Beyond The Basics: Level Up Your Sound To Intermediate
After investing and dedicating countless practice hours, mastering fundamental core mechanics, and building discipline and practice in daily routines, now it’s time to advance and you’re ready for the next step. Intermediate techniques is where transformation happens and your guitar playing is going to be pro.
These guitar techniques build your sound like legendary solos and iconic riffs. Basic foundations provide playing ability, while intermediate techniques deliver personality, depth, national expression and musical voice.
When Everything Changed: My Breakthrough Moment
When I was mastering the basics, I hit a frustrating wall. I kept getting stuck on solos I loved, I couldn’t handle the speed runs or emotional bends. I was obsessed with speed, completely ignoring my teacher’s repeated advice, slow down and focus on control.
My genuine breakthrough arrived when I stopped merely drilling exercises and started careful observation. I analyzed the work of Pakistani music industry guitar icons, exceptional legends Faraz Anwar and Adnan Afaq. Seeing them perform in person was transformative. I observed advanced techniques I couldn’t previously name or understand.
Through analyzing their technique closely and finally accepting the wisdom of slow practice, I progressively absorbed these intermediate techniques and advanced methods into my playing.
The Transformation was profound. My playing Improved dramatically, but more importantly, my entire stage presence evolved. I discovered a confidence level I’d never felt before.
Lets unlock the tools that will transform your guitar playing and personality like a rockstar from standard to legendary.
Unlock the Stage: Beyond form Basics to Guitar Legend
In my previous article, “Stop Wasting Time: The Right Techniques To Learn Guitar Faster “ I explained down all the basic fundamentals guitar techniques with detailed instruction. Now I’m taking you all to the next stage in this article through intermediate guitar techniques and unlocking new musical possibilities.
Intermediate Guitar Techniques:
- Vibrato
- Legato
- Bending and Pre Bending
- Slides
- Palm Muting
- Tapping
- Sweep Picking
- Harmonics
- Pinch Harmonics
- String skipping
From Where to Start: Detailed Drills for Mastering Core Techniques
Vibrato:
The technique that brings notes to life injecting emotions into your guitar playing. Without it, your playing sounds flat and robotic. Playing with vibrato makes your guitar sing with soul and personality, every note becomes expressive and unforgettable.
What is Vibrato Technique: Vibrato is the technique of rhythmically bending and releasing a string to produce subtle, generating consistent, controlled pitch fluctuations. This creates a wavering effect that adds human warmth and emotion to sustained notes.
Why Vibrato Important:
1. Sustaining Power: It makes notes resonate the notes much longer than plain.
2. Emotion Expressions: it conveys different emotions, tension, energy, or sorrow depending on vibrato speed and width.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. Establish The Pivot Point | Warp your thumb over the neck and press the side of your index finger against the strings. | Use your hand as a hinge. The power comes from the control hand rotation, not the finger muscles. |
| 2. The Wrist Rotation | Instead of bending your finger up and down, rotate your wrist like you are turning a doorknob. | The motion should be a smooth (U) shape or a steady “up down up down” rhythm. |
| 3. Control The Width and Depth | Pull the string downward toward the floor, then let it return to its original position. | Ensure the pull and release must be balanced, If you pull too far and don’t return correctly, the note will sound out of tune. |
| 4. The Metronome Test | Set your metronome to 60 BPM. Try to make exactly 4 shakes per beat. | Legendary players Maintain vibrato. Vibrato that is perfectly in time with the song’s tempo. |
| 5. Note First Rule To Speake | Pick the note clearly, let it ring for a split second, and then apply the vibrato. | Never start the vibrato at the exact same moment you pick. Let the Pitch settle before the movement begins. |
Legato:
This section fits perfectly with your guitar journey. Struggling with faster lines, and exactly that’s where legato becomes a game changer. It’s the technique behind that smooth, flowing speed runs you hear in the legends playing.
What is Legato: Legato is a fretting hand driven technique where hammer ons and pull offs are played in sequence to connect notes smoothly. Instead of alternating the pick on every note, you pick a note once after that let your fingers do the talking.
