Learning solos on the guitar

Rocker

As I see it, if you play in a tribute band, then you have to get everything right.  Right by the record.  Or CD.  The people attending the show will be very familiar with the solos and most details about the band's songs.

I don't or didn't play in a tribute band so my approach is to play something in the spirit of the song.  When I started playing guitar I had no way of studying a solo and most of my work was an attempt to play what I heard on the radio.  I discovered early on that the first half dozen notes were the most critical - get those right and I could get away with playing almost anything.  Folsum Prison Blues for example.  I never could remember the solo ending so I made up my own finish.  Now with online tutors showing how it was played, I cannot unlearn my version and learn it the *right* way.  In a lot of ways, online tutors can be a PITA as they focus on every minute detail.  It is harder to get a flow going if you are concentrating on getting every detail right by the recording.

How do you approach playing other people's solos:

viz

It’s fine to approximate imo - most players play different solos live. They have the essence of the recording but they often embellish. 

CarpeDiem

Firstly, I'll listen to the solo so I can remember how it sounds. I'll then learn it in chunks, sequentially. If I hit a hard-to-play part, then Icontinue working at it before jumping on to the next section. Having said that, you're probably a far more creative and original player using your original approach!

stratman3142

Usually it ends up as an approximate version of the original for me. If it's a solo with a distinctive melody I'll try to capture that.  Sometimes parts of the phrasing of the original might be a bit alien to me, so I phrase it in a way that feels natural to me.

I always make sure I can improvise a solo because on occasions I've had a blank. That's because one of my worst gigging experiences was playing the solo to Kid Charlemagne, which I'd learned note for note. On the gig we had dep musicians and someone missed the bar of 2/4, which completely threw me and it turned into the Les Dawson version.

hollywoodrox

If there is a particular bit that I think I will struggle with I learn that first , the bit I struggle with is usually because it is faster than I am comfortable at playing .

Roland

There are three types of solo for a covers band guitarist. Those you need to learn note for note. Alright Now is an example. There are solos which you need to get approximately like the recording. Crazy Little Thing Called Love is an example. Then there are solos which don’t matter. Long Train Running is often played by covers bands, but who remembers a guitar solo.

Rocker said:

How do you approach playing other people's solos:

Listen to the recording, then watch as many live recordings as I can find. The recording was one version, on a particular day. It might be well known, but that’s not how the original guitarist normally played it. He may well have developed the solo over succeeding years. Virginia Plain is a good example. When they wanted to tour Phil Manzanera had to learn it from the recording, and then adapt it for live performance.

Sometime I look at online lessons. These need a big pinch of salt. Have a look at the different versions of Jeff Baxter’s solo for Hot Stuff. The lessons are all over the place. Different neck positions. Different feel. As often happens some of them are just plain wrong.

Once I’m happy that I know what I’m going to play I write the solo out. For me that’s part of the process of remembering. Of course it helps if we drop the song and then bring it back into the repertoire. 

After that I sort out best the fingering, pickup selection and effect settings. Then I practice with a metronome, against a backing track, and finally with the band.

axisus

Roland said:

There are three types of solo for a covers band guitarist. Those you need to learn note for note. Alright Now is an example. There are solos which you need to get approximately like the recording. Crazy Little Thing Called Love is an example. Then there are solos which don’t matter. Long Train Running is often played by covers bands, but who remembers a guitar solo.

Wiz'd. Spot on with your suggestions!