The guitar solo is an important part of a song. In fact, some songs would not be remembered if it were not for the guitar solo or riff. Would Stairway To Heaven be the classic it is today if it was originally arranged for violins? Would we be listening to Smoke On The Water because of the fascinating lyrics?
So, if you are going to play guitar solos you are going to have to be at the top of your game, not only as a guitar player but also as a composer. You need to know how to base your solo around the key the song is in. There have, of course been exceptions to this rule – the solo in Robert Palmer’s Simply Irresistible is an obvious example – but if you are going to go wild when you play guitar solos, at least START conservative.
One technical aspect you should be on top of when you learn how to play guitar solos is scales. Not only do you need to know them, you need to be able to play them. The physical aspect to playing scales is your alternate picking. You need to practice slowly and work up your speed as a result of your practice sessions. Never TRY to play fast. It just wears you out and instills bad playing habits.
Your picking should also work across all the strings on the guitar. When you are practicing your scales, play from the sixth to the first string and back again. If you are finding that you are faltering when you are changing from one string to the next, slow down and see how you are changing from string to string. What are you doing wrong?
Find existing songs that contain solos and learn them note for note. Not just the solos but all the chords too. There are classic songs that contain great solos and riffs, but also go for songs that present a challenge. Don’t be afraid of taking time off to learn new chords or new techniques.
There are some great guitar players who tend to be a little on the busy side. But there are also guitarists whose guitar solos are quite simple. If you are composing solo, take a few notes from the song’s melody and try to find a musical statement. This is where learning solos from other songs is good training. If you have learnt other guitarists’ solos, you have, to some extent, got into the habit of playing licks. A lick is little musical statement, and if you have a bunch of stock licks at your disposal, you can recycle them to make your own guitar solos.
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Tags: Alternate Picking, Classic Songs, Exceptions, First String, Great Guitar, Guitar Player, Guitar Players, Guitar Scales, Guitar Solo, How To Play Guitar, How To Play Guitar Solos, Physical Aspect, Practice Sessions, Riff, Riffs, Robert Palmer, Stairway To Heaven, Taking Time, Technical Aspect, Violins
