There are lots of ways to make guitar solos. Most guitarists focus on ‘what to play’ versus ‘how to play things’. Fact is, the nuances of phrasing (‘how’ the notes are played) often matter MORE than the notes we actually play. How many times have you heard someone play a solo ‘without’ much emotion? Often there was nothing wrong with their choice of notes. The solo lacked emotion and interest because the ‘phrasing’ was weak.

Guitar Phrasing is the most important aspect to creating great guitar solos, yet very few guitar players learn to develop this key element of their guitar playing.

One of the best things you can do to make better guitar solos is to carefully study your favorite singers. In the late 1990s, I began to study the vocal styles of my favorite singers. I learned to play on guitar every little nuance of their vocal phrasing and vibrato… and most importantly, the ‘musical contexts’ in which they made various phrasing and vibrato choices when singing. Singers cannot do many of things that we can do on the guitar, but they can naturally and effortlessly do things that are not common (but are still possible) to do on the guitar.

Listen to your favorite singers and notice the difference between their vocal phrasing (‘how’ they sing notes and phrases) and your guitar phrasing (‘how’ you play your notes and phrases). Then listen carefully to how these singers construct their phrases and compare that to how you create your guitar solos. When you really pay attention to this, you will probably make some very cool and powerful observations. This can be one of the best guitar solo lessons you can ever have. It can be a real eye (and ear) opening experience that can lead you to discover MANY new ideas that you can use to make you’re your own great guitar solos.

Here are three things you can learn and implement into your playing immediately so that you can consistently make better guitar solos.

Delayed Vibrato: Listen to how many singers sing a note (without vibrato at first) and then begin to apply vibrato to it a few moments later. The vast majority of guitar players don’t do this when soloing; instead they apply the vibrato immediately to the note. Although this can also sound good, it gets old to always immediately apply vibrato when you use it. So play a note on your guitar, let it ring out naturally (without vibrato) for a moment, then apply vibrato to it. In addition to creating a more ‘vocal style of guitar playing’ you may also notice that the note you just played sustains longer. (more on this in the video below).

Movement between notes: As you know, when playing notes on a piano there is no ability to ‘bend’ notes. Singers frequently ‘bend’ notes in both directions (up or down in pitch), although downward ‘bent’ notes are more common in most vocal styles. Guitar players frequently bend notes, but 99% of the time they only bend notes ‘up’ (in pitch).

Intuitive Emotional Expression: Singers often manipulate tension and dissonance intuitively. They might sing the 9th of a chord because it makes a very specific emotional feeling. Most (non jazz) guitar players would naturally play the root while making a guitar solo (especially at the end of a phrase). This happens because guitar players typically are thinking about patterns and scale positions. And thus the ear is conditioned to ‘find the consonant notes’ when beginning and ending phrases while creating (or improvising) guitar solos. Singers don’t have ‘patterns’ and ‘positions’ to think about. They are only focused on their intuition - the emotion of each note they sing. This results in more natural options for the singer (compared to many ‘inexperienced’ guitar players) particularly at the beginnings and endings of phrases.

Watch this guitar solo lessons video to see exactly what I’m talking about and hear a live demonstration of each.

To get more help with your guitar playing check out my 10 Free Guitar Solo Tips.

Tom Hess is a professional touring guitarist and recording artist. He teaches guitar players around the world via electric guitar lessons online. Visit http://www.tomhess.net to get free guitar tips, assessments, surveys, mini courses and more.

Six String Bliss, the longest-running guitar-centric Podcast on the Internet announces the release of Scales of Horror, a collaborative effort by members of their listening community. This project differs from the past Six String Bliss Albums in that it is comprised entirely of original, Halloween themed music written and performed by various listeners.

