4 Ways to Master the Basic Techniques of the Solo Guitar

2025 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-24 13:28

Knowing the basics of the solo guitar in depth is an art and a skill that is acquired with time and practice. In this particularly detailed article, you will find out how to play the pentatonic scale and learn several techniques that will help you master the instrument.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: The Pentatonic Scale

Step 1. Many people want to play lead guitar

You wanna do it too, huh? Join the crowd. There is a great deal of guitarists - and they all, fortunately, use common techniques. So you can do it too.

Step 2. Learn the pentatonic scale

The minor pentatonic scale is by far the hardest scale used in hard rock music. And, guess what? It's even pretty simple.

• Here is the complete pentatonic scale of A minor on the 6 strings:

  • ---------------------5-8----
  • -----------------5-8--------
  • -------------5-7------------
  • ---------5-7----------------
  • -----5-7--------------------
  • -5-8------------------------

  

  Step 3. Play it up and down, using the alternating pick, at least 4000 times a day or until you feel like improvising

  

  Step 4. Change key by playing the same pattern on different keys

  

  Step 5. Always keep the same number of frets between your fingers, no matter where you start the riff - change the position but the pattern remains the same

  • For example, here is the same scale in the key of C:

    • -------------------------8-11
    • ---------------------8-11----
    • ----------------8-10---------
    • -----------8-10--------------
    • ------8-10-------------------
    • -8-11------------------------

    

    Step 6. Use index and ring fingers if you can

    Otherwise, try your index and little finger.

    

    Step 7. There are seven basic techniques you can use to spice up this pattern and make it a solo rather than a simple scale

    I'm talking about: bending, skipping, slide, hammer-on, pull-off, vibrati and chromatisms

    Bending

    The bending (from the English bend = to fold) of a rope is a self-defining technique.

    

    Step 1. Press and pull the string up or down, causing more tension and therefore an increase in the pitch of the note you are playing

    

    Step 2. Use the fingers you are not using to help you bend the string

    

    Step 3. Don't bend the string randomly, do it in such a way that it produces a note that matches the note that you can find 1, 2 or 3 frets later than the one you are pressing

    

    Step 4. To make sure you do it correctly, bend the note and listen to its pitch

    

    Step 5. Next, compare it to the pitch of the note you were targeting, which will be 1, 2 or 3 frets later

    • The bending that allows you to reach the pitch corresponding to the next key is called “half-tone bending”.
    • The bending that allows you to reach the pitch corresponding to the note played two keys later is called “one tone bending”.
    • On the other hand, the one whose note reaches higher pitches is called “overbending”. This, of course, produces a rather interesting effect.

    Skipping

    Skipping (from the English skip = to jump) is another technique to understand which it is not necessary to be Einstein.

    

    Step 1. Basically, instead of playing a note on the scale on the string immediately below, you jump directly to the note on the next string

    

    Step 2. You can skip as many strings as you like, but skipping a lot of them will make the scale sound rather odd

    

    Step 3. You can use skipping by either playing the scale in a descending or ascending manner

    

    Step 4. Use this technique whenever you want

    

    Step 5. You can also "skip" school or work if you find this information too exciting to bear

    Slide

    The slide is a rather elegant technique.

    

    Step 1. Basically, instead of picking the next note in the scale, you can slide your finger from the key you are pressing until you get to the one corresponding to the note you want to play

    

    Step 2. If you want insult in addition to damage, you can pick the note, fold it, sue it for damage, or whatever stimulates your imagination

    

    Step 3. Not that it needs to be said, but you can slide from a high note to a low note as well

    Hammer-on and Pull-off

    

    Step 1. Hammer-ons require a 1-pound hammer to perform properly

    1. Use the hammer to break your fingers and save yourself the trouble of doing the exercises.
    2. Naah, that's another joke. These are actually quite simple techniques to deal with. What you need to do is pick a note on the scale and place your ring finger on the fret corresponding to the next note, without pinching the string.

    3. Try to do it a few times and you will realize, especially if you do it quickly, that you will already have it in your head how to do it.

