9 Secrets To Playing Great Lead Guitar
If you really want to know the secrets to successfully learning to play guitar, a strong musical foundation is important. By building a strong foundation you lay the groundwork for all of your future success.
The 9 Secrets To Playing Great Lead Guitar
- Clean Technique
If you have a good teacher you will learn a clean technique. As you become proficient in your current technique you can always look for ways to improve it. While the foundation is important, by developing an individual technique you will set yourself apart from other musicians. Many of the most successful musicians never stop reaching for new methods and techniques to improve their skills and ultimately their sound.
- Body Basics
In your head the lead guitarist is standing on stage, but when you are learning you have far better control over your guitar if you practice while sitting. This way you can concentrate on your music. By sitting up straight with your feet flatly planted on the floor, you will save your back from feeling strained. Then as you master your technique and know your music inside and out, that is when you may want to take the stage and try it standing up.
- The Hands Have It
By developing good habits early in your practice, you set yourself up to succeed later on. Pay attention to what your hands are doing and how they are placed on your guitar. Practice good hand position, because it will allow you to transition between chords faster. You will be much more adept at reacting to unplanned problems that may occur when you are performing if your hand position is naturally correct. So practice correct hand positions so that they are second nature.
- Cop a 'Tude
Remember that attitude is key and it affects everything. When you play lead guitar, you are front and center. Act like it. The way you stand, the way you move, and how you hold your head all project your attitude. So make a presence and establish your place center stage. Watch successful bands and notice how the lead guitarist commands the entire stage with simply his attitude.
- Dedication
Talent without discipline is wasted. When you are first learning the guitar it may be easier to stay disciplined, because everything is still new. However, as time goes by, and you get better at playing you may get comfortable and not challenge yourself as you once did. It is important to always be improving your skills as well as to have the discipline to keep your skills polished. Discipline elevates you from ordinary to extraordinary.
- Leader of the Pack
The lead guitarist is basically the leader of the pack, so if what you want is to be the lead guitarist, then you better be ready to lead. Your group will look to you for advice and guidance, so be ready to provide it. Set a good example, and listen to how the collective group sounds. It is up to you to set the tone for your group. You should be versatile enough to weave any mistakes seamlessly into your routine. You must be ready to think on your feet, and while you may not be the perfect leader when you start, you will develop these skills over time and grow into a really great lead guitarist.
- Learn to Listen
It is essential that you train your ear to hear your music. If you cannot hear what you are playing, then you will never know if you are playing it correctly.
While training your ear may seem like a boring undertaking, it can be quite delightful, and it is also necessary. There are a couple of good ear training sites on the Internet that offer software. They improve skills for listening, and they make the experience more like a game than like a lesson. Invest the time in learning to listen, and you will be happy that you did.
- Practice Daily
It is better to practice for a short time (20 minutes or so) every day rather than a marathon practice once per week. Remember to practice your ears as well as your fingers. Warm up your fingers using the five tone pentatonic scales. By having a structure to your practice it will build a habit, and the habit will develop into a skill.
- Find a Skilled Teacher
By finding a good, private teacher that you resonate with or even finding lessons on the Internet that work for you will help you to structure your lessons and your regular practices. Learning on the Internet can work well because it is so convenient and flexible.
Follow these 9 tips and you will be well on you're way to being a great lead guitarist. And remember, the most important thing is to enjoy it and don't take it too seriously. Do it for love and fun. Don't do it for fame and fortune.
If you're really serious about becoming a great lead guitarist, I would highly recommend Learn & Master Guitar. Click on the image below to read more about it.
5 Easy Guitar Songs For Beginners
Learning how to play a guitar is exciting, and even though it takes some time to be able to play a real tune and play it
well, there are easy guitar songs for beginners that you can learn to play fairly quickly.
These songs are great for beginners, because it gives you the instant satisfaction of being able to see the progress that you have made in a very short time.
You can compare it to learning how to walk. When you begin to walk as a child, you do not just start running. First you sit up, then you stand, then you crawl, then you walk and finally you run.
