10 Tips To Create Killer Solos
Todd Simpson
Aug 25 2020, 02:47 AM
GMC:er
Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
It’s not always easy to come up with a killer guitar solo. It takes a lot of practice to be sure. Here are 10 tips that can help you to get from where you are to where you want to be. You’ll need to spend time writing solos, but with these tips in mind, even that should be a bit easier.

1.)SING THE SOLO FIRST
This is a classic trick. As you are listening to a track that you plan to solo over, try to start humming a bit of a melody that might work as a theme for your solo. You don’t have to be able to sing well. Just working through some notes using your voice can help give you ideas of what to play. Once you have done this a few times, you will have some ideas on which notes might work well. Find those notes on the guitar and that can get your started on your solo.

2.)DECIDE ON A RYTHM PATTERN
Your theme isn’t just about the melody/harmony. It’s also about the rhythm. Are you hearing it as longer notes, or hearing it as shorter notes? Hopefully your work from step one will give you some indication of what you might like to do. If faster notes seemed to work better during the singing part, then use shorter notes. If longer notes worked better, hold notes out a bit. You can mix and match as well. Find a rhythmic pattern that works well with the notes you’ve chosen. It should match or play off of the rhythm pattern going on in the song.

3.)SET LIMITS

One way to keep yourself from playing the same solo over and over, is to set some limits on yourself. For example, If you find you are always using the same blues licks in your solo, set a limit of not using any blues scales/licks in the solo. It will force you to use other scales and play something you may never have expected.

4.)USE CHORDS INSTEAD
A solo doesn’t have to be single notes. It can be created with chord shapes in part or in total. Try to find some cool sounding chord shapes that work in your solo. Two notes can be a chord. So it doesn’t have to bee full chords. Just more than one note. This too will force you out of your usual patterns of play which is a good thing.

5.)EMULATE THE PHRASING OF ANOTHER INSTRUMENT

In what is known as “CALL AND RESPONSE”, a choir sings something that a lead vocalist just sang. The “call” is the original bit, and the “response” comes from the choir. The same thing works in instrumental music. You can match or play off off a phrase done on any other instrument during the solo section. You can play with the other instrument or before or after and make your solo feel much more like a duet with one of the other instruments.

6.)USE SILENCE

Don’t be afraid to simply not play. The use of silence is a brilliant way to create a sense of dynamics in a solo. The less you play, and quieter you play, the more you can build the solo to a climax. It’s that building up that creates a memorable solo. If it’s non stop notes, it can blur together and not hook the listener.

7.)GO BACK TO YOUR ROOTS
One very old trick is to simply land on the root notes of the key you are playing in. Also, think back to the start of your time playing guitar. What players did you most respect? Is there something in their style of play that might work in this solo? If so, use it!

8.)USE COMEDY

Do something unexpected. Use FX or the Whammy bar to make strange noises. Contrast very smooth playing with sloppy playing. Or very fast with very slow leading to odd harmonic noises. Be creative. Try to play something so unexpected it actually gets a laugh, in a good way, from the listener. Be clever.

9.)USE DISSONANCE

Harmony and Melody are always a good idea, but, now and then, throw in a little dissonance. E.G. Play out of key. Create a harmony line that doesn’t match. Play against the key and or the scale. Playing “out of the pocket” can create a sense of theatre in your solo. It draws attention to it. Embrace it!

10.)MAKE A MOVIE

Think of your solo as a MOVIE. It should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like any good movie. Also, it should have a theme. Something you can come back to in order to reset the listeners ears and let them know a new part is about to begin. Also, like any good movie, it should have a big finish. Save your best bits for last. Last impressions last longer.

QUESTION: ANY OTHER TIPS YOU GUYS CAN THINK OF?



Thanks to Guitar World Magazine for the inspiration for this post
https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/how-to-...te-guitar-solos

Some Great Tips from our own Monica Gheorghevici

1. Learn to listen yourself
For me this is one of the most important things if you want to compose a solo/song or whatever. This is what stops our solo to turn into just a random selection of notes.
To listen yourself and evaluate what you have just played it's the first step which make you go in a good direction.

2. Use more tools
Each technique has a particular flavor. It's important to use a variety of different techniques because the more you will use...the more diverse and cool your solo will be.

