lessons on how to improvise a solo

villageac
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 3:52 am
Status: Offline

Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:21 pm

I assume there are videos on TG that address learning how to improvise a solo - I tried searching but I don't know how to find them. I want to learn how to solo to some standard, simple (I,IV,V) rock songs - I'd like to have some hints of melody in my solo so it wasn't just a free form solo using scales from the chords.
I'm the junior member of a band - I have been playing rhythm guitar in a group of very talented, life-long musicians for the last 3 years- we play every week for 4 hours. I've been playing hard for 5 years now and have taken lessons for 3 years. I know scales - major minor, pentatonics and some modes. My group plays some standard rock songs - Into The Mystic, Wild Night, Wild Horses, The Weight are some examples. I consider them relatively simple, straightforward songs and they are deeply ingrained in my brain after hearing them for 30 years. The people I play with can all solo easily - they can put in melody lines along with more free form improvisation - and they encourage me as well as try to help me learn. I'm not progressing in the least and I'm frustrated as hell. When I attempt a solo it sounds like a scale and there is no hint of melody. I practice daily at home for hours - I can play over a 3 chord 12 bar blues backing track - and I work hard at trying to hit the 1,3, and 5 notes of the chord, and then do the same on the chord in the next measure. I can do this adequately - but it's a "free form" solo - there isn't any melody incorporated. When I try this with my band I pretty much melt down - the people I play with are very encouraging and gentle - but I seem to lose all concept of chord structure of the song (even though I've played rhythm on the songs 100s of times). So not even being able to do the basics (scalar play to each chord) I can't imagine how melodic components are inserted.
Can anyone point me to some vids on TG - or elsewhere - that might help me? TIA


willem
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:53 am
Status: Offline

Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:37 pm

Hi,, I can only remember videos a bout basic explains how to solo in a song and I understand that you already know that too,,
when I hear someone soloing then I hear always the melody ( what the singer sang) a bit,, an improvice on the melody,, it mimics the melody in all kind of ways but not exactly,,

Hope you understand what I tryed to say,,

Willem


dtaylor
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:29 pm
Status: Offline

Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:57 pm

The Lead Secrets might be a good alternative method as you already know scales, you can leverage your knowledge of rhythm and chords to make this approach all the simpler. I'd be interested to know how you get on with it.

Here's the link:
http://www.totallyguitars.com/target-so ... gs-package


jayswett
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:44 pm
Status: Offline

Tue Jan 06, 2015 3:02 pm

I have been a member of TG for 4 or 5 years and am not aware of any lessons specifically that teach techniques for soloing. Lots of good theory information on chord structure, various types of scales and modes, creating chord solos, etc. I, too, am heading in the direction of learning to solo, and as I am in the very beginning stages of this endeavor, I would love to see some lessons on this site, if not just some backing jamtracks of some kind. Not sure if that is where Neil wants to go with this website. In any case, I did check out some of the practice partner videos on TG, thinking they may be something to practice with in terms of soloing over them, but that's not really how they are designed to be used.

The Triads set of lessons mentioned above was useful, but having looked at this a while back, I loved the content, but it wasn't quite what I needed in terms of translating my understanding of scales into interesting solo/lead playing. More advanced guitarists might find it more appropriate at their level. Perhaps the points Neil was trying to get across simply went over my head. Definitely worth another look.


Max
Posts: 0
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:56 am
Status: Offline

Tue Jan 06, 2015 3:05 pm

At the top of the page, under the TotallyGuitars logo, try clicking on the "Tips,Techniques, Theory & Styles,".
Then go down to "Techniques" and in there go to either, "How to Create Chord Solos" or "Lead Secrets: Triads". I'm not sure if these lessons are what your looking for but they will definitely be of some value.

