Metal lead guitar & solos
Speed is optional. Intention isn't. Treat a solo as phrases over a riff, not a scale recital.
What makes a solo stick
Listeners remember a three-note hook long after they forget a 240 BPM run that never landed anywhere. The techniques below are tools. The landing note and the space around it make the solo.
Start with targeting
Then add
PhrasingStart late, leave space.
Metal scalesPentatonic to Phrygian dominant.
Pinch harmonicsSqueals on purpose.
TappingClean taps, quiet strings.
LegatoEven slurs.
Sweep pickingThree strings first.