Lead Guitar Course - All The Lessons (#1-7)

Learn the fundamentals of alternate picking for lead guitar: hold the pick, position the right hand, and practice 16 exercises to build speed, control, and natural technique.

Discover why the Just three pick from Jim Dunlop, with a sharp tip and small size, enables precise string hits and comfortable handling after ten years of use.

Hold the guitar pick as an extension of your finger, resting it on the index finger with the thumb on top, and experiment with grips to find what works best.

Learn where to place the right hand behind the bridge to anchor the strings. Practice palm muting and effective string muting for control and cleaner tone.

Develop full control of your picking for licks, riffs, and soloing through real-song style exercises that coordinate both hands, emphasize natural picking motion, and practice subdivision and beat.

Download a free metronome app and set it to 90 bpm to guide your exercises; if needed, lower to 80 or 70 and notice that slow practice can be harder.

Practice each exercise for 3-5 minutes with a metronome at a comfortable tempo, exploring diverse dynamics by changing pick grip and attack while staying relaxed.

Use a speed ramping method: go up by tens (70→80→90), then back five (back to 85), repeating to boost speed, precision, and control for a more natural tone.

Lead guitar exercises 1 teach precise picking at 90 bpm with one note per string and two notes per beat, emphasizing dynamics, string skipping, breathing, and top-to-bottom string positioning.

Extend exercise one by adding a second note per string at the same tempo, teaching two-note patterns across strings and reinforcing metronome timing, breathing, and stable pick grip.

Practice exercise three adds one note per string with alternating down-up picking, keeps two notes per beat, and demonstrates correct subdivision versus three notes per tempo.

Master dynamics and right-hand control in exercise four by practicing soft pick attacks, varying note emphasis, and phrasing to add expression to riffs and solos.

Master the E minor pentatonic scale across fretboard with fixed left-hand fingering while the right hand speeds up, and subdivide the tempo into quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenths.

practice exercise six reinforces two-note patterns with the left hand and doubles the right-hand speed, emphasizing consistent tempo and strict alternating picking.

Practice exercise 7 guides you through playing triplets at tempo, building a triplet feel across strings. Focus on alternate picking and maintaining rhythm across the strings.

Speed up the right hand to four notes per beat while keeping it locked to the click, with a light accent on the first note to align the rest.

Perform exercises 5–8 to boost right-hand speed, maintaining a continuous flow from the first to the last note, and master transitions between quarter and eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenths.

Exercises 9 to 12 teach the minor pentatonic scale, a versatile guitar staple used across blues, rock, and jazz contexts, including bars and Berklee-style improv.

Practice exercise nine by executing one note per beat on the pentatonic scale you learned, counting along as you play.

Practice two notes per beat on the pentatonic scale to hear how the sounds vary as your right-hand technique changes.

Practice exercise eleven by playing three notes per temple, counting one two three. Integrates with the lead guitar course.

Practice exercise twelve four notes per temple, private 1 2 3, always alternating the pick to reinforce picking technique.

In exercises 13 to 16, play a riff on D and A strings, one D note and seven notes on another string at 90 BPM, fretting five and seven.

Practice exercise 14 guides you to add a single note while refining uptempo upstrokes and downstrokes, all structured around a metronome to build timing and precision.

Master palm muting for lead guitar by learning how to mute adjacent strings with a gentle hand lift, producing clear, open notes on the D string.

Increase riff speed to four notes per beat in exercises 15 and 16, building on the faster riffs from 13 and 14.

Learn to clean up your guitar tone by muting unneeded strings during pentatonic runs, using your right hand and finger 1 to selectively stop strings from ringing.

Master alternate picking by patiently learning the exercises, staying relaxed and focused on your right-hand technique, and gradually increasing speed step by step to transform your picking.

Gain practical theory and playing skills to identify keys, scales, and chords in songs, apply alternate picking, and improvise lead lines, aiming to play freely without relying on chord charts.

Master major and minor chords and the diminished chord, then explore two shapes—the f-shaped root on the sixth string and the a-shaped root on the fifth string—across the neck.

Learn the e shape to form major, minor, and diminished chords on the guitar, switching notes by one fret and moving shapes across roots like g, a, and c.

Master major, minor, and diminished chords on the a string with that shape at third fret, forming C major and C minor. Explore fingerings and transitions to shift chord quality.

