something that bugs me greatly...

[Magicawe]

I've been playing guitar around 2 and a half years right now im 15. I can't play ONE solo at all. I haven't learned not one yet. I can't play solos for crap at all unless they are easy short ones (like the chorus solo type thing in Arch Enemy-Bury Me an Angel). I'm just way too slow and can't move my left hand (well im left handed so it's right hand but I said that so no one would get confused...). So is there anything in specific I should be working on? Or should I just practice practice practice and try to get a feel for it on my own?

 

[lord667]

Originally posted by Magicawe
I've been playing guitar around 2 and a half years right now im 15. I can't play ONE solo at all. I haven't learned not one yet. I can't play solos for crap at all unless they are easy short ones (like the chorus solo type thing in Arch Enemy-Bury Me an Angel). I'm just way too slow and can't move my left hand (well im left handed so it's right hand but I said that so no one would get confused...). So is there anything in specific I should be working on? Or should I just practice practice practice and try to get a feel for it on my own?

Learn the solos slowly until you can play them flawlessly, then crank up the speed little by little, making sure not to move on until you've got each speed nailed. Start as slow as you need to, there's no shame in playing at quarter-speed while you build yourself up. A slow, accurate player is more impressive than a fast, sloppy one.

As well as the solos, learn scales and arpeggios; these will help get your fingers dancing, but remember, AS SLOW AS YOU NEED TO.

Keep an eye on your posture and technique; most importantly, don't press too hard on the strings. Just enough to fret the note is all you need. Keep those muscles loose.

Your guitar setup can help somewhat - lighter strings and lower action make it easier - but in the long run, you can learn to solo on practically any guitar.

 

[Silverhaze]

I've been playing 5 years or so and I can't solo worth a crap either...so take this advice with a grain of salt.....

I don't know how much you know, but before you worry about speed you need to know your scales well. No matter how much you're shredding, if you're playing flat or in the wrong key (in a band situation), it's not going to sound good.

Another key is back picking. Make sure when you're practicing your scales that you are hitting the first note with a down stroke, the second with an up stroke, the third with a down stroke, etc...
The more you practice this technique, the faster you will get.

It's possible that a lot of your "slowness" could be a result of your lack of knowledge of the fret board. When you get more familiar with your scales you will be able to play without thinking about it as much and you should speed up. (again, I don't know what level you are at, so I'm just assuming you are a beginner.)

There are also some finger exercisers in the guitar catalogs (like Musicans Friend) that may help you strenghten your fingers. I don't really know if that will help you or not, but I thought I'd mention it. I have one, but I don't use it much. If you do think about picking one up, get the yellow one or the blue one. The yellow one is light tension and the blue one is medium tension. You don't want the red one (heavy tension) as a beginner! If you use them correctly (using you finger TIPS), the lighter tension ones will be enough. I don't know if these things really help or not, but I thought it was at least worth mentioning.

Now, do you know about hammer ons and pull offs? Cause there's a lot of that in those solo's too!

You already know the main thing though...Practice, Practice Practice!

 

[yourdeadgroom]

There are a number of technical things you can work on for speed, it could be you have some technical flaw that needs correcting (It could also just be that you need longer on the instrument). Two things to check are:
1) how hard are you pressing on the string? If you press too hard then your fingers need to use extra effort to move, and this all slows you down. A good excercise to try is play a note on say, the 5th fret. Start by putting no pressure on the string, and then while you are plucking gradually press down harder until the note is clear, with no buzzing. At the exact point where the note is clear is how much pressure you need, any more is wasted and will slow you down. The key to everything is to relax. Try this for each finger, in various positions on the neck (this isn't something to be done regularly, just every now and then if you notice yourself overly tense, just to remind your fingers)

2) How high are your fingers coming off the strings when you move them? They should only come off a few millimeters, if when you take a finger off you let it fly out into space then that is wrong, it means you'll have a long way to bring that finger back to play another note (which will slow you down). Play a few scales and really concentrate on how far your fingers are moving (and be sure to relax!)

 

[Silverhaze]

ahhh...Lord667 beat me to the reply! And his advice is right on.

Notice we both mentioned learning your scales!

Edit: and now yourdeadgroom adds more while I was typing this! Also very good advice! (And there was that "Scale" word again!!)

 

[Magicawe]

I dont know any scales where could I find them and what ones should I learn? All i know are 4 modes on the penatonic scale and I fucking hate these and need to get out of the habit of using them because they sound like complete ass.

Another question... What the fuck is an arpeggio?

To give you an idea of my skill level I can play most early death stuff (minus the solo's because like I said I suck at solo's) and alot of Arch Enemy stuff like Bridge of Destiny and Bury me an Angel (onec again minus the solo's).

Another thing, what is a good EQ setting on an amp? Mines pretty crappy and all I have is an epiphone SG special with stock pick ups so I don't think it's too-too sensetive to the settings but what is something good to get a nice clear but still harsh sound? Or should I just expirement and do what I like?

