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I been playing around with the guitar for about five years. Now I feel it is time for me to get serious. Does any one know some songs that could help my lead playing out?

Just ask Mikey,he can play anything.

Twion, well, I think you should take a look at metal if you are looking to improve your lead playing. Try playing early Metallica and then try playing Megadeth, lots of fast soloing in there.

If you are looking for a more melodic, softer, tone, then you may want to stray towards Coldplay, certain songs have solos. You may also want to attempt Incubus (Saying you like using effects).

If you are a blues player, well I would recommend Eric Clapton all the way, or B.B. King.

Now if you are looking for something insane to attempt, well there are tons of shredders out there, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Angelo Batio, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and one of the fastest, and greatest, John Petrucci. Now this stuff is very advanced, if you want to be able to play it you are going to have to be fast, accurate, know sweep picking, have a guitar that can handle many tunings, know tapping, be able to use legato, and so on and so forth.

If you are looking for something more along the lines of a beginner platform for soloing, try some Our Lady Peace (Certain songs have slower, easier, solos), or try out this website which has all of the blues fundamentals: www.12bar.de .

And as said by HowlinJ, wait for Mike Gentry to reply, he will probably be able to lead you in the right direction.

If all else fails, take lessons.

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

Does any one know some songs that could help my lead playing out?

Good heavens, talk about a wide open question!

Luckily, I happen to have nearby, my trusted magical ball of slightly undercooked and brown meatloaf, which we can of course turn to for answers such as these.
Hang on, whilst I peer into the semi-chunky , and barely crusted exterior..
..
wait..
somethings emerging...
it's taking shape..........

I knew it!
I knew it!

Boston, Don't look Back
or
Sor

take your pick

lol...now we know who's into the Guinness...

IF you want some suggestions, let us know what style of music and we might be able to throw out some song names. I used to just turn on the radio and play along with whatever came on.

Get Freddy King's CD of his instrumentals. It is an absolute treasure trove of guitar licks. Nothing but tastey stuff and probably will teach you more about playing lead than almost any other guitarist I know of. Another great blues guitarist that is especially useful for lead knowledge is T-bone Walker. Later...

Honestly...no matter what type of music you like...get Sal Salvadors Single String Studies... it was my bible back in the day... all different scale, arpeggio, and finger excersises that make you do things on that guitar with both hands that you'd never have dreamed you would've been able to accomplish!

Leo kottke.

Just play and play and play.

For me leads were always easy. I think you would be better to really learn rythym and chord structure. This would help you understand how notes and scales fit together. Maybe get a digital recorder and lay down a simple rythym and just play lead over it. Once you master a rythym put down something more complex.

But the bottom line is to play and then play some more.

Lately Ive been setting up my drum machine for different time signatures and playing over it. I think I mentioned in other post to get some sort of metronome and learn how to play in time.

Good Luck

Thats where I'm at, workin real hard on solid rhythms. Its really what interests me the most. My band mates however expect me to progress and do more of the lead work. It seems to flow natural if I'm working a familar scale but I am still limited by my lack of knowedge of how the scales can be linked to pick notes in key from the whole neck / range.

That's kinda hard to answer. I started out with blues focusing on Clapton and SRV. For 80's type rock it was Eddie Van Halen. Damn, I worshiped the ground he walked on when I first picked up the guitar. For metal it was anything Zack Wylde. I darned near painted that bulls-eye on my new Les Paul that my father got me for Christmas which of course would have been fatal.

On the subject of mutilating guitar adornment,
I can recall when Erik Cartwright (later played in Foghat) was jammin at our high school dances with G.E.Smith. Erik played a Strat in which he drilled a large hole in the head. Erik played almost as good as Mikey back then! (G.E.,a little bit better)