a rhythm guitar. The soloist often becomes the lead musician of the band, since his/her part is the most delicate and special. Popular lead guitarists include: Jan Akkerman, Eric Clapton, and many other guitarists from various popular music bands.

The amazing sound of a lead guitar is an excellent motivation to learn to play it. It is not realistic to expect to achieve the same level of play that you would hear from Jan Akkerman, Eric Clapton, or any other lead guitar virtuoso, in the very first weeks of your practice. You will need some time to achieve outstanding results, and in the meantime let's talk a little about the practice that you will need to undertake.

Fantastic guitar solos require unmerciful efforts. To achieve the best and quickest results, it's better to start with a song that has a short (a few notes) lead solo or a chord based easy solo. For instance, why not choose something from Neil Young or Jon Buckland (the guitarist from Coldplay) - the masters of fascinating short guitar solos. Most people learn best through visual aids, and so it's a good idea to carefully watch and to follow a video with a good modern guitarist like Jon Buckland.

Lead guitar playing has a specific style of picking as its major component. It is a good practice to vary alternating strokes, up and down. It's best to practice your picking slowly, even though it may seem less exciting. Once you gain the skill, the speed will follow quite naturally pursuant to your dedicated practice. One of the common questions is: Should you move from fingers or the wrist for speed picking? It's your call, but many guitarists do insist that moving from the wrist is the proper way of picking as the lead guitar.

The most important goal to set is finding your own voice. It is obvious that you will start practicing on the solos created by other musicians, but the true achievement will come when you create a beautiful solo of your own.

The good old theory remains important even for the players who want to learn to play lead guitar in particular. It is impossible to become a versed lead guitarist if you do not learn the basics of playing guitar. Lead guitar is probably one of the most fascinating types of guitar to learn in order to further expand your skills.