Probably just in general he's one of the most underrated guitarists because the Pumpkins are one of those unique bands that don't fit in with the masses. His playing was/is far more interesting than many middle of the road guitarists that get hailed as gods all the time. But hey, it's one of those "if you know, you know" things
I was kinda hoping the answer to be: A MELODY Call it a lead line, a motif or whatever. I think most solos lack a unique set of notes that set them apart form all other melodies. Don't get me wrong, I love Kirk's soloes. They're certainly recogniseable, but most of them feel like he's throwing licks at us. Compare that to just the 6 first notes of Hendrix's "Little Wing". Unmistakeable. That, to me, is what makes a guitar really sing
I thought the same. I switched from drums to guitar because of Siamese Dream, so I read a bunch of Corgan guitar mag interviews back in the 90's. The single biggest concept I remember regarding solos was: they needed to go somewhere. They should take the song to a different place by the end of it - up or down in energy. Cherub Rock is a good example. Even though the chords are familiar coming out of the solo, he's augmented it with a different vocal line / melody. Gave the same chords new lift towards the end of the song.
Most of Kirk's best solos where they "sing" are anything before "Death Magnetic" onward (well that last "Unforgiven III" solo is amazing, aside from that nothing else). But yeah, he really got lazy in the late 00's, he barely soloed in the 90's, so idk if that counts.
For me a big issue is when I get locked into a repetitive pattern of fingering. I've caught myself multiple times using a lot of repeated motions, but in different spots along the fretboard. Ultimately it feels like if writers block and muscle memory had a bastard child
Honestly that can still work if done right. Think of the middle climbing part of Enter Sandman's solo if you take away the wah. (Or even with wah, still sounds good) That's just the same 3 note lick starting on the 12th fret, then up to the 14th, then ending on the 15th. I love that little climb, as simple as it is.
I feel like after a point though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you’re not playing prog there’s only so many ways you can go up and down a scale that sound ‘good’ in a conventional setting
What i do is the moment i catch myself doing that, use a different finger, mive the finger somewhere else or move to a different string. From there you can decide whether you wanna resolve or branch out into another idea. Nothing wrong with those "safety licks" , especially if youre just sorta showing off for people. Hope this helps :)
Kerry's method for recording solos in the studio is really interesting, actually. For each one he consumes the tape for up to 3 hours' worth of tasteful shred. Actually eats it. He then takes five doses of Ex-lax, squats over an SM-57 and records whatever comes out.
I love Corgan’s philosophy on his article on how the music you wind up playing because it connects to you might be different from what you listen to and are inspired by. Corgan’s big influence was surprisingly Yngwie and there’s a few mid eighties videos of Corgan shredding on a Les Paul. But as much as I like it I’m glad he went with what he truly connected with.
Billy was the best songwriter of the 90's alternative rock scene from a compositional perspective and those first three albums from SP are three of the greatest albums in rock history in my opinion with "Siamese Dream" being my favorite album of the 90's and his guitar tone on it pushed me to swap my stock strat pickups for the lace sensor pickups (blue, silver, and red) that he used religiously on those first three albums. Without a doubt the most versatile pickups I have used out of the seven electrics I own in regards to the wide range they offer in controlling your tone.
@@Zappappappappa To place Corgan within a genre or temporal era completely guts his true greatness. I'm not trying to sound like some sort of intellectual snob or something, I just think it confines and cheapens the value of the art itself and removes the transcendence of it.
I remember thee was someone in the comments under one of the Corgan shredding compilations describing him as an "80's guitarist who successfully managed to adapt to the 90's"
Funny, but I do hope you know that the meme of "Hammett Solo = Wah" is entirely untrue. Oh sure, he went through a wah period, but it's not the end-all, be-all of Hammett's soloing.
