Let's dig deep on solos

[Bakonshakin]

So, I'd like to hear everyone's progression on how you all came to form your guitar soloing. Everything from practices to how the sound in your head reacts with your fingers. I'll start:

So, since I started played roughly 10 years ago I've always focused more on single note playing, rather than chordage, whether it be straight soloing or riff based such as Tom Morello. Always practiced scales, modes, licks and the like.
I've grown to hear my solo in my head, licks by lick while the music is playing and then try and replicate it through my fingers. I'm quite an amature, but I can see that this is my technique. I'm sure as I practice and grow as a guitarist hearing the solo in my head and the translation through my fingers will become more simultaneous.

How do you guys solo!?

 

[shreder75]

I've always tried to answer one simple question when playing a lead: WWGLD?

What would George Lynch do?

 

[Mailman1971]

I've always tried to answer one simple question when playing a lead: WWGLD?

What would George Lynch do?

whew.....I thought you ment "What would Gary Lemming do"

 

[Michi]

I've always tried to answer one simple question when playing a lead: WWGLD?

What would George Lynch do?

Oh interesting! My approach has been (for the most part of my guitar playing life anyway) WWASD. Adrian Smith. He's pretty much my single most biggest influence. Yeah. That's it.

 

[Mailman1971]

In all seriousness I am with Mr. Shredder.
When I half ass my solos....I really try to put in a Lynch/Ace Frehley vibe.
It works most of the time.

 

[romanianreaper]

I have been playing since 1985 and have been in numerous bands over the years and have done some of my own recordings, etc. To this day, I can't read music and barely know what key I'm in other than the typical ones. I play solos off the cuff for the most part and hope something comes into my head. I regret not knowing scales, etc. but at the same time I can adlib and jam with anyone at any time.

 

[Mailman1971]

I have been playing since 1985 and have been in numerous bands over the years and have done some of my own recordings, etc. To this day, I can't read music and barely know what key I'm in other than the typical ones. I play solos off the cuff for the most part and hope something comes into my head. I regret not knowing scales, etc. but at the same time I can adlib and jam with anyone at any time.

+100
This is me EXACTLY.

 

[shreder75]

I've always tried to answer one simple question when playing a lead: WWGLD?

What would George Lynch do?

Oh interesting! My approach has been (for the most part of my guitar playing life anyway) WWASD. Adrian Smith. He's pretty much my single most biggest influence. Yeah. That's it.

You're my new best friend. Adrian is one of my favorite guitar players ever. Guy is completely underrated.

 

[shreder75]

In all seriousness I am with Mr. Shredder.
When I half ass my solos....I really try to put in a Lynch/Ace Frehley vibe.
It works most of the time.

Lynch is the master of going off the rails but landing on his feet lol rules!

 

[neilli]

Oh interesting! My approach has been (for the most part of my guitar playing life anyway) WWASD. Adrian Smith. He's pretty much my single most biggest influence. Yeah. That's it.

+1. Absolutely this. I'd like to say it was what would Randy have done, Steve Vai or many others, but the reality is that I'm just not that type (level!) of player..

 

[ElectricVoodoo]

At first, I started to try and copy solos note for note. I guess that was the dexterity part of my training ??
Then after I learned the 5 pent positions, I tried to do the blues thing and go in and out of the boxes.

Then I learned the 7 diatonic patterns and when i realized it was about the timing.. is when they became musical rather than step wise scales..

Now I improvise daily to modal and 12 bar blues backing tracks..rock/metal/blues. Improvising has opened up everything for me.

But still.. those classic Randy Rhoads licks always seem to come through since those were really the first things I started to copy back when.

 

[Markedman]

I can hear the lick or line before I play it when improvising. Other than that I worry that I'll sound like I'm worried about not making a mistake which is a bigger mistake. I like to play a copy lead about the same as what's on the record.

 

[Badronald]

I always use the "what would Angus Young and Steve Vai's love child do?"
True.

 

[severinsteel]

Started out by learning the minor pentatonic like most people. Major and minor scales followed, and the Modes, and arpeggios, and melodic minor, harmonic minor, and some of those modes. Learning other people's solos has also been extremely important. At this point, my focus is soloing over changes (jazz standards) and working on taking each chord into account, rather than using the key only. The most important thing I have learned for rock soloing, are all 5 'modes' or positions of the pentatonic scale, and incorporating the minor scale in the positions as well. Not to mention knowing the fretboard notes backwards and forwards, which really opens things up.

 

[Bakonshakin]

Wow, this is great stuff. I really wanna be able to make my solos sound like a voice. Make it sing and tell a story. Like a Gilmour solo, the solo from "Time" has always been my fav. What other guitarists can sing through their fingers? And maybe give an example of one of their solos

 

[Valtyr]

I stick to single note solos and try to make a melody that a voice could do. My favorite solos are "vocal" in this way, like Steve Hackett's solo in Firth of Fifth (Genesis - Selling England By the Pound).

 

[Michi]

You're my new best friend. Adrian is one of my favorite guitar players ever. Guy is completely underrated.

BRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Agree.

 

[shreder75]

You're my new best friend. Adrian is one of my favorite guitar players ever. Guy is completely underrated.

BRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Agree.

ATTA BRO!

 

[shredhead7]

Long before I picked up the guitar, I would sit in my parents basement, hitting the ping pong ball against the wall, playing against myself and making up songs (scatting them) as I did so. I would come up with some crazy solos, like Paul Gilbert meets Franz Liszt. I thought, if I ever learn how to play, I want to be able to play what I hear in my head. It's been almost 30 years and I can come close to what I hear, but never quite there. It's a great motivator. When I'm really in the zone, I can hum a melody ahead of the beat and play it on the beat that blows my mind, but that is rare.

 

[shredhead7]

Wow, this is great stuff. I really wanna be able to make my solos sound like a voice. Make it sing and tell a story. Like a Gilmour solo, the solo from "Time" has always been my fav. What other guitarists can sing through their fingers? And maybe give an example of one of their solos

Those are always my favorite solos as well. Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing, so many Gilmour solos. My favorite solo is Michael Schenker's solo in this song, fast forward to 3:23 as he plays the song out. It's so lyrical.