Enhance Your Soloing

Preface

Surely you’ve read title as well as the introduction and you know what this lesson is about. But before we start I want you to know that I won’t give you the “solution” or “explanation”, for suggestion could change you experience and far more important, one assimilates things better, when finding the “solution” or “explanation” oneself. You are welcome to rate, comment and ask questions.

1. Dynamics
1.1. Theory

Dynamics are a really underrated tool for musical expression. Playing dynamically means, playing the notes at different volumes and creating a feel of "distance" of the notes. Most guitarists would try playing dynamically by hitting the strings harder or softer, but in my opinion there are two better ways to do so:

a) When playing with a pick, first try to hit the string with the very tip o f your pick and then playing every note with a little bit more of the pick, maintaining the same hitting intensity.

b) When finger picking, you should "push" the strings with your picking hand downwards to the sound hole, then angle your finger and let go. Depending on how far you pushed them down your volume will increase.

1.2. Exercise


e--------------------------
h------------6-5--3------
g------2-4-5-------------
D----2-------------------
A--0---------------------
E-------------------------

I want You to play this simple melody at a very low tempo and try to play each note at a different volume while observing, how the individual volumes change the feel of the whole construct. Then try to find "patterns"
Here are two ideas for patterns:

the "sunrise-method"-> start very quietly (morning), incrase volume until you reach the "b"(noon) and than turn quieter again again (evening)

the "tennis-method"->first note loud (ball been hit), second one quieter (when the ball hits the ground) and so on.

2. Rest
2.1. Theory

Everyone whose soli tend to sound very “scaleish” and “overplayed” should pay close attention to the following stuff. In music there are two kinds of rests:

a) not playing anything at all

This concept is very interesting, for in creates space. This, gives the audience time to assimilate what has been played or cause the listeners attention.

b) resting on a note

This again is a very interesting thought, because resting on a note allows ornamentation (vibrato, bending, thrills, glissando, harmonics…) and gives this note a special “meaning”.

2.2. Exercise


e--------------------------
h------------6-5--3-------
g------2-4-5--------------
D----2--------------------
A--0----------------------
E--------------------------

Play this once again but now leave out one note and rest on another for some time, while again observing how it changes the feel of the whole construct. Then start to ornament the note you are resting on by playing it e.g.: as a harmonic, with a thrill, with vibrato…..
3. Tone
3.1. Theory

Sound is produced by your gear (wood, amp, pickups…). Tone is similar, but it can be manipulated by ones play. This can happen by changing the position of play (distance to the neck) and angle of string hitting.

3.2. Exercise


e--------------------------
h---------------6-5-3-----
g--------2-4-5------------
D-----2-------------------
A--0----------------------
E--------------------------

Play this once again. Start picking next to the bridge, your hand, the tip or your pick showing to the neck. Change the angle of the pick When the tip of your pick shows to the bridge, it’s time to move on forwards to the neck and repeat this exercise. Oh, and observe how this changes the sound and feel of every note and the whole.
4. Rhythm
4.1. Theory

Rhythm may be music’s most hypnotic element. Rhythm can be made out of rhythmical figures. There are obvious ones like one quarter note, which can be replaced by two eight notes or four sixteenth notes… There are other figures that include:

a) one-beat figures

a dotted eight and a sixteenth note
a sixteenth note and a dotted eight

a one-beat syncope (sixteenth, eight, sixteenth)

eight and two sixteenth notes
two sixteenth notes and one eight

a one-beat triplet (three notes on one beat)

b) two-beat figures

two one-beat figures each

a dotted quarter note and a eight note
a eight note and a dotted quarter note

a two-beat syncope ( eight, quarter, eight/sixteenth, eight, eight, eight sixteenth….)

a quarter and two eights
two eights and a quarter

a two-beat triplet (three notes on two beats)

c) three-beat figures

rhree one-beat figures
one two-beat figure and one two-beat figure

a dotted half

a three beat syncope (dotted eight, dotted quarter, dotted eight/eight, quarter, quarter eight…)

d) Four-beat figures

two two-beat figures
four one-beat figures
a two-beat figure and two one-beat figures
……..

a dotted half note and a quarter note
a quarter note and a dotted half note

a four-beat syncope (quarter, half, quarter/ eight, quarter, quarter, quarter, eight….)

a half and two quarters
two quarters and a half

a four-beat triplet (three notes on four beats)


4.2. Exercise


e--------------------------
h---------------6-5-3-----
g--------2-4-5------------
D-----2-------------------
A--0----------------------
E--------------------------

Now I want you to take you metronome and play the figure above once again, always altering the rhythmical figures. (try as many as you can)
Now it’s time for the next level: play this figure and combine what you have learned and use your own melodies to do the same.