AngelCityOutlaw Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 How do you usually create your guitar (or other instrument) solos? Improvise it, compose it ahead of time, or a combination of the two? For any of my serious tunes, I usually compose it because I find you can create and plan out a truly unique and melodic solo that way. I find that if you improvise the whole thing, you tend to fall into this comfort-zone of licks and you have to constantly think of what comes next and stay in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkSim Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Combination of the two for me - I'll have the backing playing on loop and noodle around until I play something that sounds good, then I'll fine tune it. I just don't have the musicianship to be able to crack out a Jimmy Page epic out of nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I compose it on the spot. (Because I can't play synthesizers) So it's a bit like sporatic composing, where I write, but don't really go back to change it. I don't really put much thought into it, so it still retains a bit of that human randomness that makes solos interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteo Xavier Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Combination of two for me. It usually takes me several listens in and around before I get something I like. INterestingly enough, despite my handicap, I can usually come up with something I love on the keyboard/piano, but when I go to put it in, I screw something up and go back to mouseclicking my solos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mak Eightman Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I'm improvising. Play something 2-4(or more)times, listen while playing it, remembering nice sections. Then take each nice part from my memory and record it improvising. So itsa composing improvisation i suppose edit: overall i don't give a damn, cause my soloing skills suck:< So I just play something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devastus Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I arm the solo track, press record and hope something nice happens If it's only partly something I like, I remember that and extend on it until I have a full-fledged solo. I find I get more creative that way than composing it way ahead, though I play such haphazard shit that it probably shows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Jobson Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I mostly hear something in my head and sort of improvise / compose on the spot. Then once I play the loop or whatever a few times, I might go back and change a few notes. This is pretty much how I make anything, not just solo's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DusK Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I do both. When I have a spot that screams "You need a solo over this," I'll improvise for a while. A long while. Then, I'll start to piece together a solo that I like through countless tries at improvisation, effectively making it a composed solo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Combination of the two for me - I'll have the backing playing on loop and noodle around until I play something that sounds good, then I'll fine tune it. This, exactly. But I usually hear it in my head first, usually it'll slam me awake at 3:00am, then I fine-tune it while in the shower that morning, then off to the keyboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Usually a combination. I'll noodle around on my keyboard for a while, then take the best ideas I came up with and piece 'em together in the piano roll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermanubis Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I usually plan out a particular sound I want the solo to have, and how I want it to tense up and resolve. For example, if I want a song to have a dark feel and want it to explode into a really strong resolution, I'll compose a string of bars in the Phrygian mode or a diminished lick and make it resolve into a minor mode. So yeah, for me, it's all about tension and resolution. Michiru Yamane likes to do that a lot, too, with the Phrygian-to-Minor resolutions. I really like harmonic minor to minor, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicThHedgog Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I use a voice recorder app within the soundcloud android app and upload it to soundcloud, best way to get any capture any insperation I get. the best melodies you will ever comeup with at mind is when your not pressuring your self to make a cool kick ass song. taking walks,going to the park, car rides, airplane,watching tv,rec rides etc... will be where insperation hits the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederic Petitpas Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 When I improvise I can find 10 variations of my idea, so I write down the one I prefer. I could call this improvising, but could also composing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milothefultz Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 It depends on what your goal is. I like the spontaneity of a purely improvised solo, coming from a "jazz" standpoint, though the flubs that can make things fun and interesting in a live situation can stick out like a sore thumb on a recording. These little humanistic elements do add a certain charm, in my opinion. However, if you're going into a studio and time is money or if you just want your solo to sound a certain way, I personally compose a solo and practice the hell out of it. There are benefits to fully composing a solo, as well: you can really fine tune the whole thing and make it sound exactly how you want it to; as a musician, you can incorporate new ideas into your playing; and if your goal is to put something on wax that people will remember, like the bass solos in YYZ or the guitar solo in Hotel California for example, your polished solo will make a large jump towards that goal. Also, somebody before me mentioned recording yourself and picking out the good ideas of a solo, and another said singing out ideas in your head. Both of these are some of the best things I've ever done for a recording session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelCityOutlaw Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 It depends on what your goal is. I like the spontaneity of a purely improvised solo, coming from a "jazz" standpoint, though the flubs that can make things fun and interesting in a live situation can stick out like a sore thumb on a recording. These little humanistic elements do add a certain charm, in my opinion.However, if you're going into a studio and time is money or if you just want your solo to sound a certain way, I personally compose a solo and practice the hell out of it. There are benefits to fully composing a solo, as well: you can really fine tune the whole thing and make it sound exactly how you want it to; as a musician, you can incorporate new ideas into your playing; and if your goal is to put something on wax that people will remember, like the bass solos in YYZ or the guitar solo in Hotel California for example, your polished solo will make a large jump towards that goal. Also, somebody before me mentioned recording yourself and picking out the good ideas of a solo, and another said singing out ideas in your head. Both of these are some of the best things I've ever done for a recording session. All very good points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROTO·DOME Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Just write it. Brains are stupid and fail to co-ordinate fingers correctly even when you know what you want to goddamn play. Don't worry, it's fine motor neurons, take it easy, you've only had 21 fucking years of practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.