       

       Step 2. Pull-offs are something similar, but they can be slightly more complicated

       1. To perform a pull-off, lift your ring finger off the note you're playing, continuing to let it vibrate with your index finger which will already be in place.
       2. The fact is that you don't just lift your finger, as while doing so you will have to apply light pressure with the tip so as to hit the string.
       3. As with the hammer-on, the idea is to get two notes for the price of one.
       4. Keep practicing until you can play the notes cleanly, then combine some hammer-ons too and start showing yourself to the people.
       5. For extra points, practice the fifth and seventh frets of the G and D strings, then do another pull-off from the fifth fret ending with the open string.
       6. Switch between the fifth and seventh frets and close on the open string, and enjoy the Eddie Van Halen style.

       7. If you don't like Eddie Van Halen, though, don't. You could be corrupted by the dark side.

          Vibrato

          Vibrato is simply bending the string repeatedly and quickly, quite gently.

          

          Step 1. This technique is all in the wrist, with which you will have to quickly swing or vibrate the pitch of the note

          

          Step 2. There isn't much to say about vibrato - practice on your own

          Chromatisms

          

          Step 1. Chromatisms are the art of adding "passing notes", ie those notes that are not actually present in the scale but which serve to add a different touch as you move from one note to another

          

          Step 2. That's what the middle finger was made for (among other things) - but don't hold these notes for too long

          

          Step 3. If you play some of them quickly and let them slip in between notes of the scale, you might get that interesting touch you wanted

          

          Step 4. But if you keep them for too long, you risk playing out of tune (which is not the best)

          Method 2 of 4: Harmonics

          

          Step 1. It is not essential, but you could add some artificial harmonics as well

          • These are light touches that cause the notes to play at a very high pitch.
          • Ideally, they will scream like you would at an N'Sync concert.

          

          Step 2. To make these sounds, what you need to do is let the skin of your finger touch the string as you pinch it

          • Performing this technique on different points of the string will produce different harmonics - when you master them perfectly it will be time to make the leap, grasshopper!
          • The natural harmonics are very similar, but completely different.

          

          Step 3. Harmonics can be easily achieved at the fifth, seventh, twelfth and nineteenth fret by simply placing your finger without pressing the string on the neck, picking and lifting the finger very quickly

          

          Step 4. Try to understand how they work, then turn up the gain and play them using the guitar lever to make it seem like the sounds are coming from outer space

          Yeah, it's very cool.

          Method 3 of 4: Quick Pick

          

          Step 1. Quick picking can be used for dramatic effect, or for playing violent solos without using hammer-ons or pull-offs

          Helpful Hint: Get the hardest pick you can find, and slide it sideways between the strings gently

          

          Step 2. You can use this technique to palm mute the first part of a solo on the lower strings (making it sound like a thermonuclear explosion), and / or continue hopelessly and randomly until you reach the notes. as sharp as you can

          

          Step 3. Be aware that this technique makes a lot of noise and is quite impressive, plus it allows you to take a lot of liberties with respect to the key of the song

          Method 4 of 4: One-Hand Tapping

          One more thing - do you want to do one-handed tapping like Eddie Van Halen?

          

          Step 1. Throw the pick away and use your right hand to play hammer-ons and pull-offs

          

          Step 2. Alternate with left-handed hammer-ons and pull-offs; add the shampoo, lather thoroughly, rinse and repeat the process

          

          Step 3. Many people were disappointed when they discovered that this super flashy technique is actually quite easy to learn

          

          Step 4. Although it is called “one-handed tapping”, in reality both hands are used

          Two-handed tapping, on the other hand, is much more cynical and complicated to learn.

          Major and Minor Scales

          • Complementary to the major or minor pentatonic scale, there are of course major and minor scales.

            • The major

              • -----------------------------5-7-9-
              • ----------------------5-7-9--------
              • ------------------6-7-------------
              • ------------6-7-9-----------------
              • -------5-7-9----------------------
              • -5-7-9---------------------------

            • A minor

              • -----------------------------5-7-8-
              • ----------------------5-6-8-------
              • -----------------4-5-7------------
              • -------------5-7-----------------
              • -------5-7-8----------------------
              • -5-7-8----------------------------
            • Study and deepen the execution of these scales just as you did with the pentatonic. You will want to learn many more.