Scales of Horror will feature 10 songs performed by an international community of artists, with submissions coming from 5 countries. Each of these submissions is the work of members of the Six String Bliss listening community. This is the fourth such project produced by Six String Bliss, the first being 2007’s A Blissful Christmas, which was followed up last Fall with Stay Tuned (a collection of TV Themes), then this Spring with Big Screen Bliss (a collection of songs featured prominently in movies).

According to PT, co-host of the Podcast: “We weren’t sure what to expect when we requested original tracks from our listeners. But what they delivered was beyond our expectations. This album is a true testament to the talent of this community, and I’m sure it will be freaking out trick or treaters worldwide for years to come!”

All guitarists are welcome to join in the fun of the Six String Bliss Forum. Projects like this will continue to thrive so long as there is an active community to make these happen. So please come by, introduce yourself, and join in the next project!

Podcast Episode 169 which will feature Scales of Horror will be up on the RSS Feed (http://sixstringbliss.libsyn.com/rss) and on iTunes at 11:00PM (CDT) Tuesday, October 27^th, with the show notes added to the website soon thereafter at www.sixstringbliss.com.

About Six String Bliss

Six String Bliss is the longest-running guitar-centric Podcast on the Internet. Co-hosted by guitarists PT and Pipes, the weekly show caters to players of all ages and abilities, and features segments including Email of the Week, Guitarist of the Week, Guitar News and general discussion of all things relating to the guitar. Interviews have featured internationally renowned guitarists as well as luthiers, store owners, and manufacturers of pickups, effects, and recording software. The website includes an active international forum.

Obviously you don’t want an army of mindless, robot zombies for an audience. But what about an ever growing number of active fans who can’t stop talking about you? How can you walk off stage having added a room full of raving fans to your mailing list, and increased the number of people spreading the word about who you are?

What is it that makes the difference between “just an average show” and a concert experience your audience can’t stop raving about? The key word in that last sentence is “experience.” Not experience as in skill or knowledge, but experience as in surrounding your audience with sights and sounds that amplify and intensify your music and message. Unforgettable concerts immerse you in a concert experience where you cannot help but be filled with the energy of the music.

“So how can I do that?”

Seeing your band from the perspective of the audience can help you create an amazing concert experience. You can be the best dressed, have awesome visuals, even the best sound, but if the audience’s only response to your show is a hand clap, how many of your shows do you think they will attend? Will they even remember who you are? What will they say to their friends about the show? “It was okay,” “They were alright; I kind of liked the music”? But how do you get your audience to say, “It was the best concert EVER!!”

Van Halen made me feel like I was standing right beside him, indulging in his every wild gesture, moved to tears from the excitement and letting go with abandonment at the same time. He was playing to ME. The crowd went wild when he stepped off the stage to look me in the face as he played a few lines. I was every person in that audience. The whole band’s energy was contagious. Others also had their two seconds of fame when they were handed the microphone to sing a few lines. Everyone was stoked. There was nothing else going on in the world at that moment but the life in that room. The entire stadium was hanging by a thread for three hours straight. To say it was an incredible night would be a major understatement. Let’s talk about how you can create that same type of unforgettable concert…

Mind control made easy

Of course I’m not actually talking about “mind control.” But just like Van Halen in the story above, you want a level of influence and connection with your audience that they will never forget.

Don’t let the stage separate you from your audience! Being above the ocean of people allows you to better capture your crowd. All eyes are on YOU watching your every move. Your rapport with your audience will get you anything you want. Your connection with your fans should start long before the concert. Join the crowd before the show, talk to your fans, sign autographs, and even stay after the concert to continue the party and connect with your fans even more. This may seem like common sense to you, but are you really doing it? It’s one thing for a band to be there before and after their time on stage to watch the other bands and perhaps talk to a few people, but it’s much more powerful when a band makes it a point to make friends with everyone they can in the audience.

One thing to realize is that your fans are your family. Talk to your fans; tell them what you expect them to do at your shows. Ask and they will follow. Lead and they will imitate. Just like an ocean wave, the energy you put out there will ripple across the audience and back to you.

