| Let say you play in a band, you have a tune ready, | | | | 4. Active and passive soloing |
| with intro, verses , refrains and maybe some kind of | | | | Sometimes the solo part will go into a separate solo |
| bridge part, maybe that bridge is a refrain sequence | | | | part sequence or bridge theme. It's overall important in |
| moving over back to verse part or opposite. Only thing | | | | the creative process that this part is such that the |
| missing is to create a guitar solo. I have a couple of | | | | original atmosphere of the song totally changes, unless |
| approaches for this for which I try to follow, and I | | | | it's a longer epic, in which the mood may change, but |
| would at the same time introduce some terms of my | | | | that's another story. The best solos within rock music |
| own, like for instance passive and active approach | | | | in my mind use an active approach towards the |
| solos. You will try to make your solos approach the | | | | accompaniment harmonies, meaning chasing the chord |
| accompaniment actively. Accompaniment meaning the | | | | changes, or chord progressions in a proactive manner. |
| tune's overall content, chord progressions, song melody | | | | Especially if the tones scale changes the guitar solo |
| and the different tune sequences mentioned above. | | | | should change slightly before entering the changed |
| As a rule of thumb the solo should be a short | | | | scale accompaniment part, maybe half a beat or bar |
| summary of the expression or feeling the tune gives, | | | | before. This is especially efficient if you have solo over |
| so whether it's a ballad, similarly should the solo be, and | | | | 2 melody main sequences in different tone scales, |
| vice versa if it's a little heavier song, dealing with | | | | maybe the solo bridge parts move into the verse part. |
| maybe some frustration, aggression. At the same way | | | | Or solo starts in verse part moving into bridge or |
| as the lyrics and song melody, the solo sequence is | | | | refrain part which follows another harmony or scale. |
| supposed to tell more or less same story. In many | | | | As you know it's called playing lead guitar, try to think |
| cases actually the solo is harmonic variations of the | | | | what's supposed to be interpreted by this term. |
| song melody, especially if the soloing is going to be | | | | Another efficient sound is if the drums are supporting |
| performed in the same melody sequence as the song, | | | | the solo, and some other instruments also do additional |
| whether it's during the verse, refrain or bridge part. | | | | fills in. |
| 1. Brainstorming session | | | | 5. Climax part |
| Record the whole tune with song and everything but | | | | A solo might have one or more several climax part |
| without any guitar solo, listen to it several times and try | | | | depending on the story or mood you wanna tell the |
| to build up a soloing sequence in your mind. Maybe try | | | | audience. Some solos start out strongly with rapid high |
| to make some sequences of harmonic variations of | | | | tones played with strength, some start of more slowly |
| the song melody. At the same time try to follow the | | | | for a later climax it all depends on what you wanna |
| harmonies of the chord or riff accompaniment and the | | | | express combined with sometimes the length of the |
| drum rhythm. Basically you can say many solos are | | | | solo part. Try to build small themes played in high and |
| made up by shorts sequences of melodic questions | | | | lower tones. Usually climaxes use high tones, long |
| and a replies, and maybe some bridging parts in | | | | lasting and screaming or very rapid, but not necessarily. |
| between sets of questions and replies. In that sense | | | | 6. Instrument and genre depended solos |
| the solo becomes an composition within the | | | | If you have listened quite some music you have |
| composition of the whole tune. The dependency is the | | | | sensed that solos are not only depended of the genre, |
| accompaniment and overall progression, meaning it | | | | whether it's rock, hard rock, blues and jazz, but |
| should consist of the of scales harmonies matching the | | | | different instruments tend to play different kinds of |
| chord riff progressions and the overall timing. | | | | solos. Like if you listen to a keyboard, saxophone, |
| 2. Feedback first trial | | | | trumpet or bass. Sometimes they seem to use |
| Record the solo isolated or type it down for later | | | | different tone sequences and intervals, like blues funk |
| remembering. Record the whole tune with the solo and | | | | jazz organ sometimes use a lot of rapid high |
| listen again. Eventually get feedback from band mates | | | | chromatic changes. Trumpet or saxophone might use |
| or friends. | | | | more slow tones with bigger intervals. Sometimes it |
| 3. Experiment | | | | might be good to experiment with playing a typical |
| Try to experiment more with the recording without | | | | piano or sax solo on guitar. |
| solo, just with free improvisation, and remember to | | | | I hope this has given some kind of valuable input to |
| record everything, maybe there are some parts that | | | | those interested. Another vital part is off course the |
| sounds cool and you wanna use in addition or in | | | | choice of sound and effects, personally I'm fan of |
| extended variation to the first brainstorming session. | | | | experimenting with harmonic overlapping delays. I wish |
| Sometimes the first thing that comes to mind or first | | | | you good experimenting with lead guitar and future |
| trial works, like the first intuition or stomach feeling in | | | | guitar solos. |
| daily life. | | | | |