Lead Patterns
- Always remember that playing the guitar is more than just hitting the correct notes like a mechanical chore. Playing guitar is not like playing Guitar Hero. Any time you pick up the guitar, it should be fun and sound great. This is true if you are playing on stage or if you are just practicing. As a result of this, I strongly discourage sitting around and just playing completely atonal stuff like weird chromatic scales purely for the sake of building strength in your hands and fingers. My philosophy is to accomplish the same strength goals through song, rather than weird scales. It works for some people though.
- One thing I notice frequently is players trying to mimic a tab note for note with no regards to the actual feel of the solo. Don’t try to match each and every slide and little embellishment in a solo. This is especially true for tabs since they are wrong most of the time.
- You should learn to improvise. All the great players can do it. Just watch a live video of any of your favorite shredder. They almost always improvise. My favorite is Yngwie Malmsteen. It’s just like a speech or having a conversation in the sense that you shouldn’t have to think about it. In order to get to the level where you don’t have to think about it, you need to know your scales and the shapes they make on your fretboard.
- You can add and remove notes from a scale, as long as it sounds good. For instance, a lot of metal solos are played in a minor key, but sometimes the flat fifth is added. Just remember that as you add notes, you are slowly becoming more and more atonal and moving towards the chromatic scale. You are essentially playing in a different scale, so keep that in mind.
- Don’t forget about the rhythm when playing a lead. Stay on beat. Use a liberal amount of palm muting and other clean playing techniques to reduce unwanted noise. Also, understand when to pick hard and when to back off.
- Here are four simple patterns that are very useful. They are all composed of three notes. These examples are all in the key of A minor. I’ve added a flat fifth in the last example. The main thing to learn from these shapes is that they are composed of various whole and half step intervals.
-12-10-8-|-10-8-7-|-13-12-10-|-12-11-10- ---------|--------|----------|---------- ---------|--------|----------|---------- ---------|--------|----------|---------- ---------|--------|----------|---------- ---------|--------|----------|----------
- Now we can add some variety to the picking of these shapes. I’ll use the third shape for these examples. Your job is to use the same picking on the other three patterns. You should try to alternate pick these shapes and try them on different strings as well.
-13-10-12-13-12-10-|-12-10-12-13-12-10-|-10-12-13-12- -------------------|-------------------|------------- -------------------|-------------------|------------- -------------------|-------------------|------------- -------------------|-------------------|------------- -------------------|-------------------|-------------
- Here’s a very common run that uses these shapes. It’s used in a lot of descending or ascending runs. Once again the key is A minor, so be sure to learn the shape in other keys, and try changing the scale to other types of scales like harmonic minor, major, and so on.
-13-12-10----------------------------- ----------13-12-10-------------------- -------------------12-10-9------------ ---------------------------12-10-9---- -----------------------------------12- -Descending--------------------------- -----------------------------10-12-13- --------------------10-12-13---------- ------------9-10-12------------------- ----9-10-12--------------------------- -12----------------------------------- -Ascending----------------------------
Sometimes I add a G# to this to give it a harmonic minor sound. I add it on different strings depending on what is easier to finger for a particular solo.
-13-12-10------------------------------- ----------13-12-10-9-------------------- ---------------------12-10-9------------ -----------------------------12-10-9---- -------------------------------------12- -Descending, adding G# on the B string-- -------------------------------10-12-13- --------------------9-10-12-13---------- ------------9-10-12--------------------- ----9-10-12----------------------------- -12------------------------------------- -Ascending, adding G# on the B string--- -13-12-10-------------------------------- ----------13-12-10----------------------- -------------------13-12-10-9------------ ------------------------------12-10-9---- --------------------------------------12- -Descending, adding G# on the G string--- --------------------------------10-12-13- -----------------------10-12-13---------- ------------9-10-12-13------------------- ----9-10-12------------------------------ -12-------------------------------------- -Ascending, adding G# on the G string----
- Here’s a simple pattern used a lot of various songs. It’s pentatonic so it’s easy to use just about anywhere. I’ve included a variation in which you only play one note on the second string. As always be sure to try this in other keys and on other strings. You can use hammer ons and pull offs if you want. Once again the key is A minor.
-5-3-----|-8-5-----|-17-15-------|-20-17------- -----5-3-|-----8-5-|-------17-15-|-------20-17- ---------|---------|-------------|------------- ---------|---------|-------------|------------- ---------|---------|-------------|------------- ---------|---------|-------------|------------- -5-3---3-|-8-5---5-|-17-15----15-|-20-17----17- -----5---|-----8---|-------17----|-------20---- ---------|---------|-------------|------------- ---------|---------|-------------|------------- ---------|---------|-------------|------------- ---------|---------|-------------|-------------
- Here are some common pentatonic double stops used in a lot of different solos.
------5-----|------5-8p5- ----5---8p5-|----5------- -7b---------|-7b--------- ------------|------------ ------------|------------ ------------|------------ -5--7---8---10--12-- -8b-10b-11b-13b-15b- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- --------------------
- Here’s a pentatonic inspired pattern I use a lot. It’s just a simple bending pattern that sounds weird and is fun to play.
------5-|-------- -8-7b---|------5- --------|-8-7b--- --------|-------- --------|-------- --------|--------
- I call this the Alexi Laiho chromatic pattern because he uses it in a few of his solos. It’s just a chromatic scale played in an interesting pattern.
-15-14-13-12-13-12-------|------------------------- -------------------16-15-|-16-15-14-13-14-13------- -------------------------|-------------------16-15- -------------------------|------------------------- -------------------------|------------------------- -------------------------|------------------------- -------------------------|------------------------- -------------------------|------------------------- -16-15-14-13-14-13-------|------------------------- -------------------17-16-|-17-16-15-14-15-14------- -------------------------|-------------------18-17- -------------------------|--------------------etc--
Thank you so much I have been playing for 15 years I am ok in my mind lol but I can play anything I set my mind to except I taught myself how to play and I dont know alot of theory I just play what i hear. I am now trying to go back to the basics and learn why I am playing what I am playing and I need alot of help on leads and scales you helped me so much thank you.
@Rick Shaffer
Thanks, glad you liked the lesson Rick.