Red Hot Chili Peppers has the knack of getting the whole crowd to jump up and down. How? By jumping themselves. Have you ever been in a concert where the lead singer moshes across the audience and back? He joined in, became one of them, and the crowd went nuts. Do you want your audience to sing along, wave their hands, jump, yell, dance and scream? Whether through your words or through your actions, ASK and it’s yours. For that moment in time, your band is the center of their world.

Janis Joplin described her concerts as making love to 25,000 people. She said it’s like the incredible connection usually only felt by falling in love the first time, yet multiplied by the entire audience. Can you capture that same passion for your audience? Show them you actually care about them more than the money they put in your pocket. Give them more than they expect and get more in return. If big-name bands can do it, so can you. Watch them, learn from them.

Getting your audience involved is a matter of action, A LOT of playful action. From connecting with your audience before and after your concerts, to surrounding them with things that amplify and reinforce your band’s energy, to asking your fans to get involved exactly the way you want them to, truly connect with your audience and you will grow an army of loyal fans.

But it doesn’t stop there

If you can move the emotions of the audience with participation, what do you think would turn them from fans into fanatics? Think about how to appeal to all of their senses. Surround them with every part of your unique self. What imagery could you put with your music? What lighting, clothing, sounds, and more will pull them into knowing and being a part of who you are? Everything about the show should scream your message and the response you expect from your audience. The show is more about the full concert experience than the music. Take some time to talk with your band about different ways you can truly connect with your audience. Then write those things down and start doing them! Lead your army where you want it to go and they will follow.

Find the mentors and coaches you need, those that can help you create amazing and unforgettable concerts. You don’t have to walk the road to success alone. Get this free 12 day mini course on how to turn your rock band into a success. In addition, test yourself in this free rock band success test. If nothing else, I hope you have taken this article to heart.

About the Author: On the ridged and often dangerous path to “making it” in the music industry, Draven Grey has been described as a friend, guide, and schoolmaster. Draven is a professional musician, producer, artist development specialist for Rockstar Mindset, and rock band success coach with Tom Hess and Alex Staropoli. To find out more, visit Rockstar Mindset.

Nah, I didn’t think so.  Sorry to bother you guys.

Music placement is the new radio.  With major radio stations being somewhat monopolized and somewhat dominated by horrendous Nickelback and Kelly Clarkson clone music, where can artists turn to for new revenue streams?  Film and TV!

We aren’t making any promises of placement, but one of our friends from Blazed Out Music in Los Angeles is avidly looking for songs to place in media.

Guitar instrumentals are great for placements in tv and film,  often being found in the background and providing the mood for different scenes.

What’s the Next Step?

E-mail us your tracks and instrumentals and we will forward them along to our contact, and let’s see what happens! Send all e-mails to jeff@guitarplayerzen.com

In your email, please provide a short description of your song:

• How long
• What style
• What instrumentation
• What tempo

Along with your name and a short bio and any links to your websites and social networking sites.

If you want to learn more about placing songs and music , you should check out this this awesome interview with guitar player/songwriter/musician extraordinaire, Gayle Ellett of Fernwood.

***Update:  Our server is having some issues  so if you want to hear this 30 minute interview, let me know in an email or in the comments.

PS. Check out our Studio Guitar Secrets: Making Guitar Your Career audio interview series for over 6.5 hours  of professional guitar players telling us their secrets to success in the music industry.

Brian is now living in Ft Worth, Texas, and is doing local gigs with Noel Haggard, and has worked some Elvis shows in the James Burton role. Brian also participated in the 2009 James Burton Festival, and his debut solo CD is being released soon on Big Noise records.

