{"id":16019,"date":"2018-07-23T00:32:46","date_gmt":"2018-07-23T00:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roadietuner.com\/?post_type=blog&p=16019"},"modified":"2020-07-08T07:40:57","modified_gmt":"2020-07-08T07:40:57","slug":"3-top-tips-for-great-lead-guitar-phrasing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roadiemusic.com\/blog\/3-top-tips-for-great-lead-guitar-phrasing\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Top Tips for Great Lead Guitar Phrasing"},"content":{"rendered":"

What sets apart a great lead guitar solo from a mediocre one? Is it technique? Finger dexterity? Scale mastery?<\/p>\n

All those things play a part, sure. But there\u2019s one thing over others that really makes a guitar solo stand out.<\/p>\n

Phrasing.<\/p>\n

Phrasing is the difference between going through the motions on a pentatonic scale and really speaking to people with your music. Phrasing is how you bring your guitar playing to life. Great phrasing will give your guitar playing a lyrical quality. If you\u2019ve ever heard people talk about \u201cmaking a guitar sing,\u201d they\u2019re talking about phrasing.<\/p>\n

But how does it work? And what can you do to improve your lead guitar phrasing? Today, we\u2019re outlining three top tips for guitar phrasing so you can breathe life into your solos.<\/p>\n

Focus on note duration:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When beginner guitarists<\/a> play solos, they tend to sound pretty monotonous. Why? Because they often don\u2019t vary the length of the notes they\u2019re playing.<\/p>\n

The key to making your guitar \u201csing\u201d is experimenting with different note lengths \u2013 holding notes, playing notes in short bursts and so on.<\/p>\n

To understand how to do this, think about how you talk in real life. We use a variety of short and long words in our day-to-day, hold on to words to emphasize statements or shorten words to convey emotions. Now, try to apply that principle to the notes in a guitar solo \u2013 effectively, you want to give your solo a \u201cvoice.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is, of course, a caveat here. Whatever you do, you need to keep on time and stay in rhythm. So long as you adhere to that though, feel free to experiment. So long as what you\u2019re doing is emotive, you\u2019re doing it right.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also about the notes you don\u2019t play:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When we talk, we don\u2019t just speak. We also breathe. And letting your lead line breathe from time to time is key to great phrasing.<\/p>\n

You might feel like you impress everyone when you shred non-stop 16th<\/sup> notes at 210 BPM, but more often than not, it\u2019s exhausting for the listener.\u00a0 Ever stood next to someone who won\u2019t stop talking about themselves at a bus stop? Your unending shredathon is the aural equivalent.<\/p>\n

Rests are what give your notes meaning. By pausing in the right places, you emphasize certain points in your playing, drawing the listener\u2019s attention to them.<\/p>\n

So don\u2019t be afraid to hold off every now and then. It\u2019s that, rather than endless note spamming, that makes a statement.<\/p>\n

Work on Dynamics: <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Watch a great public speaker and pay attention to the volume of their voice. Notice how they command the audience\u2019s attention without shouting every word that they\u2019re speaking. They use volume for emphasis, as well as to convey feeling.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same principle with guitar playing. The volume of notes, and how loudly or softly you play them; have a huge impact on the meanings you convey in your solo. And, guess what? If you don\u2019t alter the dynamics of the solo, it gets boring very quickly.<\/p>\n

Blues legend B.B. King was a master of dynamics. Check out this live performance of \u201cThe Thrill is Gone\u201d \u2013 especially the final two minutes \u2013 and see how he builds from soft to loud lead playing to create tension, drama and emotion.<\/p>\n\n

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