Composing Solos

Okay people, it's great to practise scales and patterns and know all the theory in the world, but you have to be able to put it to practical use. So here, I've composed some short leads to show you a few different ways of writing leads. This one is played over a moderate rock groove.

This first one is in A pentatonic minor. You can hear it with the rhythm accompaniment in the midi. It's played at 155 bpm. The chords played by the rhythm guitar are in brackets above the TAB. PH = Pinch Harmonic

Fig1:
(A5)                        (E5)                                  (C5)
-------------------------------|-------------------10\8---------------
--------13--12--10------12--10-|--------------------------------------
12-h14-------------12----------|-12--14-12-0-12-14------12-10-9-------
-------------------------------|--------------------------------12--10
-------------------------------|--------------------------------------
-------------------------------|--------------------------------------

                          (E5)                                   (A5)
-PH------15----------13---------|-12--------------------------------12
-13--13------13--13------13-b15-|--------------------------------13---
--------------------------------|-----------------------------12------
--------------------------------|--------------------------14---------
--------------------------------|-------------------------------------
--------------------------------|-------------------------------------

                                           (E5)
-12-------------------12-17-12----------12-17-12-|
----13-------------13----------13----13----------|
-------12-------12----------------14-------------|
----------14-14----------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------------|

                                         (C5)
-tr(t19p13)-tr(t17p12)p0-12--------------{---3--}-|
----------------------------12--{---3--}-12h13h15-|
--------------------------------12h14h16----------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|

                             (E5)
---------------------------------|------------------------|
-13--12--13------13------13------|------------------------|
-------------12------10----------|------------------------|
-----------------------------12--|-14---------------------|
---------------------------------|------------------------|
---------------------------------|------------------------|

Bar 1: This bar is a very straightforward melody in A melodic minor which allows the 'groove' to start implanting itself in the listener's mind as there's not much going on lead-wise. You generally shouldn't "go off" with a lead until the groove has had enough time to fix itself in the listener's mind; this time will be longer for grooves that are longer and more complex.

Bar 2: This bar, to an extent, contradicts what I just said, as it is probably the trickiest and most complex lick in the whole lead! But, it does still work as I haven't gone outside the scale, and the speed is not sustained over a long period. It's a short, sharp, lick to grab the listener's attention momentarily and reassure them that I haven't fallen asleep. The reason it sounds complex is the wide interval leaps, with the use of the string skip and the open G string in a lick reasonably high on the neck.

Bar 3: After Bar 2, I really needed to bring it back down a notch with another simple melody, finishing on the E in the next bar.

Bar 4: This is just the sustained E note. The bar does include the beginning of the next phrase but as it really belongs as a lead-in to
the next bar, I'll analyse it in the next bar.

Bar 5: Now, it's just about time I jacked up the intensity properly, since the groove should be established in the listener's head by now. This lick is something like what an Yngwie Malmsteen or a Michael Angelo would play (although they'd play it faster; I didn't want to make this too tricky), its a Am7 arpeggio which I personally would play with sweep picking. It's all 16th notes; keep them even.

Bar 6: This tapped trill is a classic 80's move which sounds kind of cool here. It's technincally 32nd notes, but don't worry about rhythm too much, just trill as fast as you can. The last 6 notes are another remnant from the 80's, legato speed triplets. It's a real Nuno Bettencourt/Joe Satriani type lick which comes in handy a lot; everyone should master their speed triplets, picked and hammered/pulled, they're useful and not tough.

Bar 7: This is a simple pedal point lick to drop back the intensity again after the last two bars. Again, this is a Malmsteen type idea, but I slowed it down considerably from what he would play. But the slow speed sounds effective here, and it leads into the last bar well.

Bar 8: The end. In a longer solo, say 12, 16, 24 bars, I'd pick up the intensity again after this bar, but this little fragment does the job of demonstrating the importance of contrasting intensities in a guitar solo, so I didn't think I needed to take it further.

Comments

[enadisthedog]

meh

[Doon]

Fuck you have way to much ***ing time on your hands UGStranger. 20 posts in a row with no response should tell you something. Im sorry cuz i probly sound like a dick but find some time to play or something rather than sit on your computer and post and post and post until your fingers fall off.

