How to Solo on Guitar - Practical Tips and Tricks

[Reist]

This is what I've always wanted to do. I don't care about shredding, even though it would be fun. I just want to know how to make a tasteful solo. How do you all write your solos ... does it just come out, is it trial and error, or is there a secret of the trade? I'm sick of speed picking notes one at a time ... that sounds cool at first, but I want to know some cool tricks ... I'm working on bends and stuff, but I'm sure that these things must work together with other tricks. Any tips?

[Sober]

It depends on what kind of soloing you want to do. As far as building technical ability for say hard rock/country/bluegrass, do scales with a metronome and build up speed.

As far as aesthetic development of a particular solo, I generally will record a million takes, find what snippets work, string them together tastefully into a single solo, and try to nail it all in a contiguous take.

As far as 'tricks,' to get the badass Lynyrd Skynyrd solo tone, layer the solo several times with a bit of reverb, pan out trading phrases, and keep the minor flubs.

[deshead]

is there a secret of the trade?

Learn scales ... Though that's not really a secret. The hammer-ons and bends and rakes are useless if you don't know which notes to hit.

This is a good a place as any to start: http://guitar.about.com/od/freebeginner ... o_solo.htm

[Dan-O from Five-O]

Bending notes is a true artform, one I will admit to stuggling with at times as far as being really, really good at. I think I'm along the lines of being pretty good. Guys like me who are pretty good, can bend a note right into the pocket. Guys who are really, really good can bend a note just on the edges of the pocket and take it up and down a half to a whole step and make the note cry like a violin as though the guitar they were playing was fretless.

That's the technique I'm still trying to master.

My advice for bending notes is to be aggressive. Try taking it to as far as you think the string can be bent, and then push it a little further.

And be prepared to break some strings.

From a soloing point of view you won't get better advice than what Sober gave you. You have to break it down into manageable parts, and then try and play it all the way through. Trying to do punch-in's on solo's sucks. You will most likely never get it right. And then you have the whole issue of trying to reproduce it live. Better to have something you know you can play note for note than just something you're winging.

Unless your going for a jam band thing, in
which case you wouldn't have asked the question in the first place.

Whoa......tryptophan and beer are kicking in.

Time to go. Happy Turkey day everyone.

[Märk]

If you're asking how to make tasteful guitar solos, my best advice is to improvise on the vocal melody. I don't mean play the vocal melody on guitar, I mean take the basic vocal melody and bend/slide/mix it up.

If you're asking how to actually, physically play guitar solos, well... that takes a lot of practice. Get some books, magazines with tabbed theory, etc. Don't take lessons, though. I always recommend against lessons.

<b>[ ADMIN SEZ: It should be noted that several forum members respectfully disagreed with Sven's contention that lessons are a bad idea. The discussion devolved into bickering, which was subsequently removed by me. The subject of whether lessons are good or not may deserve its own thread. The subject of how to choose what to play definitely does. But they will need to be created, and addressed in a mature, rational, helpful manner. Cheers, Your pal, The Admin ] </b>

[jb]

I don't have any trouble coming up with solos, but I would kind of like to know how people do those slurred runs. You know, where they DON'T pick every single note.

I mean, it's fine to have a cool solo with interesting licks, but sometimes you just want to fill a measure with a run or trill, and that technique is kind of absent from the online lessons. It looks to me like a standard "gimmick" that you learn in the course of guitarizing, just as there are standard "gimmicks" that you learn in the course of celloizing.

[deshead]

I would kind of like to know how people do those slurred runs. You know, where they DON'T pick every single note.

Hammer-ons?

[Billy's Little Trip]

Unfortunately, I never took the time, nor had the patience to learn the technical side of the guitar. Although I have learned enough to sit in with anyone, I'm not a scale monster. When I'm teaching someone how to fill a lead bridge, I tell them to pluck out the melody of the song and keep doing it faster and faster. The more you play it, the more fluid it becomes, to the point that you will start adding notes, style and project a confident energy. You may not know how to write sheet music, but you will play guitar with feeling that the general listener can dig on. But learn some chords and scales so you can play with other musicians when the time arises. I never learned to read or write sheet music and I wish I had. Still to this day I can only learn a cover song by listening to it. That's why it's fun making your own music, that way no one knows if you're doing it wrong, LOL.
Practice a lot.

