SOLO SOLUTIONS 4 GUITAR. 3 steps to successful lead guitar playing. CD TABLATURE

SOLO SOLUTIONS 4 GUITAR. 3 steps to successful lead guitar playing. CD TAB.

Product Description:
Solo solutions is a 3-step guideline for the electric guitar player who intends to develop his solo skills. While the 1st step explains different playing techniques and stylistic devices, the 2nd step is dealing with lead guitar related music theory and scales. The 3rd step combines the two first chapters with countless examples and suggestions on developing your own style. This book features an exclusive hands-on approach, which makes it a great learning tool and a must for the modern guitar player.

Format: Book/CD Set

132 PAGES

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler
Albert Einstein

PREFACE
Hey there:
Here‘s a new guitar book. About ...
- how to become faster than lightning in three weeks?
- alterations for youngsters??
- 62.738.857.937.768 essential scales for beginners???
- ????
Nope. The title already implies, that this course exclusively covers the solo guitar. It
contains suggestions and strategies to help the reader develop "his own, individual
style". On our way to individual artistic expression we will cover all the main aspects
of lead guitar playing. I will show you how to create an individual style and be a better
musician on the instrument, by understanding music in global terms.
What‘s new about this is an extensive analysis of what you do and don‘t need in
order to avoid being overloaded by the amount of topics. All the concepts are
always illustrated with examples, so there‘s no dry and impractical theory between
yourself and your guitar.
Many of us seem to be caught in a vicious circle; lost somewhere between not satisfied
with our playing on the one hand and "too much theory" on the other. Some
players seem to accept the fact that less and less people can follow them musically
(meaning: willing to listen), when they think that learning more scales and more
technical chops makes us musically successful.
If you work with this book, you will be able to avoid many of these learning mistakes.
Further, advanced players will be shown new approaches and suggestions in STEP 3
"Projects". The first two steps of the book will be helpful, in order to manifest the
technical background most "advanced players" will already have.
Less advanced players can use the Inventories of the first two steps to learn and
complete their technical knowledge and then, in STEP 3, lay the groundwork for individual
and inspired soloing with Projects. This book works both ways: as a guideline