[Darkpsyde213]

UG Stranger's posts seem to have no purpose other than a few weak attempts at ridicule. This is a good article. I've only been playing about 11 mos. so I don't know the difficulty level of the tab, but it looks and sounds like a good place for a beginner or intermediate player to start.

[Drifting__Bluez]

i wanna know how to composed solos with the scales ive already learnt.... rather then learn your readymade solo........

[NiRvanAcobain]

Hes just a moron wow i really wanna punch him in the face, he thinks he is soo cool by acting sarcastic. He can't even play he thinks everyone sucks at guitar except for him and maybe some of his friends or bands, He is just really gay.

[gutiariscool]

yep i agree with doon there that must be alot of time ug starnger has got wat a loser and i no i spelt my name wrong ill get over it

[gutiariscool]

yea wat the *** is a pinch harmonic?

[awkggrocker]

dude start slow what the fork r u talking about, not everyone can rip like ***ing jimmy page

[cffrmw]

if its too much for you to understand to bitch about it, go practice, do other lessons, and come back when you're ready to work and learn

[stunt]

Pinch Harmonic= when u hit the string(usually high e or b but u can do it on all strings) with the pick and hold your thumb out directly behind it and hit it again but all on the same pick. So basically hit your string with the pick and the tip of your thumb. Its very hard to explain in words. It makes the guitar scream in other words, thats if u do it right. Pinch harmonic by the bridge pickup because it picks it up much better and gives a harsher sound. But every guitar is different. just find your sweet spot

[kirei-ryuu]

Hmmm yea i got kind of lost. It dosent actually tell us lot how you made the solo. You jsut say its in a certain scale and thats it. Maybe right more about making our own rather than playing yours.

[strigoi_vii]

cookie_master there are alot of ug strangers . only the nazi needs to die. good solo by the way. maybe u can guide us in making one instead of putting your own

[Remebol]

aggreed

[tinaderm]

where is the midi file?

[skwerl066]

hmmmmmmm...i wonder why oswald is banned......

[hethamulburton]

yea it was a great tutorial and it helped me to get started working on like pre- solo licks and stuff
thanks

[fatbassist]

UG stranger...why dont you go lick your spunk off those sticky porno mags u got? seems like ya have nowt better to do with your time...

[pyro_the_bear]

i wrote a bass solo in the mixodalicin mode it's pretty cool

[shizaman]

why these posts all have somethin on sum1 in it?

[GuitaristSimon]

I liked the tutorial it teaches you but you could explain things a bit better and also help us make our own rather than giving and example like most of the other people have said good work!

And UG Stranger maby if you stoped posting ridiculas messages that no body has replied to and pick up your guitar and start playign you could stop making stupid posts. Good Job to the perosn that created this example and ROCK ON

[ramstormrage]

we want solos, we want solos!!

teach me master grasshopper the ways to solo!

more solos, more solos!!

[TrappedUnderIce]

Enough bitching about UG Stranger. Good Example, but once again I would like to see how to make my own. Hence the title.

[RoGuitar]

hey...I see all this comments in all tutorials about midi files and exercise file and shit....where the heck are they? I can`t find them anywherE? WHERE`s that damn MIDI?

[Not bad]

why arent the posted looked at by ug then removed if they are like ugstrangers? it makes your site look awful

[zaccy]

yeah i agree. i was going to post a lesson but all of the comments you get. cmon man people are only trying to help.

[MetallicaTony]

evry1 doggs evry1 about the lessons..well i dont see u makin ne

[MetallicaTony]

heh..just tlkin shit..but im a newbie to this site but not to guitar.. rock on evry1!

[laurent]

cool goo

[Hong Siah]

heyhey...ppl plz teach me abt pinch harmonics...except ug stranger...

[J.J. Marconi]

You are right. I don't under stand whay people keep dissing you for this. Keep up the good work!

