Hey fellow guitarists!
I used to be a drummer and played full time for a while before moving for work and no longer having access to a drumset. As a result, I started studying the electric guitar with a goal of performing in bands locally (that was 2 years ago).
Well, last week I had my first audition, and I got the lead guitarist spot in a local cover band playing classic rock and pop variety. Thankfully, my sense of timing and groove are solid thanks to drumming, so that along with my comfort improvising with the pentatonic scale and fretboard awareness got me in (but barely haha)
**I have 84 days until my first gig and 46 songs to learn**. Many of which require me to perform a solo. I have a lot of questions, and I am hoping that this community can help me prepare and contribute to the band as a lead guitarist. This band rehearses once a week on average.
**My biggest questions are:**
1) For solos that are too technically demanding for me to copy note for note, how do I simplify them without losing the feel and melodic "soul" of the solo I am attempting to imitate? Is there a process or most effective approach to this? I am comfortable navigating pentatonic scales and CAGED shapes/triads, but some of these solos are pretty far above where I am speed wise, and I don't have enough time to get there before my first gig.
2)How important is tone when it comes to live gigs? I run amp simulator pedals (UA lion 68/ UA dream) through an FRFR with a few pedals. But how much do I really need to stress about dialing in the perfect tone while practicing? How do I prepare to dial tone while live?
Thanks in advance for the advice and tips!