WoodyRATM Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 yo i have a quick question about solos.i know some scales and the like but im not sure HOW to make a solo up?Do i just play sporadic notes from the scale or what?like i can play fills and that and imitate others i see. oh yeah i play bass but guitarists would be helpful.cheers for any help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodyRATM Posted September 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 whoops. posted twice :S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neubeatz Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Could maybe try listening to Stanley Clark??? I think a sense of melody is something that we all have, and improvising scales over some different chord patterns is a great way to practise, your own sense of melody will help you to interpret the good from the bad:up: experiment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monk Rocker Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Shamelessly rip off your influences and hope nobody notices:up: If you know your scales, then making up a solo should be no problem. The blues and pentatonic scales are probably the best place to start, but before you can break the rules you need to know them - eg why certain notes work over certain chords etc.Experiment...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodyRATM Posted September 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 awesome cheers for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_matter Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I only know one scale and i don't even know the name of it. Monkrockers advice is good though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I only know one scale and i don't even know the name of it. Monkrockers advice is good though.Agree with all of the above posts Listen to the solo in Paranoid as an example of what the guys are talking about. It's got the classic call/response and it's punctuated by a reprise on the main riff - a clever solo.And as the guys say, listen to the melody and get an idea of what notes & sounds go with - and DEFINITELY rip off other stuff!!!!As an example I'm putting together a solo for a version of Neil Youngs "Rocking in The Free World" that I'm doing live soon. The original solo is honking, so my mate came up with an intro, I've worked on some widdly bits for the middle and have lifted the bridge section straight out of Montrose's "Space Station #5" to end the solo as it's a perfect fit - easy-peasy lemon squeezy :up: Good luckDZL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monk Rocker Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Quite a useful way of learning is to record what you are playing - choose a song you like and just solo over the top of it. Then listen back to it a few times with a critical ear. Some of it is likely to be cringeworthy, but you'll find some licks that you like so file them in your repertoire! I learned pretty quickly that I was overplaying sometimes needed to just lay back a bit:up: (BTW - I'm talking about bass playing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodyRATM Posted September 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 ^^ thats sorta what i did, the overplaying i mean. i lay back sometimes and go for it at others.ive been lookin for a decent way of recording myself for a while now, but im kinda skint anyone recommend any way of recording myself cheaply and decently(ish). i was thinkin one of those retro tape recorder things. but i havent seen one in while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewarden Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 ^^ thats sorta what i did' date=' the overplaying i mean. i lay back sometimes and go for it at others.ive been lookin for a decent way of recording myself for a while now, but im kinda skint anyone recommend any way of recording myself cheaply and decently(ish). i was thinkin one of those retro tape recorder things. but i havent seen one in while [/quote']Argos do some cheap things that allow you to record. Something like a dictaphone would do.If thats too expensive am sure you have got a mate with a multi track you could borrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lame Guitarist Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 like dieselfeet says rip off your fave parts from solos in songs and put them to use in your own solosa lot o folk work out solos and others donti do both, when i can be bothered i like to sit down and work at something that sounds really good or is quite flashy if i wanna show off and then theres the other side o me that just lets my fingers go where they want to goonce you constantly play scales and get a feel of which notes fit in keys and so on then you just improviselots of guitarists improvise and come up with some amazing stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britheguy Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 A solo, what's that then?Only joking, I think all guitar players like to solo, those that say they don't probably don't know how. I think the secret is not how many notes you put in, but how and where you put them in. It's got to add something to the song other than just making it longer. Endless widdlly, twiddly-dee is IMO tiresome. I bought a Budda Wah lately and found the using a wah, or you could use any effect within reason, during my solo's has brought a new dimension to my old work out fret work.As for how to put a solo together, your lugs will tell you what's right and what's not.It's important to not improvise over the same type of music all the time, because by changing from blues to jazz etc will let you know different notes go with different moods.Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HateEvent Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 Learn solos for songs. I learnt lots of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and Megadeth solos. When it comes to creating my own, I kinda borrow techniques that I've developed from what I know. They just kinda happen. But try doing them along to a track of what you play over (use sound recorder on your PC if you need to) just so you can hear if the notes work.Don't ALWAYS follow the scales completely - IMO a few accidentals can add alot to a solo. As long as it works though and doesn't just sound like bum notes!Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 I find it difficult to describe how I make up solos. Since I first learned to play guitar I was immediately in bands, so improvising with other musicians I think is of great value. Listening to your favourite guitarist's solos and playing along is one thing, but actually playing along with real people I think will make you improve so much more, and you'll sound a bit more original.I wouldn't worry too much about making mistakes as practice gets rid of those awful "wait I'm in the wrong key" moments, but like Angel of Death said don't follow scales completely. I only ever use major and minor pentatonic and mixolydian scales.I hope some of that is useful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan G Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 I'd say learn other peoples solos first, for basic grasps of phrasing and techniques etc... then practise improvising simple blues/rock stuff with help from total guitar and their backing track cds - they totally helped me with that stuff! but then for writing solos i basically record the rhythm track on a multitracker, and then improvise thousands of times until i almost play the exactly the same thing each time. ocassionally i'll think the odd lick through if it has an interesting/awkward rhythm section behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_matter Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 i just figure out what sounds right its a painstaking process but it's better than following scales in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 I bought a Boss Loop Pedal, and it's amazing for practicing solos and general jamming on yer lonesome.They do a stompbox sized one too. Not sure how good it is, but it's way cheaper than the double pedal dealy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairyScaryMark Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Phrasing is the key in any solo.As for what notes you can use. It depend on the style.Generally, you want to resolve on a chord note (a note found in the chord being played currently).Scale soloing can be of use to get you started but you generally want to get a bit beyond that as it can be quite limiting.It is also a common view that descending scales sound less like scales than ascending scales so you can get away with playing them more often. Also if you start on another note of the scale (i.e the 3rd) and play it downwards, it sounds even less like a scale.In summary: phrasing and not sounding like a scale is the key.Aeolian (natural minor) and major are probably the first two scales to learn for playing rock solos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_matter Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Phrasing is the key in any solo.As for what notes you can use. It depend on the style.Generally' date=' you want to resolve on a chord note (a note found in the chord being played currently).Scale soloing can be of use to get you started but you generally want to get a bit beyond that as it can be quite limiting.It is also a common view that descending scales sound less like scales than ascending scales so you can get away with playing them more often. Also if you start on another note of the scale (i.e the 3rd) and play it downwards, it sounds even less like a scale.In summary: phrasing and not sounding like a scale is the key.Aeolian (natural minor) and major are probably the first two scales to learn for playing rock solos.[/quote']o_O ya wha'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
framheim Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 solo's schmolo's. they're easily the most boring part of many a song Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan G Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 solo's schmolo's. they're easily the most boring part of many a song Except Dedalus songs, in which case the 'song' is easily the most boring part of the song Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Phrasing is the key in any solo.As for what notes you can use. It depend on the style.Generally' date=' you want to resolve on a chord note (a note found in the chord being played currently).Scale soloing can be of use to get you started but you generally want to get a bit beyond that as it can be quite limiting.It is also a common view that descending scales sound less like scales than ascending scales so you can get away with playing them more often. Also if you start on another note of the scale (i.e the 3rd) and play it downwards, it sounds even less like a scale.In summary: phrasing and not sounding like a scale is the key.Aeolian (natural minor) and major are probably the first two scales to learn for playing rock solos.[/quote']Snore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
framheim Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Except Dedalus songs' date=' in which case the 'song' is easily the most boring part of the song [/quote']ah, you swine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Von Mondragon Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Bass solo, human civilisation it say, NO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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