This Beginner's Guide to Guitar Soloing™ is brought to you by the following sponsors: JoeGuitar.com Professional Music Products 99dollarGuitars.com Guitars, Effects, Basses, even Keyboards. Mostly under $99!   Practice Exercises for Building Finger Strength & Independence The first exercise is simply to play the scale. Focus on playing each note evenly and with the same volume. Listen closely for fluctuations in sound and volume. Become familiar with different picking variations... All Down Strokes - Concentrate on consistant feel and sound. All Up Strokes - These should sound the same as your down strokes. Alternate picking - This is the most important. Alternate picking is the most efficient picking method and will be a major component of your development as a guitarist. Next, practice the same scale in decenending order from the first string as illustrated below. It is important to become completely familiar with the notes that make up this scale. This exercise, both ascending and decending in pitch, should be automatic. Expect to practice this exercise for many hours at varying tempos. Position Playing Remember that, as guitarists, we use positions on the neck frequently as a guide. A position is any 4 fret span on the neck whereas one finger is dedicated to each of the four frets. Remember to be consistent with your fingering. Sticking to positions will lead to stronger fingers with a higher degree of independence. Additionally, you'll progress faster without having to look at the neck when you play. Click to Continue...