MistyMountain67 Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 so i have been playing the guitar for 6 years now and im pretty good. but i still can't solo that good for some reason. what can i do to be awsome at guitar solos ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 so i have been playing the guitar for 6 years now and im pretty good. but i still can't solo that good for some reason. what can i do to be awsome at guitar solos ? What solos are you trying to play? Have you learnt the basic scales - major, minor, pentatonic, blues etc. What is it about your solo-ing you aren't happy about? Speed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pb Derigable Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Whatever the guy above me said. When i was in a band, i wanted a guitar solo for my guitarist. he wasn't smart musically, he could just play real good. so i told him play The Rover solo over this song which would fit, change as necessary. So he practiced that song with the rover solo. when it got time to play it live, he didn't exactly played that rover solo, because he knew where he should be and he improvised from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyPage1977 Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 The best way to get good is to play...... A LOT! Jamming with other musicians is best, but playing over a rhythm track is an option. Record the rhythm part to a solo section that you are working on and practice soloing over it. You will find the right notes and develop speed over time. Learning scales is great, but developing "feel" is the next step. When you know what it will sound like before you play it, during improvisation, you will be able to create better solos. I work out my solos individually for each song. They change during live sets, but I usually have a rough "form" for them that blends well with the chord progression. Have fun, there is no magic spell that makes you great.... it takes practice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ma'at Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Hey, as luck would have it I was just looking for an excuse to post this somewhere: (may not have finished uploading just yet) Don't know what I look so pissed off about in this video ... Do you play with your fingers or a plectrum? I personally find it a lot easier using my fingers, means I can be a lot more accurate at speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeppelin0731 Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I have been playing for 5 years, and am not great but am not bad at soloing. The best advice I can give you is to pick out your favorite 2 guitarists, then go to a tab site and learn their solos and everything that you like that sounds cool. Find people to play with that are pretty good and jam. Since you know other solos and material that sounds good to you all you have to do is work on applying it to other songs. Speed is good, but it is harder to be creative with speed, and there will be less emotion, because you wont have time for bends, and stuff like that, so mix it up. In a nutshell, if you wan't to play like Jimmy Page, you have to learn his material, solos and all. Combining the techniques and things you learn from 2 guitarists will give you your own sound. Slash said that while he was young he could play all of Clapton's material, later he was mentored by Joe Perry. Hope this helps, and makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeppelin0731 Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Oh, yeah, I almost forgot, learn scales the full lenght of the neck. The most common one in rock is the pentatonic minor, which has a few variations which sound great when played fast, which will come with practice. (Hammer ons and pull offs, such as in the blues pentatonic minor scale.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 it takes a certain kind of person to become a good lead guitarist. a person has to be willing to give up everything else for it. you have to. it takes hours and hours every day, day after day working with it. besides a natural talent for it. that's the common thread most good guitarists share with each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeppelin0731 Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 it takes a certain kind of person to become a good lead guitarist. a person has to be willing to give up everything else for it. you have to. it takes hours and hours every day, day after day working with it. besides a natural talent for it. that's the common thread most good guitarists share with each other. Or you could have nothing better to do but play guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain67 Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 im learning the pentatonic scale right now. i figure that woud come in pretty handy for solos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trashbag Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 im learning the pentatonic scale right now. i figure that woud come in pretty handy for solos It definitely does. All of the scales are essential when it comes to improvising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bomber Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Play the damn solo,again,and again,and again,until it's seared into your mind,make sure that every time you close your eyes the notes are just there,then,when you've done this,improvise. Examples:Steve Vai spent 12 hours a day practicing,as a result,he's technically amazing,but he never expanded from there,as a result,he sounds like shit,Joe Satriani,also very fast,i don't like him,but he has some good moments as well because he started being creative. So,torture yourself in practice,then set yourself free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick C Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 A guitar solo needs to come out of you, you need to be able to 'talk' with the guitar on the fly - most good solos you hear are on the spot and that is what you need to work on. Its no good playing someone elses solo you need to find your own voice. Start with 3 notes yes only 3 see what you can do with that, walk before running... BB king can blow you away while only playing 3 notes. Pitch training is also important knowing how to phrase something so its in key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Big hands might help too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth. Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Hey, as luck would have it I was just looking for an excuse to post this somewhere: (may not have finished uploading just yet) Don't know what I look so pissed off about in this video ... Do you play with your fingers or a plectrum? I personally find it a lot easier using my fingers, means I can be a lot more accurate at speed. Great solo, I really like it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep41 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 forget scales, you need to learn how to play solos first. Start by getting familar with bends and pull offs. Just practice these alone. Over time, learn what notes on each string go together. After youve practiced that until you are blue in the face, start playing an easy solo but keep a particular beat in your head and play within/inbetween that beat. Maybe then you can pick an easier type of rock solo and play along to that. In the meantime, listen to and watch as many players as you can. Practice hard and you'll get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain67 Posted March 20, 2008 Author Share Posted March 20, 2008 forget scales, you need to learn how to play solos first. Start by getting familar with bends and pull offs. Just practice these alone. Over time, learn what notes on each string go together. After youve practiced that until you are blue in the face, start playing an easy solo but keep a particular beat in your head and play within/inbetween that beat. Maybe then you can pick an easier type of rock solo and play along to that. In the meantime, listen to and watch as many players as you can. Practice hard and you'll get it. im way past that actually. thanks for the advice though. appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyPageZoSo56 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 so i have been playing the guitar for 6 years now and im pretty good. but i still can't solo that good for some reason. what can i do to be awsome at guitar solos ? this might sound cheesy, but just close you eyes, feel the music w/e. When I play songs, even Led Zeppelin covers, I don't play the exact solo. I also just "let go myself" and let the music do the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezer Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 My advice to anyone who wants to solo well is to learn how to phrase things. All the greats (SRV, Page, Clapton) have great phrasing. They drop in a lick just perfectly. It fits in well with the rhythm of the song. This is what makes them great. Learn your licks, learn your scales, and phrase them perfectly. And practice. And when you get the scales down and have some sort of idea about phrasing, then just let it go. Me, I don't play it the same way twice, I'm just not a fan of learning solos. Mostly because I'm lazy, but also because I like the freshness of it. I would recommend to listen to someone like a B.B. King to learn how to do it with simple licks starting out. What makes B.B. brilliant is that he has a very limited arsenal, but through his phrasing and sense of timing, can be absolutely breathtaking. Then, move on to guys like Page. Having good rhythm is important as well, because you can tell when you're getting ahead of the beat or behind it, and can catch up. And always stay true to the rhythm of the song. A solo should always fit within the context of the song, it should never seem out of place. I know I'm speaking in broad terms, but that is how I approach a solo. If I'm writing a song, I always find if I can play a solo in it. Do I play a gentler solo, do I play a screamer, should it be abrupt, should it be extended, should I even play one at all. If you can't figure out where to put in a solo, don't put one in. Nothing is worse than having a solo that is out of place. Just ask C.C. Deville. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humbucker Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I've always tried to make a solo an extension of the vocal line, and keep it relevant to the song. As Deezer suggests in his last paragraph: if you've got nothing to say, shut up! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain67 Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 im getting alot better. i've been practicing alot. thanks for the advice guys ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargazer Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 listening to music and just playing around with scales has gotten me most of my soloing skills. being expresive, dynamic and knowing when to play fast or slow are monumentaly important skills to soloing. it dosn't even need to be terrebly melodic as long as there is some emotion and dynamics. but melodic is good. (not always though, sometimes you just want a scream and a shout ) but most important tp me is constantly trying to find new ways to use a lick, a scale or just a bunch of notes I like. improvise by your own, recording it and listen again later to be critical. take a listen to my man here \/, Jeff Beck, the master of soloing in my world. PS and last but NOT least, make your own style, try to be a induvidual with a solo, it's your shining moment as a guitarist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ma'at Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 This may have been said already, but avoid playing alone as much as possible, at least play to a backing track or something, although nothing beats practicing with other people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyPage1977 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_pl...hi&newref=1 this is a song that I play anll the instruments on...... the guitar is my main instrument.... sorry that it's so over the top!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtazy Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Listening to blues stuff (Albert King, BB King, Eric Clapton, even Gary Moore or the rock'n'roll legend Chuck Berry) really helped me to develop my soloing technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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