How long did it take you to be able to play them? Any techniques to start out on?

Start out with the slow melotic solos first. Practice your alternate picking.

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you need to learn your basic scales (iolian, aolian, and phyrigian) if you dont have them i can post them for you. They are they key to writing solos, and when you play one you can see what scale thier in and bla bla bla. It also helps your sweeps and your down up picking. If you want to become extreamly fast and accurate get a metranome for like 15 bucks. 20 mins a day and start off slow, in about a year you will be just ripping the fucking guitar to pieces. Or just play for 15 years and then rip the guitar to pieces.

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yes, please post them....

This is the very basic scale, hardly ever used, just for beginers. Pay it forwards and back words. (5 = first finger, 7 = third finger, 8 = pinky) make SURE you use the right fingers.
--------------------5--8-------------------------------
------------------5---8--------------------------------
----------------5---7----------------------------------
--------------5---7------------------------------------
-----------5---7---------------------------------------
--------5---8------------------------------------------
Iolian: This is one of the most popular scales. If you cant strech you finger like this yet move it up and start on the 8th fret. (the 3 5 7 part you use your first, second and pinky finger not your thrid! 4 5 7 is first second and pinky and 5 7 8 is first third and piky) play it back and forwards.
-----------------------5--7--8-----------------------------
---------------------5--7--8-------------------------------
-------------------4--5--7---------------------------------
-----------------4--5--7-----------------------------------
---------------3---5--7------------------------------------
------------3---5---7--------------------------------------

il give the other to tommrow, im goin to bed. learn these like the back of your hand!!! you can play anywhere in them and it will always sound in tune.

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sweet, thanks

if you think about it, most solos have some identical fingering at parts. so what i did was practise solos and riffs from songs and after about 4 months i could do them. and then i'd incorparate those fingerings into my own.

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i just practiced the minor up and down, up and down, up and down, etc. i dont see how it gets boring, because you know your getting better. also, one i found for getting stringer fingers is:


--------------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4
---------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------
----------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------
-----------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------------
------------1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------
-1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------------


i did that alot, gradualy working up the fret board, and still do it at least once a day to keep finger strength. before you know it you'll be bending a set of .13 strings with your pinky with ease

i started doing that too, but about 2 months ago. i'd do that and then do the samething all the way up the fretboard till i got to 12th position. It works really well.

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yeah those are finger exercises, the ones i posted you use to make songs, and they help you strech more than gain strength

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On bass I usually start near the 14th fret and work my way up or down, in pentatonic scales or something...