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Progression I vi IV V7 I
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A '''solo''' is a section of a song that focuses on a single instrument. It is the '''lead''' instrument in the arrangement; hence solo'ing soloing is often called playing ''lead'' (as opposed to ''rhythm''). An instrument may "solo" over other parts of the song, such as the chorus; or multiple instruments can "solo" at the same time - "solo'ingsoloing" is more about a style of play that is emphasized during solo sections. For guitar, this is usually playing single note melodies, scale iterations, or arpeggios, in higher registers than commonly found in rhythm playing. While rhythm-playing is more associated with repetitive riffs or chord progressions, solo'ing soloing usually features non-repeating phrases.
A solo section is often designed to showcase the performer's ability and personal style. It often features distinctive speed, techniques, phrasing, accents, and tone that differentiate it from the rest of the song.
== Goals ==
Your main goal in solo'ing soloing should always be to enhance the song. Within those bounds, you can do anything you want; however, you have to be aware of the solo's ''context'' within the song to understand what is appropriate. For instance, if you are solo'ing soloing on a slow, soft ballad, it's not appropriate to come in guns blazing shredding at warp speed. Similarly, if the song has a sad tone, it's inappropriate to make your solo sound festive or goofy.
Things to be aware of:
A B C
--2--4--5----------5--4--7-------7-7-75-(x)-0-----
Phrases A, B, and C are clearly distinguishable by their rhythms - they all consist of several short notes and one longer, sustained note. This is a classic way to develop identifiable phrasing.
A B C
--t12p4-h7-t12p4-h7-t12p4-h7-t12p5-h9-p5\4h5h7p5p4h5--
Here, phrases A, B, and C are more ambiguous, flowing directly into each other without strong rhythm changes. Phrases A and B can be considered distinguishable because they are tapping different arpeggios. Phrase C is distinguishable because it is not an arpeggio. This is not an exact science, and it's not necessary to analyze all playing as distinct phrases. We might consider the above example to be a single phrase. Phrases could also be distinguished by modulating keys, alternating techniques (legato vs. staccato, distinct notes vs. bends/whammy/slide), changing guitar tone, playing faster or slower, changing volume...really anything that can be used to noticeably create contrast between different groups of notes. This is not an exact science, and it's not necessary to analyze all playing as distinct phrases. We might consider the above example to be a single phrase.
So what is "good" phrasing? Think of it the same way as writing or poetry. It should feel like each phrase is saying something, not spouting random words or rambling on and on. Each phrase from one to the next should feel connected, even though different and distinct. The listener should be able to appreciate what you are trying to express through your playing - phrasing is the best method to do so. It breaks a solo down into blocks that can be individually consumed and understood, with each block building into something greater than they could achieve independently. The same way verse, pre-chorus, and chorus melodies all fit together to make a great song, phrases should fit together to make a great solo.
In the example below, we can see that all of the notes from the chords belong to C Major. However, rather than playing all of the notes from C Major over each chord, we can limit ourselves to or emphasize those that belong to the current chord.
{||colspan="8"| Progression - I C Major scale vi IV V7 I|-||-| Chord # || Chord || C || D || E || F || G || A || B || C |- | I || C major chord || C || || E || || G || || || C |-| vi || A minor chord || C || || E || || || A || || C |-| IV || F major chord || C || || || F || || A || || C |-| V7 || G dominant 7th || || D || || F || G || || B|| |- | I || C major chord || C || || E || || G || || || C|}
In particular, we want our tension and release to align with the harmony. A phrase that ends on the tonic note will be less effective over the vi and IV chords than the I. It will be confusing and conflicting to play that phrase over the V{{7}}. We can also emphasize the harmonic movement by moving from mutually exclusive notes between adjacent chords. For example, playing G on the last beat of the C major chord, then playing A on the downbeat of the A minor chord. Then E -> F for A minor -> F major, A -> B for F major -> G major 7, and B -> C for G major 7 -> C major.
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== Chord Solo'ing soloing ==A popular solo'ing soloing method in jazz is a '''chord solo'''. It is particularly effective when there is no rhythm guitar or piano to fill in the harmony, particularly extended "jazz" chords. It uses a combination of melody lines and chords to create the solo. Some notes of the chord may be sustained while others are moved as a melody. Alternate voicings of the chord may be used to follow the energy of the solo or allow easier manipulation of melody lines. Not all chords may be played - sometimes the melody may simply accent the chord's root or an important voice of the chord not being played by another instrument.
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[[Category: Lessons]]
[[Category: Advanced Lessons]]
[[Category: Solo'ingsoloing]]
[[Category: Shred]]
[[Category: Arpeggios]]
[[Category: Scales]]