- 3 -
CONTENTS
How this Book Works ......................................................... 5
Your Own, Individual Style .............................................. 5
STEP 1 Playing Technique Inventory 7
m Left Hand ....................................................................... 9
m Right Hand ..................................................18
m Special Effects ....................................................... 29
STEP 2 Music Theory Inventory 33
m The Fretboard ........................................................... 36
m Major and Minor Scales ................................................ 37
m Major and Minor Pentatonics ......................................... 44
m Intervals / Double Stops ................................... 50
m Modes .........................................................................54
STEP 3 Projects 61
m How to Practice ........................................................... 63
m Articulation ....................................................................... 66
I. Minimalism ............................................................... 68
II. Playing Phrases ....................................................... 74
III. More Technique ........................................................ 88
m Solo Structure ................................................. 101
m Improvisation ............................................................... 110
m Sounds ..................................................................... 117
m Transposing ........................................................... 119
APPENDIX 127
About the CD ............................................................ 128
Conclusion................................................................. 130
Thanks to ............................................... 131
- 4 -
How this Book Works
Solo Solutions contains a "Playing Technique Inventory", as well as a "Music Theory
Inventory" and features an exclusive plan, designed to enhance the guitarist‘s
artistic expression. It is not about boring the reader with scales and runs that have
been explained a million times before. It aims to show you how to round off what
you know already, and turn it into music. This book is for the medium advanced to
very advanced musician, who‘s willing to take a major step towards a recognizable
and individual style.
Moreover in STEP 3, "Projects", there are specific exercises helping your own creativity
to flourish.
The book is divided up into three steps. The first step, “Playing Technique Inventory”,
deals with various aspects of the technical side of soloing. We will look at the
right hand and left hand separately, in order to detect possible weaknesses directly
at the source.
In STEP 2, "Music Theory Inventory", I will give an overview of the most important
aspects of music theory. This chapter focuses on topics that are both practical and
necessary musically.
The third step, "Projects", is the largest one and deals with specific playing situations,
combining the "Inventories" with easy to follow, real-life exercises. While
"Playing Phrases" talks about playing single phrases and the principle of short melody
lines, in "Solo Structure" you get to arrange a full length solo. Finally, "Improvisation"
gives you practical hints to make your playing more musical.
Consequently, and step by step, Solo Solutions leads the studying guitarist from
small musical pieces and isolated technical analysis towards creating his/her own,
individual solo. Still, the book respects the preferences and taste of the student. It‘s
not about telling you what to do and what not to do, but about giving answers and
helping you find your own, individual style.
Your "Own, Individual Style"
Many guitarists like to play leads and, as a natural consequence, learn an enormous
amount of solos by other players, and familiarize themselves with many different
playing techniques. This works well, and all their friends and family can‘t stop being
stunned by how "you can play just like ...".
But, if you think of music or musicians as something like the rather scary word "art"
or "artist", it becomes evident that copying or only playing chunks of technical exercises
in a row cannot be satisfying.
- 5 -
CD 1 Solo Solutions Welcome Track
Your "own, individual style" - What exactly is that?
With some guitarists, it‘s easy to tell who they are after only hearing three seconds
of their playing. This special "voice" decides not only how recognizable one‘s style
is, but also whether one likes a player or not. You cannot like someone you don‘t
recognize, right? This is not so much about playing technique, as about articulation,
note choice and musical "powers of persuasion".
The more characteristic a voice is, the more recognizable it is, which drastically
effects a musician‘s or band‘s success. Guitarists with a very distinctive style (meaning
very recognizable) are for example: Brian May, Steve Vai, Keith Richards, Gary
Moore, Eddie van Halen, Steve Lukather, Neil Schon, Mark Knopfler ...
Many of these players are successful, but not because of their playing technique.
Technique seems to be more like a tool for them to get to their own, individual style.
Can you learn this?
Yes, but you will have to tackle your own playing. You have to learn to listen to your
own playing and first make some sort of "inventory" and find out for yourself: what
do I know already, where do I want to go with my playing and what will I have to
learn to get there. On the practical side, there are specific exercises that help prevent
common problems.
At the same time, you should think about sound, tonal versatility and tempo in
improvisations. The structure and length of composed solos are other important factors.
In order to attract and keep the listener‘s attention, you have to follow some
sort of "tension curve". Make sure you walk the fine line between consonance (simplicity,
or "harmony") and dissonance (complexity, or "chaos").
My three-step plan aims to make the guitarist a better musician and give answers to
questions like "why is my playing not really improving?", "when I am playing,
everything always sounds the same" or, "what do I need, in order to sound more
individual?". In fact, these questions alone form a tremendous part of our musical
problems, and seem to keep us from progressing.
Most of us definitely do not need more technical exercises, licks and tricks. We also
have enough transcriptions of popular solos. Consequently, we should start making
decisions about how we want to sound ourselves and how we want to sound different
from other players. This will also be just a transitional stage, at the end of which
our playing will intuitively sound individual and recognizable. Let‘s tune first...
- 6 -
CD 2 Tuning notes
- 128 -
CD TRACKS
APPENDIX
Track 1: Solo Solutions / Welcome
Track 2: Tuning Notes
Step 1
Track 3: Hammer-On / Pull-Off I
Track 4: Hammer-On / Pull-Off II
Track 5: Slides
Track 6: Bending
Track 7: 3 Half Step Bends
Track 8: Pre Bend
Track 9: Chord Tone Bends
Track 10: Flageolet
Track 11: Double Stops
Track 12: Double Stop Bends
Track 13: Eighth Notes
Track 14: 16 Sixteenth Note Combinations
Track 15: Sixteenth Note Example
Track 16: Triplets
Track 17: Sixtuplet Lick
Track 18: Sweep Picking
Track 19: Mini Sweep
Track 20: String Skipping I
Track 21: String Skipping II
Track 22: Palm Mute
Track 23: Finger Picking
Track 24: One-Note Tapping
Track 25: Bend Slide Bend
Track 26: Bend Release Alternative
Track 27: Open Strings
Track 28: Bend and Half Tone
Track 29: Volume Swell
Step 2
Track 30: Sequences: Groups of four
Track 31: Sequences: In thirds
Track 32: Sequences: Groups of three
Track 33: Pentatonics: Groups of four (asc.)
Track 34: Pentatonics: Groups of four (desc.)
Track 35: Pentatonics: Groups of three (asc.)
Track 36: Pentatonics: Groups of three (desc.)
Track 37: PLAYALONG TRACK: Major Blues
Track 38: PLAYALONG TRACK: Minor Blues
Track 39: Double Stops
Track 40: PLAYALONG TRACK: Dorian
Track 41: PLAYALONG TRACK: Phrygian
Track 42: PLAYALONG TRACK: Spanish Phrygian
Track 43: PLAYALONG TRACK: Lydian
Track 44: PLAYALONG TRACK: Mixolydian
Track 45: PLAYALONG TRACK: THE PROGRESSION
Step 3
Track 46: One Note Per Bar
Track 47: ONPB feat. Rhythmic Accents
Track 48: Varying Chord Tones
Track 49: Chord Tones (Bending Notes)
Track 50: Melodic sequencing I
Track 51: Melodic sequencing II
Track 52: Melodic sequencing III
Track 53: Melodic sequencing IV
Track 54: One Bar Repetition I
Track 55: One Bar Repetition II
Track 56: One Bar Repetition III
Track 57: Two Bar Repetition
Track 58: Question & Answer
Track 59: Q&A/Blues Cliche
Track 60: Rhythmic Articulation I
Track 61: Shifting Rhythms
Track 62: Rhythmic Articulation II
Track 63: Repeating Uneven Phrases
Track 64: Rests
Track 65: Exercise/Quarter Note Triplet
Track 66: Quarter-Note Triplet Ex. I
Track 67: Quarter-Note Triplet Ex. II
Track 68: Sixteenth Note Ideas I
Track 69: Sixteenth Note Ideas II
Track 70: Pedal Tones I
Track 71: Pedal Tones II
Track 72: Playing Fast/Sixtuplets
Track 73: Three-Notes-Per-String Scales (asc.)
Track 74: Three-Notes-Per-String Scales (des.)
Track 75: Sixteenth Note/Sixtuplet Exercise
Track 76: Technical Sequences I
Track 77: Technical Sequences II
Track 78: Technical Sequences III
Track 79: Technical Sequences Example
Track 80: PLAYALONG TRACK: Progression 1
Track 81: PLAYALONG TRACK: Progression 2
Track 82: PLAYALONG TRACK: Solo Progression 1
Track 83: Solo Progression 1 / Solution Chris
Track 84: PLAYALONG TRACK: Solo Progression 2
Track 85: PLAYALONG TRACK: Improv. Progression 1
Track 86: PLAYALONG TRACK: Improv. Progression 2
Track 87: Bored Beyond Belief