Take a sneak peak at one of his upcoming cuts, Shred Country

“So much has happened since we last spoke, Jeff. I landed a ton of endorsements, like EMG, Mesa, as well as Keeley and am really excited about a new pedal Brian Wampler built for Brent Mason that he is doing for me called a Hot Wired. My rig has really changed as well…I went back to tubes, and a real pedal board….as well as a stereo rig. It almost looks like a NASA set up on my side of the stage. I still use Valley Arts and am adding an Explorer to the collection, as well as this really cool tele that Mike Dolsey, the surfboard guy did for me. It’s like a hollow tele built outta Les Paul woods, with 3 P-90’s on a strat switch. It is crazy!

Man, the last time I was on GPZ it gave me quite a bit of exposure, as well as made me (Texas talk!) some good friends…Catherine (Delgadillo) can shred, dude..she scares me. At any rate, I came off the road full time, and like I said, work with Noel Haggard (Merle’s son) when he does his shows, and also just took the job as Texas singer/songwriter Clint Moody’s Band leader and musical director. His new cd should be out by November, and there is already some pretty big buzz about it around the Texas country scene. I did all the guitars, and helped with production and arranged alot alot of the material….Besides the upcoming gigs, there is also a showcase, and I will be at the Winter NAMM show this year, hanging at the EMG and ValleyArts booths, so it should be a pretty huge year”

If only you just had more time, you could finally get Cliffs of Dover down perfectly!

Well, here is a crazy idea:

Became a better guitar player by practicing in your sleep.   Keep reading to find out how….

Get Better at Guitar by Lucid Dreaming

It’s a crazy idea that I have begun experimenting with after reading this bizarre post on Tim Ferriss’s Productivity and Creativity Blog.

For those who are unfamiliar with Lucid Dreaming, it is pretty much having a dream in which you are aware that  are dreaming.  When you are lucid and aware of this, you are able to actively participate in and control the imaginary experiences you are having in the dream environment. These lucid dreams can seem surprisingly real and vivid depending on your level of self-awareness.

It sounds pretty crazy, but there actually has been a lot of research on lucid dreaming.

From Ferriss’ blog:

Dr. Stephen LaBerge of Stanford was considered the world’s foremost researchers in the science and practice of lucid dreaming, and he had pioneered proving its existence. How? It turns out that eye movement, unlike the rest of the skeletal muscular system, is not inhibited by REM sleep. Subjects could memorize horizontal eye patterns (e.g. left-left-right-right-left-right-left) and repeat the patterns upon becoming lucid, which researchers could observe, all while recording brain activity with an EEG to confirm that the subjects where, in fact, in a dream state. Tibetan monks have been practicing lucid dreaming for thousands of years, but it was considered fringe speculation until it was captured in a controlled environment.

There are now dozens of studies that explore the incredibly cool world of lucid dreaming and hint at applications (search “lucid dreaming” here on PubMed).

Why Get Into Lucid Dreaming?

One of the main applications is mental rehearsal. Activity of the brain during a dreamed activity is the same as during a real event.  The neuronal patterns of activation required for a skill, such as performing Eruption in front of a cheering crowd at the amphitheater, can be established in the dream state in preparation for performance in the waking world.

Lucid dreaming is a vivid form of mental imagery, which has been scientifically proven to greatly enhance real life performance. (Read this article for more information on visualization and mental imagery and how it enhances performance.)

So if you discipline yourself enough to get good at lucid dreaming, you can actually mentally rehearse difficult guitar passages, experiment with writings new songs, and practice arpeggios without wearing out your hands.  The possibilities are endless!

Training Yourself to Have Lucid Dreams

Step 1: Develop Dream Recall -

Good dream recall is often described as the first step towards lucid dreaming. Better recall increases awareness of dreams in general.  If your dream recall is limited, your lucid dreams that you do have can be easily forgotten, thus losing their positive effects. To improve dream recall,  keep a dream journal. Write down any dreams remembered the moment you wake up.  You could also go to radio shack, buy an audio/voice recorder, and use that instead.  It is important to record the dreams as quickly as possible as there is a strong tendency to forget what one has dreamt. For best recall, keep yours eyes closed while trying to remember the dream, and record your dream journal in present tense.