By playing easy tunes first you set yourself for success because you are reinforcing what you have learned while enjoying making real music.
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Some Songs are Better than Others
Just because a tune is short does not make it easy, and by the same token just because a song is long does not make it difficult. A lot of standard jazz songs for example are quite short but often involve complicated chords during the middle 8.
Here are my 5 top easy guitar songs for beginners:
- A Horse With No Name (only 2 chords)
- American Pie
- Bad Moon Rising
- That'll Be The Day (apart from the intro- I'll teach you that later)
- C'mon Everybody
I'll be posting video lessons on how to play these songs soon.
Some Tunes Make Learning Easy
Of course you could begin your music career by learning just any old song, but why choose baptism by fire? By choosing an easy song to learn first you are building a foundation of skills which you can apply to harder songs later on down the road.
The point of choosing an easy to learn guitar tune is to practice the basics as you enjoy actually playing a song. When you have fun playing your guitar you are more likely to practice often, and when you practice often you will become more proficient in your skills on the guitar.
Gradually you can increase your songs to more challenging musical pieces while still enjoying playing your guitar.
Choosing an easy song will help you read music better, because you already know what the song is supposed to sound like. By already hearing the song in your head, you can learn to read the music correctly as you get more proficient with your instrument. This helps you in two ways.
1. By reading the musical annotations as you play a song that you are familiar with, you can hear the music as you read it.
2. By listening as you play, you are developing your ear to be able to pick up melodies without any sheet music at all.
When trying to find easy to learn guitar tunes, take care to select a tune that is appropriate for building your foundational guitar playing skills. Find a song you know, and then practice the tune while reading the music for the song. Soon enough you can add your own personal style to the song, and you will be on your way towards becoming a true musician.
Don’t forget, practice makes perfect!
Final tip: Start learning with an easy to play song on your guitar.
8 Steps to Changing Acoustic Guitar Strings
So you need to change your strings and you're not sure of the best way to do it? If you've just bought a new guitar it'll probably have strings on it but they may not be as new as they should be so. The guitar might have been sitting int he shop with the same strings for a while so it's probably a good idea to change them.
To change a string you start by attaching it to the bridge and then attaching it to the headstock. It's important to do it this way round.
Here are 8 easy steps to changing your acoustic guitar strings.
- Take the ball of the old string out of the bridge. First, loosen the string with the tuning peg on the headstock. When it is very loose (i.e. there's at least a foot of give in it) then use a key or a coin to lever out the little black bridge pins. Alternatively, use pliers to pull out the pin. They can be stiff so it might need a bit of wiggling.
- Insert the ball of the new string into the hole of the bridge. Push the ball of the new string down into the hole a couple of centimetres. You're going to tighten it up in a minute.
- Replace the bridge pin to secure the ball of the new string. Push the pin back into the hole whilst pulling up the ball at the same time. There's a little ridge in the pin where the string lies.
- Pull the string so that the ball is tight up against the bottom of the pin. Make sure you keep a thumb pressing down on the pin when you do this so that it is secure. Also, be careful not to bend the string.
- Test the secureness of the string by pulling it. If there is no give in the string then it means the ball is tight up against the inside of the pin. This is good. Gently pull it if it's not. Now it's time to attach the string to the other end of the guitar.
- Attach the other end of the string to the tuning post. Push the thin end of the string through the hole in the tuning peg (the little nobbly bit that sticks out of the head stock). Push it about 6 inches through so that you have enough on the other side to wind.
- Bend the end of the string toward the inside of the guitar. Just make a little bend in the string on the bit sticking out. This just makes it easier to wind and tighten up.
- Turn the tuning peg whilst holding the end tight. If you are fitting one of the top three thin strings (E, B, G) turn the tuning peg clockwise. If you are fitting one of the bottom three thicker strings, turn the tuning peg anti-clockwise.
I usually start with the bottom E string. I take the old one off and add the new one. Then I do the top E string. Then the A string. Then the B string, D string and G string in that order. There's no particular reason for this apart from maybe a desire for some kind of symmetry!
