I've learnt the two diatonic lead patterns and the different modes... what next? I really want to learn about technique and stuff but I don't really know where to start.

Can anyone give me any advice? Does anyone know of any decent books out there that could help spice up my lead playing???

I'd recommend Troy Stetina's book 'Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar'.

Ignore the dated big hair and metal guitar on the cover - it actually contains some great exercises applicable to any style of lead playing.

Play along to your favorite albums. It'll do wonders for your playing.

stim said:

Looks difficult... but I'm up for a challenge...

study modes and modal structures
[Edited 10/19/07 6:40am]

Here is a list of important books every serious guitar student should investigate.

1."Fusion" by Joe Diorio

2."The Complete Book of Guitar Improvisation" by Vincent Bredice

3."Elementary Training for Musicians" by Paul Hindemith

4."The Solo Lute Works of Johann Sebastian Bach" edited for guitar by Frank Koonce

5."Scales and Modes" by Vincent Bredice

6."Chord Chemistry" by Ted Green

7. "Intervallic Designs for Jazz Guitar" by Joe Diorio

8."Jazz Structures for the New Millennium" by Joe Diorio

make sure to listen to Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Freddie King, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore and John McLaughlin...this list goes on and on...
[Edited 10/18/07 9:10am]

hummm.....pick up some video's/dvd from guitar center. I like 2 learn by doing. Theory messes up my head and creativity.

Pick a variety of guitarist who you admire and study their playing style...
That reminds me! I'm studying Jerry Garcia and his style, and he uses alot of jazz scales. Alot of rolling triplets on a string, legato style.

Learn the Blues/Minor Pentatonic scale and take it from there.
[Edited 10/19/07 5:17am]

Best choices -

1- Find a good teacher than can guide you on how to actually "use" all the scales and exercises you get out of the books in a musical context. Too often, I get students that can play scales and exercises perfectly, but they really do not get how to play lead. When they try, they end up just noodling through the scale or exercise.

2- Develop your ear by learning leads and fills from songs. Once you have the 5 pentatonic patterns under your fingers, try learning some blues, funk or r&b licks from records. When you're comfortable with this process, move on to the diatonic modes and repeat with more difficult songs. After that, if you still want to try more, move on to jazz tunes and start learning the harmonic and melodic minor scales, whole tone scales, diminished scales, etc. If you have a good teacher from #1 above, they can help you do this step if you run into leads that you just can't work out.

Finally, it takes practice and more importantly, playing with others to put it all together. These suggestions and the others will do no good if you do not put the work in. But hey, playing guitar is not really "working" is it?

One more thing, with your scales comfortably under your fingers, use a program like band in a box or find jam tracks on the web and practice your scales over them.

When you have run the scales a few times to hear the relationships between the scale tones and the chord progression, start working on very short phrases (2-3 notes) to create a musical phrase. Eventually, you'll be able to come up with phrases of varying length and connect them together. At this point, you're actually saying something with your solo rather than just running a scale or an exercise.

I kinda disagree with the teaching method,
cause i think teachers tend to brainwash their students to not to play with feeling
which is cool if you want to play like Robert Frip or Andy Summers...
But conventional lead players, from my experience, they usually go at it alone...

Then you haven't found a good teacher. If a teacher doesn't care about the style of music the student wants to play and instead "pushes" a certain style on the student, they are not a good teacher.

A good teacher will ask you where you want to go with your playing and build your lessons to take you there. They'll make sure that you're learning how to physically play the music (chords, scales, arps, etc) as well as the creative side (how to actually make music).

littlerockjams said:

Teachers like that are hard to find my friend...
And additionally most people really don't know what they wan't to sound like,
I'm sure teachers get dim witted request like i want to sound like Hendrix (round these parts , Prince) Something is dimly attainable and kinda useless when it comes to finding your own style.
Thats stylized guitar playing though
I do agree with you that all guitarist should learn the basics
IE, decent rhythm playing and the Minor Pentatonic scale
But after that i believe the guitarist should be on his own just finding stuff to add to his repetoire.
To become stylized,
Some cats prefer to shred, Some guys play modaly, or minamaly...
You got to find a style akin to you, which is hard especially for lead
cause their are so many topics go through
Best bet listen to your fav guitarist play, mimick that
blend that style with another guitarist you like,
just adding stuff to your style
For instance under my arsenal, I totally dig the aeolien minor scale, Mixoblues and blues, i mix them all to get a type of rockabilly country/rock type of sound for soling in some songs, In my normal conventional rock I use weird jerry garcia-esque jazz scales, when i play i use alot of legato note alternative picking and string skipping, and bends, i tend to stray away from cliche licks
and create weird obscure ones...
now thats just my style that i've aquired over the years.
If i was with a teacher he'd think i was a mad man going through all these topics
Thats what i get from my experience with teachers...
I had a teacher when i was just begginning
for three monthes
and i still wasn't able to play one solo or perfect chord progression
I dropped out of the lessons and went out of my own, and learned like 30 songs and solos in like 3 monthes, excelling alot faster
but again thats just me...
additionally
those lessons are pricy, i paid 40 bucks for a half hour lesson