how do i construct a solo properly?

[DISCIPLEofMETAL]

im 18 and have been playing for 9 years now and have gained tons of riffing knowlegde and skill over that period. but for the last 2 years i have been tired of riffing and have begun a lifelong journey to master the technique of soloing. I have tons of licks, ascending and descending runs, stuff i lifted off of my early megadeth albums,blues licks, 3,4,5,and 6 string arpeggios, some legato and tapping stuff and a bunch of ideas i came up with myself, i was just wondering how im supposed to go about putting all these things together properly to form a solo. i have many ideas on how to do this, its just that something seems to be missing.
ive written a couple of solos but they arent flowing the way that i would like them to. some experienced help with this topic would be greatly appreciated.
im also aimed more towards a shred/blues style of soloing if that helps any.

[ericthecableguy]

What works for me is to listen to the rythm (or play it), shut my eyes and hear the solo in my nogen, than play what comes out.

[darkcornerrock]

Yeah, but you gotta really know the scales and **** do just play wats in your head...

You probly just gotta chord the scales, and try and keep it all in a kinda harmony, coz then it sounds wicked.... kinda hard to shred with though...

[ralud]

when i want to construct a solo...i take the main chord progression and find it in different places..find the best place..and improvise a lick...write it down and go to the next chord...but you should be in the same movable scale the whole time

[kill em all]

Your problem might be in phrasing (the most important part of any solo) and if so, just keep the solos you have written and play them over and over coming up with soulful phrases best you can.

[magicninja]

I just go at it until I hear something I like. Then, I take what I got and fine tune it a little where it needs it.

[larryvan]

i have a certain faith feel the rythem find the mucical structure such as the scale progg. work around that, is the doe go to 5ths 4ths hlfs sip octoves and ride if you are on on great wave youll know it!

[g----rant]

i hear the solo i want in my head, but i don't know wat notes, only roughly wat the melody should sound like, then i try different sequences til i find one i like, then take it from there

[mr.slash]

What works for me is to listen to the rythm (or play it), shut my eyes and hear the solo in my nogen, than play what comes out.
i like that skit to from will ferrell vol 2

[CW14]

Hearing the solo in your head and replicating that is a good method, but working it out can be a problem. If you record youself humming the solo along with the song as you imagine it, you can refer to that when working it out on the guitar.

[fernando brea]

the first thing a) work on the chord changes
b) see the common scales
c) see the common chord notes
e) aproach any of the chord or scale notes from a chromatic note and mthen make a simple melody with ( corcheas, negras, tresillos some syncopation, etc.) of course i do this when i am improvising dont forget the pentatonic scales
i hope it can help you

[Superhuman]

I just forget about scales and theory and imagine the solo in my mind before I pick up my guitar. You get much better ideas through the mind than through the hands. Hear a solo/part/run/phrase in your mind as you listen to the backing riff then work it out note by note. I never bothered with theory and this method works fine for me. A solo should have direction (beginning, middle and end) like a musical story and shouldnt just be a collection of runs up and down.

[Mr.Guitar!]

imagine the solo in your mind it's very good way, but if dont know some licks, solos, if you cant sing this...Trying to create the solo this way may be a problem for you

[Superhuman]

imagine the solo in your mind it's very good way, but if dont know some licks, solos, if you cant sing this...Trying to create the solo this way may be a problem for you

True, but if you don't know any licks and runs already and you think up something that sounds really cool to you, you will have your own original licks and will be creating your own unique style from the very beginning. This is what will make you sound different to most other players who practice the same licks as everyone else. A lot of guy can play Vai, Satch, EVH or Yngwie solos perfectly but they find it very difficult to write their own music because they are too used to copying rather than creating.

I love listening to great players but have no interest in being able to play their music. The one exception for me is 'No Boundaries' by Michael Angelo which I would recommend most guitarists look at, even if they don't like the style (download it for free on www.angelo.com). I think it's a great composition for practicing just about every technique ever created in a challenging way that involves the entire fretboard. It's also very clinical and not overly imbued with a specific style (no strong vibrato or unusual harmonics etc) so you won't pick up the hallmarks of another players style. That said, it's not for everybody (awaiting the Michael Angelo flames... ("he sucks!"... "that track blows"... "look at his hair!" :p )... I know, he looks like a goofball but he does play very well on this particular track!