Composing Your First Solo: A Checklist

Okay, so I'd just like to talk to you a little bit about ways to approach composing a solo for the first time. This will serve as a checklist of things to bear in mind, consider, and experiment with that can help you come up with a really authentic-sounding stylistic solo.

1. Listen to the Space

First of all, the most important thing is to sit back, put the guitar down, and listen to the space you have to fill with your solo.

• What's going on in there?
  • What's the drummer doing?
  • What rhythms do you have involved?
  • What are the chord changes?

It's essential to have a good sense of the vibe. By this point, if you've reached this stage of a song, you're likely familiar with the chords and key you'll be playing over. If you're unsure, make sure you're aware of:

• What key?
• What scales are you likely to use for your improvisation?

2. Structure of Your Solo

Next, think about how you'd like your solo to be structured.

• How much time do you have?
  • Is it four bars, 16 bars, or 32 bars?

This will dictate how hard you can go from the start. It's easy to fall into the trap of opening with your flashiest licks, only to realize you have 30 more bars to go.

Building Your Solo

• We want to take the solo from a starting point and build to a big finish before transitioning into the next section (e.g., a bridge, breakdown, or drum solo).
• The general shape of your solo will often be dictated by the amount of time you have.

Practical Tip: If your last chord is at the lower end of the neck, think about how to smoothly transition to a higher position for the solo.

3. Understanding Chords and Extensions

Knowing the chords you are playing over is crucial. You should be able to stop at any point in your solo and identify:

• "Yes, I'm playing over a C minor 9 chord, or there's a D7 here, and I know the chord tones to access."

This understanding allows you to target unusual extensions or solid notes to begin and end your phrases.

Targeting Extensions

• As you explore ninths and elevenths, accent those notes.
• If they're featured beneath your playing, it creates a pleasing sound.

For instance, with a C minor 9 chord, you may want to emphasize the D note.

4. The Importance of Space in Your Solo

Another important aspect is to recognize the need not to fill all the space.

Your favorite solos often include an element of silence.

• Why is this important?
  • If you're playing in a funk, soul, or classic rock context, it doesn't need to be wall-to-wall notes.

Having space and definition between phrases makes your music more enjoyable to listen to.

5. Reusing Ideas

You don't always need new ideas to make your solo fit within the piece of music.

1. Steal rhythmic or melodic phrases that have already been featured in the song.

   • You can vary them slightly but hint at previous themes to make it feel cohesive.

2. Repetitive phrases are memorable!

   • We respond well to repetition, which is why we remember choruses.

Example: Mind the Gap Solo

In my "Mind the Gap" solo for the grade 8 performance, I used two chords:

• G minor 9 (Bar 5)
• C minor 9 (Next Bar)

I approached this part with a compositional mindset. At the G minor 9 chord, I emphasized the ninth interval with a simple phrase.

Next, I took the same rhythm for the C minor 9 chord, creating a seamless transition:

• Phrase Example for G minor 9:

  • (Outline the notes)

• Phrase for C minor 9:

  • (Outline the notes)

These phrases aren't flashy, but they effectively outline each chord, making the solo feel connected.

Conclusion

Remember, you don't need to stress about filling every bar with new content. Steal from earlier parts of the song, and feel free to repeat phrases that work well within your chord changes.

I hope this checklist helps you as you compose your own solos. Good luck!