There’s an undeniable thrill in witnessing a guitar virtuoso unleash a mind-blowing solo. The guitar, in the hands of a skilled musician, becomes an instrument of pure emotion. Icons like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Jimmy Page, Slash, Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and B.B. King are celebrated for their improvisational prowess. While each guitarist possesses a unique approach to crafting solos, improvisation remains a fundamental element in almost every instance.
Understanding Improvisation
But what does “improvising” truly mean? In musical terms, improvisation is the art of “making it up as you go along.” Whether your passion lies in jazz, blues, rock, country, pop, or any other genre, improvisation is a vital skill for unlocking your creative potential on the guitar fretboard. Learning to Solo On Guitar starts with understanding improvisation.
The Crucial Role of Your Ear
Before we dive into the core of this guitar lesson, it’s paramount to emphasize the significance of developing your ear. While the theoretical knowledge needed to improvise a guitar solo is relatively basic, a well-trained ear – the ability to listen attentively and absorb the musical context – is indispensable for fully grasping and effectively applying the techniques you’re about to learn. Your ear will guide you as you learn to solo on guitar.
Taking the First Steps to Guitar Soloing
So, what does it take to begin crafting guitar solos spontaneously? The beauty of improvisation is that it’s not an innate gift reserved for a select few. With a structured, step-by-step approach, anyone can learn to improvise compelling guitar solos. Let’s embark on this beginner-friendly lesson with guidance from Andrew Clarke.
A Beginner’s Lesson in Guitar Improvisation
In the following video lesson, Andrew Clarke presents a unique pathway to guitar improvisation, diverging from the conventional blues-centric approach often found in online tutorials. This method is grounded in contemporary pop and rock chord progressions. The beauty of this system is its versatility; you can seamlessly integrate these newly acquired skills into any musical genre and apply them immediately. In contrast, focusing solely on blues improvisation might limit you primarily to that specific genre. This broader approach is perfect for those wanting to solo on guitar in various styles.
It’s advisable to have a grasp of fundamental guitar playing basics before venturing into improvising guitar solos. If you require a starting point, we offer a valuable collection of free beginner guitar courses readily available: The Guitarist’s Toolbox.
This lesson utilizes John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room” as a practical framework for applying each step within a familiar musical context. This not only enhances the enjoyment of these exercises but also facilitates better retention of the concepts. This song provides an excellent backdrop to practice your solo on guitar skills.
The initial step in improvising guitar solos involves learning a scale shape. The mere mention of “scales” often sends novice guitarists running for cover. And considering the abundance of tedious scale exercises, this reaction is understandable. However, scales are the bedrock of all music, and when viewed through the correct perspective, they become considerably less daunting. Scales are your building blocks when you learn to solo on guitar.
The scale shape we will be utilizing is a straightforward 7-note major scale. This compact shape encompasses every individual note from the key of E major, which will be our tonal center throughout this lesson. (Click here for a helpful crash course on music theory and the keys of music)
An E Major scale shape diagram, showing finger positions and root notes for learning to solo on guitar.
In this diagram, the number on the far left indicates the fret at which the shape commences. The circled numbers specify the recommended finger to use for each note within the shape. The black circles denote the root notes of this scale. Given that we are in the key of E major, the black notes represent E notes.
Dedicate ten minutes (or a couple of days, if necessary) to internalizing this shape and getting it comfortable under your fingers. Committing a fundamental guitar scale like this to memory is an investment that will benefit every facet of your development as a beginner guitarist. Once you have it firmly memorized, you can progress to the subsequent step in learning to solo on guitar.
Important Note: You will need to be proficient in playing this scale shape both ascending and descending.
To accompany this lesson, you will utilize a jam track that adheres to the precise chord progression of John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room”. Before you commence playing, listen to the jam track a few times, paying close attention to the points at which the chords transition. This jam track is ideal for practicing how to solo on guitar.
Step 1: Applying The Scale to the Jam Track
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the track, you’ll be prepared to play the scale shape in synchronization with the song. Ascend and descend the scale slowly as the backing track plays. Repeat this exercise multiple times, and if feasible, attempt it with your eyes closed. This practice will aid in internalizing the musical occurrences and initiating the development of your ear. This is the first step in musically applying your scale to solo on guitar.