If you want a deeper breakdown of hammer ons and pull offs, i have already explained them in detail in my article “ Stop Wasting Time: The Right Techniques To Learn Guitar Faster”
Why Legato is Important:
1. Speed Advantage: Legato allows faster note execution; the fretting hand can often move faster than the picking hand.
2. Smooth Expressions: Reduced pick attack creates a warm, tone like vocal closer to a human voice or wind instrument than a percussive guitar strike.
3. Finger Development: Continuous hammer ons and pull offs dramatically strengthen finger independence, build strength and control in the fretting hand, especially weaker fingers.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. Hammer from Nowhere | Without using the picking at all, try to make a note ring out just by slamming your finger onto the fret. | It’s not about how hard you press; it’s about how fast your finger hits the string, not pressure. This is the engine of legato. |
| 2. The Pull Off Snap | When releasing the finger you are slightly “plucking” the string downward toward the floor. | The pulled note must be just as loud and clear as the note you hammer. |
| 3. Three Notes Per String | Pick the 1st note on the G string (fret 4), then Hammer on (fret 5), then Hammer on (fret 7). | Use your Index, Middle, and Pinky. Maintain equal timing between each note. |
| 4. The Trill Endurance | Pick once and perform a continuous Hammer ons and Pull offs between two fingers for 30 seconds. | Your hand will feel burned. This is where you build the muscle needed for legendary solos. |
| 5. Minimum Finger Movement | Keep your fingers as close to the strings as possible when they aren’t playing. | If your fingers fly too far away from the strings, you will lose speed and accuracy. |
Bending and Pre Bending:
While legato is speed and connection, bending is soul, expressions. It is the technique that transforms simple notes into expressive phrases by stretching pitch with precision, emotions, tension, and release just like a shaping melody.
String Bending: You play a note and then push or pull the string across the fretboard to raise its pitch smoothly to a higher note while adding tension and emotions.
Pre Bending: The string is bend before it is picked. You either release the bend so the pitch falls back naturally or stay suspended at the target pitch.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. The Three Fingers Reinforcement | Bend the string with your Ring finger , but keep your Middle and Index fingers behind it on the same string. | Never rely on a single finger. Use the team to push the string. |
| 2. The Wrist Pivot Motion | push with your fingers and rotate your wrist like you are turning a doorknob. | The power comes from the arm and wrist rotation. |
| 3. The Pitch Target Note | Play the 10th fret note A (string B). Now go to the 8th fret note G (String B) and bend it until it sounds exactly like the 10th fret note A. | This is a full step bend. Even slight inaccuracies will be noticeable, use your ears to lock onto the pitch. |
| 4. The Pre Bend Accuracy (Blind) | Push the string up at the 8th fret (String B) while it’s silent. Strike it, then slowly release it back down to the 8th fret (String B) pitch. | This trains your hand to feel exactly how much tension is required to reach a specific note without hearing it first. |
| 5. The Ghost Muting Technique | Use the edge of your picking hand to mute the strings while bending. | As you push a string up, it often hits the other strings. You must keep them quiet so only your Bent note rings clearly. |
Slides:
Professional guitar players never jump between notes, they glide through them. Slides help you to connect between positions naturally, smoothly, maintaining phrasing and transforming the fretboard continuity without disconnected points.
What Are Slides?
Slides are created by striking a note and then moving the fretting finger along the spring to another fret while maintaining constant pressure on the string.
1. Shift Slide: A functional slide used to move from one defined note to another, allowing you to change the position while clearly targeting a new pitch.
