HOW TO PLAY A GREAT SOLO The tips and tricks you need
Join John Wheatcroft as he looks at ten simple but hugely effective steps you can take to make your solos stand out from the crowd.
It takes more than talent to play a great solo. Our essential tips and tricks will ensure your solos are brimming with style and musicality.
Communicating with others, whether writing, making a presentation at work or even having a good conversation with a mate, is all about getting across what you want to say.When playing solos there are many parallels with the way that we communicate using language. We start with words (notes), bunch them together to make sentences or paragraphs (licks, phrases or whole verses), and this hopefully points towards a wider overall meaning and a point (or solo) well made.
In trying to make any kind of point - be it conversational or musical - we usually like to see a strong beginning, the introduction of themes and elements that develop our point. Ideally this all leads towards a satisfactory conclusion that wins the listener over.
Dynamics play a huge part too. ‘How’ we say something is often as important as ‘what’ we say, so something a little unexpected thrown in helps keep us on our toes (a joke or two to lighten up a presentation, or an unusual lick or technique in a solo).
Just as some people seem born with the ability to tell a joke, or can hold your interest when relating a story, some players have the knack of knowing what works when soloing. It’s not essential to consciously recognise the key factors when creating a good solo. You can learn a great deal by osmosis, by simply listening a lot to great music - and let’s not forget that elusive ingredient, talent.
While innate talent has obviously been the case for many great ‘natural’ musicians, it’s possible to give the process a jump-start by being aware of some of the most effective musical devices that you can employ when constructing a good solo. A huge number of incredibly talented musicians have adopted this route, or a combination of the two methods, by transcribing, imitating, experimenting, getting it wrong, seeing what works and a million other ways besides.
The beauty of having some form of cognitive appreciation or ‘road map’ is that you can open the door to an idiom or an
MOST GREAT PLAYERS DON’T THINK A GREAT DEAL WHEN THEY IMPROVISE, ESPECIALLY IN A STYLE THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH
approach. This allows you to expand your vocabulary in an efficient and progressive way. It can then give you a solid foundation to build upon, while the more intuitive parts of your style develop naturally over time.
Most great players don’t think a great deal when they improvise, especially in a style they are familiar with. Of course, at some subconscious level the brain plays a huge part in the editing, creation and delivery of what ends up looking like a completely spontaneous outpouring. When was the last time you considered the use of an adjective within a sentence while chatting with your friends? If you were learning a second language, however, you’d be thinking about this rather a lot, especially in the formative stages.
The purpose of this article is to give you some ammunition when constructing your own solos. All the ideas presented here, but not the specific vocabulary, have come directly from solos that I have transcribed over the years (and that’s a lot of solos!). They have all pointed towards certain universal musical trends which, once you’re aware of them, you’ll spot being employed time and time again - even in the solos of those we most admire.
There follows 10 examples, each offering conceptual insight into how great players create great solos (whether consciously or intuitively). Treat each of these as the starting point for your own studies. And while I’d encourage you to learn the examples as I’ve written them, in time don’t feel any obligation to memorise them by rote (or any other idea that you transcribe for that matter). Better to make certain you’re aware of any musical concepts employed and become fluent with these. And remember, you can use this same approach in either a composed or improvised situation.
Why not take any of the GT backing tracks and compose something of your own that re-interprets today’s ideas in your own way, or that even takes it a step further along. I’d love to know how you get on. Have fun!