Soloing – things that can trip you up!

[Alan B]

In my quest to learn to play lead guitar I have found quite a few things which have tripped me up.

Here are my first two. Perhaps others can add to the list.

1. Practising electric guitar without using the amp.
I thought I had got some licks sorted without plugging in. Once I plugged in, turned the volume up, and used some gain, all these other horrible noises were sounding in the background. I had to relearn the licks and learn to mute the strings I did not want to sound – it took some time!

2. Learning to play licks in the sitting position only. When I tried to play standing with other players I struggled to play the licks I had learnt.

Topic

[Brian]

Hey Alan, those are some great tips actually – and yes you’re 100% correct on the difference in playing without versus with an amp. The amp will obviously pick up all of the little nuances that your fingers make when they’re touching the strings and throw overdrive on top of that and it’s REALLY amplified.

Also, your point about standing versus sitting. I remember (had forgotten) struggling with this as well. Usually at home your’e sitting when you practice and so your leverage points with your elbows and wrists are very different from the angles used when standing – eventually you’ll be comfortable with both, but if you’re in a band, you’ll definitely want to do some practicing while standing. The good news is that you’ll overcome the differences quickly and be able to do both, but at first it can be awkward.

[Author]

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