FF8--Shuffle or boogie---live guitarists please read!!!

[Fyrebhaal]

I am currently working on a OCR of Shuffle or Boogie, from Final Fantasy 8. I am doing it in a Rock/Metal theme, and I was wondering how to write a guitar solo. I have a live guitarist closely collaberating with me on this, and we are both stumped as to how to write a solo for this specific song.

[MojoHamster]

I'd look a up a blues scale, that's a good place to start.

e|-0-(3)-(5)
b|-0-3---
g|-0-2-3-
d|-0-2---
a|-0-1-2-
e|-0-3---

All those notes there are in the E Blues scale, so if the song was in the key of E you could noodle around on them notes to make a solo.

Also you can move this scale up several frets for different keys, for instance:-

e|-5-----
b|-5-8---
g|-5-7-8-
d|-5-7---
a|-5-6-7-
e|-5-8---

Also with the E blues scale you can move it up an octave for a high sounding solo

e|-12-
b|-12-15-
g|-12-14-15-
d|-12-14-
a|-12-13-14-
e|-12-15-

And lastly here's a couple of common solo noodles to start you off.

e|----------
b|-------12-
g|-------12-
d|-12h14----
a|----------
e|----------

h = hammer on

e|-------
b|-12----
g|-14b16-
d|-------
a|-------
e|-------

b = bend

e|-------------
b|-14b16-12----
g|-14b16-12----
d|----------14-
a|-------------
e|-------------

e|-15p12-------
b|-------15p12-
g|-------------
d|-------------
a|-------------
e|-------------

p = pull offs

Btw, to give your solos constancy, it can help to return to the root note at the start of a phrase. The root note corresponds to the key of the song. I.E if the song is in the key of E, you might want to come back to an E note when the song goes back to a E chord/E bass note.

[MikeViper]

Definitely learn the blues scale, that's great for improvising, and writing solos. As with any string instrument scale, once you know the basic "formation" you can move the scale up to any note.

[_Raijin_]

if all else fails, turn back to the songs that influenced this track and try improvving to those. some of my own solos ive written while playing along to other songs and then reworking them into my own songs. if the song is really that awkward to finish then just give it a break and come back to it later with a fresh approach and you'll probably come up with something first time off.

[Tensei]

umm wouldn't it be better, for the sake of authencity, if the solo's were truly improvised on the spot?

Or even if you necessarily want the solo's to be pre-written, maybe you should let a guitar player do it himself, since he obviously should have more knowledge of his instrument than you (no offense meant ), as well as being able to incorporate the typical guitar techniques into the solo (bends, harmonics, you name it..)