So in this lesson we take a look at some of the fundamentals of soloing. Teaching people how to solo can be quite a challenge. One of the main reasons for this is that, it is important to develop your own solos and not just copy them. This means that the best that I can do, is give you the tools to begin your journey of discovery. Don’t get me wrong it’s fine to learn some licks and riffs, etc they can help in some ways, but I think we can agree that what most people want to learn when it comes to soloing, is to be self sufficient and create wonderful solos at will.
Simplicity is key when starting out, I think many people often try and play more notes than are necessary, when very often just a few will do the trick. Try to keep this in mind when practising, chances are you will do far better with short licks with space in between, don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to fill every bit of space. Personally, I think what is important is the quality of the solo, it’s much more about note choice than speed or how many notes we play. When we hear a great solo, it touches us emotionally, that’s what we want to learn.
Another thing that you will discover, is the notes you choose to start and finish your solos, will to a large extent shape how they feel. The notes in between whilst important, are more forgiving.
I have included various images below, to help you quickly see where the notes for each of the chords can be found on the fingerboard, which should help you, as quick visual guides. This will enable you to play and hear how all the various notes within each chord sound, the root notes will always be a good fit, but it is also important to try and figure out how the other chord notes sound and how you can incorporate them into your playing. I have also included an image of all the C – G – A – F notes can be found on the fingerboard.
I have also included a backing track for you to use to practice your soloing.
Soloing is undoubtedly a journey without short cuts and is best tackled like most things guitar related, little and often. Take your time and try to enjoy each stage of the process.
In this lesson I have spoken about particular lessons that I have made previously, that you may not have seen, which are essential viewing if you would like to develop your soloing skills, here are the links:
Learn the notes on the fingerboard – https://www.patreon.com/posts/tips-basic-for-3-22770180
4 Scales you need to know – https://www.patreon.com/posts/4-scales-you-to-43000326
Discovering octaves – https://www.patreon.com/posts/discovering-easy-62543069
Expanding octaves – https://www.patreon.com/posts/expanding-rating-63156592
Blues in C – Pt1 – https://www.patreon.com/posts/blues-in-c-part-48079125
Blues in C – Pt2 – https://www.patreon.com/posts/beginners-blues-49180654
As mentioned in the lesson your feedback will determine whether or not I continue this topic. So please share your thoughts on this subject as it will really help shape possible future lessons.
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