The last step is probably the trickiest. Make sure the string is winding down the tuning peg towards the headstock. Take it gently and don't rush this. Once the string is tight, it's sometimes a good idea to pull it out from the body of the guitar a couple of times because there might still be a lot of elasticity and slack in it.
It's important to wind the string down the peg so that you get a good breaking angle. This is the angle between the the nut of the guitar and the tuning post. A good sharp angle will improve the sustain of the guitar.
Now it's time to tune your guitar.
You'll find that it might go out of tune quickly as it stretches a bit and settles in. Just keep tuning the guitar to itself until you feel it's settles down. You might come back to it in an hour and will probably have to re-tune it as the strings may be flat.
If you can, get hold of a peg winder which will make your life a hell of a lot easier.
Now that you're done, make sure you snip off the excess string with wire clippers. try to leave as little as possible on it.
And you're done! Brand new strings on your guitar.
If you’re interested in finding out more about buying a guitar I can highly recommend Jamorama.
It uncovers the truth about how to get a guitar at below dealer cost and how to decide whether you should learn how to play guitar on an acoustic or electric guitar, and just what to look out for if you choose to buy a used guitar!
It’s also a complete step by step guitar learning system and all you’ll need to become a great guitarist.
5 Guitar Fretting Secrets
Ever wondered why some people make it look so easy to play the guitar and you feel it's the most awkward thing in the world?
Imagine if you could stand up there on stage, caressing the neck of your beloved guitar like Jimi Hendrix and have people think you've been playing for years.
The first step to feeling comfortable with your guitar is to understand left hand fretting. Fretting is the act of pressing down the strings with your fingers.
Let's have a look at 5 ways to get a relaxed fretting hand.
- Hold out your left hand and rotate it so that the palm is facing towards the ceiling. Now pretend you are lightly grasping the handle of an imaginary sword. Your thumb should be resting gently on your first and second finger and your fingers should be relaxed and gently curled inwards. Now replace the imaginary sword with your guitar neck. Your thumb will gently ride up and down the back of the neck and the finger knuckles should remain bent. It should feel very natural. Make sure your wrist isn't bent with the heel of your hand pointing towards you. If so, try and straighten it out.
- Press the TIPS of your fingers onto the fretboard. Make sure you're not using the soft pads of your fingers to fret the notes. Using the very tips of your fingers will reduce dampening and buzzing of the surrounding strings. Also, if you use the flat pads of your fingers, you'll find it hard to press down anymore than 3 strings at the same time. If you're having trouble with this, try pushing your wrist forward so that your hand is more vertical.
- Press your fingers down close to the higher fret. For example if you're playing the 4th fret, put your finger in between the 3rd fret and the 4th fret (not on the 4th fret) and as close to the 4th fret as possible. This will prevent buzzing and provide a much better tone.
- Don't use artificial exercises to 'strengthen' your hand. Get rid of that squash ball for squeezing and those special wrist strengthening tools. In my experience they only serve to hurt your hand in the short term leaving you unable to play for a few hours. The best way to strengthen the correct muscles in the left hand is to play the guitar. And like a good whisky, it takes just a little bit of attention over a long period of time to become fully matured and elegant. (Don't panic, it won't take 25 years! Probably more like 25 days with 10 minutes a day practice).
- Pay attention to the rest of your body when your fretting. Because your body is not used to using these muscles, you'll find that other parts of your body will tense up pretty quickly. This can result in hunched shoulders and a sticking out left elbow. Take the time to be aware of this and consciously adjust your shoulders to a more relaxed position. Similarly with a sticking out elbow. Make sure it's not too far away from your left hand rib cage.
The most important thing to making it look easy is to maintain a comfortable and natural left hand position. If it starts to hurt you're doing it wrong. Stop and take a break.
Just like a 10 year old Glenmorangie and everything else worth waiting for, it takes time and a little bit of attention to perfect.
Your muscles will eventually adjust so the key is don't give up too soon.
If you're serious about becoming a great guitar player, I can highly recommend Jamorama.
