Guitar Solo Basics

For guitarists who solo but are not sure what to play

Solo with notes, movement and space

A live online guitar workshop by The GuitarBaba

While soloing

Most players know their way around the guitar fretboard. Scales, shapes, a few familiar patterns. That part is never the problem.

How to use those notes while soloing is where things fall apart. When to stay on a note, when to move, and when to leave space. Without that, it begins to feel like a long sentence with no meaning.

What matters while soloing

Adding more notes does not change how your solo sounds. The notes are already there.

What changes your playing is how you stay with a note, how you move between notes, and how much space you leave around them.

This workshop is for guitarists who know basic scales and patterns but are not sure what to play.

How the session works

A backing track is provided and everyone begins by playing along with their microphones muted. This allows you to settle into the sound and play as you normally would. Those who feel comfortable can volunteer and share what they are playing with the group.

From there, we take a moment to talk about what you are hearing in your own playing. We then go through a few simple ways of approaching the same material so that you can hear and feel the difference for yourself.

What you will work with

• Using root notes over the chords
• Using chord tones
• How long to hold a note
• When to move
• Leaving space between ideas