[fox69]

wow this was pretty good but dam that ug stranger deffinetly has 2 get a chick er sumthin

[ramones417]

dude that didnt teach me shit about soloing or how to solo ive been playin guitar for 6 months ive thought my self everything includign soloing and shredding and i coudl also sit down and make a tab of ntoes in a pattern that was just the worst lesson ever

[thesmartguy50]

the point here was NOT, i think to teach you HOW to do solos, completely from scratch; but instead was supposed to teach you a few riffs to include in your solos. Now, think about it like that, and go and play the tabs again.

[Floyd93]

Why are you guys still whining about UG Stranger? He posted all that gay crap like two years ago. LET IT GO.

[IndicaSativa]

I have always done PH's at the neck pickup.. I was told it's best from the bridge pickup but it never seems to work. I thought the person who told me was just confused.. I'll start trying it again, maybe I will get the squeal I am looking for!

[pink_guitarist]

i think its a good lesson, and ur bitching is really stupid... if u want pinch harmonics listen ta a zakk wylde record(BLS and some late ozzy) yull be served

[gtr_prsn_89]

ye man zakk sure knows how to do those harmonics =)

[liam177lewis]

cool lesson

[jonrak]

i wish yngwie malmsteen would post tutorials here , or maybe adrian smith or rhandy roads or satriani or vai or petrucci or alexi laiho or kerry king or hanneman. nice lesson james

[jonrak]

zack wlylde is good but he only knows how to play scales but he doesnt know how to create his own.....lol

[lookie here]

all I see is /lessons/soloing/composing_solos.txt

[angusrox]

jonrak:
i wish yngwie malmsteen would post tutorials here , or maybe adrian smith or rhandy roads or satriani or vai or petrucci or alexi laiho or kerry king or hanneman. nice lesson james

it might be hard for rhoads to post seeing ashe's dead n' all

[cableguy_695]

play from the heart theory is over rated

[Gabuydachk]

good article

[Stephen00000]

Great entertainment reading all these replies. this UG STragnger guy sounds a right dick.

Anyway who cares about modes and shit - RRRRROCK!

[ThePartyBoy]

To make your own... There's no real way of telling someone how to. It's like telling someone how to make a painting up to the par of the Mona Lisa. You gotta make it your own.

[z4twenny]

i'd post a lesson on solo composition but i might just get hella criticism for it..... hell i might just do it FOR the criticism....

[z4twenny]

and as fer ThePartyBoy, "theres is no real way of telling someone how to write a solo"is only somewhat true, but there are quite a few "starter" guidlines that know and help to translate what you hear in yer head to what gets played on yer instrument

[spitfire7390]

another girl another planet... the only ones

[ChildOfBodom666]

thesmartguy50:
th
e point here was NOT, i think to teach you HOW to do solos, completely from scratch; but instead was supposed to teach you a few riffs to include in your solos. Now, think about it like that, and go and play the tabs again.

This lesson is called "Composing Solos"... I was thinking maybe it WAS to help you make your own? Maybe I'm mistakin, maybe I'm a fool...

[Charvy]

Composing solos is just being very creative with patterns, scales, modes and technique. I've tried to tell a few things about this topic on "Soloing in Rock" at http://www.jackwinder.nl
But this is a fine lesson to help with composing too.

[LarsHamfield]

This lesson is called "Composing Solos"... I was thinking maybe it WAS to help you make your own? Maybe I'm mistakin, maybe I'm a fool...

Wat Are You Talking About It Tells You Wat Pattaerns To Follow And How To Keep It Solid
Like A REAL SOLO Mister 666(Very Original)

[sbalzac]

nice helped out a bit

[breakdance39]

if you wanna hear real pinch harmonics listen to real guitarists like joe satriani, steve vai, and yngwie malmsteen, then you'll hear what soloing is all about

[PunkMetalFreak]

jonrak wrote:

i wish yngwie malmsteen would post tutorials here , or maybe adrian smith or rhandy roads or satriani or vai or petrucci or alexi laiho or kerry king or hanneman. nice lesson james

dude... hate to tell you man but randy rhoads died in an effing car crash like 18 years ago lol

[herschel]

look yeh this guyz is tryin 2 teach u sumfin and u guyz juss keep complainin man. Chill, if u think its crap then do 1 urself. Thanks...SAFE...ROCK ON

[dyingrevivalx06]

haha randy rhoads put columns i f**ing wish RIP Randy u rock

[esskater]

thanks mate thats proper cool

[14GreenDay]

