Copying Lead Solos From Records
As a lead guitarist, you will sometimes be required to play a given lead solo from a recording (as compared to composing one, or just improvising). This can be very difficult, particularly at first, so here are a few suggestions:
- Your guitar should always be tuned to concert pitch (this occurs when the A note on the first string at the 5th fret vibrates at 440 cycles per second). Check with an electronic tuner, tuning fork, pitch pipes or a piano. This is necessary because all recorded music is at concert pitch.
- Start with a simple lead solo. Play it on a device that allows you to go over short sections many times quickly and easily.
- Listen carefully to the rhythm of the notes and determine the time signature of the piece. Once this is done, you can break the solo into smaller phrases, or even down to one bar at a time.
- Sing through the phrase and then try to locate those notes on the guitar.
- As you work through the solo, try to determine the key of the piece. This should help you to anticipate the notes as they come and perhaps locate a pattern into which they fall. E.g., if you are working on a solo which contains C#s and F#s, this will suggest the key of D major. You may then find that the solo fits in with one of the major pentatonic patterns in this key.
- With faster solos it is beneficial to use music software that can change the speed of the music without changing the pitch. This allows you to work out all of the notes in even the fastest of passages.
- Regularly practice copying from recordings (this is referred to as transcribing).
Class Sessions
1- Sixths
2- The Major Pentatonic Scale in Blues Improvising
3- Summary of Pattern One
4- Pattern Four
5- Patterns One and Four Combination
6- The Complete Pattern
7- Summary of Patterns
8- Additional Notes - the Blues Scale
9- Major Pentatonic Scale - Additional Notes
10- Minor Pentatonic Scale - Additional Notes
11- INTRODUCTION
12- Harmony Notes
13- Open String Slurs
14- An Alternative Improvising Method
15- Playing With the Pick and Fingers
16- Ideas For Further Study
17- Music Theory
18- Improvising Within A Song
19- Modulation
20- Ear Training
21- Harmonics
22- Chord Progressions
23- GLOSSARY OF MUSICAL TERMS
24- The Bend
25- The Major Scale
26- The 12 Bar Blues Progression
27- 12 Bar Blues Riff Number 2
28- Alternate Picking
29- The Major Scale - 2 Octaves
30- Minor Key Progressions
31- New Topic
32- The Blues Scale
33- Transposing
34- The Slur
35- Pattern One Extension (Key of A)
36- Major Key Progressions
37- Blues And Rock Progressions
38- Natural Harmonics
39- Copying Lead Solos From Records
40- Introductions
41- Fretboard Diagrams
42- The Major Scale
43- 12 Bar Blues Riff Number 7
44- Left Hand Position
45- 12 Bar Blues Riff Number 3
46- 12 Bar Blues Riff Number 4
47- Octaves
48- Key Signatures
49- Riff Number 8
50- Major Key Progressions
51- Left Hand Fingering
52- Tuning By Harmonics
53- Listening
54- Fill-Ins
55- Lead Solos
56- Tablature
57- Artificial Harmonics
58- Minor Key Progressions
59- Minor Keys And Scales
60- Notes on the Guitar Fretboard
61- Ideas For Improvising
62- Scale Tone Chords
63- Modulation
64- Tablature Symbols
65- Scale Tone Chord Extensions
66- The Chord/Key Relationship
67- Chord Formula Chart