Learning Solo's

[Crusher]

Is it "normal" to take a good week or more to learn a solo? I'm not even talking up to speed, just knowing all the notes and playing it somewhat decent.

[Tashtego]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

normal for you right now. Like anything else you will probably get faster the more you do it. Also, if you are doing more than 1 song by the same guitarist you often start to see patterns and can pick up there stuff quicker. I also don't try to be exact anymore. I decide what phrases are essential to reproduce and what I can meddle with. I don't mean to pretend to be an expert because I'm not but that has been my experience. A week doesn't sound like a terribly long time to me for techinically demanding heavy metal solos if that is what you are working on. [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[SGplayer]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

I found I can learn a Rhythm section in one day easy but the solo can take quite a while especially adding your tastes..............

[horns666]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

Just practice over a rythm you have in mind..get an idea where you want to go with it..polish it up as cool as possible..

and when it comes time to play for keeps.."just go for it"

That was Loomis' advice to me....whom am I to argue with that??!! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Soap]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

Three quick scenarios/examples:

1. To keep my chops up, I solo over a recorded rhythmn piece.
The rhythmn part doesn't need to be anything mind blowing, jaw dropping, mouth drooling frenzy. Just a simple piece that allows me to stay fresh.

2. Writting/laying down a solo.
It varies really, because I'm moody and that in itself defines my playing. You can tell the mood I'm by what you hear. Laying down a solo, (for the lack of a better anaology) is somewhat similar to making love. Depending on the mood the song itself puts me in (what I hear in my head)I actually, try to compliment the song itself.

Like sex...
Sometimes slow and easy is the recipe for the mood, sometimes a quicky is the recipe for the mood. Then other times, its going wild and crazy at it. Regardless, have an appreciation for the song itself. Let the song take you there, then deliever the goods at solo time.

You know, like her pleasant beautiful body you admire and observe and caress while enjoying her while making love together. Her curves, breasts, nice waist-line stomach area, legs and etc. Find that place in the song that does something for ya and it'll then come easy.

3. Getting good enough to solo?
Practice over a rythmn track of any choice.
This is how you learn to solo and get good at it, just jam over a rhythmn track. This is good schooling. No rocket science to it or over night special endowment. Practice it and the more you practice the better you will get at it. In time, soloing will be a like a second skin to you.
Soloing is a journey in itself.

[Fragle]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

i usually don't learn any solo note for note...i'll just get the main melody's down 1:1, and for the fast licks i'll change up a note here and there...keeping the general speed/pitch etc but in between those limits i'll do my own thing.
having that said, it usually takes me 2 days max to get comfortable with it, except for the really wicked stuff. if you have some trademark licks and the necessary speed under your belt, it's a cakewalk...

[Crusher]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

Thanks guys! Yes, it is heavy metal solo's I'm trying to learn. I'm having a problem getting a particular piece up to speed, hopefull this looks right.....

E -----7--10-7---------
B -------------9b-------

The 10-7 on the high E is a pull off. The 9b on the B string is a full step bend. That pattern repeats 8 times. I can't even get it remotely close to the actual speed

[kmanick]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

I agree with these guys, get some good backing tracks that are just 1,2 or 3 chard changes and practice jamming over
them. Play over rhythms and try to fit in different note
cominations. 3's, 4's, 5's etc.
As far as learning others peoples stuff.
sometimes I can learn a solo in half an hour.
I've been working on the solo in Satch's"Crushing Day"
for about 2 weeks. I can play it note for note .........by myself [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
when I try to play it up to speed with the song , I always F* up one or 2 places.
Some of Greg Howes solos took me a lot longer than that to learn and I still hack them up [img]/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

As long as I can hum a solo note for note or hear it in my head I can play it. The best solo practicing for me is listening to the song over and over again. Once I have it down in my head I am good to go.

If you are talking about solo's that you composed yourself.. just go for it and play what comes naturally.

[RR05xx]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

Takes me a week easy (or longer) to learn someone else's stuff. I am slow and only have so much time to invest. It is true that some stuff will come faster than others once you start to get a feel for what people are doing. Also, some players are just easier to copy than others. Like Hammet, I can learn his stuff in a day. Friedman, that takes me a hell of a lot longer.

The pattern you are messsing with is nothing special (as I am sure that you know). Just a standard blues lick. No tricks there in terms of picking or fingering. Just practice.

[GodWentPUNK]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

It takes me a week just to tab it out [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

joe....

[RR0849]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

[ QUOTE ]
As long as I can hum a solo note for note or hear it in my head I can play it. The best solo practicing for me is listening to the song over and over again. Once I have it down in my head I am good to go.

[/ QUOTE ]
Great advice! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]
Marty Friedman once said if you can't hum it you can't really play it or something like that. We should be trying to play music instead of just reaching the notes on the tab and memorizing their positions mechanically. So You really need to hear the solo in your head and know what you are going for.
I remember in the past it took a long time for me to learn solos note for note because I was just looking at the tab. Now I concentrate more on listening to them and then when I pick up the guitar it comes out more naturally and I can record the solo the same day I started to learn it. I recently learned and recorded all my favorite solos and I was suprised how easy it was cause I had listened to them so many times in the past. I'm not trying to say my versions were good though. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

Once you get to the point where you can "see" what someone's playing just by hearing it (fretboard position, scale, etc etc) then it's easy.
Still takes a week, though [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Seriously, once I learned to play Pentatonics, I could identify them in songs, and it made learning the solos a lot easier, because knowing the scale gives you a clearer view of how notes are positioned around each other.

As for that particular phrase you've posted, sounds like a typical Pentatonic run.
Try it on the 2nd and 3rd strings further up the neck instead, because that's a bit of a stretch IMO. That type of lick requires a quick bend of the "9" and then rolling the pick right back onto the 7 - classic Freebird or Stairway solo riff.

But I'd definitely rework it to the 2nd and 3rd strings like this:

E|-------------------------------
B|------12-15-12-----------------
G|--------------14b--------------

and do the bend with your middle finger, even if you're using your pinky for the 15th. You might even be able to use both your ring and middle for the bend just to get a better grip on it, but it may or may not slow you down.

What song is it?

[Crusher]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

Thanks again guys! Still working on playing it cleanly and slowly, one of the main problems I'm having is my finger is catching another string during the bend so it's making other noise. Also sometimes on the pulloff I'll hit another string too, so it gets frustrating.

That particular piece I tabbed above is near the end of the ending solo of Fade to Black, right before the very fast part. I tabbed it wrong, it's actually.....

E --------7--------------------------
B-----------10-7---------------------
G ---------------9b------------------

So you can see why I'm hitting other strings all over the place.

[Brick]

Re: Learning Solo\'s

i resently started learning somes solos. like i learned the crazy train solo and it took me a while to get but i think it took me a while because i didn't know what scale it was from. But if u realize what scale its from its alot easier.