Practice major, minor, and diminished shapes on G, G minor, G diminished, and D with a metronome at 100 bpm, four beats per chord, muting lower strings as needed.

Practice exercise two builds dexterity with C major, C minor, C diminished, G major, E flat major and minor, and B flat through finger picking in a consistent sixth-fret position.

Master the G major scale shape on the guitar, using a repeatable pattern across frets and fingers, and compare it with major, minor, and diminished chords.

Learn major scales on a string with the same pattern and fingering, moving right with two shapes, and name notes to identify scale tones, using g major as example.

Build major keys by combining major, minor, and diminished chords from the major scale, using the G major scale and the 1–4–5 sequence to resolve tensions.

Explore the main chords of the G major key on the sixth string, including G major, A minor, B minor, C major, D major, A minor, and F# diminished.

Explore major, minor, and diminished chords, power chords, and their shapes across the D major key, learn to locate octaves on the strings, and understand why the tritone creates tension.

Use a metronome to play four beats per chord, reinforcing rhythm as you practice exercise 3, then move through major-key chords to memorize and lock them in for lead guitar.

Explore exercise 4 by applying chord progressions on the A string in the key of D, identifying the major and minor qualities for chords 1–6 and the diminished seventh.

Explore how the major scale builds major key chords and use them to identify keys, write songs, and craft solos, while recognizing that every major key contains a minor key.

Learn to find the minor within a major key by using the sixth chord, the relative minor, illustrated with g major leading to e minor and other major keys.

The correlation between major and minor keys is explored, showing that a minor song contains the chords of C major and shares the same notes.

Explore the relative major and minor relationship, showing how every major key has a relative minor and same notes and chords, with D as the relative major of B minor.

Identify the relative minor for each natural note and hear how major and minor keys relate, including A minor, D major, C sharp minor, F minor, and G major.

Explore the relative major and minor relationship by counting from the root to find the corresponding major or minor key, sharing the same chords.

Review this final words lecture and rewatch lessons to apply knowledge for creating solos and lead lines, and playing the cool stuff lead guitar players use.

Learn to solo and improvise by mastering pentatonic scales, including minor and major pentatonic, across two core shapes, with quick theory insights, patterns, and phrasing techniques.

Discover why the pentatonic scale dominates guitar solos by offering versatility, ease, and strong listener appeal. Learn its role as the primary tool for soloing across genres.

Explore how the five-note pentatonic scale fits over major and minor chords by emphasizing chord tones, landing on foundation notes, and creating a strong, singing guitar sound.

Master the first shape of the minor pentatonic over a solo, using a one-finger-per-fret approach with the 1-4-1-3 and 1-3-1-4 patterns, aligned to the minor chord.

Master the 5th string root minor chord shapes, including higher voicing at the 12th fret. Lift the pinky to form a minor seven and compare sounds using the 1-4-3-1-3-4-1-4-1-4-3-3 pattern.

Explore minor keys and chord shapes across the fretboard, featuring E minor, D minor, and G minor in multiple positions, with 1–3 vs 2–4 fingerings.

Play along a minor backing track to learn the a minor pentatonic scale, explore first and second shapes, and practice bending, legato, hammer-ons, and pull-offs.

Frame and evaluate claims about the major key in guitar topics, as introduced in the lead guitar course.

Explore major pentatonic backing tracks and the same scale shape, fitting major and minor sounds with rhythm and chords to create singable guitar melodies based on the tonic.

Engage in a back-and-forth jam session exploring jazz fundamentals and pentatonic ideas, alternating between minor and major phrases to build fluent playing.

A minor jam session emphasizes turn-taking between players, blending solo and collaborative playing as you practice together.

Lead guitar students join a jam session in A major to practice and showcase playing in A major.

Master the major and minor pentatonic scales across different keys with the provided mp3 backtracks, applying octaves, legato, slide, dynamics, and bending notes.

Explore triads as practical tools for lead guitar, learning to use chord tones to craft melodies, layer guitar parts, and create expressive lines across skill levels.

Identify triads and chord tones: root, third, and fifth in major and minor shapes, and examine diminished and augmented variants in rock and pop with jazz context noted.

Explore three micro triad shapes on the guitar using the bottom three strings G, B, and E, uncovering root, fifth, and third notes to form major and minor triads.

