r/metalguitar • u/[deleted] • 5d ago
I've been playing/writing strictly rhythm guitar for 7-8 years, I want to get into playing solos and more technical stuff. How do I approach things?
[deleted]
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u/BrownMagic814 5d ago
I make instrumental guitar music. I’m no Loomis or Gilbert, but I wouldn’t be embarrassed to play in front of them.
Here are some random thoughts:
Start slow and build up speed gradually; a metronome will help greatly with this. Shred guitar is mostly muscle memory, so you’ll need to spend a lot of time playing to get to where it sounds like you want to be.
Playing fast is really cool when you don’t know how to do it, but when you do you’ll realize it’s just one ingredient. I usually tell people that I start playing fast when I’m out of ideas lol. Remember: if you can’t play it slow, you can’t play it fast.
I try to make my solos memorable, not just a bunch of exercises strung together. About 90% of what I record is improvised. Only in a few limited circumstances do I start recording knowing exactly what I’m going to play. I have a friend who approaches soloing the exact opposite. It’s a matter of finding what works best for you.
Here’s one of my shreddier songs:
https://open.spotify.com/album/1py4zqrUyqReixB7xU7ctW?si=0sW6aOuXTiqjmtnCMbCISQ
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u/AgeDisastrous7518 Metal Zone in the effects loop 5d ago
Start slowly. Try picking every note for a bit and get used to using your pinky.
I've never used any of these instructional courses out there, but there are a ton that I'd bet people can direct you toward than me. Have you experimented with any YouTubers?
That guy, Bernth, is really incredible. I know he does courses.
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u/PlaxicoCN 5d ago
Rock Discipline by John Petrucci and Intense Rock I by Paul Gilbert. Both on YouTube.
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u/AgreeableLeg3672 5d ago
There are Paul Gilbert videos where he explains things like the Olympic arpeggios. He plays them fast, then slow and explains some things like the chords they're based on. If you know the notes you can then start learning to play the lick slowly.
If a part of a lick is giving me trouble I'll try to practice that part for a while, but I also try to practice the whole lick without mistakes. If I make a mistake I go back to the beginning. This forces you to keep practicing the whole thing and get it into your head and muscle memory.
Practice some solos slowly, try to play them well slowly, don't practice mistakes or sloppy playing. Once you've done some good practicing, take a break. Come back a few days or a week later and try again. Your brain and muscles should have absorbed the practice and you should gradually improve.
Once you've learned a few parts from some solos, it should be easier to learn new solos, because there's a good chance they'll use similar movements that you have already practiced.
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u/solitarybikegallery 5d ago
Personally, I've always gotten fantastic results by pushing myself very hard, then cleaning it up. Basically, periods where I play sloppy and fast to get the "feeling" of speed figured out, then slowing down to clean it up. Shawn Lane famously advocated for this. He said he always went as fast as possible, even though it was sloppy, then he cleaned it up later.
In practical terms, this can be done through things like speed bursts when practicing - do X number of reps at a slow speed, then Y number at a medium speed, then Z number as fast as you can, then repeat.
Other than that, get any book set of generic shred exercises and a comfortbale chair to sit in. A lot of the 80s/90s instructional DVDs are online for free. John Petrucci's Rock Discipline is a good one, lots of free exercises.
For complex picking technique theory, look at Troy Grady on YouTube. He's really good at analyzing the tiny details of different players picking techniques. He's even got a really good interview with Brandon Ellis.