Max


villageac
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 3:52 am
Status: Offline

Tue Jan 06, 2015 3:45 pm

Thanks! The Lead Secrets set of vids look promising. There's a lot there so it may take me a while to get through and digest - but I've started and I'm excited. Neil is a GREAT teacher so I'm looking forward to trying to digest and assimilate the material.
There is a ton of amazing material on the TG site - it can be hard locating what your looking for - I am so glad I asked as I just missed ever looking at that section.


willem
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:53 am
Status: Offline

Tue Jan 06, 2015 3:52 pm

villageac wrote:
Thanks! The Lead Secrets set of vids look promising. There's a lot there so it may take me a while to get through and digest - but I've started and I'm excited. Neil is a GREAT teacher so I'm looking forward to trying to digest and assimilate the material.
There is a ton of amazing material on the TG site - it can be hard locating what your looking for - I am so glad I asked as I just missed ever looking at that section.
Aha you're busy for a while now,, if you like have also a look at the chordsolo lesson "Aint No Sunshine" by Bill Withers ,, look and listen only to the play through for inspiration..watch the whole play through..

Willem


RicksPick
Posts: 0
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:18 pm
Status: Offline

Wed Jan 07, 2015 3:29 pm

Hi there

A big eye opener for me was watching one of Neil's Fly on the wall series,with Ron

http://www.totallyguitars.com/target-so ... .html#song

Neil is asked I know all these scales but, so what? how to use them?

Well worth watching, some cool insight's.

RicksPick


villageac
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 3:52 am
Status: Offline

Thu Jan 08, 2015 9:20 am

You are absolutely correct - there is some great tips in those 2 vids. I would LOVE a lesson where Neil culls out some of the pearls of wisdom he dispensed into a 5 or 10 minute video on beginner applications of pentatonic scales for lead play. I LOVE Neil - and I love music theory - but Ron was asking for practical applications - and there was a lot of theory about scales and modes. When Neil got around to answering Ron's practical question - WOW - great stuff. And don't get me wrong - I learned a LOT listening to Neil discuss theory - I will rewatch these 2 vids a few times so I get some of the theory nuggets better fixed in my mind. The other thing that would have helped - and I am glad I knew where to find it - was a diagram of the pentatonic patterns - the one place I knew where to look was in the Melissa lesson - so when he referenced pattern VI - I had a visual reminder of what he meant.
Neil - if you or your staff is monitoring this thread - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - do a segment with the pearls you dispensed in Ron's lesson. After posting my original question, I found a YT by Privettricker on Blues Guitar Solo Lesson -it's amazing. He starts with showing how to use 4 notes out of the middle of an Am pentatonic scale to play a decent lead over a Am backing track - and then he adds another 5 notes and then again adds some notes to get the full pentatonic. I tried his technique and for the first time was able to "hear" myself play a solo. Neils pearls in Ron's lesson will now get layered on.


User avatar
TGNeil
Posts: 963
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:09 pm
Status: Offline

Thu Jan 08, 2015 12:10 pm

villageac wrote:
You are absolutely correct - there is some great tips in those 2 vids. I would LOVE a lesson where Neil culls out some of the pearls of wisdom he dispensed into a 5 or 10 minute video on beginner applications of pentatonic scales for lead play. I LOVE Neil - and I love music theory - but Ron was asking for practical applications - and there was a lot of theory about scales and modes. When Neil got around to answering Ron's practical question - WOW - great stuff. And don't get me wrong - I learned a LOT listening to Neil discuss theory - I will rewatch these 2 vids a few times so I get some of the theory nuggets better fixed in my mind. The other thing that would have helped - and I am glad I knew where to find it - was a diagram of the pentatonic patterns - the one place I knew where to look was in the Melissa lesson - so when he referenced pattern VI - I had a visual reminder of what he meant.
Neil - if you or your staff is monitoring this thread - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - do a segment with the pearls you dispensed in Ron's lesson. After posting my original question, I found a YT by Privettricker on Blues Guitar Solo Lesson -it's amazing. He starts with showing how to use 4 notes out of the middle of an Am pentatonic scale to play a decent lead over a Am backing track - and then he adds another 5 notes and then again adds some notes to get the full pentatonic. I tried his technique and for the first time was able to "hear" myself play a solo. Neils pearls in Ron's lesson will now get layered on.
Hi Gang,

This was a great question and thanks for tracking down some applicable videos. I will work on this a bit and try to organize some strategies and techniques that I recommend to students in the course of lessons or discussions, like we saw in Ron's lesson. A starting point is be able to play the vocal melody, then mess it up a little bit. Coincidentally, Ron was here this week and we looked at Roger McGuinn's 12-string solo in the Byrds' version of My Back Pages, which does just that.

Neil


Post Reply Previous topicNext topic