Hi guys,

I'm really trying to work on my soloing skills. And I'm just wondering if you guys think that learning a song's solo note by note is almost a waste of time. Seems like figuring out the scale and learning how to get better at improvising would be a better use of time. Though I imagine that learning solos note by note could lead to getting good ideas for cool licks. What do you guys think?

Hey Dave52,
I dont think it's a waste of time at all. Actually that's the way the teach the solos in every song on here. The key thing when you're trying learning a solo is to first listen and listen many times untill you have it in your head and you're able to sing it. As the master Anders Mouridsen says: the more you can sing it, the more easy will be when you try to play it. This is because it's not just a issue to memorize notes but also to pay attention to timing and rythm.
How long have you been playing? If you re just a starter I would suggest to focus on rythm, chords, etc before going straight to the solos.. but this is just my opinion

I think you actually answered your own questions quite well! Speaking as a student and learning both ways, there are benefits from doing both!

Can only speak for myself on this one, but I am almost a year into playing guitar. So, after having lessons for a few months, practicing scales and chords and rythums and techniques, and all that very important stuff...

I now am into the Hotel California solo's. Rather advanced for my skill level at this point, but hey, why not? :-)

For about the last three weeks I have been practicing them over and over. I'd like to be able to play something that sounds like a song, so diligently I've plodded on. And, guess what? I now can play something that sounds near what the solo's are supposed to sound like. Neat stuff. Anders is really good at explaining them, if you haven't seen his lesson yet on that song, check it out.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that my ability to see the frets and notes where they are in relation to the whole neck is much better because of these last three weeks...also, my fingers and hands have really gotten stronger, that has to be good. Lots of good can come for doing more practice, obviously. So, I feel that it has not been a waste of time for me to practice soloing, but of course...still practice your chords every night. ;-)

Thanks for your responses guys!

I've actually been "playing" for 10 years. Though most of that time I just messed around from time to time playing songs I knew or simple chord progressions. It wasn't until about a month ago when I joined this site that I committed to really get better and work on my improv. Either way my rhythm, chords, picking, etc are all pretty good...although alternate and high voicings of chords I need to work on understanding the theory behind them.

I'm going through Blues level 2 right now and I see how learning artists' solos could give you cool licks to mess around with and adapt to your own style. I guess I was talking more about learning note for note a 30 second solo, which I feel that while helpful, it'd be a better use to time to understand the scale and individual licks behind it. Sort of teaching a man how to fish and feeding him forever as opposed to giving him a fish?

My mistake, sorry!

After just teaching myself for 10 years,I started lessons with 2 teachers at the same time, each had totally different teaching styles.1 taught every scale from major, minor, penitonic, dorian etc in every position on the neck. Very overwhelming to say the least. Every solo was tabbed and worked on each lesson. I think it took 6 lessons to finish Hotel California. It was gruesom as well.
The second teacher told me to put that **** away and just listen and try to figure it out yourself. BOTH ways worked. Either way...practice, practice, practice! It's amazing how much you don't learn in a few hours if you are not practicing with some kind of theory. That's my 2 cents for whatever it may be worth to you!