Guitar Solo

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December 24th, 2010 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

How to write a guitar solo?

Im having a difficult time writing a good guitar solo. I need tips on writing one. The kinda solo im trying to write are solos that fit the slow rock(romantic) genres.

There are two ways to write solos – the long, tedious way and the quick ‘n dirty way – and I will explain both of them to you.

For musical posterity’s sake, let’s discuss the long, tedious way first:

You start by identifying the mode of the song. That’s what is sometimes meant by finding the chord progression, which someone else has already suggested to you. Why do this? Because it tells you what family of notes the melody is using. It also tells you that a song written in a major key could actually be based on the relative minor scale, which makes all the difference in the world when you are writing music. Of course, you can listen to the melody without knowing anything about the family of notes, but it’s harder to write a variation of the melody for your solo if you don’t know what mode or chord progression the original melody is written in. For your initial attempt, you may want to ask a more experienced guitarist or composer to help you identify the chord progression and the mode.

Once you know which mode you’re working with, everything becomes clear. You will know which notes fit well (notes in the family) and which ones will sound like chalk screeching on a blackboard (notes not in the family). When you have some time, visit www.wholenote.com and check out some of the music lessons for writing solos.

Now, let’s talk about the quick ‘n dirty method:

First, you should take 30 minutes and just listen to a couple really good guitar solos. Listen to something Randy Rhoads wrote when he played for Ozzy. Randy’s solos are obvious, easy to listen to, and very well written. So, they are good to study and not difficult to understand. Randy wrote his solos with a beginning, a climax in the middle, and an end. All good soloists do this. Another great soloist is (believe it or not) KK Downing of Judas Priest. LIsten to the solo in this song: “Beyond the Realms of Death”. It’s a fine solo, kinda heartbreaking in a way, and my lead guitarist thinks it’s one of the greatest solos ever written for guitar – certainly one of the most beautiful. The reason I recommend it is because you want something melodic and even romantic – also slow and moving.

One band you should also listen to is The Scorpions because in their love ballads, such as “Still Lovin’ You”, you will hear awesome solo guitar. Another great band, Journey, had some fine solos. Listen to the great love ballads where the guitar gods wank and try to see if you can figure out what they are doing. Study their methods because if it worked for them, it will work for you.

Now, you want to write a solo and you want to write it now. Pick out the main bars in the chorus. Play them. Then extend the musical idea. In other words, yiou are taking the catchiest musical phrase of the song, using it as the basis of your solo, and then you are extending it. It’s kinda like jamming to your own song. By doing this, your solo will fit the song and extend the basic musical theme into uncharted territory, adding interest and depth. A solo doesn’t have to be very long to be good.

A solo based on the catchiest musical phrase in the song (usually the chorus) is a trick every songwriter uses and the funny part is that some of the greatest guitar solos have been written this way in a matter of minutes.

Someday, you will become a master at writing solos when you combine both of the above methods together. Why? Because when you extend the catchy part of the melody, there will be less trial and error. You can wank away on your guitar because you have identified the mode and you play safely in that mode. It’s okay to stray deliberately for one or two notes – Marty Friedman does that a lot – but don’t get carried away. Stay close to the main hook, add some of your imagination, and you will have a decent solo forming within your first 16 measures – I guarantee it!

Yngwie Malmsteen Acoustic Guitar Solo