Need your help Neil in improving lead play!

[gchapel]

Hi Neil,

You've helped me a great deal with my acoustic guitar play. My rhythm playing has improved leaps and bounds since I started practicing your song lessons and studying your theory lessons. However my frustration with my electric lead guitar play has depressed me to the point of nearly tossing it in the trash.

I got into guitar music because I wanted to learn to play electric lead guitar. I like the acoustic guitar and playing unplugged is fun but it still isn't the same as playing my favorite songs in the way they are recorded (with searing electric leads).

Anyway my main problem with lead play is timing and playing these complex licks while at the same time keeping a steady right hand going. I know you profess "KEEP THE RIGHT HAND MOVING" and it works great for simple licks or easy leads, but what about complex leads. I am talking about leads such as those of Stairway to heaven, or Sultans of swing. There is so much syncopation and so many triplets, slides, bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, releases, etc. It makes keeping track of which note is an 8th downstroke, 16th upstroke, rest stroke, up-down-up string skip, nearly impossible. It takes me forever to learn to play even simpler leads such as George Harrison's Let it be electric lead. Trying to keep the right hand moving and still performing the proper mutes and hit the correct strings is harder than just playing. I doubt that Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jack White, Jeff Beck or others keep track of up-down strokes, they most likely have played so much they play in time naturally.

I know that when I improvise over a backing track, it is relatively easy to play in time because I can start, stop, continue a phrase, or end it whenever I want to. I don't need to keep moving my right hand because I am just playing. When I improvise, I also usually play over slow blues or slow rock tracks that don't require a lot of speed play and it is easy to fall into the rhythm.

However this isn't the same as playing a known solo lead. Even if I don't need to play the solo note for note, it would be nice if I could make it sound the same and with the correct timing.

I realize this is an acoustic guitar site but I understand that you play a mean electric guitar as well. Could you please help? What is the best way to work through a known solo, and try to learn a more complicated piece of music like the Stairway to Heaven electric lead. I don;t necessarily need to play it note for note but I would like to play something like this, and in-time with the backing rhythm.

[TGNeil]

One of things you might start with are looking at a specific lead, maybe Sultans Of Swing or Stairway To Heaven, and just focusing on a small lick or phrase. Use Song Surgeon to slow it down to a reasonable speed and play along with Jimmy, Jimi, Mark... hundreds of times to get the subtle phrasing of a very small segment exactly in sync with the original. Then try it without them a few times before going back to playing with the original. In general:

1. Small segments

2. Slow it down

3. Play along

4. Play it alone

Lather, rinse repeat...

This is just the tip of the iceberg but enough to get started. I will try to get to some lessons on creating leads as we continue to evolve.

Neil

[thereshopeyet]

Thanks

[sbutler]

I learned a while back that just knowing scales, wasn't enough for me to be able to create leads in key.

It takes a lot of imagination and being well versed in certain techniques. All the other stuff I'm learning now, I hope will pay big dividends, when I finally decide to try the lead stuff again.

If we had lessons on it, I would sure pay attention.

Scott

[haoli25]

Sound Surgeon didn't help much with this. I am trying to get the TAB for it.

[gchapel]

Thanks for the reply Neil. I'll have to try Song Surgeon as slowing things down and playing along sounds like a good idea. I can usually accomplish more by playing slow.
Future lessons that might help would be greatly appreciated. I seem to pick things up faster when you explain and demonstrate them.

Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Greg