Awesome Lead Guitar 1

In this lecture, you will learn:

- How to use alternate picking to produce clear, well defined notes

- How to correctly hold the pick

- The best picking angle and pick attack for maximum efficiency

- The correct picking motion

In this lecture, you will learn to play a solo based around the alternate picking technique. First I will play you the solo, then I will take you through how to play it.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How alternate picking ideas can be used in your own solos

- How to make use of this technique for it's specific sound in different licks

Here is the extended backing track for the Alternate Picking solo. Use this to play around with your own ideas- they don't even have to be related to alternate picking!

In this lecture, you will learn:

- How to use legato techniques to create a smooth, flowing sound.

- How to do a hammer-on correctly

- How many people are doing the pull-off incorrectly

- The most efficient way to perform these techniques for the best sound

In this lecture I'm going to play you a solo that uses legato techniques. Then, I'll take you through how to play it, and what's going on at each part of the solo.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How legato techniques can be used in a real life solo

- How to make use of the sound of these technique in your own licks

This is the extended backing track for the 'legato' lectures; use it to try out some of your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- How to bend strings to change the pitch of a notes

- The importance of always having a target note in mind when bending the string.

- The correct technique to bend strings and get the note to pitch

- Exercises to practice getting the note to the correct pitch

In this lecture, I'm going to play you a solo that makes use of string-bends for a melodic sound. Then, I'll take you through how it's played, and the reasoning behind my choice of notes.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How string bends can be used for melodic effect in a real life solo

- Licks that make use of this technique

- Why it's essential to have a target note

This is the extended backing track for the 'string-bending' lectures. Use it to work on your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- How to use muting techniques to control your guitar's sound

- How you can also use these techniques for musical effects

- How to use both hands to mute unwanted notes

Here is the example solo for the 'dampening techniques' lecture. First, I'll play you the solo and then I'll teach you how to play it yourself. I also explain what's happening musically at each part of the solo.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How dampening and muting techniques can be used for various musical effects

- How to incorporate these techniques into your own lead playing

This is the extended backing track for the 'dampening techniques' lectures. Use it to try out some of your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- How to slide between notes

- What can go wrong with slides, and how to fix it

- How to move your hand with the slide

- Why it's a good idea to have fresh strings

This lecture is a solo using various sliding techniques. First, I'll play you the solo, and then I'll teach you how to play it. I'll also explain what's happening in each part of the solo, so that you know how to use these kinds of ideas, yourself.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How slides can be used to create melodic, flowing lines

- Licks that use this technique, and how to apply this technique to your ow licks

Here is the extended backing track to the slide technique solo; use it to try out some of your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- What 'tremolo' really means

- How to perform this technique on the guitar

- Exercises to practice this technique on each string

- The correct way to do this, and the wrong way

This lecture is an example solo that uses the tremolo technique. First, I'll play you the solo, and then I'll take you through what's happening, and how to play it yourself.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- Licks that make use of these techniques

- How to use tremolo techniques in your own solos

This is the extended backing track to the tremolo lectures; use it to try out your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- How the minor pentatonic scale is formed and how it gets its name

- The five shapes that cover the entire fretboard

- Where and how to use this scale in a solo

- What keys suit this scale best

This is the example solo for the minor pentatonic scale. First, I'll play you the solo, and then I'll teach it to you and explain what's going on in each part.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How the scale sounds in a real soloing context

- Licks and ideas for your own playing that use this scale

Here is the extended backing track for the minor pentatonic solo; use it to try out some of your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- What the major pentatonic scale really is

- How the scale is constructed

- Five scale shapes that cover the entire fretboard

- How the major and minor pentatonic scales are related

- When and where to best use this scale in your own playing

Here is the example solo for the major pentatonic scale. First, I'll play you the solo, and then I'll teach you how to play it yourself. I'll also explain what's going on musically for each part of the solo.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How to use the major pentatonic scale in a real life soloing context

- Major pentatonic licks and ideas

- How the solo sounds in a piece of music

This is the extended backing track for the major pentatonic scale; use it to try out your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- How the blues scale is related to the pentatonic scale

- Five scale shapes that cover the entire fretboard

- How to play both the major and minor blues scales

- What the 'blues' note is, and how to use it properly

This is the example solo for the blues scale. First, I will play you the solo, and then I'll teach you how it's done. I'll also explain what's going on musically in each part of the solo.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How to use the blues scale in a musical context

- How the scale sounds in a solo

- How to combine this scale with the major and minor pentatonic scales

- Licks that use the blues scale

Here is the extended backing track for the blues scale; use it to try out your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- What the major scale is, and how it is formed

- How to know when to use this scale in a solo

- Seven scale shapes that cover the entire fretboard

- How and why this scale is important in a lot of music theory

- How every other scale compares to the major scale

Here is the example solo for the major scale. First, I will play you the solo, and then I'll teach you how to play it. I will also talk about what's going on in the music, which will help you in coming up with your own soloing ideas.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How the major scale can be used in a solo

- How the scale sounds in a real life soloing context

- Licks and ideas to use in your own lead playing

Here is the extended backing track for the major scale solo; use it to try out your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- What the natural minor scale is, and why it's 'natural'

- How the scale is formed

- When and where to use this scale

- How this scale is different to the major scale

This is the example solo for the minor scale. First I will play the solo, and then take you through how it's done and what's happening at each point.

You will learn:

- How to play the solo

- How the scale sounds

- How to use the natural minor scale in a real life soloing context

- Licks for the natural minor scale

This is the extended backing track for the natural minor scale; use it to try out your own ideas.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- What we mean by 'phrasing'

- How to create your own phrases

- How to prevent your solos from sounding like a run-on series of notes or just an exercise

- Various techniques you can use to come up with your own phrases

Here is another backing track for you to practise your phrasing to.

In this lecture, you will learn:

- What 'vibrato' really is

- How it is written in notation and tab

- The different styles of vibrato (classical, blues, rock...)

- When to use each type of vibrato

- Why you you might use this technique in your soloing

Use this last backing track to practise your soloing and vibrato.