When first starting, you most likely will only be able to recall a few lines worth.  But within a couple weeks, it is common to be able to recall multiple pages worth of dreams.  Pretty cool stuff!  I can’t wait until I am able to recall every scene of my elaborate guitar- playing/ninja-being dreams where I hook up with Victoria Secret Models!

Step 2: Identify Dream Cues and/or Do Reality Checks -

From Wikipedia:

Reality testing (or reality checking) is a common method used by people to determine whether or not they are dreaming. It involves performing an action with results that will be different if the tester is dreaming. By practicing these tests during waking life, one may eventually decide to perform such a test while dreaming, which may fail and let the dreamer realize that they are dreaming. (The more foolproof the reality test, the better, as assuming one is dreaming can be dangerous)

• The nose reality check: The dreamer pinches their nose shut and if they are not able to breathe without using their nose, it is a dream.^[35]
• Sticking one’s finger through the palm of one’s hand.^[35]
• Looking at one’s digital watch (remembering the time), looking away, and looking back. As with text, the time will probably have changed randomly and radically at the second glance or contain strange letters and characters. (Analog watches do not usually change in dreams, while digital watches and clocks have a great tendency to do so.)^[36] An analog watch or clock may feature strange characters or the numbers all out of order.
• Flipping a light switch. Light levels rarely change as a result of the switch flipping in dreams.^[37]
• Looking into a mirror; in dreams, reflections from a mirror often appear to be blurred, distorted, incorrect, or frightening.^[37]
• Looking at the ground beneath one’s feet or at one’s hands. If one does this within a dream the difference in appearance of the ground or one’s hands from the normal waking state is often enough to alert the conscious to the dream state.^[38]

A more precise form of reality testing involves examining the properties of dream objects to judge their apparent reality. Some lucid dreamers report that dream objects when examined closely have all the sensory properties, stability, and detail of objects in the physical world. Such detailed observation relates to whether mental objects and environments could effectively act as substitutes for the physical environments with the dreamer unable to see significant differences between the two. This has implications for those who claim there is a spiritual or supernatural world that might be accessible through out of body experience or after death.

Step 3: Induce Lucidity –

MILD

There are a number of techniques that help induce lucidity. One such technique, referred to as Mnemonic-Induction of Lucid Dreaming (MILD), involves  waking up in the middle of the night, setting the intention to lucid dream for 10-15 minutes, then going back to bed.

Duration of sleep to be an important variable. It will often be easiest for novices to achieve lucidity if they sleep to excess — more than 9 hours  — and then use the snooze button to wake every 10-15 minutes for another hour. This juxtaposition of waking and sleep blurs the lines and seems to make the lucid state easier to achieve.

Step 4: Keep the Lucidity Going Longer

The first few times you achieve lucidity, you will likely be so excited that you will wake yourself up. Two effective techniques for extending lucidity are spinning (a la a piroutte in place) and looking at your hands. Both techniques, I believe, originated with Carlos Castaneda, but LaBerge was the first to test them and quantify the effectiveness of spinning vs. hand rubbing:

…the odds in favor of continuing the lucid dream were about 22 to 1 after spinning, 13 to 1 after hand rubbing (another technique designed to prevent awakening), and 1 to 2 after “going with the flow” (a “control” task). That makes the relative odds favoring spinning over going with the flow 48 to 1, and for rubbing over going with the flow, 27 to 1.

Source: Lucidity Institute

Step 5:  After You Have Had Sex With Every Model and Lovely Lady While Flying and Shooting Lasers Out of Your Eyes……

Try to explore memory and performance, specifically musically related memory and performance. Try working on songs and guitar practices in your sleep.  Record your progress and your experiments and take note on how it is helping your guitar playing improve.  Be patient and be persistent.  And Have some fun!

Let us know your thoughts and experiences by leaving comments on this post.