Less is More

So many players want to learn a million scales and fly up and down the neck every time given a chance. Every time they are given for a solo.... typically 8-16 bars they have to fill it up with 250,000 notes as if their hands are on speed. Hey that's cool, and sometimes it fits, but remember the old saying "less is more"

Sometimes not saying something is just as important as saying a mouthful. This is something some players don't, and will never understand. For those of you who aspire to be great lead players, but maybe you don't have an arsenal of weapons to unload yet, take this lesson as advice. You can always express yourself with the things you already know if you don't limit yourself by getting into the mindset that you don't know enough yet to do so. Take what you know and run with it. A solo with a few notes full of feeling and passion can sound much better than someone ripping up your speakers if done right.

Just keep adding to your arsenal until you have all the tools you feel you need. Remember, theory is a great thing, its the tools we use to better self express ourselves through our playing and music.

I know up until now these lessons have been mostly conceptual, but I will have tabs and other things very soon to better accomidate those of you who regulate this site. Keep Rockin

Grabbing the Audiences Attention

There is much more to soloing than just playing something that "fits" or "works" over the underlying chord changes. A guitar solo should stand out melodically and make a strong musical statement, something people will remember. Certain types of licks have a way of seizing people's attention. I'd like to share a few ideas that you can apply to your own solos to help make them more dramatic and memorable.

One way to turn heads is to just bend a high note and shake the hell out of it, look at Zakk Wylde for example, or Dimebag. You can use this just about anywhere and its great for building tension and cutting through the roar of the rhythm section. While this type of vibrato is most easily performed on the B string near the 12th fret, it is most effective when used with a high note on the E string. Use atleast 3 fingers to push and release the string, and dont be shy to go crazy with it. Make the vibrato wide and even and put alot of attitude into it. When executed well, this type of lick will create the impression that you're about to explode.

Repetition is another great attention getter, look at the solo in Freebird. Repeating a short lick over and over creates a real sense of drama, especially if its repeated over moving chord changes. These are just a couple of ways of grabbing your audiences attention. Experiment a bit, then see if you can come up with other ways to blow people away. the next time you perform in a crowded, noisy club, try using one of these techniques in one of your solos and study peoples reactions. Do whatever you have to do to make sure to get those people standing at the bar to turn around and check out your band.

That concludes this lesson, but I will be back with more on how to fill your trick bag full of licks, and make a personal identity for yourself as a player. Keep Rockin!!!!