Step 2: Emphasizing Root Notes in Your Solo
Next, we will inject a touch more musicality by playing the root note of each chord as the changes occur. The chord progression of this jam track is C# minor, A major, and then E major. These chords are all harmonically within the key of E major, which is, as you know, the name of the scale you’ve been practicing. Root notes provide a strong foundation for a guitar solo.
Your task is to play the C# note (9th fret on the high E string) during the C# minor chord, the A note (10th fret on the B string) during the A major chord, and the E note (9th fret on the G string) during the E major chord. The chord changes are gradual, so this step should not present significant difficulty. Focusing on root notes is a fundamental technique for learning to solo on guitar.
Step 3: Crafting Your First Improvised Guitar Solo
Once you’ve dedicated some time to playing along with the jam track and hitting each root note accurately, it’s time to delve into more exciting territory. We will introduce a random note from the E major scale shape in between each root note. So, you will play the root note on the chord change and then insert one additional, randomly selected note from our E major scale during the space between chord changes. This is where the magic of solo on guitar begins to happen.
And just like that, you are improvising! While it may not initially sound particularly groundbreaking, what you have just accomplished is the foundational step toward unlocking your creative voice on the guitar. Congratulations, you’ve started to solo on guitar!
Step 4: Embracing Freedom and Musicality
For the final step of this introductory guitar lesson, you will liberate yourself from the root notes and simply play any of the notes within the E major scale in any sequence you desire. This is where the development of your ear becomes crucial – attentively listen to how each different note resonates over the individual chords in the jam track. Some notes will sound more consonant and pleasing than others, but all of them will technically “work” within the harmonic context. Experimentation is key when you solo on guitar.
You will notice that approximately halfway through the play-along track, there is a shift in the chord progression. The chords employed in this B section are B major, C# minor, and A major. Try revisiting Step 2 and playing the root notes from within the E major scale shape (the B note is located at the 12th fret of the B string) over this new section. Once you feel comfortable with that, proceed to apply Step 4 of this lesson to the new chord progression. Adapting to chord changes is crucial when you solo on guitar.
This is merely the inception of your journey into spontaneously creating your own guitar solos, but you have successfully taken the crucial first step and can now officially improvise! The possibilities are endless as you continue to learn to solo on guitar.
For a dose of inspiration, watch John Mayer’s live performance of “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room”. In this video, he improvises two distinct solos over the identical chord progression as the jam track you have been utilizing. You can even attempt to play along with the song yourself! Observing professionals solo on guitar can be highly educational.
Essential Beginner Guitar Solo Techniques
This insightful lead guitar lesson from Darrell Braun provides an excellent starting point for learning how to play guitar solos with a blues-oriented approach. Building upon the foundational knowledge from the first lesson, we will now concentrate on a specific segment of this video – from 3:36 until the conclusion – which delves into various guitar techniques you can employ to enrich your improvisations and enhance your solo on guitar skills.
Darrell utilizes an A Minor Pentatonic Scale in this lesson. While it differs from the E major scale we’ve been working with, its box-like shape makes it relatively straightforward to learn. The pentatonic scale is a cornerstone for many guitar solos.
Diagram of the A Minor Pentatonic Scale, a popular scale for blues and rock guitar solos.
Guitar Solo Technique #1: Note Repetition
If you find yourself in a creative impasse, initiating with a simple technique like repeating notes can effectively prevent you from merely running up and down the scale mindlessly. Try integrating note repetition with the concepts you’ve already learned in the previous improvisation lesson. Repetition can create catchy phrases in your solo on guitar.
Guitar Solo Technique #2: Varying Tempo and Rhythm
When you play notes is just as crucial as what notes you play. Tempo and rhythm are equally important as the notes themselves when performing a guitar solo. Experiment with altering the speed of your transitions between notes. Ensure that you maintain rhythmic integrity throughout. This involves transitioning between quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and other fundamental rhythmic subdivisions. Rhythm is the backbone of any compelling solo on guitar.
