Guitar Soloing Made Simple In 4 Easy Steps

Learning how to play electric guitar can be difficult for most people. Taking it to the next level and learning to shred on your electric guitar is a goal that many fall short of. It doesn't have to be that way though. There are some simple tips that will help you master the art of shredding.

Tip # 1 - Repetition

The single most important way to increase your speed is to use a drum machine or metronome. Begin by playing the lick, solo or lead at a slower speed and very clean. Slowly increase the tempo using the metronome or drum machine. Be patient. This procedure could take days or even weeks to master the solo, lead or phrease you are learning. Remember, this is repetition. It is tedious and it could take hundreds of attempts for you to play it perfectly at full tempo.

Tip # 2 - Fingering

When playing guitar, fingering is important at any speed. But, it is absolutely crucial when shredding. You can actually get by with sloppy or bizarre fingering when playing slowly. If you try to increase the tempo of the song though using that same sloppy fingering, you will inevitably run into problems. You will generally reach your top speed very quickly.

This is when it is time to study your choice of finger positioning and make some changes. To truly shred, you have to position your fingers effeciently. You will normally have to relearn the phrase or lick using the new changes, because it will change how your subconscious mind views the phrase.

Tip # 3 - Picking Technique

To truly shred, the piece of music you are learning needs to be analyzed for the most effecient way to pick the notes. This can include alternate picking, hammers and pulls, sweep arpeggios and many other techniques. The key is effeciency. Minimize the movement of the pick as much as is possible.

Do not flick your pick when trying to shred. Shredding demands a very effecient motion, almost machine like. When shredding, the emotion is conveyed through note selection, rather than how the note is played. It is very different from playing the blues or jazz.

Tip # 4 - Teach the Subconscious

This is a vital part of shredding. You must be able to play a lick, lead or phrase without consciously thinking about the choice of notes. One way to achieve this to distract your conscious mind by watching TV or anything else while repeating the lick with a metronome or drum machine. An even better test is if you can read and comprehend what you're reading while playing along with a metronome. This will be difficult until you get the lick firmly established in your subconscious. But, the dividends will be well worth it.

Utilize these techniques and you will be amazed how quickly your shredding will improve.