3. Articulation
How are you hitting the strings (very soft, hard, very hard)? Are you playing legato or alternate picking? Are you bending notes a little, a lot or not at all? All these are questions that should be treated in a very serious way because it make the difference in a solo.

4. Speed - don't use too much

When we talk about speed, it's a thing that I don't understand why people don't see it. I mean, when you play fast from the beginning to the end, nothing will stands out and nothing will seems so fast as the player think. Also a constant stream of the same notes will sound veeery boring.
BUT...if you have slower parts which go up in faster sections, the listener will feel the faster parts played much fast than are. It's all about contrast. You can "fool" the listener, just by learning to manage well the contrast. smile.gif

A good tip from our own klasaine

Play in time.

EVH, Holdsworth, Yngwie, Rhoads, Gilbert, etc. One of the main reasons those guys are SO revered is because they grooved. All the ultra speedy and seemingly incomprehensible stuff they play(ed) - it's ALWAYS locked in time. You can feel the tempo and rhythm of the song in their solos even when the tracks are isolated. *You can also hear the chord changes.

I mention this because I hear a lot of of just random noodling over tracks. It's not attractive.

Thanks to Guitar World Magazine for the inspiration for this post
https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/how-to-...te-guitar-solos

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Aug 27 2020, 02:29 AM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
klasaine
Aug 25 2020, 03:17 AM
GMC:er
Posts: 4.552
Joined: 30-December 12
From: Los Angeles, CA
I'll add ... Play in time.

EVH, Holdsworth, Yngwie, Rhoads, Gilbert, etc. One of the main reasons those guys are SO revered is because they grooved. All the ultra speedy and seemingly incomprehensible stuff they play(ed) - it's ALWAYS locked in time. You can feel the tempo and rhythm of the song in their solos even when the tracks are isolated. *You can also hear the chord changes.

I mention this because I hear a lot of of just random noodling over tracks. It's not attractive.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


This post has been edited by klasaine: Aug 25 2020, 03:22 AM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Monica Gheorghev...
Aug 25 2020, 08:08 AM
Learning Tone Master
Posts: 2.320
Joined: 12-July 13
From: Bucharest, Romania
I'm totally agree with Ken about the random noodling. From my point of view this thing it's not cool at all and I think can be fixed with what I will point at number one. wink.gif

So...I will also add some tips which from my point of view are important.


1. Learn to listen yourself
For me this is one of the most important things if you want to compose a solo/song or whatever. This is what stops our solo to turn into just a random selection of notes.
To listen yourself and evaluate what you have just played it's the first step which make you go in a good direction.

2. Use more tools
Each technique has a particular flavor. It's important to use a variety of different techniques because the more you will use...the more diverse and cool your solo will be.

3. Articulation
How are you hitting the strings (very soft, hard, very hard)? Are you playing legato or alternate picking? Are you bending notes a little, a lot or not at all? All these are questions that should be treated in a very serious way because it make the difference in a solo.

4. Speed - don't use too much
When we talk about speed, it's a thing that I don't understand why people don't see it. I mean, when you play fast from the beginning to the end, nothing will stands out and nothing will seems so fast as the player think. Also a constant stream of the same notes will sound veeery boring.
BUT...if you have slower parts which go up in faster sections, the listener will feel the faster parts played much fast than are. It's all about contrast. You can "fool" the listener, just by learning to manage well the contrast. smile.gif

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


This post has been edited by Monica Gheorghevici: Aug 25 2020, 08:09 AM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Todd Simpson
Aug 25 2020, 10:49 PM
GMC:er
Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Very good point. No matter how fast they play, they are always locked to the beat. Even if they are playing the off beat, it is always tight as a drum. The synch is so tight it's hard to believe it's a human sometimes. But that tight integration is what gives it such a cool vibe. Of course, some players get a lot of mileage out of being a bit more sloppy, Jimmy Page comes to mind, but there is room for all kinds as long as the results create an emotional response in the listener. I tend to be more "in time" than "out of time" typically. But to each his own smile.gif Keep in mind when Page was doing his thing, he never lost the beat. he was just playing with it. He was never just "off" and wanking to nothing. That kind of stuff rarely impresses me.

QUOTE (klasaine @ Aug 24 2020, 10:17 PM) *
I'll add ... Play in time.

