Topic: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

im in 8th grade and there is an upcomming guitar concert. 1 week 2b exact. our group is playing stairway 2 heaven. we are perfect!!! except for the solo... no matter how long i practice i cant get that solo!!! we cant just leave it out and noone else wants 2 do it. WHAT DO I DO!!!???

Re: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

BmaNN 506 wrote:

im in 8th grade and there is an upcomming guitar concert. 1 week 2b exact. our group is playing stairway 2 heaven. we are perfect!!! except for the solo... no matter how long i practice i cant get that solo!!! we cant just leave it out and noone else wants 2 do it. WHAT DO I DO!!!???

Practice and absorb scales in A minor. Do lots of variations with fast/slow/high/low/bends/hammer ons/pull offs, etc.. Turn your volume and gain up real high, make strained faces, contort your shoulders and back and let it rip....................................Make sure you're together with the rest of the group as far as knowing when to stop soloing. Finally, bring lots of pens and paper for you will be getting lots and lots of phone numbers and e-mails....Good luck, have fun, enjoy your youth.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.

Re: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

my best advice is know your pneumonic scales and run with them during it
good luck man i did that on the same song and it sounded good

<---Isaac---{{{

Re: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

Pneumonic scales?   Hmmmm . . .
Perhaps you meant pentatonic?

BmaNN 506, don't feel so bad - apparently, Jimmy Page had real problems getting that solo just right in the recording studio!

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

Re: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

Sampling? You play the song and use the solo? I haven't a clue.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT, THE "complete solo as on their album? If you practiced so long, I am convinced that your SOLO version isn't the same but maybe for 50% like PAGE played it.
You can add a personal touch by playing what you already can play, as long as the public recognize the solo.
Has it to be 100% the famous solo? I repeat use what you've learned, and go for it. Another suggestion is PLAY - A - LONG with the solo on the album.
I can understand that you are a "perfectionist" record YOUR VERSION and COMPARE. Nobody will shoot you if you give your own interpretation, if not see play using the Zeppelin solo and try to play with that song.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

Re: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

An alternative and straight out of left field is don't play Stairway to Heaven...sorry to disappoint but if Page Himself couldn't hit the solo half the time you probably wont be able to either.

Either do as the guys above have said (and believe me they are usually spot on) and play about 50% of the solo and the rest ad-lib

or go with a different but equally recognisable song - but jesus DO NOT go for Free Bird...Friend of mine had only heard half the song before saying to his friends "Oh this is easy, I can play this" - after a week of letting him boast to people we said "ok then give us a preview and play along to the track" he did and needless to say he was extremely put out when the solo kicked in

Re: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

turn the amp up to 10 (yours might go uo to 11  smile )

do a couple of pentatonic runs and finish with some feedback

might just get away with it

Re: NEED HELP ON A SOLO!!

More hertical advice here, particularly as Stairway is not something I've tried personally, but you could either shorten or simplify the solo or cut it out all together. Just blow them away with the riff section, then end big and loud. I'd suggest you use what you've learnt wrestling with the real thing to evoke a similar solo, same feel just less gymnastics. Should make things safer on the big night so you can enjoy it all more.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'