When you're trying to come up with a solo over a chord progression or riffs, do most people work on it one lick at a time or more or less all at once?
I had this fanciful notion that a solo can be conceived in one piece, as a unit, but when I try that it's like I've bitten off more than I can chew... it usually doesn't sound good. It's only when I take the time to work on each lick individually, trying out different notes from the scale, different orders, and different rhythms, that I have a chance of coming up with something that sounds good and has emotional impact. But I worry that if I focus on each lick individually, each one might sound good by itself, but not fit in well with the rest of the solo.
So I want to know the general process by which others come up with notes and rhythm for a solo. (I mean sitting down and trying to come up with a solo, not spontaneous improvisation). Is it mainly trial and error like me? And when listening to a chord progression or riffs, can you start to hear (imagine) melodies in your mind even before you put your fingers on the guitar? this happens to me. I think I've heard this called 'thinking harmonically'. Thanks.
A good solo should be like a story, having a beginning, middle, & end. If its a heavy song I would suggest starting the solo big, if its a slower song, maybe a big bend might work better. Make sure its connected together. Like if its slow bends and vibratos with a laid back feel, build up slowly, don't just jump into a distorted tap run or sweep.
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
You might one to peruse some of the many articles on our "Soloing and Improvisational" page. This is a good place to start:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=21
Hope that helps.
Peace
I work mine out around the melody of the song...to start.
that way it does have a story.
once I know where the melody lies on the fret board
I look for the other ways of vooicing it.
meaning bending a note up or sliding down instead of just playing the note.
by dong this I add the emotional content of the lick.
then it isnt meaningless expression of how fast, for example.
so I guess I dont work it out piece by piece, since the melody is a whole that is already there.
Neil Young is an idea I work from sometimes.
he is a very melodic player.
