Quick Answer
Learning to solo on the guitar can be an incredibly rewarding experience for any guitarist. It allows you to express yourself creatively and gives you the opportunity to showcase your individual style and technique.
However, learning how to solo on guitar soloing can be daunting for beginners who are unsure where to start. Here are a few tips to get you started on your soloing journey:
- Learn your scales: Soloing is essentially the art of playing melodies using various scales. Start by learning the major and minor scales and their modes, and practice playing them up and down the neck of the guitar.
- Listen to other guitarists: Listening to other guitarists solo can give you inspiration and help you develop your own style. Pay attention to how they use scales, phrasing, and dynamics to create interesting and compelling solos.
- Practice with backing tracks: Playing along with a backing track can help you get a feel for how your solo fits within a musical context. Start with simple progressions and work your way up to more complex chord changes.
- Experiment with techniques: There are many different techniques you can use to add variety and interest to your solos. Try experimenting with vibrato, bends, slides, and hammer-ons/pull-offs to create different textures and moods.
Let’s get into it!
How to solo on guitar
Guitar solos are some of the most fun and expressive things that can be done on guitar! A great solo is likely the reason that many of us first started playing guitar.
They’re fun to listen to, and fun to play, and they’re one of the most individual forms of expression that can be done on the instrument. A great solo elevates a song – but where to start?
Learning to solo is a challenge – but one that’s fully worth taking. It’s not as hard to get started as you might think either – but you’ll likely do well to have some tips under your belt to get started with.
These aren’t shortcuts – they don’t exist – but tools that will help you get to where you want to be!
Basic Theory
It is of course possible to solo without any knowledge of theory. After all, all you have to do is play the right notes, and not the wrong ones – right? Well, how do you know which notes are right and which aren’t?
Of course, there’s the (completely fair) argument that, when it comes to self-expression, there’s no true sense of “right” or “wrong” – but at the same time, if you’re starting out and have nothing to guide you to the sound you like, then here are some ideas for you!
You’re going to want to learn some very basic theory, at the very least. The next few sections will help steer you in the direction of the “right” notes – once you’ve learned the basics, it’s a lot easier to step outside the box. After all, how can you break rules if you don’t even know what the rules are?
Scales
What is a scale? Simply put, it’s a series of musical notes, from lowest to highest! The scale that everybody should learn first is the major scale.
Just like any other scale, the major scale can start on any letter name. For ease of playing, we’re going to start on the low E string.
Play these frets in order – 0, then 2, then 4. Repeat this pattern on the A string – 0, then 2, then 4. Finally, on the D string, play 1, then 2. Now go back down these notes in reverse order, starting from the D string and ending on the low E.
This is the E major scale. It’s probably a very familiar sound to you! You can play this scale anywhere on the fretboard where you can find an E note – there are a few of them, so this is a great excuse to start learning the notes on the fretboard!
And you can play the same pattern of notes starting from any note. For instance, starting this pattern on a G note will give you the G major scale!
You can think of this scale as a set of numbers – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Every other scale can be thought of as a modification of this scale. For example, the harmonic minor scale has the pattern 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7.
This simply means that the 3rd and 6th notes are flattened – that is, the flattened notes are one fret lower!
So for example, the first 3 notes of E harmonic minor starting on the low E string would be played 0, then 2nd fret, then 3rd – just a small change from the major scale, but a whole different sound!
Chords
What is a chord, then? Well, basic chords are made from stacking thirds. We play the first note of the scale, the third note, and the fifth! The third is the strongest note here, as it’s the one that really gives the chord its character.
What’s the relevance? Well, knowing that you’re playing over something written in E major gives you a great starting point – you know for a fact that the E major scale is going to work!
Furthermore, you know that the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale will very likely be in the music – and therefore, you’ll be on the safe ground hitting any of those notes!
Arpeggios
Arpeggios are like chords – we take a small number of notes from a scale to make an arpeggio. In fact, we take the exact same notes as when we make a chord – the only difference being that we don’t play them all at once, but rather in sequence, one after the other.
So, for example, an E major arpeggio takes the first, third, and fifth notes of the E major scale. After you’ve played the fifth – go up an octave and do it again! Arpeggios can keep going up – or down – forever like this, in a predictable yet pleasant series of sounds.
This is one of the basics of more expressive soloing than merely playing all the notes in a scale – because just as important as the notes you do play, is the notes you don’t play!
Soloing Over Music
Now that we have a basic starting point, where to go from here? Well, let’s assume that the piece of music we want to solo over is in E major, to keep things simple.
We know for a fact that the notes in the E major scale will sound “right” over E major, so we’re on safe ground there. And we also know that we can play an E major chord over it – but even better for a guitar solo would be using those so-called “chord tones”, and playing them individually – an arpeggio.
Now, this doesn’t get us to a solo – but it gives us the basic building blocks that can help us learn how to make one!
Related Article: 12 Of The Best Tips On How To Memorize A Song (2023)
Conclusion
These aren’t shortcuts or licks you can memorize – but they are stepping stones to get you to learn how to express yourself. The most important thing is to experiment with these starting tools – and do it often!
You’ll make mistakes and bad sounds – but that’s exactly how every player who wanted to learn how to solo did it! Don’t be afraid -learn and use these tools, and you’ll have made a great start in learning how to make your own solos!
FAQs
Do I need to know how to read sheet music to solo on guitar?
While knowing how to read sheet music can be helpful, it’s not necessary for soloing on the guitar. It’s more important to have a good understanding of scales and chords and the ability to play by ear.
How long does it take to become proficient at soloing on guitar?
Becoming proficient at soloing on guitar can take time and practice. It’s important to be patient with yourself and not expect immediate results. With consistent practice, you can expect to see improvement over a period of weeks and months.
Can I solo on any type of guitar?
Yes, you can solo on any type of guitar, whether it’s acoustic or electric. However, certain guitar models may be better suited for certain genres of music, so it’s important to choose the right guitar for the style of music you want to play.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when soloing on guitar?
One common mistake to avoid is overplaying – trying to fit too many notes into a solo can make it sound cluttered and detract from the overall musicality. It’s also important to pay attention to your timing and phrasing and to make sure your solo fits within the overall context of the song.
Finally, don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things – sometimes the most interesting solos come from experimenting and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
How do I know which scales to use when soloing on guitar?
The choice of scales will depend on the key of the song and the chords being used. A good starting point is to learn the major and minor scales and their modes, as these are commonly used in a wide variety of musical genres.
As you become more familiar with these scales, you can experiment with other scales and modes to add variety and interest to your solos. It’s also a good idea to listen to other guitarists and pay attention to the scales and modes they use in their solos.
Another great YouTube tutorial worth a look
Happy Playing!
