- Get used to single-note picking. On lead guitar, every note counts, as opposed to rhythm, where a chord gets churned out by a single brush of the hand. Practice picking through scales.
- Learn the blues scale. This basic series of notes is the foundation of a lot of guitar solos.
- Go beyond the blues scale. Learn the pentatonic scales. These five-note progressions interlock on the fretboard to map out the various musical "modes," like "aeolian" (major) and "ionian" (minor).
- Draw a fretboard diagram. Study the way the notes fit together and make sure you know where they are on the fretboard. This will help with more complex lead guitar riffs.
- Work on advanced techniques. In addition to single-note picking, lead guitar players use hammer-on and various string exercises to create a "flurry" of notes. Also, learn how to 'bend' notes. When you push a string up or down, the note gets higher. This is a favorite tool for playing lead guitar.
- Learn tablature. This form of musical notation isn't sheet music. It shows you where each finger should be on the fretboard, and you don't need music theory to read it. Tablature will give you the key to any famous solo by mapping it out completely.
Source : ehow.com
