"The John Durant Guitar Solo Series - The Physical Aspect" copyright 2007 by John Durant
I think many guitarists have always imagined
themselves playing guitar solos that rival legends like Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, or Stevie Ray
Vaughn, but they never seem to get past the most basic one string solos. It takes many years of dedication, practice and study
to even get to be half as good as any one of these legends.
"The John Durant Guitar Solo Series"
is designed to provide basic instruction for those guitarists wanting to improve their soloing capabilities. I'll try
to provide multimedia examples for some of these lessons, and I also recommend that students utilize a wide source of
study materials to expand their musical knowledge. My way is not the only way, and I know that I've benefited greatly
by learning the techniques of other guitar players whose style I've admired, and also by devoting many years
to the study of music theory. The first article in this series will cover the physical aspects that provide
the foundation for great guitar soloists.
There are two main physical attributes (other than hand
size) that are essential for becoming a guitar solo virtuoso; finger strength and finger/hand speed. Even guitar
players without long fingers can become great soloists if they can greatly improve on these two attributes.
The first attribute we'll address is finger and hand strength on the fretting hand. Clean fretting, string bending,
chord slides and hand speed are all dependent on good hand strength. The first thing you'll notice about guitarists
with exceptional hand strength is how effortless their playing appears. They can play intense five-minute guitar
solos with no fatigue whatsoever, and they're able to play equally well on both electric and acoustic guitars. Very rarely
will you hear a fret buzz from players such as these, and their tremolos and vibratos are always controlled and
in tune.
I used to work on my finger strength by squeezing a diesel fuel nozzle for hours at my day job,
but you can improve your finger strength simply by doing regular practice sessions on an acoustic, 12-string, or bass
guitar. These instruments require more fretting pressure and will definitely increase finger and hand strength. Try playing
your electric guitar after an hour or so of bass guitar practice; you'll feel like Superman once you go back to that
lower action and fast guitar neck! Music stores also carry hand exercise "grips" which are somewhat useful, but
I recommend dedicating more time to guitar practice instead of just doing hand grip exercises.
Exceptional
hand and finger speed is the second attribute that nearly all great guitar players possess. There is only one way to achieve
this critical asset: practice, practice, and more practice!
Hand speed on the fretting hand is based
on both mental and physical preparation. Repetition is the foundation that hand speed is built on, because this helps
increase both muscle memory, accuracy and endurance. Daily scale and chord practice all over the neck is
essential, and you have to master the fretboard from top to bottom to be a successful soloist.
You can also help increase your speed and endurance by learning to fret only as hard as necessary, and to fully relax
your hands when not fretting. This can also help reduce the risk of tendinitis and repetitive stress injuries that can
end your music career before it starts!
By doing repetitive practice you increase your accuracy, which also increases
confidence, so that you play in a more "automatic" mode. You can have all the hand speed in the world, but if you
have to think about every note you play and are afraid of making mistakes, you're dead in the water! When you've
put in the time, you'll realize that it's easier to "get in the zone" and play from the heart instead of
playing from your head.
Next I want to talk about strength and speed of the picking hand. You may think that
less strength would be required, but most great guitarists finger-pick with this hand, even if they're holding a pick;
and faster picking styles also require significant strength and endurance. Different muscles are used in the
picking hand, and like the fretting hand, repetition is the key to hand strength, endurance, and accuracy. I'm
going to cover this in a general way right now, because picking is a very complex subject which needs to be covered separately.
Practice picking in both the up and down direction. Make sure that you pivot your wrist up and down
instead of moving your whole arm when you're doing electric guitar solos. Strumming an acoustic guitar sometimes requires
more arm movement, and I've seen rhythm guitar players use wide arm strums for audience appeal, and not so much for
accuracy.
Repeat a picking pattern until you can do it to perfection without thinking. Try to grip the pick
only as hard as you need to keep it from falling out of your hand, or as hard as you need to achieve the dynamics you
need. I use thick guitar picks (1.14mm and up) that would be difficult to use with speed if I wasn't relaxed
enough.
I can't stress the "relaxing" concept enough, and I especially need
to warn guitar soloists that play hard rock "speed metal" styles. I've known many guitar players who
now suffer from repetitive stress injuries, especially in their picking hand, that have seriously impacted their
music careers. Unfortunately it takes a lot of repetition and practice to become great, but that's exactly what can cause
these painful and debilitating injuries. Practice, practice, practice; and then take the time to rest. Consult a doctor
if you feel numbness in your fingers or severe pain in your elbows. You may have to adjust your playing style to avoid further
injuries.
Speed and strength are fundamental building blocks for great guitar soloists, and if you put
in the work, you're sure to see the results. I hope this article was helpful, and gave you a fresh perspective on
what it takes to solo with the best of them!
Look for more articles soon in the "John Durant Guitar Solo
Series"!
