Shifting From Rhythm To Lead

[Mickguard]

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[marksound]

Listen to the guys who sing and play lead. Clapton, Gary Moore, BB King, SRV, Buddy Guy. Johnny Winter is a good one. Let the song tell you what and when to play. Not much help I know, but listening is the key.

If you're a good listener, you can be a good player.

[westhemann]

For one thing: do you have to have some kind of boost pedal for your leads? How do you keep your sound consistent if so?

my marshall has an adjustable "solo" boost

i have the same problem as you.i just don't think in terms of lead guitar...

[Daniel Sorbera]

Edited June 16, 2005 by Godin SD

[Southpa]

Timing, technique and tone. I've jammed with a few so called "lead" players and they tend to take over, a little too much of everything. These are just a few guys who jump in and play the same riffs really fast, too loud and sharp and don't know their place. A good lead player has to maintain balance in the combo and works off the rhythm and percussion going on behind him/her.

There are lead players who learn their solos and don't (or can't) play them differently and then there are players who are versatile and can adapt to tempo, volume, tone etc. changes.

Learn how to improvise, that includes knowing your fretboard and scales by heart and developing the instincts to provide fills in the right places. Use a good mix of technique, the usual, hammer ons, pull offs, vibratos, pinching, bending etc. etc. and not overdoing it. Have your guitar and setup rigged for versatility where you can put your volume and tone into the "lead" perspective with the flick of a switch and/or the press of a foot.

I like using a coil split in the bridge humbucker. When I hit the switch to both coils I get a nice boost in volume and a rounder, fuller tone.

Edited June 16, 2005 by Southpa

[Devon Headen]

If you're playing backup guitar, please don't become on of the people that feels the need to play all the time. Only play when you hear a line that will sound good. I've played with too many people that play leadwork through the ENTIRE song nonstop.

[Mickguard]

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[Gorecki]

Many have posed good advice for what it sounds like you're looking for.

Personally, I've always thought the term 'Lead Guitar' was stupid. Why, because it really doesn't have a true meaning. The term 'Lead' typically represents the #1 person or person in charge of others. Historically speaking, specifically the rock industry (the only ones who had really abused the term) used Lead guitar (proficient player), rhythm guitar (not so proficient player) as a means of definition for a while and since had pushed around the term to the point it really isn't meaningful (co-lead??). Then add situation for example what do you call a guitar player who is responsible for rhythm section and melodic instrumentation? In classic environments it's not Lead Violin, it's first chair followed by second chair...and so on. A scale rating by proficiency.

With that out of my system melodic instrumentation should not be different than rhythmic instrumentation to the player...all the same instrument different musical purposes. Either a person is capable of 'carrying the tune' or they are not...it's that simple.

There is ALWAYS something to be learned, either musically or instrument proficiency...most often being a combination of the two!

(Study..practice, practice, practice)

[Gorecki]

If you're playing backup guitar, please don't become on of the people that feels the need to play all the time. Only play when you hear a line that will sound good. I've played with too many people that play leadwork through the ENTIRE song nonstop.

←

That term is 'over playing' and is just a sign of musical immaturity. Don't get me wrong...I love to over play but when it doesn't help the song..it doesn't help the song! Music and Composition Rule 101.3: If it does not help the song, it does not need to be there!

[thedoctor]

Hands down, the best "lead" players I have ever played with are somewhat timid about taking over. They usually sit back and do an occasional bit of sparkle and when their time comes to dominate they take over smoothly and politely, do their thing, and back out. My nephew, "The Gripper", sets the two channels of his Genz so that one is his background and one is his "step forward" setting and switches with a bypass pedal that swaps channels and changes the effects loop. It ain't a volume thing as much as tone/effects. Ya get comfy with a lot of transitional riffs and just use them to tie your old rhythm stuff together and you are there.

[crafty]

Try using a good wah pedal, too. We all know what it sounds like, but you'd be surprised how much power it can really add to those money notes when you're cutting loose on lead. Practice getting your foot to work it as fast as you can pick. Also, keep in mind that lead doesn't necessarily equal speed. I have pretty short and fat fingers so there's no way I'm ever going to play like Vai, but with a nice wah and smooth overdrive I can at least get up to Clapton/SRV speeds, maybe Vernon Reid speeds aren't too far off.

[GregP]

As long as there are two skilled guitarists in the band, the roles aren't very clear-cut. Some people mistakenly think "lead guitarist = the better of the two" and "rhythm guitarist = not as good as the other dude." As a "lead" guitarist, you will often find yourself playing the 'normal' chords to back up the rhythm guitarist's riffing. He's the one who's got to hold down the groove, and if it's a riff-based song, it's very often his domain.

