any tips on how to do solos?

ukeoustic

ukeoustic

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i've always wanted to learn solos and stuff but i dont know where to start and how to do it. i tried doin it by ear but i just cant put it together. any tips that could help? is there a pattern or something?
 
Try these threads which may or may not help:
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1414
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2000
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2700

Aldrine Guerrero said:
The way that I started learning how to improv was by one note at a time. Playing with the root note and ONLY the root note. Trying to create a simple melody using one note. Here's an approach:

Start out by having someone play 2 chords. We'll use G and C as an example. We're going to be playing in a G scale.

So let's take our root note "G" and use various different techniques and rhythm to create a one note melody.

After you feel like you've ran out of ideas, add another note in there. Let's try the next note on our G scale "A" so we can now use the G and A note. Create as much melodies as possible using these two notes. Bend them, make them short, long, vibrato, pull off, hammer on, whatever tickles your fancy as long as you ONLY USE THOSE TWO NOTES.

Then let's add a third note, the third note in the scale which would be "B" then repeat the process over.

Improvisation doesn't need a million and one notes. To me, the melody is a lot more important than fitting as much notes in a measure as possible. SO if you can create a melody using 3 notes, imagine what you could do with 12?

Also, remember that in improv... there's no right or wrong notes... just wrong choices.
Click to expand...
 
I'd have to say I disagree with Aldrine on:

"Also, remember that in improv... there's no right or wrong notes... just wrong choices."

I think that the only wrong choice in a solo is to stop after you think you goof up. Keep playing and you might end up sounding cooler then you would have without the goof.

If you play a not-so-great-sounding note, it is a temporary loss of control.

When you solo, you can get away with a bunch of out of scale notes if you are clever. Also, the longer you hang out on a weird note, the more natural it sounds to the listener's ear.

Say you land on F# when you are soloing in C maj. OH NO! - wait... It doesn't sound horrible! You are just now in C Lydian. Land on Bb - that's Mixolydian. Eb? - try Dorian. It will all work - you just need to learn how.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Properties_of_musical_modes should help if you can wrap your head around it. Modes are confusing!

Biggest thing: DON'T STOP.
 
what do u mean by g scale? is it the g string? and i dont really get the concept of the scales..tho i watched aldrine's lesson. im sooo confused lols! can anyone explain it to me in a little bit simple terms? or put up some links? i know im slow haha! but i appreciate u guys tryin to help me..hehe! :D
 
ukeoustic said:
what do u mean by g scale? is it the g string? and i dont really get the concept of the scales..tho i watched aldrine's lesson. im sooo confused lols! can anyone explain it to me in a little bit simple terms? or put up some links? i know im slow haha! but i appreciate u guys tryin to help me..hehe! :D
Click to expand...

You've heard of "do re mi fa sol la ti do," right? That's a scale. Take a look at the wikipedia entry and then ask more questions if you still don't understand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_scale
 
A scale is really just a list of notes that will sound good when played in certain situations.

They are useful because if you know what scale a song uses, you can tell which notes are likely to work best in a solo over that song.

People make it sound like a science with words like 'theory' but for most of us it isn't a science, it's a cheat. For example if you learn the 'pentatonic' scale for each key -- and it's really not hard to do -- then you can improvise your own solos over the top of most popular rock songs.

The C pentatonic is : C, Eb, F, G, Bb, and back to C. But most of the time you don't think about the names of the notes -- you just learn the right places to put your fingers.

There's a good introduction to the pentatonic here: http://ukulelehunt.com/2008/07/02/ukulele-scales-minor-pentatonic/
 
Some of this advice is really helpful, but the tricky thing with a solo is not really how to physically play it, but what to play. Using scales, you can get to a place where you can play extraordinarily dextrous solos, but have absolutely nothing to say (think Yngwie J Malmsteen). The best solos are structured, not too long, and are really going somewhere. Unless you really want to play improvised solos, what I would do is to start by singing what you might play. Just scat lines over the top of the chords, til you get to something good, melodic and nice. Then start figuring out how to play it, which should be relatively easy.
 
Hippie Guy said:
Biggest thing: DON'T STOP.
Click to expand...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

DO STOP! STOP SOLOING!

The cardinal sin of soloing is noodling--soloing on and on without direction, and without listening to what's going on in the song. Effective solos often have a beginning, middle (perhaps including some sort of climax) and an ending, almost like a story. When you're soloing, consider where you're going with it. Solo in phrases, and give them room to breathe--if it's appropriate to insert a rest here or there, or let a note ring extra long, go for it--don't just keep playing nonstop to fill up space. Again, room to breathe is good.

And for God's sake, DON'T DON'T DON'T solo when the singer is singing the melody! Know when to solo, pay attention to where you are in the song, know when certain parts of the song begin and end, and time the beginning and end of your solo accordingly. Unless you're at an extended jazz jam, the solo is usually a relatively short, minor part of the song. Do not noodle aimlessly!

Heed these warnings, lest you someday end up like this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-XfnkLdkjo&feature=related
 
I think Hippie Guy meant "Don't stop," as in, "Don't stop practicing." I may be wrong, though.
 
VengefulTikiGod said:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

DO STOP! STOP SOLOING!

The cardinal sin of soloing is noodling--soloing on and on without direction, and without listening to what's going on in the song. Effective solos often have a beginning, middle (perhaps including some sort of climax) and an ending, almost like a story. When you're soloing, consider where you're going with it. Solo in phrases, and give them room to breathe--if it's appropriate to insert a rest here or there, or let a note ring extra long, go for it--don't just keep playing nonstop to fill up space. Again, room to breathe is good.

And for God's sake, DON'T DON'T DON'T solo when the singer is singing the melody! Know when to solo, pay attention to where you are in the song, know when certain parts of the song begin and end, and time the beginning and end of your solo accordingly. Unless you're at an extended jazz jam, the solo is usually a relatively short, minor part of the song. Do not noodle aimlessly!

Heed these warnings, lest you someday end up like this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-XfnkLdkjo&feature=related
Click to expand...


i followed the youtube link
OMG this guy is crazyyy

woot
 
seeso said:
I think Hippie Guy meant "Don't stop," as in, "Don't stop practicing." I may be wrong, though.
Click to expand...

Yes, that too. But I meant that if you goof/forget the song, don't stop and look at who you are playing for like you think you just sucked. I'm not saying you should play a bunch of notes, just don't stop performing. Play silence too.
 
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