[Lunkhead]

If you just want to be a decent rock/pop soloist, you probably don't need lessons, though they may help. You also don't need to learn a ton of scales. In most rock/pop songs, you'll be playing in the same key the whole time, so you'll most often just use one scale. Most likely you'll use a major scale, or a minor scale, or one of a few slight variations on those scales. So focus on your major scales first, then the minor scales, etc. They help you get oriented so you can know in advance what notes are likely to sound "good".

You might also want to try to learn by tab and/or ear some solos by other guitarists that you like. Most non-mind-blowing guitarists have a suprisingly small bag of tricks they use, and some amazing guitarists use a few techniques over and over. You can learn many of those tricks yourself and assemble them into your own personal "style". You could try first learning bluesy rock solos, as they're based on a really simple 5 note scale (the pentatonic). You can also learn a lot about bends and trills/hammer-ons/pull-offs from blues guitarists. I started out by learning Metallica solos from tab. I couldn't play all the fast parts at first, but I learned a lot from Kirk Hammett's slower parts, where he mostly used a pretty basic blues/pentatonic style.

The important thing, I think, in composing a solo is to try to keep it melodic. It should be memorable in the same way as the vocal melody. That's what appeals to non-musicians/non-guitarists who aren't really into "technical" solos with impressive fretwork. (Most poeple don't really give a shit about that kind of whankery. )

I think I probably do what Sober does. I solo along a million times, and every time I do something I like I try to preserve that through the rest of the iterations, until ultimately I like the whole thing and can play it all the way through comfortably.

[ken]

Has no one mentioned Pentatonic scales? Basically all the blues notes in a handy pattern up and down the neck. Really, it is the easiest way to start soloing in my book.

Ken

[Reist]

Pentatonic scales?

Could you elaborate? If anyone can describe some more of the scales, it would be great.

[deshead]

Once again: http://guitar.about.com/od/freebeginner ... o_solo.htm

[roymond]

Sing the solo in your head a bunch of times. Get to know what it is you want to play. Then try to play that, using the techniques others have posted already (scales, lessons, layering, etc.).

Solos come from the heart and the mind, not the fingers. But your fingers need to be able to carry it.

Also, try to do attainable solos. Don't over extend...too much (although its always good to push the limits).

[jb]

I have deleted the childish bickering. Please read the Help and How To forum guidelines, and help keep the Song Fight message boards, at least this little part of them, free of the bullshit that pollutes so many other forums.

JB

[Märk]

Good call, JB. Sorry for my part of deleted BS.

Back on topic: A neat trick to make interesting lead lines is to play melodies in the relative minor of a major chord- for example, play an A harmonic minor scale over a C major chord. Sounds kind of exotic, right? That's because an A harmonic minor is almost exactly the same as a C major scale, it just changes tonality depending on what notes you start and stop on. (hint: the relative minor of a major chord is a 3rd below)

Another trick re: technique is to use 'economy picking'- on ascending phrases, hammer on as many notes as possible; only pick a note when you change strings, the same for descending phrases, pull off as many notes as possible. This (when you get good at it) makes a nice smooth, legato phrase.

[jack]

I have deleted the childish bickering. Please read the Help and How To forum guidelines, and help keep the Song Fight message boards, at least this little part of them, free of the bullshit that pollutes so many other forums.

JB

i haven't really followed this thread at all, but i will say it got someone who i deem to be a pretty big part of why i continue to come around these parts extremely upset about the level of censorship involved here. and i have to agree, it's a bit troubling for me too. i've seen much worse shit perpetuated and tolerated, homphobic and racist shit even, but discussing guitar lessons is offensive enough to be moderated?

sure, it's your forum but be careful how you stomp on it.

i'm sure this will get deleted too, but if so, it will pop up somewhere else.

[jb]

Yeah, this isn't a democracy, it's not an anarchy, it's basically a benevolent dictatorship. The guidelines have told you for over two years that this sort of thing will happen in the Help and How To Forum.

