How to Play Guitar Solos - How to Sound Like a Pro!
A lot of people can pick up any old guitar and bang out a tune, and a lot of those can also play a few flashy notes here and there, otherwise known as a solo, but is that what you really want to be known for? If you want to learn how to play guitar solos like the pros do, there are a few things you need to focus on in your practice sessions, and once these have been mastered everything you do from here will sound professional.
Surely that's better than just being able to play a couple of things here and there! There is one element that covers everything you will learn on the guitar, and this you need to master or you will fail with every song you attempt, and that is Control.
Control simply means being in charge of the notes you choose rather than the guitar telling you what you can and can't play which funny enough is how a lot of musicians play.
The three areas of control with your playing are: Playing the note cleanly - When you learn how to play guitar solos it's important to break it down into small sections at a time so you can practice individual patterns.
When you practice these patterns, because they consist of only a few notes each you have a greater chance of controlling each single note and playing it cleanly.
Do this with a metronome and then increase the speed to normal speed and you'll have a series of clean patterns that you can play together to make one crazy guitar solo! Staying on your chosen note - This may sound odd to some, but because the strings are easy to bend it means you can go off note fairly easily.
If you choose to go off note by sliding, bending or just simple vibrato, then practice doing so smoothly and landing on the desired note at the end.
The key once again is control of the individual note and knowing and practicing how it should sound as an end result.
Controlling the Intensity - As well as being able to play cleanly and stay on note, a good solo comes from the feel that the player puts into it, and this comes from controlled intensity.
Practice the level of attack when you hit the note, the timing, and the mood you want to achieve to match the overall song as a whole.
Accents also fall under this bracket as well, and need to be thought of to bring light and shade to the mix.
When learning how to play guitar solos it's vital to practice as a professional would, otherwise you may pick up bad habits, and you know what practiced bad habits become - annoying! One question to think about - Do professional guitarists become so after they get noticed, or do they get noticed because they practice professionally to start with? All the best with your practice, and make every note count!
Surely that's better than just being able to play a couple of things here and there! There is one element that covers everything you will learn on the guitar, and this you need to master or you will fail with every song you attempt, and that is Control.
Control simply means being in charge of the notes you choose rather than the guitar telling you what you can and can't play which funny enough is how a lot of musicians play.
The three areas of control with your playing are: Playing the note cleanly - When you learn how to play guitar solos it's important to break it down into small sections at a time so you can practice individual patterns.
When you practice these patterns, because they consist of only a few notes each you have a greater chance of controlling each single note and playing it cleanly.
Do this with a metronome and then increase the speed to normal speed and you'll have a series of clean patterns that you can play together to make one crazy guitar solo! Staying on your chosen note - This may sound odd to some, but because the strings are easy to bend it means you can go off note fairly easily.
If you choose to go off note by sliding, bending or just simple vibrato, then practice doing so smoothly and landing on the desired note at the end.
The key once again is control of the individual note and knowing and practicing how it should sound as an end result.
Controlling the Intensity - As well as being able to play cleanly and stay on note, a good solo comes from the feel that the player puts into it, and this comes from controlled intensity.
Practice the level of attack when you hit the note, the timing, and the mood you want to achieve to match the overall song as a whole.
Accents also fall under this bracket as well, and need to be thought of to bring light and shade to the mix.
When learning how to play guitar solos it's vital to practice as a professional would, otherwise you may pick up bad habits, and you know what practiced bad habits become - annoying! One question to think about - Do professional guitarists become so after they get noticed, or do they get noticed because they practice professionally to start with? All the best with your practice, and make every note count!
Source...