Too Much Content?

I'm finding the GT site difficult to navigate. I've been playing rhythm for more years than I'd like to count and play regularly with a non-performing band (blues, rock, folk). While my chord knowledge is fairly well developed (and I've learned mutiple pentatonic scales over the years), I have no lead skills. I recently resumed my full access membership, hoping to develop some modest lead skills (and maybe improve my rhythm playing a bit too!). I've been trying to find where I fit in the vast content, which is a more than a little overwhelming. I'm not a "beginner" (and can't maintain interest in re-learning things I've known for years) but have no idea where to start. Your suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

I came to guitar tricks after many decades of playing guitar. The biginner lessons were infomformative, but not what I was looking for. I started picking topics that interested me, no matter where they were in the lesson sequence. This plan has worked very well for me.

If you find yourself being bored with the lesson plan, just start looking at lessons that address the techiques that you want to learn or improve. It can be a bit disjointed but I am learning valuable info. So if learning how to play Old Macdonald is not your cup of mead... Start asking your self what you want to know and look for lessons that address that.

Hey Glenn,

A bunch of things come to mind.

I don't know what style you're into, but here are some suggestions for lead stuff...

If you're into fast lead playing, like metal, there are a bunch of lead tutorials by Ben Lindholm. He's kind of on the "nutty advanced end" of the shred spectrum. If you scroll down you'll see a section under him called Focus On Lead Playing.

BEN LINDHOLM

https://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=22899

Dave Celentano has a large variety... he did a bunch of Artist Studies, like Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Perry, Stevie Ray Vaughan:

DAVE CELENTANO

https://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=2229316

If you're into Blues and Country, Anders Mouridsen has a ton of lead stuff in his course, if you go to his page here and scroll down:

ANDERS MOURIDSEN

https://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=1258517

And of course Christopher Schlegel has a giant library of content, too. If you scroll down on his page you'll see "Learning Blues Licks" and Sweep Picking, Building Speed, Improvisation, etc:

CHRISTOPHER SCHLEGEL

https://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=155014

I hope one of those directions helps you! If you have any more specific thoughts let me know...

-Carl.

Originally Posted by: glennkoop

I'm finding the GT site difficult to navigate. I've been playing rhythm for more years than I'd like to count and play regularly with a non-performing band (blues, rock, folk). While my chord knowledge is fairly well developed (and I've learned mutiple pentatonic scales over the years), I have no lead skills. I recently resumed my full access membership, hoping to develop some modest lead skills (and maybe improve my rhythm playing a bit too!). I've been trying to find where I fit in the vast content, which is a more than a little overwhelming. I'm not a "beginner" (and can't maintain interest in re-learning things I've known for years) but have no idea where to start. Your suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Great tips here but I would add this: Learn songs. Spend a lot of time learning songs.

Learning modes is important. Learning the theory is very, very important too. However, spent plenty of time learning how the rubber meets the road. All the greatest guitarists learned the tricks, licks and riffs of someone else. For all intents and purposes, that was about the only thing many great guitarists had to learn the instrument.

You start learning the vocabulary of guitar in doing so.

Originally Posted by: glennkoop

While my chord knowledge is fairly well developed (and I've learned mutiple pentatonic scales over the years), I have no lead skills. I recently resumed my full access membership, hoping to develop some modest lead skills (and maybe improve my rhythm playing a bit too!).

Adding to the great advice already posted! One of the guided courses aimed at slowly building skill in a specific genre (blues, rock, country courses) might be a good fit. And learning the solo lines of the artists that inspire you is always a great idea.

But let's back up to look at the big picture. You want to play lead guitar. Please read this article on improvisation.

https://www.guitartricks.com/blog/how-to-play-a-guitar-solo

I also have this series of tutorials on learning to improvise that you might find useful.

https://www.guitartricks.com/collection/learning-to-improvise

That will explain the process of improv in detail with lots of practical examples.

And a great deal of playing lead comes down to building & using a repertoire of licks. Once you settle on a style you need to build a library of little licks to play on the spot when you need them. You need to have a pre-established list of little licks under your command that you can drop in on the spot in between chords or rhythm parts.

That's why you learn licks from songs & practice scale patterns: to build your repertoire. With that in mind I also have this series of tutorials aimed at doing just that. This is mostly a collection of blues type licks, but they are equally applicable to any popular style.

https://www.guitartricks.com/collection/Bread-and-Butter-Butter-Blues-Licks

Hope that helps! Please ask more if necessary & have fun!

Thank you all for your meaningful input. Christopher, I especially appreciate your suggestion to step back and look at the big picture. Given what I've seen, my plan is to start on some of the intro improv tutorials and then focus on a more specific genre.

Thanks again.

Glenn