Of course, if it's a chord-based song with a riff going 'over top' of the chord progression, you may very well find yourself a riffing fool.

Greg

[psw]

It depends a lot on what and who you've got to work with...

If it's just you, bass and drums and your singing then you're really going to need to work on things a little...I recently got a vid Arlen Roth, Playing in a three piece band (selling out the VHS tapes) which had some good ideas.

If that's the case then you'll want to check out live recordings to see how they work so that the middle doesn't fall out during solos...it's quite an art. Checkout Hendrix's combination rhythm/lead style for instance. EVH, Cream, Hendrix, SRV chose to play in three piece and there are real benifits...but it does take work and coordination...

Then you've got the Keith Richards style of playing particularly with Ron Wood, where it's hard to tell who's playing lead....

One advantage of being able to play a bit of lead is that you can control the band and get ideas across better. It's easier to shut up an over player if you can demonstrate what it is you want to (or not) hear.

I guess I regard myself as a Lead guitarist in that I know my scales and stuff but the problem with a lot of "lead" players is that's all they know...they cant play rhythm to save themselves so they dont actually have the skills tio play the songs...IMHO.

When I was singing and playing lead I had to work with a timid rhythm guitarist who wouldn't step up and play the main parts and let me do my singing/front man stuff...I'd rather have been in a three piece.

Anyway...you can get a handle on lead playing with basic pentatonic scales a small vocab of licks and fills and the ability to play riffs, etc.

psw

[Mickguard]

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[erikbojerik]

From a singers perspective...(not that I'm a singer...). When you sing, you are singing the melody over the accompaniment. When you play lead, you're also playing the melody but you're inventing a new melody with your instrument. Think of it like that...singing with your guitar. Try singing the notes as you play them, it can be hard to improvise singing, but just try the George Benson thing (ba da d-d-dat daaa...etc) singing what you play.

BTW, I've found it impossible to sing anything while playing a decent guitar riff...two melodies clashing in my head...no way!

[marksound]

But my goal isn't to start playing long noodlin' solos (although that's fun to do when I'm just jamming here) but to come up with a way of combining rhythm playing (which I really like to do) with single notes...

←

Listen to early EVH. That's exactly what he does. You don't have to throw a million notes in 12 bars to play an interesting solo that fits the song. Take the melody or the main riff and turn it around.

Here's something to practice: Sing a lick, then play it. Start simple, then push yourself. You'll be surprised how fast you can start to play what you hear.

[Gorecki]

I think a big part of the problem I'm having making this shift is that I just don't have all the tools yet --but that's why I'm taking lessons and practicing 4 hours a day (and I've kind of put the guitar building on hold because of that).

First, get this 'shift' thing out of your head, all you are doing is expanding your skills and knowledge base, not completely changing them!

With a ritual of lessons with four hours practice daily WILL get you what you want!

[psw]

Hi There

BTW, I've found it impossible to sing anything while playing a decent guitar riff...two melodies clashing in my head...no way!

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When I was trying to do this I always reminded myself that piano players do it all (bass, chords, melody) and sing over the top...it takes some practice till it becomes a Zen thing...you just have to trust that you can do it and listen to the whole and not the individual parts...still tricky...as soon as you start thinking, you're sunk

Open tunings are great but it can complicate an already difficult job...unless you have a whole lot of guitars I guess....Or you just stick to one like Kieth Richards open G tuning which is great for that style of riffing....

Since you're not playing heavily orchestrated metal music with distinct roles, etc you've got a lot of good examples to work with...

Check out bands like The Police (who came up in the punk era) how the drums would fill out the sound, not just in the solo's but to give the rhytm guitar more space and the bass stepped forward into a more melodic role, or similarly The Who, where entwistles treble heavy bass would really fill out the sound with Moon's wall of cymbals drumming style...this allowed Townsend to play a more dramatic or percussive role in the band...

It can be a lot of fun for the band...the other player's get a chance to break out of the "I keep the beat" and "I hold the root notes down" style of drums and bass. Rockabilly, R&B, Blues have gotten this down to a fine art... Meanwhile, it makes your playing look great cause when you do play it really has an impact...

Something else to consider is that the guitar typically covers the same frequency spectrum of the male voice so too much guitar interferes with the sound making it difficult to understand the singer and the overall sound muddy. Leave a little space, play really high, low or not at all through the verses and you're not copping out but letting the band sound breath. Often a band "fills out" behind the guitar and vocals and in a lot of rock music that doesn't leave much of a role for the other players...it might take a bit of practice as a "band" to get the balance right but it's probably more important than having a big bag of lead tricks and definitely more important than knowing all your scales....

psw

[psw]

double post

PM'ed Video details BTW...probably be really useful for your style of music...

[Mickguard]

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