Help guitar player play lead

[Axtman]

I am currently in a band where the electric guitar player is really a bass player who wants to play guitar. He plays guitar like bass and would probably just be happy to play 8th note chord strums. He has been trying to play lead guitar solos but really struggles with it. Even when he does play a solo it sounds very percussive (pizzicato) and not singing (legato) like you hear most solos.

How can I help him solo or learn to play lead? BTW the same might apply to bass solos.

[MalcolmAmos]

Most think you can run a pentatonic scale, mode, or pattern of some sort and call it a solo.

Lead breaks provide melody and should be thought of as such. Good luck this does not come quickly.

I found this video hits it on the head. Copy down the hints that appear on the screen. Pay attention to his right hand. The left hand is a great example of how one bass line riff can be used the entire song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0iZ1j00wSU
Notice the phrasing, any melody must have room to breath. A string of notes turns into noise quickly.

Who says you have to have an instrumental lead break? If you have a vocalist the vocalist is providing the melody, skip the instrumental lead solo, sing the chorus once after the 2nd verse and then again after the last verse, i.e. end with the chorus. It's not stamped in stone that you must have a instrumental solo. When your buddy is ready then put one in.