It will teach you how to quickly build the strength and agility you need to advance beyond the beginner stage. They use special techniques to eliminate sore and clumsy fingers and start you playing fluent, flowing guitar.
Best Beginner Guitar – And Where to Buy It
Confused about your first guitar? You're not alone.
So you're looking for the best beginner guitar. In fact, it could be your first guitar.
These are exciting times! You can look forward to hanging out in guitar shops and trying out the models you really fancy, knowing that you will soon be the proud owner of a beautiful piece.
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I would recommend starting on an electric guitar because it's so much easier on the fingers.
Here are some tips.
Don't hold back in the guitar shop. Don't be afraid to ask if you can try everything that catches your eye. Two reasons for this:
- That's what the staff are there for. They should be more than happy to let you try out guitars. Just don't linger there all day.
- It gives you a chance to compare and contrast the quality and feel of different styles and models. For example, compare the weight of a big old jazz guitar with that of a Fender Stratocaster. This all adds to your guitar education and knowledge.
Indulge yourself. Expose yourself to all the different types before committing your hard earned pennies.
First, It's Wise To Ask Yourself Some Tough Questions
But wait just a minute! Hold on there! You need to have a plan in your head before heading down to the guitar shop. Why? Because I can almost guarantee that when you get there, you will be seduced by guitars that you hadn't even thought about.
And if there's one thing you want to avoid - it's buying an expensive guitar in the heat of passion.
As a guide, here are 5 questions you should at least think about before buying a guitar.
- How much am I going to spend? Decide your upper limit. You're going to be seeing all sorts of sexy guitars that will cost a fortune and you don't want to get carried away. Believe me that £1000 guitar won't look half as sexy when you have to eat tuna pasta for the 10th day in a row because you blew a whole years budget on it. Decide how committed you're going to be. Will you still be playing it this time next year?
- Define your level of commitment. Are you going to be studying guitar seriously for the next 3 years? If so, maybe that £1000 guitar is going to be a good investment. But be honest. Most people are not that dedicated and don't worry if you're not. It's normal and healthy not to be obsessed. So maybe going for a good all round guitar like a Stratocaster copy or a Telecaster copy for less than £500 would probably be your best bet.
- Should I buy it off the internet? If you know exactly what model and colour you want, then by all means purchase from a reputable online store like Thomann in Europe or even Amazon in the US. But please make sure you've tried out the model in a shop beforehand. I've made a few online purchases based on looks and reading online reviews and most of them have ended up on eBay. You'll probably get a cheaper price on the internet. If you're in doubt at all, go to the guitar shop.
- Do I want a new guitar or a second-hand guitar? You can get some pretty good second hand bargains on sites like eBay and even sometimes in your local newspaper. I prefer not to buy from local newspapers because it usually means treking across town to see a guitar that's been badly describe in the paper or is terribly over-priced. I would only advise buying a second hand guitar if it's a vintage guitar. Why? Because these days the quality and price of new budget guitars is so good that it's pretty hard to buy a really rubbish guitar like you could 10 years ago.
- Should I haggle? Yes. If you do find yourself thinking the price is too high (even in a guitar shop) don't be afraid to haggle. The secret is to be prepared to walk away. If it's not a guitar you really really want and will never get elsewhere then you have nothing to lose. After they have stated their price (or there's a price tag on it) offer them 50% less. If they shake their head and say no just say thank you, have a nice day and leave. More often than not they'll stop you and offer you a discount. It won't be 50% but that's ok. That was just your starting bid.
How Much Should I Spend?
For a good basic acoustic to learn on, plan to spend around £200 (about $300). For an electric, it'll be a little less - more like £150 (about $250). You will find cheaper and these are sometimes just as good - that's why you're trying them all out isn't it? Enjoy the process but keep a budget in mind!
The Best Guitar To Learn On
There are 3 tests for determining the best guitar to learn on.
- Is it playable? What does that mean? It means you can press the strings down easily without hurting your fingers. Yes, your fingers will start to hurt when you start practicing properly but if you're in a shop testing a guitar, it shouldn't be sore.