2. Legato Slide: A more expressive slide that adds emotion by sliding into or away from a note, often used as a subtle scoop por dramatic fall, especially popular in classical rock and melodic soloing styles.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. The Ascent Slide | Pick the 5th fret (G string) note C and slide your index finger up to the 9th fret (G string) note E. | Hold the note and maintain the exact same pressure throughout the slide so the note doesn’t die. |
| 2. The Visual Target Lock | Look at the target on the 9th fret (G String) Note E before you start the slide. | Your finger follows your eyes. If you look at the 9th fret (G String) Note E, you’ll stop exactly on top of it. |
| 3. The Scoop Entry | Slide into a note from 2 frets below, but pick the string as you are arriving. | This adds a growl to your notes. It’s a favorite trick for starting a powerful solo. |
| 4. The Falling exit | Hit a high note, then slide your hand all the way down the neck toward the nut while the note rings. | This falling sound is a classic rock move to end a phrase with a dramatic style. |
| 5. Multi Finger Slide | Practice sliding a whole power chord or two note shape across the fretboard. | All fingers must move at the exact same speed as one unit and stop at the exact same time. |
Palm Muting And String Skipping:
Professional guitar players aren’t just about what they play, it’s about what they don’t let ring. Palm muting gives you authority over unwanted noise and tightens, while skipping strings breaks the habit across the fretboard in linear patterns, opening the door to wider intervals, cleaner phrasing, and moving your playing into sharper accuracy.
What Are They? (Palm Muting and String Skipping):
1. Palm Muting: By lightly pressing your side edge of your picking hand against the strings near the bridge, you control a sustain and deliver the punchy sound “Chug” and hear a muted attack in heavy riffs.
2. String Skipping: This technique requires the pick moving string by string, string skipping allowing you to create wider melodic intervals while jumping across the strings to reach non adjacent notes.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. The Bridge Contact Point | Place your picking hand edge exactly where the strings meet the bridge saddles. | If you move too far forward toward the neck, the note will choke. Stay right close on the edge for a thump. |
| 2. Variable Pressure Control | Practice a riff with light pressure and then heavy pressure with your picking hand. | Professional guitar playing is about shading. Use your picking hand palm like a volume knob to control the energy. |
| 3. The Gap Jump | Pick a note on the Low A, then skip the D and pick a note on the G string. | Keep pick motion minimal and precise, or you will (trip) during the skip. Keep it shallow. |
| 4. Time Discipline (Synchronization) | Practice with a metronome, skip strings while maintaining a perfectly steady 8th-note rhythm. | The tempo must remain solid. Ensure the rhythm stays legendary and unshakable. |
Tapping:
When you see a professional guitarist using their picking hand onto the fretboard to create lightning fast runs, that’s tapping. This guitar technique unlocks note combination and extreme speed, wide intervals, and dramatic flair that cannot be achieved through traditional picking alone.
What Is Tapping: Tapping works like a hammer on by the picking hand finger, most commonly the index or middle finger. Allowing both hands to work together by tapping a higher note with picking hand finger and then pulling off to note held by the fretting hand. This interaction creates a continuous and highly efficient note cycle.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. The Hammer | Use the tip of your picking hand index or middle finger to slam onto the 12th fret on (G string). | Hit the G string right behind the fret wire. Use enough force to make the note ring clearly without picking. |
| 2. The Flick Off | Once you tap the 12th fret on (G string), flick your finger downward toward the floor to let the 5th fret (held by your index or middle finger) ring. | Don’t lift your finger, you must pluck the string slightly with the tapping finger as you leave. |
| 3. The Triad Loop Pattern | Tap 12, Pull off to 8 (pinky), Pull off to 5 (index). Repeat in a smooth “1-2-3” rhythm. | Ensure all three notes have the exact same volume and timing. It should sound like a continuous wheel of clear sound. |
| 4. The Mute | Use the “fleshy” part of your picking hand palm to rest across the lower strings. | Tapping creates a lot of extra vibration. If you don’t mute the other strings, the blast will turn into a messy noise. |
| 5. The Slide Tap | Tap the 12th fret (G string) and, while holding it down, slide your tapping index or middle finger up to the 15th (G string) and back. | This adds a modern, sliding sound often used in progressive rock solos. |
Sweep Picking:
Unlocking the ultimate speed and control technique where regular picking feels like running. If standard picking is walking, sweep picking is flying. This technique enables you to play arpeggios (chords played note by note) at tempo that other picking methods simply cannot achieve.
