# Spacey Guitar Solos: Theory and Tips?



## BWalter123 (Jun 17, 2011)

Heya,
I am interested in composing some sort of instrumental composition for a friend of mine in the online space MMORPG Eve Online. I would like it to sorta fit a spacey theme or w/e due to the nature of the game (your in spaceships haha). Any suggestions on what sort of scales or modes, intervals, or etc. Perhaps you could share some quick phrases or licks to get me going?


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## concertjunkie (Jun 17, 2011)

BWalter123 said:


> Heya,
> I am interested in composing some sort of instrumental composition for a friend of mine in the online space MMORPG Eve Online. I would like it to sorta fit a spacey theme or w/e due to the nature of the game (your in spaceships haha). Any suggestions on what sort of scales or modes, intervals, or etc. Perhaps you could share some quick phrases or licks to get me going?




Best place would be to look and learn (preferably by ear) solos of bands with the ""sound" you really dig, so you can add those elements to your playing and soling
Also studying those riffs to the point where you get why certain notes or phrases sound good in certain spots, will help you bring that out at any time


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## Overtone (Jun 17, 2011)

I have 3 suggestions...

Lydian mode. This is the ultimate spacey sound for me. Try pedal tones to the root... like this

2-0-4-0-6-0-2-0-4-0-6-0-7-0-4-0-6-0-7-0-9-0 etc

Some exotic scales: melodic minor, whole tone... (p.s. I'm overtone cuz I like the Overtone scale, a mode of melodic minor), diminished, even synthetic scales (basically take any note sequence and repeat in octaves)

Think about your chords... sometimes just moving a major chord or a major seven in an unconventional way can create that martian feeling. There are also some major to minor unconventional movements that do that. 


I actually have a few of these ideas in my ancient song "warp drive" Ahmad | Free Music, Tour Dates, Photos, Videos
(I realize how woefully poor the production is by modern day internet guitar standards  )


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## McCap (Jun 18, 2011)

Well for me one typical space sound
is playing a major Arpeggio and adding the flat 6th after the 5th.
root -> 3rd -> 5th -> b6 -> 5th

The scale would be the harmonic major, my new favourite 
It is basically a major scale with a b6.
This gives you the following chords:
1. maj7
2. min7b5 or half diminished
3. min7
4. min/maj7
5. dom7
6. augmented (maj7)
7. diminished

Other than that...*loads of synths!!!*


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## Fiction (Jun 18, 2011)

Reverb. Lots of reverb. Listen to post rock, but instead of happy, make use of darker scales and play slow, dramatic bends that last over bars and nothing really fast tempo. And has been mentioned, get ya synth on!


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## Cabinet (Jun 18, 2011)

I think a lot of spacey music sounds the way it does because of it's very slow tempo and subtle melodies. It doesn't sound all that complex, simplicity IMO is a key tool to use.


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## jnukes2 (Jun 27, 2011)

Try the Lydian mode and maj7 arpeggios.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 27, 2011)

Phyrigian!!!


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 27, 2011)

Pitch Axis Theory:



Whole Tone: (throw in a key change too)



And add chromatics with whole tone as well:



Basically, Satch and Leda solos.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 27, 2011)

Cabinet said:


> I think a lot of spacey music sounds the way it does because of it's very slow tempo and subtle melodies. It doesn't sound all that complex, simplicity IMO is a key tool to use.


 
This is another good example. The vibe and the mood of the overall music. 

My previous post only addressed the guitar soloing/scale side of things. Those will help when it comes to application. 

Now I'm addressing the overall music and key factors. 

Space can also mean less as Cabinet said. Ambience and creating a feeling can be used with even the most normal minor scale. 

An upbeat, futuristic "calm and peaceful" space sounding theme:



A more darker, emptier, forboding space sounding theme:



A more heroic upbeat, urgent space theme:



A simple pulse that holds the piece together:



The first 2 revolve around the generic natural minor theme, but are great in portraying the feeling of space. The third and fourth revolves more on instrumental arrangement (as well as the odd Pitch Axis Theory usage or key change or so) to achieve the vibe. One more complex, one very simple, but both maintain the vibe. 

Also listen to everything relating to sci-fi of course.


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## Stealth7 (Jun 28, 2011)

Delay! And lots of it!


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## brutalwizard (Jun 28, 2011)

YouTube - &#x202a;"Ardat-Yakshi" - Patrick Healy&#x202c;&rlm;

just keep it simple man,


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## signalgrey (Jun 28, 2011)

dont wash yourself out with delay. use it to make a cloud or notes to play off of, use reverb for washing out.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 28, 2011)

signalgrey said:


> dont wash yourself out with delay. use it to make a cloud or notes to play off of, use reverb for washing out.



 Or add a second delay to stagger the first/wash the first delay out.  A little bit of chorus helps too. 

And play minor 9th/11th chords.


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## Konfyouzd (Jun 28, 2011)

A phaser sounds spacey as fuck. Almost to a cheesy degree


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## signalgrey (Jun 28, 2011)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> Or add a second delay to stagger the first/wash the first delay out.  A little bit of chorus helps too.
> 
> And play minor 9th/11th chords.



thats for us elites, the peasants aren't ready for the advance tactics.


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## Cadavuh (Jun 30, 2011)

1) Slow tempo.
2) 1 second tap on ping-pong delay
3) Thirds, fifths, and ninths. Whole notes and half notes.


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