Putting it all together...

Soloing or playing lead guitar is about putting all of the guitar in your mind.  Of course, you won't use it all, or think about it for that matter (while playing)...but still, it needs to be there at practice time!

How do we make sense of all of the guitar?  Well, here is a method that has worked for me.  You (and me included), will need a lot more that this in order to play lead and solo well.  But, this is a great start.  Here is a simple exercise I do:

First write out all of the notes in the circle of 5ths...these are (beginning with C)...C-G-D-A-E-B-F#-Db-Ab-Eb-Bb-F....

Second, after you have done that, start with C and find all of the C's in all strings starting with the 6th string...

Third, repeat second step with all the notes that follow, with the difference of starting with the opposite string as the note you played before.

This will open your mind, eyes, and ears into the world of navigating in the neck of the guitar...it will come in handy especially when figuring out the starting notes of modes across the neck!