The Secret To Adding Fire And
Emotion To Any Guitar Lick
By Tom Hess
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Back when I was getting my lead guitar playing together, I often wondered how 2 guitar players could play:
...the same guitar lick...
...at the same speed…
...through the same guitar & amp…
...without making any mistakes...
...and yet one guitar player would sound so much better than other.
I used to think that some guitar players naturally had an easier time “playing with feeling” than others.
This was until a guitar teacher of mine introduced me to a very simple, very tangible and very learnable skill that transformed my entire guitar playing.
That skill was “Phrasing”.
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And best of all... it's a skill anybody can learn.
Check out this guitar lick creativity video to see how:
Here are simple ways to practice what you just learned and make any lead guitar lick sound better today:
Lead Guitar Phrasing Tip #1: Use A Grading Scale To Rate Your Guitar Phrasing
Play a simple lead guitar lick (like the one I showed you in the video) and ask yourself:
“How good does my lead guitar phrasing sound on a scale of 1-10 in this moment?”
If the answer is anything less than a 10, ask the next question:
“How can I make my lead guitar phrasing sound better?” (You can also ask: “What’s missing?”, “Why isn’t it a 10 yet?” Or “If I were to make the lead guitar lick sound better, what might I do?”)
Then use the creative practice ideas in the video to improve the sound of your lead guitar phrasing.
Repeat until your lick sounds like a “10”.
If you want some help with this, download this free lead guitar phrasing eGuide that helps you add fire & emotion to any lead guitar lick.
Lead Guitar Phrasing Tip #2: One-Up The Guitar Phrasing Of Your Favorite Guitarists’ Solos
As you get good at using the “grading scale” for your lead guitar licks – practice doing the same with a lead guitar phrasing exercise that uses solos from your favorite bands.
Here is how:
Learn any guitar solo you like. Then break it down into individual lead guitar licks. Refine each guitar lick until it sounds like a 10 to your ears.
The best part?
This process is entirely subjective. Meaning: there is no right or wrong to way to do these steps. If your version of that lead guitar lick sounds like a 10 to you – it’s a 10 as far as you should be concerned. (The only caveat is: you must be honest with yourself.)
Extra tip:
As you practice refining a lead guitar lick (whether your licks or anyone else’s), don’t forget about the rhythm of the notes.
You can build a lot of musical tension by using rubato in the rhythm of a guitar lick.
Watch this video to make any guitar lick sound more expressive:
Lead Guitar Phrasing Tip #3: Do What Great Singers Do… But On Guitar
One “secret” to great guitar phrasing is copying the vocal melodies of your favorite singers.
Here is why:
Singers live and die by their phrasing. Unlike guitar players, most singers have a very limited pitch range and cannot sing very fast. Singers are also limited in how many notes they can sing on one breath.
That means: for everything they lack in pitch range and speed, good singers make up with phrasing that drips with emotion.
So, here is the tip for you: transcribe vocal melodies on guitar & match the phrasing as closely as possible.
This is the fastest way to make your lead guitar licks sound awesome.
Now that you know how to practice lead guitar phrasing, want to get even more ideas for how to make every lick you play sound better?
Download this free guitar soloing eGuide & discover lead guitar phrasing secrets most guitarists never know.