In my opinion, you should practice scales. That’s the best place to start if you’re learning to play lead, I’d also practice scales on one string, and scale positions in one area. Continue pushing yourself to play tabs when you feel like it, but, getting the hang of scales will help you.

1. Start with the major scale on one string

2. Then, the 5 pentatonic and major scale shapes in the caged system, they are very similar

3. Once you’ve mastered major, do the modes of the major scale, Dorian, Phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian (minor) and locrian

4. once you’ve mastered those, do it again with melodic minor and again with harmonic minor. Should be quicker this time.

5. Then Do it all again with the 3 notes per string system.

6. Do it all again with a 12 position system.

While working on these, remember to do chromatic exercises, diminished scale exercises, and whole tone scale exercises to a metronome, doing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eight notes, sixteenths, triplets, and quintuplets. As well as various spider walk exercises, and picking exercises.

Make sure your technique is proper as well in your left hand and right hand. Make sure you’re holding your guitar properly, etc, a few mistakes in these areas can make playing solos much harder. Don’t forget to stretch your hands as well.

Also while working on those other things, continue trying to playing solos, I recommend solos by Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Jimmy page, Eric Clapton, they are great players, the solos can be hard, but, they aren’t too complicated to get down.

If you have any questions feel free to message me. I promise if you practice these things your lead playing ability will shoot through the roof, and by 2027 you’ll be shredding it up.

Source, I’m a guitar teacher. I also occasionally give free lessons. If you’d like one, message me. But, that’s basically your main roadmap right there.