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Solo Strategies


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So I'm making the transition from blues and psychedelic to metal. I've been learning sweep picking, the modes, harmonic minor, and alternate picking. I can sweep comfortably t 130bpm w/triplets and my alternate picking feels like instinct now.

Can anyone give me some tips on how to use them effectively....I want to be able to make seamless transitions that don't sound like I'm exercising.

Something that would help would be practise solos....what are some beginner metal solos that i could practice? Some intermediate?

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anyone want to lend some help?

Two of my fave solos are from

and
you can hear me playing them on those links if you are interested.

What I like in a solo is melody, I like to pick out the melody from old songs like, Scarborough Fair and folk songs, this gets me out of the habit of just playing widdly diddly scales. Have a listen to Kill Hannah's "Lips Like Morphine" that song leaves you singing the solo melody.

Sweeping, tapping and speed in the right places in a solo can really make it.

Have you checked out freshbt.com to download backing tracks to practice on? have fun :D

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The only advice I can offer is this : Improvise with a tape recorder running. Listen back to your playing *the next day* ( fresh state of mind ) and pick out the things that you like the sound of. Work those parts out and improvise another recorded solo. fresh mind, pick apart, re-learn, repeat. after a month you'll have more new chops than you ever thought possible, and if you're truly 'improvising' , you'll have chops that sound likes you.

good luck and remember, ruts are easily traveled and feel really familiar, but they lead to no new ground. :D:D

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I am a bass player so I don't know if this is aplicable. On those rare occasions when I get to take a solo, I try to have an idea in my head a melody or just a riff. I start with the idea; try it and some variations, do something different but related (change into a relative minor or major) and finsh off by returning to something close to the original idea.

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