Connect micro triads across shapes by linking three main shapes from C major through D and E, showing how scales are like that too and each shape leads to next.

Learn how to connect minor chord shapes using the E string as the connector, exploring C minor and B minor shapes and practicing smooth micro triad connections.

Apply your understanding of triads by playing over a major key beat, and explore the chord progression e, a sharp minor, and d using the triads learned.

Guide students through exercises one and two by using the first position of these triads and repeat the pattern.

Play through exercise 2 using the same shapes and micro triads, while experimenting with a different rhythm pattern.

Practice the third exercise by moving to the next shape block, focusing on f sharp minor and d.

Practice the same shapes while exploring the notes around those shapes, play this pattern, then switch and move through one two three.

Explore a higher fret position for exercise five and experiment with rhythm to develop timing and feel on the lead guitar.

Explore lead guitar exercise 5.2 by playing straight to hear a cool, clear sound that sounds pretty cool.

You can even just play the bottom strings here in exercises 5.3; from this, you can use this to get for this is this dude.

Engage with exercises 6 in the lead guitar course, part of all the lessons (#1-7).

practice triad shapes on the guitar in a single position, work with notes around e and d, and listen to the result with a backing track.

Apply the same idea, but switch from playing those states here to starting with the sheep starting down here.

Mix things around by playing three notes on one string to hear how they go together. Then work with the D note and count one two three.

Practice exercise 10 by playing A, E, F sharp, and D in a paddle-note pattern, following the backing track with a steady one two three count.

Move to the 17th fret to craft a lick by borrowing non-triad notes, applying the same shape over A, E, F# minor, and D with a backing track.

Thank you for watching this final lesson. Explore the guitarist's on-stage and in-studio tools, double stops, layering of phrasings with different techniques, and please leave a review.

Discover three expressive techniques built on alternate picking, the foundation for lead guitar. Learn hammer on/pull off (legato), bending, and sliding to make lines more expressive.

Compare alternate picking, legato, bending, slides, and vibrato on the same three notes to hear different feels, then build strength with focused exercises and musical licks for soloing.

Improvise solos and practice the exercises over a blues backing track to explore expressive playing in the lead guitar course. Embrace blues phrasing and feeling to avoid robotic playing.

Engage in a hands-on introduction to core guitar techniques, with plans for deeper levels and multiple future lessons. Play and apply these techniques in practical, progressive sessions.

Explore the minor pentatonic and blues scale over dominant seven chords (A7, D7, E7) to shape a blues sound. Borrow notes from the major pentatonic and add the blues note.

Master the legato hammer-on technique by building finger strength with the third and fourth fingers to make the second note pop in pentatonic phrases.

Master hammer-on technique by practicing a pentatonic scale up and down, using finger 1 to pick notes and hammer others, while muting strings to prevent ringing.

Practice hammer-on exercise #2 with a back-and-forth pattern, going back one and then advance, repeating the sequence as described, including 'back one' and '1 1 again'.

Practice a fragment of the scale starting on the D string, moving down to the B string, using hammer-ons.

Practice hammer-on exercise #4 by starting and stopping on the G string, following a similar pattern to prior drills to refine lead guitar technique.

Hammer on exercise #5 guides you to start on the top string at frets 6 and 3, move down and back, while always sounding the first note of the string.

Practice hammer-on exercise #6, mirroring the approach of exercise #5 and starting with a downward motion to the right.

Master the pull-off by starting with the second finger on the scale, then pull the first note on the string with a deliberate downward tug rather than lifting.

Master pull-off technique with a scale exercise starting at the top, playing the first notes while the second note is a pull-off, similar to hammer-ons.

Develop your pull-off technique with exercise #2 by moving across three strings and back one. The caption demonstrates a repeated pull-off across strings for practice.

Combine hammer-ons and picking to play a three-note-per-string legato exercise, ascending the scale and emphasizing the first picked note.

Perform a legato exercise using pick hammer on notes per string, coordinating pick strokes across strings.

Play a simple phrase in legato exercise #3, using the pickup at the bridge, place your finger one on the fifth, and perform a hammer-on, even on a g-string.

Learn bending technique using wrist motion to reach next pitch, with down, up, and combined bends, including half and full steps and blues variations; practice on strings with 0.10 gauge.

