[distressed_romeo]

What does everyone prefer?

For myself, I always improvise solos, as I find it really hard to compose or learn solos note-for-note.

I do respect some guitarists who plan out their solos though...Vito Bratta and Brian May immediately spring to mind.

[MetalMike]

I like to plan out the licks I'm going to use beforehand, but improvise the sections that are the transitions between those licks.

[distressed_romeo]

Originally Posted by MetalMike

I like to plan out the licks I'm going to use beforehand, but improvise the sections that are the transitions between those licks.

See, every time I try to do that, the pre-rehearsed licks sound really forced and out of place...

[All_¥our_Bass]

I like to improvise, that way it's different each time and gives more variety.

[Nik]

Originally Posted by All_¥our_Bass

I like to improvise, that way it's different each time and gives more variety.

Hmm, that's interesting. I find that that actually locks me into patterns. I either write out my solos, or I write out most parts and connect important parts with improv, although I do occasionally improv entire solos.

If you listen to "Waltz" on my myspace, the first solo is written out, and the second is improvised. I like the written one better, but I also like the sort of spontaneous feel of the improvised solo.

I also try improving over a solo section, too. Sometimes I end up improvising a great solo from scratch, it all depends on the backing chord progression, but mostly I write 'em out.

[includao]

thats so relative. music expression is thinking. sometimes you think fast, sometimes you think slow and plan out what fits better.

[metalfiend666]

I mostly compose stuff, I'm just not a good enough guitarist to improvise yet.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by distressed_romeo

See, every time I try to do that, the pre-rehearsed licks sound really forced and out of place...

Same here. The closest I'll do is work out a rough melodic "contour" for a lead, where I'll know approximately where I want a solo to go, and I'll have a few sections that I play approximately the same but the bits and peices holding them together are likely to change on a performance-by-performance basis.

The downside to this approach is if you're not careful your solos will tend to sound the same. The upside is, well, a lot of you guys seem to really dig the phrasing and "feel" of my lead, and that's totally because I'm improvising and not trying to play somethign exactly the same way twice.

[distressed_romeo]

Originally Posted by Drew

Same here. The closest I'll do is work out a rough melodic "contour" for a lead, where I'll know approximately where I want a solo to go, and I'll have a few sections that I play approximately the same but the bits and peices holding them together are likely to change on a performance-by-performance basis.

The downside to this approach is if you're not careful your solos will tend to sound the same. The upside is, well, a lot of you guys seem to really dig the phrasing and "feel" of my lead, and that's totally because I'm improvising and not trying to play somethign exactly the same way twice.

I think that's the reason a lot of shredders have trouble with phrasing; everything they do is based on prerehearsed patterns and licks, and so they're not really improvising when they take a solo.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by distressed_romeo

I think that's the reason a lot of shredders have trouble with phrasing; everything they do is based on prerehearsed patterns and licks, and so they're not really improvising when they take a solo.

Conversely, that's probably why I have trouble shredding.