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Issues with learning faster solos

Yosi Yamin

Music Theory Bragger
Nov 11, 2019
64
108
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youtu.be
Hey everybody! How are you all doin?
I wanted to ask for your opinions and tips about how to start playing faster solos, like the ones on Sheperd of fire, bat country, afterlife, second heartbeat etc’. I always seem to lose my concentration when I’m trying to learn them from tabs, since it seems so endless, and I never seem to get it even when I’m sitting in front of the tab for hours. I’ve been playing rhythm ever since I picked up the guitar and really want to be able to learn some lead, any tips on how would be appreciated!
 

Ethan Keeling

Garage band Groupie
Nov 11, 2019
298
487
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Aylesbury, England
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I would recommend Chris Zoopa. Hes on YouTube and gives very good lessons and does include the tabs if you needed them. He keeps you engaged too, at least for me he does. Once you’ve learnt it’s just perseverance with taking it slow with a metronome and with the music if you can slow the speed down on the internet.
Good luck mate!
 

idssdi

Sold-out Crowd Surfer
Nov 11, 2019
5,336
6,754
Groningen
11
Let’s start at the beginning, how long have you been playing? Playing the fast stuff takes a significant amount of technique so it’s usually it’s not something you pick up easily when you haven’t been playing that long. Basically to start with fundamentals first start with just learning scales and be able to play those fast up and down, I know really boring but instead of just learning how to play some specific solos fast you’ll be able to play the fundamentals fast too and use is when improvising. As for concentration, try to take the solos per section. So first learn the first bar and when your able to do that comfortably learn how to do the second bar. When you are able to do the second bar try to link the first bar and second bar together before you move on to the third bar continue doing this with the whole solo by adding in sections one at a time. From the ones you mention Bat country seems to be the best one to start with since a pretty big part of that one is not that shreddy but more melody based so you wont be discouraged as quickly.
Hope it helps!
 

Kfir Yaakovi

Hot Topic Tourer
  • Nov 11, 2019
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    636
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    Israel
    10
    Yosi brother! My advice is to play it slow again and again until you can level it up a bit. I couldn’t play almost any solo 2 months ago, but since I was practicing on picking, sweeping, eco picking slowly day after day I improved sevenfold!
    We can always meet and jam together since we both are from Israel 😉
     
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    Calvin Phillips

    Music Theory Bragger
    Nov 11, 2019
    2,588
    1,988
    When you shred at that speed you’re not thinking about which notes your playing on it’s own. It’s usually in sets of triples or quads.. etc. So you’re counting in 3s or 4s. So youre really only thinking like one of those 3 or 4 notes (ideally the index finger) then it’s a matter of the run that’s being played.
    If you cant think that far ahead in your playing simply slow it down until you dont have to think about it. Your muscles have to build up.
     

    Ezequiel Romanko

    Garage band Groupie
    Nov 11, 2019
    491
    444
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    Argentina
    10
    i may throw in something it’s not much but it may can help you a bit :), what i usally do is learn by parts i mean the motives of the solos, not the entire solo, just for example the first 4 bars of the solo to complete like a secuence, once i memorized that i move on to the next and so, even you can play by parts and learn to play them at the original speed, starting slowly obviusly 🙂 it may help you to starting learning that without being tired of learn all the solo by one. cuz it will be more complicated to remember faster.