Guitar Solo Technique #3: Changing Direction
This principle underscores why it was emphasized in the initial lesson to be proficient in playing your scale shape both forwards and backward. Alternating directions as you navigate a scale will prevent your solos from sounding overly mechanical and predictable. Experiment with selecting different points within the scale to change direction, ensuring your solos don’t become too repetitive. Directional changes add interest to your solo on guitar.
Guitar Solo Technique #4: String Skipping
String skipping can present a slight dexterity challenge, so approach this technique gradually. Play a sequence of notes in close proximity, followed by another sequence of notes from a different area of the scale, skipping strings in between. It will require dedicated practice to make this technique sound musically coherent, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t sound polished immediately. String skipping adds a wider range to your solo on guitar.
Guitar Solo Technique #5: Articulation and Expression
This is where we venture into the more intermediate and advanced realms of playing guitar solos. Articulation encompasses a range of techniques, including slides, bends, double-stops, and vibrato. These techniques inject emotion into your solo on guitar.
If you feel you’ve mastered the initial improvisation lesson as well as the first few techniques from the second lesson, you can begin exploring these intermediate techniques. Start with slides, and if you’re ready for a more expressive technique, venture into bends. Bending notes is a hallmark of expressive guitar solos.
When you are prepared to elevate your lead guitar playing further, we offer an excellent lesson on vibrato by Ayla-Tesler Mabe. Vibrato is an intermediate technique that will significantly contribute to developing your own distinctive voice on the guitar. Vibrato adds sustain and emotion to your solo on guitar.
Harmonizing the Major Scale & The Minor Pentatonic
Now, prepare for a touch of musical synergy! One of the fascinating aspects of scales is that many of them seamlessly integrate with one another. In this instance, our compact 7-note major scale shape nests perfectly within our minor pentatonic shape. The sole adjustment required to achieve this is to transpose the shapes into the same key. Combining scales expands your soloing vocabulary.
Thus, if you position the minor pentatonic shape on the 9th fret instead of the 5th fret, you are instantly playing in the key of E major. Simply incorporate these newly “permitted” notes into your existing major scale repertoire, and voilà! You have unlocked a plethora of additional sonic avenues to explore while playing along with the jam track from the first lesson. This combined scale gives you more options when you solo on guitar.
The same principle applies in reverse. Shift that small major scale shape down to the 5th fret and align it with the A minor pentatonic scale. Now, you can apply all the same principles from the initial lessons in a new key, expanding your ability to solo on guitar in different musical contexts.
A combined E Major and Pentatonic scale shape, offering a wider palette for guitar solos.
Charting Your Next Steps in Guitar Soloing
As a budding improviser of guitar solos, you have an expansive realm of musical exploration awaiting you. So, what should you pursue next on your journey to master the solo on guitar?
You may have observed that your current improvisational capabilities are confined to a limited number of keys. This is a common initial stage for new players, but it won’t be long before you aspire to explore all the remaining keys in music. Here’s a lesson that will equip you with the skills to determine the key of virtually any popular song. Prior to delving into this video, you will need a foundational understanding of music theory. Click here to watch 8 Steps To Understand Music Theory. Expanding your key knowledge is essential for versatile guitar soloing.
If your guitar solos are yearning for added flair and sophistication, we offer an intermediate lesson on more advanced lead guitar techniques that will further elevate your skills. In this video, Andrew Clarke instructs you on raking, muted strums, pops, slurs, single-string slides, and single-note thickening. Mastering advanced techniques adds depth to your solo on guitar.
Lastly, explore Paul Davids’ video showcasing various popular guitar YouTubers improvising over the same backing track. You can witness players like Chris Buck, Pete Thorn, Tim Pierce, and Tyler Larson from Music Is Win each adopting vastly different approaches, even within the same musical context. Observing diverse styles broadens your understanding of solo on guitar.
Thank you for embarking on this learning journey!
Andrew Clarke Profile Picture
Andrew Clarke is a guitarist, educator, and content creator hailing from Vancouver, Canada. He is widely recognized for his YouTube channel, where he produces accessible guitar lessons and informative guitar gear videos. Andrew is also the curator of The Riff.
