Soloing

Goals

Your main goal in solo'ing 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 on a 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:

• The overall mood of the song
• The solo's context inside the song (during a soft part, or the climax)
• The mood of the song as it enters and exits the solo (should the solo build or reduce energy?)

Energy is correlated to speed and pitch - faster and higher are generally considered to add energy.