Hi Kris. I just have a quick question for you. Lately i've been fooling around still with just the pentatonic scale and was wondering how you went from just messing around the scale to actually coming up with really good solo ideas? I've asked a few people how they do it their way but i was interested to know how you built up this skill. I've become more confident in using bending, vibrato slides and stuff like that but all of it just sounds really plain and boring still. I can't play very fast yet but i'm working on it. I think you use licks don't you? How do you know which will fit well together etc?

As opposed to popular belief - there is concise answer to this:

The more solos by others (my favorite guitarists) I could play - the better solos I could create myself.

Really? How? I mean did you use their licks and stuff, what do you actual think of when you sit down to make a new solo. Like for example your song with marcus where you had a duel solo, what did you have to do to come up with a solo for that? I really struggle with this stuff and it's the same with rhythm and riffs as well, nothing i've had i think is really good yet

In order to learn a cool sounding solo - you have to practice it over and over very hard (especially in the bgeinning). That process of practicing it over and over will not only increase the vocabulary in your hands - but laso in your brain. Also it will connect your brains and hands.

When I sat and listened to the backing of "soul to the world" - I uncounsciously had the choice between all the accumulated licks I have learned (and cross-overs between them etc). This, in combination with all the melodies from songs I have heard since I started listening to music is what enabled me to write the solo.

If you take an empty backing which you think sounds cool - and try to imagine a melody or solo in you head, can you come up with something?

And is this the same for riffs as well? Or you know song writing in general? Yes i guess that makes sense, is this another experience and practice thing? It comes over time? I'm just worried i'll never be able to make good sounding solos =[

"If you take an empty backing which you think sounds cool - and try to imagine a melody or solo in you head, can you come up with something?" Yes, most of the time i can think of a solo but i'm not always happy with what i hear in my head, it's not "my style" sometimes if you know what i mean. I know what sort of thing i'd like to play but it's hard. So yes i can hear the in my head, can i play them? No, i'm just not good enough yet, same with riffs. Sometimes, i'll hear a good solo in my head, try and play it but i can't and so that solo vanishes from my head and i can't remember it