Guitar Solo Hell . . .
Yesterday was spent in guitar solo hell. It's very hard to write a completely different solo to a song where you're happy with the one you got. I'm not one of those guitar players who will just throw down a lead and call it a day (Well, I certainly can, I just prefer not to). For me it's a process of a lot of work. Even if the solo is extremely simple in the end. There's a lot of thought and endless jamming to the song. I could care less how impressive or complicated the solo is in the end. Not a thought ever goes into what another musician will think of it. For me it has to say something and it absolutely has to fit the song and lyrical topic. I only play for the song. Then myself. Then if anyone else likes it for any other reason that's a bonus. I'm very good at knowing what fits a song. At the same time, more than one solo can fit something perfectly. At this point it gets too subjective to be objective.
So it's a process for sure. Sometimes a solo will come immediately, sometimes it won't.
I hate to repeat myself over and over and it's hard to make each one different. After all once you reach a certain point, every player has a style. Part of that is the things a player always incorporates into his solos, etc., so there's a fine line between personal style and doing something different. I'm never lazy about writing my solos. I also know that one note can most times say way more than a hundred, so there's a musical maturity that has developed through the years too.
At one point I sat there yesterday getting more and more frustrated until I was totally pissed off. lol
I wasn't coming up with shit. I said what I had to say on this one!
This frame of mind led me to come up with a more aggressive solo for the song. I recorded it, but in no way do I feel it fits the song at all. It sounds just like what a million of other players would've done. It's very run of the mill, over played and over the top. It's actually hilarious! I'm keeping it just for that fact. Over my dead body will this one go on the record!
After getting all that out of my system and feeling better, I did eventually start to come up with some pretty good ideas. I have the basic frame work of an alternate solo written now, it's just a matter of a few sections I'm not happy with yet and then a good performance of it. It is more aggressive than the original solo and a little busier for sure, but it says something and it fits. Hopefully, this is what we are looking for because I don't think I have another one for this song in me. lol We could always put Jimmy in the hot seat!
Keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with the original solo I put on the song at all, it's perfectly fine and it fits. It may end up on the the actual record, but it is very subtle and more of a musical piece rather than a solo. It conveys the feeling of the song. It says something, but doesn't climax or have a big pay off. The new one should cover that sufficiently and may be the one for the record instead. I don't know. All in all, if I was going to do another one for serious consideration I wanted it to have a totally different approach. It does.
So far, I like it.
Today will be spent getting this solo right. I'll be very glad when I can move on to another song. lol
When your fingertips are hard as a rock from 33 years of guitar playing and you still feel blisters coming on - then you've been doing some serious playing!
I'm hoping for a thumbs up tomorrow, myself included.
It's all part of the process . . .
-Bret.
Yesterday was spent in guitar solo hell. It's very hard to write a completely different solo to a song where you're happy with the one you got. I'm not one of those guitar players who will just throw down a lead and call it a day (Well, I certainly can, I just prefer not to). For me it's a process of a lot of work. Even if the solo is extremely simple in the end. There's a lot of thought and endless jamming to the song. I could care less how impressive or complicated the solo is in the end. Not a thought ever goes into what another musician will think of it. For me it has to say something and it absolutely has to fit the song and lyrical topic. I only play for the song. Then myself. Then if anyone else likes it for any other reason that's a bonus. I'm very good at knowing what fits a song. At the same time, more than one solo can fit something perfectly. At this point it gets too subjective to be objective.
So it's a process for sure. Sometimes a solo will come immediately, sometimes it won't.
I hate to repeat myself over and over and it's hard to make each one different. After all once you reach a certain point, every player has a style. Part of that is the things a player always incorporates into his solos, etc., so there's a fine line between personal style and doing something different. I'm never lazy about writing my solos. I also know that one note can most times say way more than a hundred, so there's a musical maturity that has developed through the years too.
At one point I sat there yesterday getting more and more frustrated until I was totally pissed off. lol
I wasn't coming up with shit. I said what I had to say on this one!
This frame of mind led me to come up with a more aggressive solo for the song. I recorded it, but in no way do I feel it fits the song at all. It sounds just like what a million of other players would've done. It's very run of the mill, over played and over the top. It's actually hilarious! I'm keeping it just for that fact. Over my dead body will this one go on the record!
After getting all that out of my system and feeling better, I did eventually start to come up with some pretty good ideas. I have the basic frame work of an alternate solo written now, it's just a matter of a few sections I'm not happy with yet and then a good performance of it. It is more aggressive than the original solo and a little busier for sure, but it says something and it fits. Hopefully, this is what we are looking for because I don't think I have another one for this song in me. lol We could always put Jimmy in the hot seat!
Keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with the original solo I put on the song at all, it's perfectly fine and it fits. It may end up on the the actual record, but it is very subtle and more of a musical piece rather than a solo. It conveys the feeling of the song. It says something, but doesn't climax or have a big pay off. The new one should cover that sufficiently and may be the one for the record instead. I don't know. All in all, if I was going to do another one for serious consideration I wanted it to have a totally different approach. It does.
So far, I like it.
Today will be spent getting this solo right. I'll be very glad when I can move on to another song. lol
When your fingertips are hard as a rock from 33 years of guitar playing and you still feel blisters coming on - then you've been doing some serious playing!
I'm hoping for a thumbs up tomorrow, myself included.
It's all part of the process . . .
-Bret.
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