“I’ve always played chords and rhythm. How can I get started playing lead guitar?”
Lead guitar is an all-encompassing approach to playing, so try not to think of rhythm and lead as separate disciplines. Lead guitar is simply taking the spotlight so your guitar becomes the, er, “lead” instrument. Think about how, say, Joe Bonamassa might blast out a fiery bluesrock solo or how Johnny Marr might drop into a run of sparkling arpeggios during a lead break. Funk maestro Cory Wong usually takes a “rhythm as lead” approach, crafting chord extensions into a melodic run. Three totally different players and three different ways of playing lead guitar.
“Interesting! I’ll keep an open mind then. But how should I get started?”