Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

Originally Posted by: NickFerra

At this point my skill level is just a basic understanding on how to play the minor pentatonic shape. 5-8 5-7, 5-7, 5-7, 5-8, 5-8

And so on and so on. I sound too much like im just playing scales up and down... so I think i should learn some actual licks? Maybe? I dunno![/quote]

Yes, you should learn some licks. That will form the basis of your vocabulary, your repertoire of musical ideas you can play when it's time to play a lead. That's covered in the article I linked above.

By defintion that requires the physical skills required to play any given lick. So that's why I gave you a list of lessons. I'm trying to assess your current physical skills.

It sounds like you should work through the Rock Course looking for the chapters on lead guitar playing.

And you should learn some solos by players you enjoy. Just learn the simplest licks at first. You don't have to learn the whole solo. But you have to start somewhere. So start with the simple & basic licks. Learn one. Repeat it over & again. Play them along with a drummer, backing track or metronome.

As a specific concrete example, look at this tutorial.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=723

I show you a very specific, simple, basic lick you can use over blues or rock. I show you how to play it in a vareity of ways. Then you get a lot of backing track play alongs to get it under your command. Once you've got it under your command, you've started your repertoire of licks!

Look at this next one. This is a classic blues based rock used in leads from Chuck Berry style, to the Beatles, to ACDC, to Van Halen.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1614

A little more complex lick, but again, I show you how to play it in a vareity of ways. Then you get a lot of backing track play alongs to get it under your command. Once you've got it under your command, you've got another lick for your repertoire!

Little phrases or musical ideas like these are the vocabulary guitarists use to play leads.

[quote=NickFerra]Is there a way to tag you in the videos? Or no?

The easier thing to do is just post a link from the video page in this thread.

Thanks Christopher! I'm gonna be going through these lessons. I think it'll be good to record the process and let you see them. Is youtube ok as long as I don't show the lesson?

I posted a video on the listening forum of me to check out