Guitar Rock Improvisation Thoughts, Tricks, Concepts and Techniques, 11th Episode.
This 11th installment is the next episode in the following series of blogs, covering various rock guitar improvisation techniques.
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 1
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 2
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 3
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 4
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 5
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 6
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 7
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 8
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 9
Rock Guitar Soloing Episode 10
Let’s get right to it.
Staccato
It is a form of musical articulation, in which you make every note very short, and separated from the following note with silences between the notes.
Paul Gilbert tells you all about the technique here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB1uxYJjD5g
Soloing with intervals: harmonized lines.
You’re missing out on many great colors if you only play single-note lines.
A thorough understanding of the theory of intervals and how to solo with them is essential for anyone who wants to become great at playing guitar solos.
For a thorough study of how this works, check following blogs:
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 1
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 2: The 2nd Interval
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 3: The 3rd Interval
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 4: The 4th Interval
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 5: The 5th Interval
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 6: The 6th Interval
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 7: The 7th Interval
The Study of Musical Intervals Part 8: The Octave
Soloing with chords
We’re not talking about jazz chord solos here, but about integrating chordal passages as part of your rock solo.
This technique is a great tool to build a solo.
You can build intensity towards the end of the solo, from single string lines to big, rhythmic chordal climaxes.
A couple of examples showcasing the use of chords in a solo:
Love Struck Baby (Stevie Ray Vaughan) at 0:58 and at 1:18
I’m Crying (Stevie Ray Vaughan) at 2:01 and at 1:18
Come On (Part 1) (Jimi Hendrix) at 0:20, at 1:52
Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2 (Pink Floyd) at 2:11, 2:20, 3:12
It’s interesting to note, that this technique is more prevalent in the improvisation styles of blues and classic rock-oriented guitar players.
This is not something you find in the soloing styles of Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani, or shredders.
Unisons. Hit 2 different versions of the same note on different strings.
This is not about unison bends, or about the bluesy E (harmonically played) unisons like the first notes in the Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix) or the Pride And Joy (SRV) intros.
This section deals with this interesting warped kinda effect you get when you play the same note (melodically) on different strings in a solo.
Examples:
Erotomania (Dream Theater) at 1:47
I Would Love To (Steve Vai) at 2:09
Eugene’s Trick Bag (Steve Vai) at 0:57
Scuttle Buttin (SRV) intro, and at 0:43
It’s fun to experiment with this.
See if you can come up with melody lines where you repeat notes, but played on different strings.
If you want to learn more about this and see tons of cool examples, check here:
Fast Lines With Notes Repeating Over Different Strings
Play melodies linearly on 1 string, hitting a neighboring open string.
You could for example play a C major scale on the B string, hitting the open E string added to every B-string note you play.
Or solo in the key of G, playing all the notes on the G string, meanwhile hitting an open B string added to every note you play.
This works in any key, as long as the open string note is one of the notes in that key.
Eddie Van Halen uses this technique in the solo of “Ain’t Talking About Love” at 1:22.
He solos in the key of A minor linearly on the B string, hitting 2 strings (the notes on the B string and an open E string).
Conclusion
That is enough new material for today. 🙂
This should keep you busy for a while.
We’re back on with more soloing ideas a week from now.
Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.
These free lessons are cool, but you will never experience the progress, joy, and results that my students experience in lessons when you’re learning by yourself from blogs and videos.
That is why people take lessons: way better results and progress, much more complete information, exposed to way more creative ideas than you can get from a blog or YouTube video.
There is only so much that self-study can accomplish.
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