- Intonation? What does that mean? It means will it stay in tune. And it's important. To test it put your finger lightly above the 12th fret, pluck it, take it off then play the string open. The 2 pitches should be exactly the same. Do this on all the strings especially the 3rd and 6th.
- Does it look good. I don't need to tell you this but you'll be much happier with your guitar if you can admire it's looks. And remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One man's ugly guitar is another man's pride and joy.
How To Play Left Hand Guitar
Are you a righty or a lefty?
If you're a lefty then you're in a minority in the world. But that's ok.
Because some of the finest guitarists in the world have been lefties. Consider Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Albert King and Dick Dale.
How do lefties go about playing a guitar custom made for the right handed?
If you have overcame the idea of quitting, and you are among the left-handed who try so hard learning to play it your way, you might as well read attentively.
Let's figure out what to do.
You can actually do two things:
- You can switch the strings or
- You can choose to play the guitar upside down.
Sounds funny? It's a fact and pretty effective.
Some people say it is way too difficult and outrageous to create notes with a guitar positioned upside down. While others believe nothing is impossible if you try really hard and put your heart into it. The idea of rotating the guitar and operating it backwards is an accepted practice.
Using the basic chords, a left-handed player can place his fingers on the same set of strings only that it has to be put the other way around but with the same strings. Regardless of how accustomed people are when it comes to playing a guitar right handed, some left handed guitarists have introduced newer methods.
To start with, you should equip yourself with a guitar guide or manual. Playing with an upside down guitar doesn't necessarily mean changing the mode of how fingering should be.
Normally, if you would play a right handed guitar right handed, the C would represent that your fourth finger must be positioned at the third fret on the fifth string. Then your third finger must lie on the second fret pressing on the fourth string. Last, your index finger must be on the first fret down on the second string.
With an inverted guitar for lefties, it should be done in an inverted way. Noting that your last string would be on top and the fret would remain the same. Things are difficult if you have no guitar to practice with. Make it a point that you follow what the diagram shows and not making the mistake of strumming the forbidden strings in each chord.
This type of technique is difficult, indeed. So start with those chords that only require three or three fingers at the moment. Basic chords like CAGED will be good to start with.
When you get the hang of it, try working on the harder ones. Do not saturate yourself with learning the hard ones first. That would be enough reason for you to give up. Frustrated.
But if you find it really hard to cope with this kind of style, settle with the conventional way of playing. That is, playing a right handed guitar right handed even though you're left handed.
If you want to become a sh**t hot guitarist, I can highly recommend Jamorama.
It's got software, famous song lessons, how to buy a guitar at less than dealer price and loads more.
It’s also a complete step by step guitar learning system and all you’ll need to become a great guitarist.
Learn To Play The Guitar
So you want to learn to play the guitar? Good decision!
The guitar is one of the cheapest and handiest instruments to learn. You can drag along anytime, anywhere you want.
Several professional guitarists admit that they have to give it their all to perfectly master the art of playing the guitar. It took them a lot of determination and patience to learn which is the finest key to learning, not only a guitar but any other instrument alike.
But if you're still having second thoughts, and yet you really, really want to learn, erase the negativity and begin as early as possible. What better time to start than now.
Below are some of the basic steps on how to ease your way through guitar playing.
Step 1. Decide on what type of guitar to play with.
There are basically two types - acoustic and electric. To differentiate, an acoustic is more preferred than the electric although the electric is easier to manipulate. Either way, never start your lesson without having a guitar. It's like going to school without your books.
Step 2. Be equipped with the right references and materials that you can single-handedly use.
Though having someone around is better than being alone. If you're lucky enough to pull someone along the way of learning, be sure he or she knows something about guitars. Let him or her tune your guitar or teach you how to properly tune a guitar. He or she could also perform some examples and comment on your work.
But if you are alone in this fight, try purchasing manuals or if you have an internet connection in your home, try searching the net for websites that offer free tutorial and instructions. There are numerous sites that can teach you step by step on how to execute a chord.