EVH, Holdsworth, Yngwie, Rhoads, Gilbert, etc. One of the main reasons those guys are SO revered is because they grooved. All the ultra speedy and seemingly incomprehensible stuff they play(ed) - it's ALWAYS locked in time. You can feel the tempo and rhythm of the song in their solos even when the tracks are isolated. *You can also hear the chord changes.

I mention this because I hear a lot of of just random noodling over tracks. It's not attractive.



These are all great tips!! I'm going to add them to the main list!! Many thanks!!!

Todd

QUOTE (Monica Gheorghevici @ Aug 25 2020, 03:08 AM) *
I'm totally agree with Ken about the random noodling. From my point of view this thing it's not cool at all and I think can be fixed with what I will point at number one. wink.gif

So...I will also add some tips which from my point of view are important.


1. Learn to listen yourself
For me this is one of the most important things if you want to compose a solo/song or whatever. This is what stops our solo to turn into just a random selection of notes.
To listen yourself and evaluate what you have just played it's the first step which make you go in a good direction.

2. Use more tools
Each technique has a particular flavor. It's important to use a variety of different techniques because the more you will use...the more diverse and cool your solo will be.

3. Articulation
How are you hitting the strings (very soft, hard, very hard)? Are you playing legato or alternate picking? Are you bending notes a little, a lot or not at all? All these are questions that should be treated in a very serious way because it make the difference in a solo.

4. Speed - don't use too much
When we talk about speed, it's a thing that I don't understand why people don't see it. I mean, when you play fast from the beginning to the end, nothing will stands out and nothing will seems so fast as the player think. Also a constant stream of the same notes will sound veeery boring.
BUT...if you have slower parts which go up in faster sections, the listener will feel the faster parts played much fast than are. It's all about contrast. You can "fool" the listener, just by learning to manage well the contrast. smile.gif

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Kristofer Dahl
Aug 26 2020, 08:57 PM
GMC Founder
Posts: 18.744
Joined: 15-August 05
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Very good tips here!

For me #1 is to make it melodic - which goes hand in hand with 'singing the solo'. After that I would say Monica's and Ken's tips are the most important ones.

However even with bad timing and poor articulation, if you have a killer melody going it can still be a good solo.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


--------------------
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
klasaine
Aug 26 2020, 09:50 PM
GMC:er
Posts: 4.552
Joined: 30-December 12
From: Los Angeles, CA
QUOTE (Kristofer Dahl @ Aug 26 2020, 12:57 PM) *
However even with bad timing and poor articulation, if you have a killer melody going it can still be a good solo.


This is true.
Sometimes it's even just pure 'attitude' that can pull you through. One of the most mesmerizing moments for me as a lad was watching Neil Young on TV (Don Kirshner's Rock Concert or the Midnight Special) play his 1-note solo on "Cinnamon Girl". I remember saying to myself, "this is one note, it's not particularly in tune or even in time ... but damn if it isn't one of the coolest things I've ever heard from an electric guitar!"
But that's Neil Young. Few, if any, can actually pull something like that off.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Todd Simpson
Aug 27 2020, 02:23 AM
GMC:er
Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Great minds think alike! The "sing the solo" bit is quite important imho. I'd like to see a short list from KRIS to be added to this as well.

QUOTE (Kristofer Dahl @ Aug 26 2020, 03:57 PM) *
Very good tips here!

For me #1 is to make it melodic - which goes hand in hand with 'singing the solo'. After that I would say Monica's and Ken's tips are the most important ones.

However even with bad timing and poor articulation, if you have a killer melody going it can still be a good solo.



Have to agree wit Ken on this one all the way. So much of a performance is about attitude. Especially when you can actually see the performer. A timid performance doesn't resonate with a viewer in quite the same way. Well said.

QUOTE (klasaine @ Aug 26 2020, 04:50 PM) *
This is true.
Sometimes it's even just pure 'attitude' that can pull you through. One of the most mesmerizing moments for me as a lad was watching Neil Young on TV (Don Kirshner's Rock Concert or the Midnight Special) play his 1-note solo on "Cinnamon Girl". I remember saying to myself, "this is one note, it's not particularly in tune or even in time ... but damn if it isn't one of the coolest things I've ever heard from an electric guitar!"
But that's Neil Young. Few, if any, can actually pull something like that off.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Aug 27 2020, 02:27 AM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 




RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 19th March 2024 - 09:07 AM