And of course when it happens, I'm accused of fascism. I'm aggravated and sad, but not surprised. I was so aggravated I went out and kicked a homeless man in the shin.

It's true that much worse shit is and will be tolerated, especially on the "Monkey Business" forum. But not in the "Help and How To" forum. It's for helping and teaching, and not for debating, arguing, flaming, or philosophizing. Yes, not for philosophizing, unless you make a thread specifically for that aspect of helping and teaching the art/science of music and recording. And then if you discuss the philosophy maturely and calmly, even as you wax passionate.

You're basically relying on me to decide what's helpful and appropriate to this section of the site, and we will obviously not always agree. And I will make mistakes, or do otherwise dubious things that may piss you off. I am a very dubious sort of person.

In any case, consider the overall atmosphere on this message board, and then consider whether the attitude of your benevolent dictators has anything to do with it, and then decide whether you like that atmosphere or not, and then decide whether you want to stick around. The answer may be yes, it may be no.

But the situation is what it is, and as a lifelong musician and educator, I'm not about to pay for a "Help and How To" forum that I feel neither Helps nor Hows-To.

These posts will stay up for a couple days, and then yes, I will remove them, because they are not in line with the stated purpose of this particular section of the Song Fight Forums. Even though I spent 45 minutes and three complete rewrites on this message.

Jack, having met me you have the ability to imagine me saying and doing these things in real life. I wonder if that changes your impression of my moderation for the better or worse? I would hope for the better, since nobody's as much of a jerk in real life as they seem online. Perhaps you could filter what you're seeing and feeling through the experience of hearing my "All Tan" live and in concert. I'm lovable. It can't be denied.

All of this said, it seems to me like people have a lot of pent-up aggression and anger that they need to let out in the form of a song. Come on Jack, and un-named other upset person who is known to me, put up your dukes.

I challenge you both. Song Fight. Next week. I will crush your dreams with my unstoppable song-fu. Pussies.

JB

[Leaf]

I do need to songfight again. I fucking miss it. Yes. I know this will be deleted.

But I want to say publically that JB made an excellent point to me that made me realize that his intention is solid, and still leaves room for other things.


I am mixing up philosophical approach to learning and music...and soloing...with tips.

Worse, I reacted to others philosophical approaches, as if that somehow justified mine.


So... I'll bet I already started some long off forgotten thread like that...( I think I did) but ... I'll do it again. The philosophical approach to our music is probably the greatest difference we all have...and as flakey as this is...the greatest thing we have to share. Anyone can learn a scale or a slide or a trill...or how to use a wha pedal to get that crazy Zakk Wylde sound... but why? the why seperates the Octothorpes from the Woodwards, the Desheads from the Boltoph's, the Luke Henleys from the 8lo's.

Ok. Delete away when you are ready.

[jack]

i don't hate you and i DO think you're a good moderator.

most of the time.

but i really don't like double standards. i see your point, but nobody likes being censored or having a virtual hand thrown over their mouth. ask kelly ripa.

and you're a pretty good guy as far as i can tell from having met you, even if you have a hundred pair of pants and they're all the same color.

[deshead]

the Desheads from the Boltoph's

We're not the same person?

[boltoph]

the Desheads from the Boltoph's

We're not the same person?

Whoa now I'm confused...

I have some tips for lead guitar (learned from a fair amount of experience):

1. Learn one or two of the 5 pentatonic patterns really well, understand that "blues" or "pentatonic" is a minor pattern (scale), so know your minor to major (relative minor) equivalents so you know what key to be in.

2. If you now know what key to solo in, and you can feel your pentatonic pattern 1-4, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 1-4, 1-4 without looking at the fretboard, now you can rock out a solo to any tune, any time. Add in the rest of the notes to complete the full minor scale, and the blues passing tones as well.

3. Jump around alot. You could play one note over and over and still rock the audience if you're into that one note.

4. Stand up tall and try not to look at your hands when soloing.

5. Above all: lose yourself in the notes. Especially the bends.

[thehipcola]

That's smokin' advice. I have alot to learn re: lead guitar, especially live, and it's amazing how much that applies. Right on.