Step 3. Memorize the important basic chords.
Not just mentally, but physically. It is not only important that your mind remembers each note and fret but it is also essential that your fingers and hands create proper communication in between notes to maintain equilibrium and efficiency.
If you're starting to develop blisters on the tips of your fingers, that would be an advantage for blisters, in time, can form calluses that can make your fingers numb and can make you play better without the pain of pressing on the strings.
Step 4. Practice.
Make it a daily habit. If possible, be attached to it. Never leave your guitar just lying around and idle. Always play with it. Be addicted. Never give up on your endearment for you will reap what you sow, donít give up just yet. Focus. Hard times are for beginners.
Not unless you have the power to master playing the guitar for only a day, practice is always a better way to enhance your skills.
If you want to become a s**t hot guitarist, I can highly recommend Jamorama.
It's got software, famous song lessons, how to buy a guitar at less than dealer price and loads more.
It’s also a complete step by step guitar learning system and all you’ll need to become a great guitarist.
The Secret Of Successful Guitar Tuning
Let's look at the best ways to tune your guitar.
There are several ways to tune your guitar and some people even have their own personal ways of doing it.
I know someone who tunes every string in relation to the top open E string.
But here we're going to look at some more useful ways of doing it.
Relative Tuning
Basically this means tuning the guitar to itself. You pick a string, usually the bottom E string, and make sure every other string is in tune with the bottom E string. This is also commonly known as the 5th fret method.
That's because you play the string at the 5th fret and compare that to the sound of the next open string - they should be the same. Watch out for the B string though! The B string has the same pitch as the 4th fret of the G string.
Here's how to use the 5th fret method.
- Play the 5th fret of the low E string (the thickest string) and then pluck the A string, the one directly above it. The two pitches should be exactly the same. If the A string is lower (flat) then use the tuning peg to tighten the string and make it higher (sharper). If you're finding it hard to tell if it's higher or lower, then loosen the A string substantially so that the pitch is a lot lower and then use the tuning peg to slowly tune it up.
- Play the 5th fret of the 5th string (A string) and pluck the D string, the one directly above it. Let the strings ring at the same time. If they are not exactly the same then use the tuning head of the D string to either lower or raise the pitch of it.
- Play the 5th fret of the 4th string (D string) and pluck the 3rd string (G string), the one directly above it. Let the two notes ring. If the 3rd string is not the same as the 4th string, use the tuning head of the 3rd string to tighten it or loosen it (sharpen it or flatten it)
- Play the 4th fret (Warning! 4th fret) of the 3rd string (G string) and pluck the 2nd string (B string), the one directly above it. Let them ring and make sure they sound the same. Again, use the tuning head of the 3rd string to either sharpen or flatten the B string.
- Play the 5th fret of the 2nd string (B string) and pluck the 1st string (E string), the one directly above it. Let them ring and adjust the tuning head of the top E string if necessary. Now that you've tuned the upper E string you have successfully tuned your guitar to the bottom E string and tuned the guitar to itself.
TIP: You can use your right hand to turn the tuning heads whilst keeping your left hand finger on the 5ht fret.
Tuning to another instrument
An alternative to tuning a guitar to itself is tuning to another instrument. A piano is a fantastic instrument to tune your guitar to because it hardly ever goes out of tune. If you have an electronic keyboard then all the better.
Tuning To pitch pipes
Pitch pipes are small hand held sets of 6 reed pipes that play the pitches of the guitar strings. They are available at all music shops and are a good alternative to relative tuning - but not as good.
Electronic tuners
If you can afford it, it's worthwhile investing in an electronic tuner especially if you're doing some recording or playing with a band. They can tell you quickly and accurately if your strings are in tune. I'd highly recommend getting one if you can.
If you want to become a s**t hot guitarist, I can highly recommend Jamorama.
It's got software, famous song lessons, how to buy a guitar at less than dealer price and loads more.
It’s also a complete step by step guitar learning system and all you’ll need to become a great guitarist.