The Songwriter Forum - songwriting reviews, tips and chat
Songwriter Forum => Recording => Topic started by: cowparsleyman on November 09, 2018, 11:37:11 AM
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Here's a few tips about soloing, and recording solos, as a guitarist I'm writing it from my experience but it applies to all instruments...
I apologise in advance if you already know this...(and it's not intended to be patronising)
If you can sing it, then it's likely to be more popular than one you can't. Bohemian Rhapsody was a great example, He really planned that solo, amended it until he thought it was right, and everyone can sing it, he is quite capable of playing much faster than he does.
Work on the solo try a few options out, listen to it back again, it's all to easy for creative improvisers to just lay down something and accept it, but take it as a starting point and see where it can be improved.
I find it really useful to sing along in the car to the backing track, this gives me a lot of ideas, if I find one, I stop and record it into my phone for later otherwise it'll be gone before I get a chance.
Sometimes a few notes are much better than a shed (shred) load. (you can get away with a lot playing live, but on record it's there for ever..)
if you find a hooky motif in a solo, then copy it both in rhythm and maybe in another octave.
Copy the motif on Vocals or another instrument, use the rhythm for a kick hook, or a bass gtr hook, it will sound more like you meant to do it in the first place...
Invert the notes, instead of high-low-high, go low-high-low with the same rhythm, play games with a motif.
Know, accept and play within your ability. David Russell (guitar - look him up) once said that so many guitarists try to practise pieces that are too hard for them, which does nothing for them in the end.
Don't accept mistakes, not false notes, out of time placements, nor slightly off bends, it's unlikely you'll hear mistakes on any pro recording.
If you do make a mistake and the riff was a keeper, either punch in the right note, or use a multi take feature (if your DAW has one) and comp the two takes together, or if you have something like Melodyne, you can correct the individual note in that.
If it doesn't sound right to you, it probably isn't right to anyone else.
I really hope this helps (if there is anything you want me to explain, just reply)
cpm
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