Focusing on chord tones as you play lead guitar is very important. Chord tones are the notes from the chord you are playing over, and knowing which they are for each chord in the progression is extremely useful. It takes away the guesswork in knowing which notes to target.
In the following video, I give you some examples and ideas of how you can approach this.
I recommend you spend the time needed to really learn where the notes from each chord is located on the fretboard, in relation to what you already know in terms of scales and licks. Next, try to relax a bit when improvising. Use scales and licks, but pay attention to which notes you are targeting, and be aware of how you can locate these notes, all over the fretboard.
Another thing you should do is transcribe and learn licks from your favorite players, and analyze them in terms of chord tones. You are likely to discover that great players center their playing around these chord tones.
In its simplest form, chord tones are 1 - 3 - 5 from the chord in question. You can from there stretch out a bit and add the 7, 9, 11 or 13 as well, depending on the voicing of the chords.
By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com
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