Why learn somebody else’s guitar solo ?
If you have been visiting FreeLicks for a while, you have probably noticed the guitar lessons and licks focus on learning techniques from different guitarists (Slash, SRV, Jimi Hendrix etc.). Now if you have been a good student, practicing for hours, you have probably also noticed good guitar technique does not come easy.
-So why bother?
Why should you spend your precious time trying to learn just one short little tapping lick? Wouldn't that time be better spent with your metronome exercises, working up your chops to Eddie Van Halen/Yngwie Malmsteen speed?
-The answer is: Absolutely NOT! Spending weeks trying to learn that single lick, which you like so much, is the most rewarding thing you can do. Here is why: |
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1) If you choose to work hard with a riff/lick/technique which you like, you will customize your repertoire to your musical taste and preference. This will lead to musical originality and personality. It has been mentioned before but it is well worth repeating: Nobody wants to be a clone! The last thing the world wants is another Eddie Van Halen/Yngwie Malmsteen "shred" clone. You should therefore take what you like from any musical influence, may it be Rap, Mozart, Elvis Presley, Westlife (etc.) you choose. The point is to combine something unusual, so once again: forget the "Bach 'n Roll" thing, because that was original 20 years ago...
2) By playing solos from guitarists that are new to you, you will change your habits. Too many guitarists are stuck with their three exercises which they practice all day long, no wonder they feel they are "stuck in a rut"! If you are dreaming about waking up one day and spontaneously improvising into new licks and phrases, the only way to is to learn other people's solos. Very few of us have the ability to grow as guitarists without inspiration from others. Just read the biography of any great musician and you will find out they have been copying and "stealing" countless licks in their early practicing days. How would you learn a new language without hearing other people speaking it? So don't go buy expensive instructional DVD's, just learn some of the solos/licks at FreeLicks!
3) Timing! Music is so much more than just scales and techniques. The way a musician deals with different rhythms and syncopations is crucial to his/her sound. In other words if you want to understand Stevie Ray Vaughan's phrasing and timing, the only way is by playing his solos and songs. No theory book in the world could explain Stevie’s technique better than his own compositions. -> If you can play along with your favorite guitarist, you are one step closer to incorporating his/her tricks into you own playing, thereby creating a style of your own.
4) Not convinced yet? How about this: Jamming along with other guitarists is just loads of fun! Once you get the hang of it, you are going to wonder how you could live without it.
Okay, so how do you learn your favorite guitarists solo? Well the fastest and probably the easiest way is to learn a FreeLicks solo. But what if the solos aren't working for you, or if you can't find a solo that motivates you enough to practice for hours? I recommend buying a Tascam guitar trainer (as seen on the picture). It enables you two slow down and loop any solo/riff/song, all you need is a guitar and the song you want to learn. The point is find a solo that you like...It also has great built in effect / amplifier simulations, metronome etc. It's the ultimate practice tool! |
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Now go ahead and learn those licks....
/Kristofer 
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