Guitar: What do I learn now?

Question

i can play chords: C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, B, Em, Am, Fm

i can read tabs

i can read sheet music

btw, i play tons of other instruments too, but i am specifically asking for guitar

I want to play lead guitar in alt/rock like Switchfoot's lead, Jon Foreman.

Thanks

P. S. I am teaching myself and any websites or youtube videos would be nice

I know someone at my church who has a few cds out and plays guitar, but i want the reward of getting myself a little farther

I like singing too! My whole life is music, so I hope to do it forever.......I also want to compose my own songs and music, but am having writers block- no suprise!

Answer 1

Why not try a little lead guitar now...I don't know how you manage tabs....I can read them it's just that after you read music I think tab is confusing. Why not have someone play chords and you play lead...and see how you do with that. I play classical guitar....that's my love....but I also like finger style on acoustic....why not give that a try...it sounds so nice when you play songs like, "Tears in Heaven", or Yesterday by the Beatles, finger style sounds so professional.... if it's played right it can also sound like two guitars playing at one.... go on youtube and type in this name, Peo Kindgren, and listen to his rendition of Tears in Heaven, and Yesterday, he's a classical guitarist also, but plays these songs finger style the way I like to play my acousitc, the way he plays them are in a book by Hal Leonard called, The Very Best Of Fingerstyle Guitar, you can get his off his web site or in Sam Ash, the music is done in music notation finger style, lead guitar, tabs, and chords. Here are some sites that you may want to look at...the first one give you everything from an electronic free tuner, and a very cool chord chart...you click on the chord you want on the left and on the right there's a guitar showing you how to make the chord....scroll up and down this site it has a lot of interesting things that a guitarist would be interested in....have you started barre chords yet... go here.....and they'll teach your that too !!!!!!....and then I'll give you some other great sites :
http://www.8notes.com/ (click on the picture of guitar)
http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/
http://www.billbrutal.com/
http://www.learn-to-play-guitar-online.info
http://www.worldguitar.com/
http://www.justinguitar.com/
http://www.stringdancer.com/ (this also has a free electronic tuner on it's homepage)
http://www.chordfind.com/
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/
http://www.guitarnotes.com/
http://www.fretplay.com/
Tabs :
http://www.tabcrawler.com/
http://www.guitartabs.com/
http://www.tabseek.com/
http://www.chordie.com/
Free Sites: I'm not to crazy about these free sites, they really don't give you enough information.
http://www.freebasicguitar.com/
http://wwwguitar.about.com/
http://www.learnhowtoplayguitar.com/
http://www.abclearnguitar.com/
The other sites are much better...they may want you to buy their DVD's, Cd's, Videos, or their on line lessons, but there good, and worth it.... and less expensive then having a private teacher....and there something you can go over and over again....I wish that they had these when I first started....
Well I hope there's something here that will get you more interested in all aspects of guitar playing ....good luck to you...bye !!!!!!!!

Answer 2

you're doing good so far it seems like! i would just keep practicing changing from those chords if you can't do it already (i'm sure you can though) and if you like switchfoot you should start learning a few powerchords and practice reading along with tabs as you are playing songs. and also learn a few single note riffs even though thats not what lead guitar usually does it helps alot

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ you can find alot of good tabs here

http://www.justinguitar.com/ this also has scales and chords

Answer 3

I agree that scales are a good place to start. The best scales to start with would probably be the pentatonics. Here's an article that will help you get started: http://how-to-play-guitar-lessons-online.com/blog/2007/10/06/pentatonic-scale/

Good Luck,
Brian

Answer 4

Ah, rock lead guitars.

Time to learn playing lead guitars.

The best way to start IMO is learn to play scales. Major scales, minor scales, and other scales.

As you practice your scale, use alternate up down picking, where you alternate your picking up and down, instead of just down. Its the hardest picking technique, but once you mastered it, you can pick very fast

Answer 5

I like switchfoot.
Go to a music store that sells sheet music and all sorts of guitar stuff.
Write your own stuff and become original.

Answer 6

Looks like you're doing pretty good on your own

Keep it up

Eventually you'll get there .. Whatever "THERE" is

But when you hit a wall ... Get a tutor

Good luck

Answer 7

I absolutely love Switchfoot. Here are some videos that u can use to absorb his techniques
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nMRtcH-D2OI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2qFY_oy2PyU&mode=related&search=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tsdCemfick0&mode=related&search=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=G7sNwulyO1w
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tKReKIWJhEI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4xBLRfLPxV8&mode=related&search=

well...hope this helped!!!