[lle7]

im sure everyone heard the song Hotel California and the sweet solo at the end. was chords tone a big part of that solo?

there are other great crazy solos out there. do you think that when the player create those solos, they are creating the combination of notes based of chords tone?

[Fretsource]

Originally Posted by lle7

do you think that when the player create those solos, they are creating the combination of notes based of chords tone?

Yes - either consciously or unconsciously.
It's the notes of the solo blending (and contrasting) with the chord tones that make it sound good against the chord accompaniment.

[scotty_b]

The last section of the Hotel California solo is only chord tones.

[Kirk Lorange]

As scotty and Fretsource said: Yes.

I suppose there are some who are able to juggle scales and modes around in their minds and extract the relevant chord tones from them to create meaningful melody, but when you do hear a beautiful melodic solo, you can be sure it's chord tone based, and the easiest way to do that is to not worry about the scales/modes but zero in on the chords (which you need to know in either case). You eliminate a huge and needless step by thinking along those lines. I'm not saying you shouldn't know what scales and modes are, I'm just saying you needn't really think about them or follow them when soloing. Chords, their tones and your ear are enough, and a much more direct and fool proof way of getting there.

The Hotel California example sounds so nice because the chord progression itself is so beautiful. The nicer and more interesting the chord progression, the nicer and more interesting the melodies you can extract from those chords.

It's easier on a guitar, I think, to come up with nice chord tone melodies because of that 'kink in the tuning', as I call it. It lays those chord tones out in several different arrays on the fretboard, so the same batch of notes have different fingering possibilities. Keyboards have but one.

[lle7]

now that i have a better idea and direction of creating a solo over a piece of music. so im trying to make my own solo for the song House of Rising. This song has a nice chord progression and just simple. i thought that if it's easy enough for beginners then maybe i could come up with a solo. it turns out not as easy as i thought. it's stressing me out because when you sit down with your guitar knowing chords tones is the way to go and i was also trying to apply some of the A natural minor scale into the solo because i know it best but i just cant come up with any creative riffs. it's like when you trying to write a paper and you have writer's block. i listen to a lot of music that has really smooth solos and i get ideas from them. At the time im listening to it, i thought i could play something that sounds like that but when im holding my guitar, i dont remember anything i listened to.

is there any tips on how to be more creative?

[Kirk Lorange]

Sorry I missed your last question, lle7. I guess you surmised by the lack of answers that it's a tough question you've asked. Some artists simply force themselves to create using the premise that 99% of their output will be crap, waiting for that 1% to shine through; others (like me) sit around waiting for inspiration before committing anything to paper or tape, and even then are unsure and insecure about it.

I always found that if I had a specific project in mind, like a jingle to write, or a B side to a single, or a collaboration requiring me to write a guitar part or some lyrics, that I'd come good. A goal, in other words. That's often been my catalyst. Other than that ....

[oki270]

Originally Posted by lle7

is there any tips on how to be more creative?

Well, you can try using method Steve Vai uses - "talking to yourself". The idea is to convert sentences/words to music making syllables a notes. So what you get is a text played on guitar. Tried it once and it sounds nice.

[scotty_b]

Perhaps learning to play the melody and then palying through various permutations could be a start?
Learning other people's solos and lines, and then trying to adapt those, can also help develop your vocabulary.
Singing over the chord progression, then attempting to work out what notes you have sung can be a good way to develop your soloing as well.
I would also say that you could get a lot from Plane Talk in developing your soloing. It is an excellent resource.

[oki270]

How come all discussions on this board end up with - "you should buy Plane Talk" :-)?

[scotty_b]

I only recommend Plane Talk because I think it is an excellent resource for someone who is developing their soloing skills. I have nothing to gain personally in doing so, and only recommend it as it provides an excellent insight into approaching the guitar in a very musical way. There are other good resources available, but I do not believe they convey as much information as concisely as PT does, nor provide such a solid base for future development.
PT is by no means exhaustive, and once someone has studied it and is ready to look at further options for soloing, there are other books I would refer someone too.

[WernHalen]

Oki270,

I know exactly what you mean, I was a skeptic of all internet advertising once claiming that I could play guitar in 60 minutes etc.

I guess the one difference with PT is the amount of good feedback that I found everybody had on the subject. I listened to peoples recordings before and after they had PT for a couple of months, or weeks... I was intrueged, I must say. Then one day I was watching a post on a fairly difficult chord progression and the way to SOLO over it. Kirk did a quick recording over the progression and I was hooked. The melody and harmonies just was so good, I had to try it for myself. I bought the PDF book and won the printed version with a DVD about a month or two later...

I found the material refreshing and it all made sense to me in the first reading... I found the transition form scales to PT a bit daunting because it meant I had to leave my preciously memorized scales at the door. Then I just decided to give it my all and take the plunge.

Two days after my wife walked int he room and commented how much my playing improved all of the sudden. At church I kept on getting complements about how my playing blessed them... I was a free man, free to use the whole fret board.

One thing Kirk forgets to speak of is the ability of PT to allow you to play around with different Chord voicings without too much thought...

Ok I am starting to ramble so I will make this my last sentence:

If the amount of unsolicited good press in the forum is not good enough to sway you, I don't know what will be.