After reading some interviews of some of the bigger guitarists out there, they all said that the key to success is to make sure that you have an emotive melody that touches your audience's heart.

It is definitely not about the ability to play faster and more notes then the next guy. It is about the music itself. Music is all about feeling. It's not about watching a race car racing around a track and clocking the speed ( though some people get an emotional high out of it), it's about the emotions it brings up in your audience.

Find some interviews of your favourite guitarists who you think are appealing to the public because of their finger speed. You might be surprised by what they think made them successful.

Then, listen to all those guitar solos in your genre that were or are huge successes, and consider how they make you feel when you listen to them.

Are you really only impressed by the technical guitar work, or is it the melody that touches you and raises the hair on the back of your neck.

Want to succeed as a solo guitarist? Then touch people's emotions with your playing. It usually won't be the super speedy guitarists that do this well. So, you can slow down a bit :)