Writing a solo is without a doubt the most thrilling part of playing the guitar – aside from performing it, of course. Crafting the perfect solo, however, isn’t as easy as it may seem. Just like any epic project, it requires some planning and dedicated effort.
Guitarists make their solos by gathering inspiration, singing the solo aloud, deciding on a tempo, and practicing a whole bunch! Writing a memorable solo can take some time, and unless you’re an advanced guitarist who can improvise easily, it’s best not to rush the process.
Knowing the relative minor guitar trick lets you use one scale over both major and minor songs.
Related: are most guitarists ambidextrous? what you need to know and do fingerstyle guitarists need to have long nails. New to this topic? Start with our complete guide to teaching yourself guitar.
Many classic solos use the blues scale; see our blues scale guitar lesson.
Great soloists land on chord tones; here is a chord tones guitar lesson to practice it.
Many players add color to their solos with modes; see guitar modes explained for all seven.
The remainder of this article will explore all the steps involved in creating the perfect guitar solo. It will also feature some tips and tricks from experienced musicians Caley Campbell from Caley & The Cadillacs, Andrew Sowka from Winternom, and Dave White from David Dino White.
Most of these solos come from the five pentatonic scale shapes guitar players learn first.
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How To Make a Great Guitar Solo
It is possible to improvise a guitar solo, especially if you’ve got a particular tune in mind and you’re a guitarist with lots of soloing experience. For the most part, though, solos are made over time by following a few simple guidelines. Below are six steps to consider when you’re getting ready to craft a new guitar solo.
Get Inspired
The first thing you have to do before grabbing your guitar, according to multi-instrumentalist Dave White, is simply to get inspired.
Inspiration is that tiny flame that grows within, sparking us to take action and use our talents to create. People gain inspiration in various ways, usually through engaging with content related to their specific goals.
Just as a painter might gain inspiration at an art gallery, for example, a guitarist writing a solo might want to put on a pair of headphones and listen to Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd on repeat for a couple of hours!
Listening to your favorite guitarists shred is a great way to get inspired and better understand how you might want your solo to sound. There are so many unique styles of playing in the music industry; expanding that musical palette and listening to a wide variety of musicians will subtly refine how you write your own solos!
Listening to music isn’t the only form of inspiration. As I said, inspiration is subjective– how one person finds it can be totally different from someone else! Caley Campbell, guitarist and lead vocalist from Caley Campbell & The Cadillacs, will play a song with entirely different chords and melodies just to get his creative juices flowing. (Imagine hearing Evanescence ‘Wake Me Up’ as a country song).
On the other hand, Dave White might go for a long drive with his windows down and his favorite music on the sound system.
When I seek inspiration to play the piano, I often browse new piano music in my library for songs I think I’ll enjoy. It also helps when I bring my keyboard outside– preferably to the beach or park on a sunny day. A change of scenery can jog the brain and body out of one mindset and into another!
Set Aside Time
Writing a good guitar solo can sometimes take hours, or even days or weeks. It isn’t typically a process you can speed through, nor one you can do halfheartedly. The best solos are crafted amidst focused passion, so setting aside dedicated time to create a truly epic solo is another mandatory step.
To that point, your allocated writing time should be consistent. Focusing on your solo once every few weeks or months will not only significantly slow down the writing process overall, but it will also intervene with any progress you may have made.
On the other hand, while making time for music is essential, that time will be wasted if you’re trying to force your way through writer’s block. Caley Campbell noted that getting frustrated is a good sign to take a break. Go back to the inspiration stage of your solo-writing journey and return to the guitar when you’re feeling more prepared.
Sing the Solo Out Loud
Many experienced guitarists will give you this advice: sing your solo out loud.
If you can sing, hum, or whistle your solo, there’s a good chance you can replicate it on the strings because it indicates a strong melody, according to Campbell. This is easier if the potential solo follows the vocal melody– think Let It Be by The Beatles.
Other musicians, like Masterclass teacher and YouTuber Stitch Method, will echo this sentiment, even suggesting that one should use the melody of the song’s lyrics (or at very least, its hypothetical lyrics) to write the solo’s notes too. Either way, if you can recreate the solo vocally, you’re on the right track.
Consider the Elements of Song
When writing a solo, consider the elements that make up the song it’s in. Are you playing a blues song or a love ballad? Is it fast or slow? In what manner are your bandmates playing their instruments? These are all different elements to consider when crafting your guitar solo.
Make It Memorable, Not Over-the-Top
White stressed the importance of not going overboard with the length or intensity of your solo. You want it to be memorable not for its flashiness but for the way it complements the overall song, so don’t waste time trying to pull off crazy solos that don’t match the music.
Consult With the Band
If you’re playing with a band, consult with your bandmates about what sounds best; if you’re not, you can always ask other musicians for feedback or advice. Being receptive to others’ ideas is a great way to expand your own. You could even bring your potential solo to a jam session or a singer/songwriter circle and share it with like-minded people.