Become A More Expressive Lead Guitarist Using The Lydian Scale
Want to play better guitar licks that sound more emotionally expressive?
One cool way to do it:
Learn the Lydian scale. This helps you play licks that sound very unique, exotic and expressive similar to those of Steve Vai or Joe Satriani.
No matter what your current skill level is, you can use this scale to play your own cool licks that impress anyone listening.
Watch this video to learn how to do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4cJCJpCR4U
Lead Guitar Creativity Tip #1: Focus On How Notes Feel Rather Than Learning Tons Of Scales
Knowing how certain notes feel while played over certain chords is key for learning to express yourself while soloing.
For example:
Do you what it feels like to play the seventh scale degree of a minor scale over a minor chord? What about playing it over a major chord?
What about the feeling created when you play a b13 over a dominant 7 chord?
The more you learn about how different notes feel over different chords, the easier it becomes to know how something will feel on guitar before you even pick the string!
Lead Guitar Creativity Tip #2: Practice Lead Guitar Techniques In 3 Ways
Most guitar players only practice things separate from all their other skills. For example: learning how to play an arpeggio pattern by repeating it over and over to a metronome.
However, this is just ONE way to practice.
In addition to practicing things in isolation like this, use these two approaches:
Application: This means whatever you are learning, you use in a musical context as well (whether you have mastered it already or not).
Integration: This refers to integrating different guitar playing skills together with the one you are currently working on.
Lead Guitar Creativity Tip #3: Learn How To Master Musical Tension And Release
The most amazing guitar solos are able to create intense levels of tension and before releasing it.
Result?: Anyone listening becomes completely engaged and hangs on every note being played.
You want your guitar solos to be like this right?
Work together with a great guitar teacher who can show you how to use notes, phrasing techniques, rhythm and other elements of music to effectively build and release musical tension in your solos.
Lead Guitar Creativity Tip #4: Schedule Your Practice Ahead Of Time
Scheduling your guitar practice ahead of time guarantees that you won’t end up spending time figuring out what to practice during your actual practice time.
This concept applies to creativity practice too.
What can you practice for better creativity?
Here’s a few things: guitar phrasing, improvisation or songwriting. Work with an experienced guitar teacher to learn how to practice these things and get the best results.
Lead Guitar Creativity Tip #5: Get As Much As You Can From Every Note
Don’t make the mistake of wasting tons of notes in your guitar solos in order to play fast or because you aren’t sure what to play next.
The best approach is to focus on playing at least ONE amazing note first.
Once you can play a truly amazing note, try to play two, then three, and so on until your guitar solos are full of high-quality notes.
Do this by using many different guitar techniques in various ways to phrase a single note differently.
Want to learn more ways to add clean speed into your guitar licks to make them sound killer? Download this free guitar speed eGuide and learn guitar speed secrets few guitarists know about.
About The Author:
Tom Hess is a guitar teacher online, progressive rock guitarist/composer and a touring musician. He teaches guitar players in his rock guitar lessons online. Go to tomhess.net to get more guitar playing resources and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
