i am really trying to get better at soloing so that someday i might be a somewhat good improviser. so if anyone has any suggestions on things that may help me with any aspect of soloing i would be much obliged. thanks in advance.

-JBulls

Try improvise to a backingtrack that will really help your soloing. And ofcourse you should work on technuiqes

try to use every lesson to incorporate new conceps to your solo playing, learn and invent variation and jam over the BT using licks from the lesson and licks from yourself

Do what they said, but also get some theory. I don't know how much theory you have, but if improvising is hard, the pentatonic scale helps you out a lot!

a good way to start is to learn the pentatonic scale, cause it gives you easy access to improvising and it is the foundation of many rock solos...
a good lesson is this one by ivan
pantatonic and timing
and then take some backing tracks and start jamming along to ..
there are so many pantatonic licks you can learn and try to implement in your playing .. listen to lynyrd skynyrds free bird for example and you get plenty of licks...
but the most important thing is to jam along and improvise to backing tracks..

have fun!

of course, work hard in theory like scales, progressions, arpeggios, etc. It will help you to know where you are moving... but also try to play what there is in your mind, a good exercise is to play and sing the notes that you're playing AT THE SAME TIME !! hehe, so then you be able to play just what is in your mind

To have good improvisational skills, you need to know your theory, know notes on the fretboard by ear, and technique to be able to play what you make up in your mind, and translate it on the fretboard as fast as you can. It's a skill that you will get eventually through hard work, don't worry, just keep practicing, and jamming, and you will get there. One exercise that you may find interesting is to play along with a backing some relatively simple melodic sequences that you can sing and then play. This will help you to cut down the barrier between your mind and your fingers. Slowly your brain will start to memorize all those licks and notes on the fretboard, and you will be able to play your guitar and not even hear it - you will know how it sounds by hearth. Then you can start fine tuning the technique to be able to play all the things that you want, and this will require the most of your time, but in a long run it will eventually give you the ability to become a good improviser

thanks guy i will definately do what youve all suggested and yes i already know the pentatonic scale thanks to Ivan Milenkovic and his amazing pentatonic workshop series.

The answer is SOLELY theory knowledge, my friend. I had the same problem as you "How do these guys know where to play stuff?"

SCALES OF COURSE!! A great series of frequencies developed by great musicians, for our learning pleasure.

I recommend this approach:
Learn the 7 patterns of the majorscale, and each degree's name.
When you know that, you'll without even trying, know the 7 chords of the majorscale, and ALL the variations, like add9, maj7 etc etc.

This is because you can simply count 1 3 5 (a triad consists of the 1 3 and 5th note of each degree.)
Anyway, this may be a bit more than you asked for, but it worked well for me.

Good luck!
and I will again emphasize that scale knowledge and chord rules (not chord fingering, but chord rules!) is the way to go.

Edit:
and when you learn the majorscale, you will actually know the whole pentatonic too. That's why I think it's kind of pointless to learn seperately.
If you remove the 2nd and 6th note of the majorscale, you'll have the pentatonic scale.

Majorscale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Pentatonic 1 X 3 4 5 X 7

Or in notes

Maj: C D E F G A B
Pent:C E F A B

This post has been edited by kjutte: Aug 26 2008, 05:24 PM

What kjutte says is true, I'm following his advice and I'm noticing great improvements

thank you very much kjutte, i will definitely follow your advice. im gonna go learn the major scale right now. thanks again.

Good luck

I think there are two points that could help you:

1- Try to listen to music that is improvised like jazz/fusion/blues and get by ear some of the solos. You can try getting a trascription but the best way is to get it by ear because you would assimilate it better.

2- Try singing every single note you play in your guitar and try to listen to your own ideas. Play a chord progression and sing over some ideas and then try to play it over.

Obviously is important the theory and a lot of things but those two I think are very important because the more important thing is that you can hear what you play.

I hope you find it useful.