# Help me learn to play good solo's PLEASE



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

ok, first, a wee bit of history. when i started playing at the age of 16 i think, i was already working every week-ends and going to school, my friend, who introduced me to playing, already was 2 years ahead and was getting 3 time a week personnal lessons, so his skills was just booming, so not having the practice time he could put in, i actually became a very good rythme guitar, better then he was actually..hehe, he was just praticing his solo's so his rythme playing was just cold a bit.

SO, fast foward 25 years later, i've gotten back to playing a lot recently, but frustration came fast. NOW' i REALY wanna learn more soloing technics. but WHERE to start, i don't wanna cash out on lessons but i'm willint to put in the time actually. I bought a book, but it sucks. 

SO, Anyone can point me to some online ressources or technicques, anything that will help me learn to RIP the clear of my necks.. :rockon2:

Thanks for your help guys.


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## violation (Aug 20, 2006)

Metronome + time + focus = the road to develop good lead chops. 

Where do you start?

First develop a good tremolo picking technique... you can't play faster then bangin' on one note (thanks MAB for that quote). Use the same picking technique you use when picking slow. Now just build up speed. 

Second is build some individual finger strength and speed using legato. Make sure you get a good tone out of each note. You don't want to hammer on louder then you pull off, that sounds terrible. 

Once you get your fingers flyin' with legato and you've got your tremolo picking up nice and fast there's only one thing left to do... sync the 2 up and develop mad picking chops (hello Yngwie!). Start with 100% alternate picking!

After that there's economy picking, then tapping (which isn't that hard unless you go all Vai on it), then sweep picking, then sweep picking mixed with tapping, then hybrid picking... yeah, I could go on for awhile but I think you get it lol.


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

www.ibreathemusic.com


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

Check out old threads in the music theory/improv, etc areas and you will find a WEALTH of knowledge.
http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/

www.guitarplayertv.com
very useful site too...



look at these later on as they are more advanced and more specific and thus less important right now probably for you:
http://lessons.mikedodge.com/

Another somewhat useful site, you can often find some great stuff here. The Ibreathemusic one is far better though, trust me.
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/forumdisplay.php?f=30




this is all assuming you have a decent knowledge of music theory...but if you dont, I would STRONGLY suggest you take a look at http://www.musictheory.net/ and get a good understanding. Also...one of the BIGGEST helps when soloing, is knowing the notes of every string on the fretboard all the way up the neck...helps you solo a lot better, trust me!!!!!! (REALLY!)

Another thing, learn the scale degrees of the scales you are using when soloing so that you can target specific degrees and resolve (land) on them. This is very very important!!!

And dont forget to do this...

DO NOT just learn patterns on the fingerboard. LEARN THE SCALES ONE STRING AT A TIME!!! so like play the C major scale just on the E string, and then just on the b string, so on for one week...next week pick a different scale. ALSO!!! memorize the patterns for the scales, and LEARN TO CONNECT THEM ALL OVER THE FINGERBOARD... and NEVER just play your scales UP AND DOWN!!! Always!! ALWAYS! start improvising over a scale once you learn the basic fingering..




AND FINALLY!!!!

http://www.jamstudio.com/Studio/index.htm

go there and make up some diatonic (within the parent key) chord progressions such as G - D - Em - C for the key of G or whatever...be creative. Actually soloing over chords, and knowing how the notes you are using relates to the chords, is vital.

And then go here just for fun.
http://www.guitarshredshow.com/


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

oh and!!! learn melodic patterns to use with your scales/modes so that you can get melodic ideas when soloing!!!

google them if you wish..there are tons. You probably already know a lot already even though you didn't know what they were hahahaa...w00t w00t im enjoying cereal in the morning in front of my computer.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Where can i find those scales to learn?...i've got the picking, speed etc etc, it's the what to do, that i lack right now, stuff to learn.



GuitaristZ said:


> Check out old threads in the music theory/improv, etc areas and you will find a WEALTH of knowledge.
> http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/
> 
> www.guitarplayertv.com
> ...


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Thanks Paul, i'll try to find something online i can print out. i found that 90% of books are NOT worth their prices so far. i would rather just find exactly what i need to start with.


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

or...if you want to learn how to solo really fast..



www.guitarshredshow.com


follow the instructions and viola! You are a Shredderoonie


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## Warren (Mar 2, 2007)

Here's a few ways to get nice melodic lines that weren't mentioned (your own).

Let's take 4/4 time. Start with the chord notes on the down beats & mix them up so beat 1=5th, 2=3rd, 3=root, 4=7th (3rd, 1st, 5th, 5th, works also you don't have to use the whole chord) add a scale (non-chord) note on an up beat and add a couple non-scale (C major, use F# major pent) notes on some up beats. Now pick the root of the next chord or a note from the melody in the next bar to be the 1st beat of the next bar.

Another: Do the same thing with a diatonic substitution as the base chord so dominant becomes diminished, check out diatonic chord subs.

Another: Use the correct chord notes (no subs) but instead of non-scale notes use a substitute scale. Example: melodic or harmonic minor scale notes (not in the chord) from the appropriate mode over a dominant.

Another: Try not putting some of the scale notes on the downbeats.

Have fun!!!


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

THanks for the post mate, but this is like chinesse to me..LOL, i don't know ANY scales, so i need to learn those first.. still looking for a website with them online.



Warren said:


> Here's a few ways to get nice melodic lines that weren't mentioned (your own).
> 
> Let's take 4/4 time. Start with the chord notes on the down beats & mix them up so beat 1=5th, 2=3rd, 3=root, 4=7th (3rd, 1st, 5th, 5th, works also you don't have to use the whole chord) add a scale (non-chord) note on an up beat and add a couple non-scale (C major, use F# major pent) notes on some up beats. Now pick the root of the next chord or a note from the melody in the next bar to be the 1st beat of the next bar.
> 
> ...


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## Warren (Mar 2, 2007)

al3d said:


> THanks for the post mate, but this is like chinesse to me..LOL, i don't know ANY scales, so i need to learn those first.. still looking for a website with them online.


Sorry,

After you get a couple scales, try this for something different:

Learn how to count the rhythm

4/4 = Count 1, 2, 3, 4, 1,... Find the notes of your chord you want to solo over all over the fret board (make a map, write them down), octaves & 2 octaves higher & lower, try E major, E, B, G#, the campfire chord. On the beat play those notes in any order you like, which ever ones you want, leave one out and only use 2, don't play one on every beat, etc.. Now count in 8th notes. 1, and, 2, and, 3, and, 4, and, 1, and,....

Now take your riff on 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 and count it with the "and's" keeping your E chord notes on the numbers. Add any other notes (any frets other than the ones for your chord notes) on the "and's", not all of them just 1 or 2. See what you come up with, try other notes on some of the and's. Keep what you like. If you can play the melody by ear and some of the melody notes aren't in the chord notes you can put those on a number or an "and". If the riff turns you on, keep it, if not, try again.

Hopefully this has some value to you, it's just one alternative to playing scale notes all the time.


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