Also, I don't think my fingers are too far from the fretboard when I move them except my pinky that one always goes about a centimeter or too farther then all my other fingers, but my other fingers are all pretty close to the fretboard. I'm not pressing too hard on the strings either I push just hard enough for them to sound and not make that buzzing noise, something I learned before I quit guitar lessons.

Your guitar setup can help somewhat - lighter strings and lower action make it easier - but in the long run, you can learn to solo on practically any guitar.

I use 11 gauge strings and I don't know what the action is...

 

[Silverhaze]

Go to ebay and look up "TSTA" or go direct to the guys website http://mjsguitar.freeservers.com/about.html

This book is called "Total Scales Techniques and Applications" and has loads of info in it. It's thin, but if you follow his instructions and practice each technique, in order, until you know it, you will improve tremendously. I've looked at other books but this one has it all. You won't need another. If you actually make it to the end, you'll be a guitar wiz!

I know at 15 years old, you just want to jam and not deal with more "schooling", but if you're serious about playing, that's what you have to do. Just give it an hour a day if you can. You'll start picking things up more quickly the more you learn. Unfortunately, there really isn't any short cuts. If you follow that book and learn those scales, you will get better.

As far as EQ goes, it really is personal preference. I turn my mid way down, but others crank their mids. You really have to find your own sound.

I'll let Lord667 tell ya about apreggios

 

[Sunbane]

The other guys gave great tips! I had the exact same problem as you: While I could play damn fast rhythms, my leads weren't up to it.

For me, the first thing was to properly learn alternate picking (or "back picking" as Silverhaze calls it). One stroke down, next stroke up, one down, next up, etc. Do this regardless of what weird jumps you'll have to do between strings - it's crucial for building speed.

Next, I needed to learn to relax my fretting hand. Once you do this, things go MUCH easier.

I'd like to emphasize the speed thing: Never rush yourself while practicing. Be cool and take your time. =) Every note must be clear and distinct, with good coordination with the picking hand. Otherwise it won't be of any use.

It's ok to test your speed every once in a while to see how fast you can push yourself, but what really counts is learning proper technique. Once you've got a good, solid technique, the speed will come naturally when you need it (though I've noticed I must always do a warmup of the fingers before I can play really fast =P ).

Also: Don't lose hope if it seems you're not making any progress. This will take time. Some learn it quickly while it takes a long time for others. I belong to the latter category. =P

Well, the other guys said all this already. I just felt I needed to put it in my own words. =)

On to scales then:

I've gathered some scales on a handwritten paper...god knows where I found it - but you can probably find info on google or something.

One of my favourite scales is the natural minor. Actually, I've
probably overexploited it in my playing... =P Anyway, the version
I play starts on the A string and looks like this:

E -+-o-+-o-+---+-o-+--
B -+-o-+-o-+---+-o-+--
G -+-o-+---+-o-+---+--
D -+-o-+---+-o-+-o-+--
A -+-o-+---+-o-+-o-+--
E -+---+---+---+---+--

I hope the figure makes sense... The minuses represent the strings, while the plus'es represent the frets.

I like this one better than the "full" natural minor (below), because you don't need to move your hand a position down once you get to the G string or stretch your fingers to awkward places.

For reference, here's the Full natural minor:

E -+---+-o-+---+-o-+-o-+-
B -+---+-o-+-o-+---+-o-+-
G -+-o-+-o-+---+-o-+---+-
D -+---+-o-+---+-o-+---+-
A -+---+-o-+---+-o-+-o-+-
E -+---+-o-+---+-o-+-o-+-

Oh btw: What they mean with "action" is how high the string is over the frets. Low string height is usually quicker to play on.

*edit*

Oh, about the EQ: For rhythm, I turn the midrange down almost to zero, while I prefer more mids in my solo sound to cut through the bass better.

 

[Silverhaze]

Originally posted by Sunbane
For me, the first thing was to properly learn alternate picking (or "back picking" as Silverhaze calls it).

Yup....and alternate picking is exactly right! Back picking would be what you call it when you don't really know what you're talking about!

 

[Soultorn]

Does any one else have any other favorite scales, etc? Should be interesting to hear....

 

[xenophobe]

Getting back to Magicawe's original quesiton...

Start off with practicing your bends and releases as well as your natural vibrato...

Start your leads with the fewest notes possible, and work on your personal tone, your natural vibrato... which I consider one of the most important aspects of being a good soloist.

Anyone can learn to do a tremolo pick run through any number of scales or modes, but it is when you are bending or using your tremolo bending that makes you sound like a good guitarist...

 

[lord667]

Originally posted by Silverhaze
I'll let Lord667 tell ya about apreggios

Alright then, I will!

An "arpeggio" means playing the notes that make up a chord one at a time, instead of all together. So, for example, you could play a G Major arpeggio like this:

-------------3-
-----------3---
---------4-----
-------5-------
---2-5---------
-3--------------

And then back down again. Strings of arpeggios from different chords are great to warm up on and help with your fretboard knowledge.