PunkMetalFreak wrote:

jonrak wrote:

i wish yngwie malmsteen would post tutorials here , or maybe adrian smith or rhandy roads or satriani or vai or petrucci or alexi laiho or kerry king or hanneman. nice lesson james

dude... hate to tell you man but randy rhoads died in an effing car crash like 18 years ago lol

yea man, randy died, and anyways, malmsteen has an article in a magazine, ultimate guitar, that gives tips

[Reggy]

...someone...elses...work... *dies*

[kennyrocks]

hey man, lol its like a classroom in here, im staying out of this one haha, i will say though ,,,foooood fight..... ahhh it dont work aswell online although now i have to clean the food from my monitor because somehow i think it was just me who heard me shoult it.

lol keep rocking, you all rock!!

[kennyrocks]

woops sorry about my bad spelling just then, lol lol maybe i should go back to school keep rockin

[dobby240]

DOON the goon

[keith Poulos]

wow, ive never posted before, so to start off my first one, ill just call everyone on this page an *******. dont ask.

[Fender18guitar]

uhm i've been playing guitar for a year now im getting ready for solos but none of u guys can explain what u are talking about im getting quite pissed i reall wanna solo for my band its really lame seriously UG can u please put a page of explaination of what u guys are talking about i donno know position, patters and what are scales ur not only doing it for me ur doing it for other ppl that dont understand=)

[Anderson4292]

Doon wrote:

Fuck you have way to much ***ing time on your hands UGStranger. 20 posts in a row with no response should tell you something. Im sorry cuz i probly sound like a dick but find some time to play or something rather than sit on your computer and post and post and post until your fingers fall off.

i totally agree wiv u Doon - u shud play more than post. Ive only posted 1 TAB, and thats cos im 2 busy trying to learn more. Instead of trying to help every1 else, try to help urself UG Team.

See y'all later guys.

Oh and by the way - this lesson didnt help at all

[boon171]

thanks man helped me out alot!! , but what is a pinch harmonic?

[JCMguitar88]

wut the **** is this shit, "composing solos" its all in the feel for it, u pretty much gotta have sex with it like u would ur girl (in UGstrangers case his daddy) to write kick ass solos u cant tell some one how to write shit it happens on there own so FUCK YOU!!! UG team u dont know shit.....this didnt even help at all

[Satch_Boogie]

How exactly is this a LESSON on composing solos?

[guitar r0ck3r]

gayyyyy
i dont freackin want to know your solo

[dryh2o_podz11]

fuking shit... composing solos? wer is it you moron!!!!! dis dose not help at all.....

[dryh2o_podz11]

iknow pinch harmonic my friend show's it to me
i've been practicing it for a week but my nose are starting to bleed

[dryh2o_podz11]

[e-mail] u can add me 2 your friendster!!!!

[metallicamatty]

guitariscool, how do you not know how to do pinch harmonics, their easy as f***

[Pich Money]

The lesson is nice but without the midi playback, can't really tell how to use these simple patterns without the music in the back but very easy to pick up.

[Zainin]

14GreenDay wrote:

PunkMetalFreak wrote:

jonrak wrote:

i wish yngwie malmsteen would post tutorials here , or maybe adrian smith or rhandy roads or satriani or vai or petrucci or alexi laiho or kerry king or hanneman. nice lesson james

dude... hate to tell you man but randy rhoads died in an effing car crash like 18 years ago lol

yea man, randy died, and anyways, malmsteen has an article in a magazine, ultimate guitar, that gives tips

Randy died in a plane crash.

[Guitarness12345]

BUT HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR OWNSOLOS!!!?????

[janc]

Doon wrote:

Fuck you have way to much ***ing time on your hands UGStranger. 20 posts in a row with no response should tell you something. Im sorry cuz i probly sound like a dick but find some time to play or something rather than sit on your computer and post and post and post until your fingers fall off.

i agree wit u. i play guitar till my fingers fall off,not freakin computer keyboards u gekkass bastard

[punk Rocker 32]

um this lesson sucks,Randy died in a plane crash,and guitarness12345 i was wondering the same