I have been playing for a long time, (14-15 years) but never got really really serious about it.
I have had the mindset that you cant have a song without good riffs/rythms.
which i still believe, but I am interested in learning solo's and building up my playing speed.

I can alternate pick very fast, My problem is in the fretting hand, I cannot fret the notes in a scale very fast at all.
I have learned a pentatonic scale, and am going to go with one scale at a time for now.
But I require pointers for building up some speed with the fretting hand.
I'ts about time i learn to play some leads damnit!

Thanks!

Run back and forth through the scale numerous times. First play it slow make sure you hit ever note perfect. Then play it faster and faster. Also, learning other peoples solos helps alot. Learn about your modes and so on, throw some theory in it, will make you a better player.

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try playing like three notes a b c fast. When your comfortable with them increase the notes and just keep going

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sounds good guys, thats basically what i am doing.
I have the most slowdown when changing from 1 string to the next. my fingers just dont want to cooperate that fast.
Ill keep at it!
thanks

Start slow. SLOW! Its one thing to play fast but its another to play super slow. And I mean slow to the point where you imagen slow motion. Yeah. Helped me.
Do trills. Up, down and across the neck. That helps me a lot. Also, just jam. Make up solos. Play with a metronome.

and yeah... play other peoples solos.

When you want to build up speed, you must go slower than you think physically possible. Nobody ever believes this, but it's true. Start slowly. Play PERFECTLY. That's the only way to play faster. If you can't control your hands going at a medium speed, there's no way that you'll control them going at 160+bpm playing 16ths. The way to gain control is to practice slowly and perfectly.

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You have such a similar problem to me, I've been learning ages (11+ years) but only really got serious about 2 years ago. My problem is the right hand, my speed is fairly weak on alternate picking. My Left is crazy and legato stuff etc I find pretty easy, my tip would be as the above but also learn some more basic solo's like Iron Maiden as they use a lot of left hand technique and early Metallica stuff, stuff like the Four Horsemen has some interesting techniques in it for left hand. Plus Jam with yourself whilst learning new Scales, Pentatonic will only restrict you. Look at Dorian/ Lydian/ Locrian modes etc. Also we have a magazine here in the UK called Guitar Techniques which often has lead solo's in 'the style of'.. etc So far Shadows Fall/ Opeth/ Lamb of God/ Neo-Classical Shred and a Shred Workout have all been featured in the last 6 months plus a big section on Thrash that included Death/ Cynic/ Testament/ Nevermore style stuff. Hope that helps!

start slow, memorize movements so you can do em while your sleeping, once all the ''solo'' movements become natural, then its time to work on speed.

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just mess around for about 2 mouths till you can play super fast. Learn some solos also. oh and scales also

next comes the hard part...you gotta make it sound good so lern some thoery

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messing around does NOT build speed. You have to pick as fast as you can when you're practicing. When your fast then you can mess around, which builds fretbord comfort

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thats true, but didnt he say he ad trouble getting his fretting hand/fingers to go fast, so fast picking is no issue here i guess...

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For speed practice on all the basic scales with metronome (I usually practice with one triplet per beat) and increse the BPM whenever you feel comfortable with the currect speed and it sounds accurate

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One triplet per beat, or one set of 3 per beat?

I suggest changing note values more often than changing the metronome's speed, or at least doing a bit of both. Instead of just playing 16th notes constantly and upping the bpm as you progress, try changing the value of the notes you're playing. Start out with 1/8 notes, then 1/8 note triplets, then 16ths, then 16th triplets (like 6 16ths per beat), etc. This will both help you improve your speed and help playing different rhythms at high speed.

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YEAH! Good that you mention that. Also, change up your... whats that thing called 4/4? Change it up to 3/4 and other ones.

For example: I got a simple metronome. Beep beep beep beep. Nothing special. So I'll play 8 notes ever beep. Then I'll change it up and play 6 notes every beep.

Not just straight sixteenth notes all the time change it up, be creative and express yourself.

thats true, i have no problems with the pick hand at all.


lots of good info here.thanks guys.
feel free to keep it coming!