This bending exercise uses the pentatonic scale, starting on the D string with finger 3, to perform a half-step bend, return to the original note, and add vibrato for movement.

In bending exercise #2, the lesson uses a note from the major pentatonic and demonstrates bending to reach the actual note from the microphone, following exercise 13.

Master bending exercise #3 by adding one more note and finishing differently. Learn to bend notes within a major pentatonic context, including the chord tones and upward motion.

In the lead guitar course, practice bending exercise #4 on the bottom string, borrowing a note from the major scale and bending up a half step to the next note.

Practice bending a full step in bending exercise #5, aiming for a specific note and noting how the bent pitch sounds different.

practice bending on the b string by starting on d, using finger 3, avoiding finger 4 for strength, and letting the other two fingers provide support.

Practice a bending exercise on the bottom strings with finger 3 for support to build strength and tone, and tune your guitar between songs during live performances.

Practice bending on the B string in bending exercise #8 from the lead guitar course, focusing on the two bottom turns and maintaining proper tuning.

Master finger slide techniques by landing on or sliding to notes with fast, smooth transitions to avoid choppiness, whether sliding from above or below.

Explore a pentatonic scale by playing the first note and sliding smoothly to the next using finger 1, 2, or 3.

Explore sliding between chord tones on a single string, using F# and D as examples, to connect notes within a chord and sharpen lead guitar phrasing.

Practice sliding techniques to start or end musical phrases, adding a slight slide at the beginning or end of phrases through focused exercises.

practice lick #1 with the backing track, play licks similar to earlier exercises, and explore their musicality, using the pickup in bridge position at a slower tempo.

Combine picking and legato in lick #2, played at a slower tempo over a backing track across different strings.

Explore lick number three in the lead guitar course, featuring bends on each note and a twangy touch. In riff's second part, target the next scale note with a twang.

Learn a popular blues note lick in the lead guitar course, lick #4, that combines alternate picking, legato, bending, and slide techniques with a backing track.

Compare lick #5 played with alternate picking versus other techniques on the backing track, and hear how the same lick gains different feel.

Explore a slide on the B string, play blues notes including the blue note, slide to the shape, and add a finger with a backing track to vary the rhythm.

Bend the B and E strings in lick #7, using a slide and a slam on the fifth fret. Alternate the motion back and forth to stay on track.

Tune your guitar and master bending on the G string by targeting two notes, then practice along with the backing track to lock in the rhythm.

Explore a lick that blends the major scale with the major pentatonic and minor notes, and experiment with different note choices to shape musical context.

Practice a sliding lick on the G string, starting at the 5th fret and sliding to the 9th fret with the middle finger on the 8th, over a backing track.

Wrap up this lesson by turning techniques and tools into natural habits that let you play with feeling, connect to listeners, and invite feedback.

Master the number system and its practical use for understanding music, chords, and ear training, foundational for lead guitar, soloing, and improvisation.

Explore the universal number system for chords across classical, jazz, and Nashville styles, and learn how replacing chord names with numbers enhances global musical communication.

Master the major and minor key system, triad chords, and the 1–7 scale-degree pattern with roman numerals. Learn transposition and the major–minor–minor–major–major–minor–diminished formula and 1–4–5 progressions.

Learn songwriting with the number system in C, building chords from 1–5–6–4, note diminished as a tense passing chord, and train your ear by mapping patterns to songs.

Explore why western music relies on a few chord sequences, especially 1 4 5 6, to craft countless songs. See how four-chord progressions across keys create melodies with varied textures.

Learn how to play popular chord sequences, such as 6-4-1-5 and 1-4-5-6, by shifting chord positions to create variety and make your songs sound more engaging.

In the lead guitar course, explore common chord progressions that appear in many songs, including 1-4-5-4, 1-4-1/2-5, 1-5-4-5-1, 1-6-4-5-1, and 1-5-6-4-1.

Master note sequences and rhythmic variations drawn from familiar songs in the lead guitar course, featuring the famous Hillsong Church tune Oceans and other recurring riff patterns.

Master the number system for chords to see how sequences, major and minor chords, and modes let you play any song in any key and solo with the right scales.

Wrap up this shorter, awesome lesson that aims to change the way you see music, and share a review while looking forward to the next lead guitar program lesson.