 

[lord667]

Originally posted by Soultorn
Does any one else have any other favorite scales, etc? Should be interesting to hear....

I play more chromatically these days, but I still like the Locrian mode:

-+-O-+---+---+---+-
-+---+-O-+---+-O-+-
-+-O-+---+-O-+-O-+-
-+-O-+---+-O-+-O-+-
-+-O-+-O-+---+-O-+-
-+-O-+-O-+---+-O-+-

Partly because it's really easy to play

 

[Magicawe]

Originally posted by Silverhaze

I know at 15 years old, you just want to jam and not deal with more "schooling", but if you're serious about playing, that's what you have to do. Just give it an hour a day if you can. You'll start picking things up more quickly the more you learn. Unfortunately, there really isn't any short cuts. If you follow that book and learn those scales, you will get better.

As far as EQ goes, it really is personal preference. I turn my mid way down, but others crank their mids. You really have to find your own sound.

I'll let Lord667 tell ya about apreggios

Are you kidding me? I love learning about guitar no matter what it is and as long as it's usefull. An hour a day? I'll give it plenty more than that. I practice whenever I have the time. I'll try to find that book somewhere.

Originally posted by xenophobe
Getting back to Magicawe's original quesiton...

Start off with practicing your bends and releases as well as your natural vibrato...

Start your leads with the fewest notes possible, and work on your personal tone, your natural vibrato... which I consider one of the most important aspects of being a good soloist.

Anyone can learn to do a tremolo pick run through any number of scales or modes, but it is when you are bending or using your tremolo bending that makes you sound like a good guitarist...

Natural vibrato? Not absolutley positive what this is (although I have some Idea) and how would I work on it? Also, thank you for bringing it back to subject and using my name it's much appreciated.

 

[Sunbane]

Natural vibrato would be those that you apply using your fingers rather than the whammy. =)

 

[Magicawe]

Originally posted by Sunbane
Natural vibrato would be those that you apply using your fingers rather than the whammy. =)

I don't use a whammy bar I think they sound like ass.

 

[veil the sky]

quality advice from lord667

try a few really simple four or five note patterns which use all four fingers and work them up really slowly.

be really vigilent and patient. don't speed up until you can play it perfectly at a given speed.

 

[ElPredicador]

I had that problem too, but I once got a real teacher, I started improving very fast. Why?, because I started really practising, and two: the chromatic scale. The chromatic scale is every note on the fretboard. The exercise that I would (and still) do is:

E---------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4--2-3-4-5---------
B-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------------------2-3-4-5
G-------------------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------- etc...
D---------------------1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------------
A-----------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------------------
E-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------------

You should start with this at a low speed, so when you get a steady rythm, with every note sounding clear, you start increasing speed. You can also practise it with three fingers, to improve speed at changing strings when you have the pick going the other way, and for extreme difficulty, with 3 fingers, but with medium, ring and pinky (i think thats how its called).

Another exercise I know of, but I only used it once, because I did it too much the first time and mi fingers started aching, is like this: with the same structure, but the fingering changes: instead of 1-2-3-4 you do 1-2-3-5, then 1-3-4-6 and then 1-3-5-7.

Another chromatical exercise is:

|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-------------------------3-4-5-6----|etc..
|-1-2-3-4/5-4-3-2/3-4-5-6------------|

One of the possible causes of your problem is that your fingers aren't loose enough in the fretboard, so you can mail me and I will send you tabs of songs good for that purpose. A very good one for practicing is the intro of The words unspoken by Andromeda. Mail me and I will send you a whole lot of songs for practising

And remember magicawe, the key is practicing.
Also, dont think of playing extremely difficult songs (such as Smoke and Mirrors by Symphony X, for example), the only thing you will get is frustration. Start with easy solos, you make it diffucult: adding speed, changing fingering, etc.., but remember to keep pushing: when you have got one solo, start with another solo at once.
Well thats all I can think of now.

 

[demondeath]

I also practice chromatically from 15th fret down to the 1st fret in one string...15,14,13,12-14,13,12,11-13,12,11,10 etc... then when I switch to another string(start from high e string) I start on the 4th fret...4,3,2,1-5,4,3,2-,6,5,4,3 up to the 15th fret again.then when you switch to another just repeat the process...15,14,13,12-,14,13,12,11 etc...
this will help you navigate the fucking fretboard in one string.Try it on all the strings dude'...

 

[Opus(sy)2]

i have been playing guitar now for about 8 years but i started with classical guitar which involved learning loads of theory, scales etc...so i guess i kinda have an advantage...but my advice would be to learn some simple scales....i would go for the modes, maybe the dorian mode....you can find all of these on the net....basically learn a scale so you can play it perfectly and even without looking!...and play about with it...practise techniques...and you will find that you will steadily get faster and more fluent in your playing.....before you do practise soloing its always best to warm up a bit by playing through a number of scales and runs.