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→Improv vs. Writing
Solos can be written ahead of time or improvised on the spot. Neither approach is right or wrong.
Writing obviously removes frees your creative thought-process from the constraints of real-time. It also allows you to practice the solo in advance, perfecting tricky phrases or techniques. It allows careful analysis of the rhythm harmony and arrangement, allowing phrases to be written that take advantage of accidentals or other non-obvious notes that only work well for brief time windows. The downside is that it can be overly meticulous or focus on ideas that look interesting on paper but don't really sound that good. Also, you may be unable to adapt if for instance you miss a beat or your bandmates or producer asks you to make a variation or the solo length is extended on-the-fly.
Improvisation can be much more difficult for a novice player; however, it has its own set of benefits. It allows the player to adapt, adding or extending phrases for instance when the band's energy seems higher than usual. It can also be considered more reflective of the current emotional state of the performer. And it guarantees each performance is unique, adding novelty value to each performance. Improvising regularly helps builds one's understanding of the instrument and music in general.
Often, the writing process takes advantage of improv, by trying a few improv runs to harvest ideas, which can then be refined and written down. Likewise, writing things down can give a better picture of how you can work around the fretboard and fuel ideas to try when improvising. Rather than trying to take pride in one method over the other, the master musician recognizes the value in each method and integrates them into his craft, being able to write intricate solos as well as improvising innovative and interesting ones at a moment's notice. {{top}}
== Phrasing ==