Creating your own leads is obviously a skill that all guitarists aspire to. It is one of the last things that is usually taught during my online guitar lessons. If you are a beginner, the question is usually what kind of music do you listen to. Why? Because it gives your teacher an idea if you’ve heard songs that even have solos or lead lines. This makes a difference because when you were a kid in the 70s, you would have listened to all the classical guitarists of the day, Jimmy Page, Randy Rhodes, Ted Nugent, etc. Even in the ’80s, there was a multitude of highly talented core players. A person will get used to hearing certain basic riffs and will understand how a lead solo is supposed to flow, even before playing the first solo of it. This is something that I really try to emphasize during my online guitar lessons.
On the other hand, if you’re a younger student, chances are you haven’t listened to many of those guys, and chances are you’ve been listening to more modern rock and pop music that contains very little to no lead guitar. I still wonder why that is, why rock music today is almost devoid of solos. The opinion of the masses is that today’s popular guitarists simply don’t know how to do it.
So what is the best way to learn?
Well, you will need to have a basic knowledge of scales. Formal online guitar lessons or webcam guitar lessons with a live instructor are highly recommended. Trying to learn this art on the go can be very frustrating. Starting with the minor pentatonic scale would be the best and most recommended way to start. This scale is most often used in blues and modern music. One thing that’s good to do is learn a bunch of signature licks, cliché licks as they’re called. Then practice pentatonic mode by playing along with a song, randomly adding your signature licks from time to time. As you progress, you’ll need to learn other scales and their applications, including the family of modes.
The bottom line is that you want to start listening to songs that have a main structure built into them so that you can understand the dynamics involved. Again, I cannot stress enough how much formal instruction, via live online guitar lessons or webcam guitar lessons will help you. Playing the guitar is a lifelong pleasure, and playing it with someone who shares your passion is even more enjoyable. Learning to play solos and lead lines will enhance that experience and set you apart from the rest of the group.