What is Sweep Picking: Sweep picking is a continuous, smooth, flowing technique where your pick moves across several strings in one continuous stroke, much like sweeping a floor. Rather than using alternate picking (↓↑↓↑), you use one long downstroke or upward stroke to play several notes in sequence.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. The Drag Motion | Hold a simple 3 string triad. Push the pick slowly across the strings in one downward motion continuously. | Don’t pick each string. Let the pick fall from one string to the next. |
| 2. The Finger Roll | As you move from one string to the next, lift the previous fretting finger just enough to stop the note sound. | If the notes ring together, it’s a chord. If they ring separately, it’s a sweep. Notes must sound one at a time. |
| 3. Lock The Timing (Synchronization) | Practice with a metronome. Ensure the pick and the finger must hit the string at the exact same microsecond. | Start at 60 BPM. If it sounds blurry, you are going too fast. Remember: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. |
| 4. The Mute (Thumb Cleanup) | Use the thumb side of your picking hand to mute the strings immediately after you have finished playing them. | Sweep picking creates a lot of unwanted string noise. You must actively muting to define each note. |
| 5. The Reverse Sweep | Practice the “V” shape sweeping down 3 strings and immediately reversing direction into an up sweep. | The transition between the down sweep and the up sweep must be seamless, no pause, no reset. |
Harmonics And Pinch Harmonics:
Unlocking the secrets to screaming lead tones to cross from competent player to standout guitar player, you need to control over the guitar’s harmonic frequencies. Harmonics allow you to create the notes rings higher and clearer than traditional fretted pitches.
What Are Harmonics And Pinch Harmonics:
1. Harmonics: Bright Clear, bell-like sounds created by lightly touching the string without pressing down. The string directly above certain fret wires, commonly the 5the, 7th, or 12th fret.
2. Pinch Harmonics: Produced when your picking hand thumb edge catches the string right after the pick strikes in microseconds. This pinching motion technique silences the fundamental note, leaving only a sharp, high frequency scream.
| Step | Action | Focus |
| 1. The Feather Touch | Place your index finger directly over the 5th fret wire without pressing down. Strike the string and lift your finger immediately. | The note should ring like a bell. If it’s dull, you are pressing too hard or not lifting fast enough. |
| 2. The “Choked” Grip | Hold your pick with only a tiny tip showing. Your thumb should be very close to the string. | Pick the string so that the side of your thumb “brushes” the string immediately right after the pick hits it. |
| 3. The Node Search | Move your picking hand slightly toward the neck or bridge while attempting pinch harmonics on the same note. | Every guitar has harmonic “nodes” where overtones ring loudest. You have to “hunt” for the spot that screams the best. |
| 4. The “Squeal” Vibrato | Once you hit a pinch harmonic, immediately apply a wide, aggressive Vibrato with your fretting hand. | A pinch harmonic sounds standard on its own, but with vibrato, it becomes legendary and expressive. |
| 5. High Gain | Practice pinch harmonics with your pedal or amp’s distortion. | Pinch harmonics are much easier to hear with distortion, which is why they are a rock and metal staple. |
My Personal Experience:
When I look back at my journey from a basic player to intermediate player performing on stage. I found that Alternate Picking, Legato, Sweep Picking, and Pinch Harmonics techniques became my musical voice. Without them, a guitar solo feels empty, it lacks the emotion and expression needed to truly be a guitar player. Even after years of playing,I still practice these guitar techniques every day before arranging great solos or riffs. I still follow these rules, and believe you should too.
My most important advice, never try to arrange a complex solo or heavy riff until you have warmed up your techniques. If your technique is sharp, your solo or riffs will be flawless. Your fingers must be ready to execute the ideas your brain creates. Always use a metronome of 60 BPM. Metronome is your best friend. I always start at 60 BPM whether I’m doing a basic finger exercise or complex sweep or alternate pattern. It helps you to stay in rhythm and ensure that every single note is played clearly and your rhythm is rock solid. If you follow discipline I promise that no one can stop you from becoming a legend in your own right.
Final Note: You the roadmap, the patch is clear. Turn on your metronome, pick up your guitar, and begin the journey from practice room to stage.