Pretty sure I read that Billy Corgan article when it came out, he has some great ideas about using guitar for the purpose of making good songs, not just for the sake of playing guitar
This is why a dude like Chuck Shuldiner is such a great guitarist to learn from--all his solos show off a ton of technique--but ultimately they are part of the song, and tell their own musical story. Also, a good one to learn from jazz is having the band as a whole change dynamics, and call and response and react to the soloist, rather than just be a back track for an individual to show off.
I figure solos are "neat", but useless without context. As far as I'm concerned, the solo has to serve the song. Whether the solo is created around the song or vice versa, if there's no song then there's no solo - it's just a lick or an idea.
I am inclined to agree, one solo i love is seize the day by avenged sevenfold. Its a beautiful solo on its own, but the emotional power only comes through fully when its in its proper place in the song
I think one great example is Stairway to Heaven. I don`t think the solo itself is anything incredible, but the way it interacts with the song and the fact that it comes like a sun ray after such a great journey is what makes it so good and legendary
Corgan is in my opinion the best songwriter that came out of the 90's alternative rock scene when looking at it from a purely compositional perspective and Billy's love for a wide range of different artists and genres really shows with how unique the Pumpkins' sound was and the amount of different elements Billy utilized as a way to pay homage to his inspirations. His approach to playing on "Siamese Dream" is what makes it the best album to come out of the American alternative rock scene in the 90's and in my view top three for the entire decade.
In an interview with guitar world Angus Young said, "Why play a thousand notes when you can get your point across with a few notes". This was in reference to his solos. While he's not my favorite soloist, he definitely gets the job done. 🎸.
One of my favourite guitar solos ever is the one by Alex Lifeson on ´Limelight´. If you only heard the isolated track of the solo without knowing the song you'd never get it. But it perfectly matches the mood of the lyrics (feeling isolated amongst the crowds of fans).
One of the most influential tips I ever read was that the best (i.e. most memorable) solos are ones you can easily sing along with. David Gilmour and John Mayer immediately come to mind for this. Flashy licks have their place but a good solo has a melody and a well thought out progression from beginning to end.
I think it's partly because someone like Billy is as much of an artist as he is a player, which unfortunately not all people are. Anyone can study and practice to become a brilliant player technically speaking, but the true artists are born with that mind and develop/hone it with hard work into songwriting. Those videos of Billy in the 80s shredding some amazing stuff on some Les Paul type guitar show he'd mastered the technicalities of the instrument by a fairly young age but hadn't yet developed his artistic approach to music and songwriting. It's about knowing when to call on the difficult solo playing as well as the far more simplistic, melodic or textural soloing to best suit the song. I'm sure other artists as well as Billy sometimes have to work a lot on ideas when writing but I get the feeling intuition comes into it too. He just knows what works best for any style of song he's written. The moment you stop trying to impress the listener and instead focus on serving the song can be a pretty profound thing
Billy once said, there is no wrong way to play a guitar. After decades of playing I agree, it's a noise maker and my goal is to make sounds myself and other people enjoy its that easy.
Yep, I’ve always said it. A solo can only be as great as the song it’s a part of. A solo should take the essence of the song and express it in a way that’s not possible with words. Take that feeling to a next level if you will and create a moment of catharsis.
Yes, a very important fact, the song is king or rather the end result is king. But to acquire the skillset to put the right solos/riffs in their proper place one has to grind seemingly mindless scales like forever. Think of it like building oneself a toolbox with fully working tools instead of sticks and stones.
Real interesting video, not what I expected. I thought you were going to point out the one thing that a great solo needs is space, not just a predictable, endless barrage of notes. That kills the dynamics and musicality 99 times out of a hundred.
One of the best solos on rock n' roll history was the Soma solo by Billy Corgan. It wasn't guitar wankery at all. It went along with the song and it was so perfect. A lot of people forget that Billy Corgan was a great guitarist and a superb soloist. In my opinion, a solo should fit the song. I'm not a big fan of guitar wankery in which a guitarist will play a backing track and recklessly shred through tons of scales and various arpeggios. It just seems excessive to me and it doesn't sound good. But if you build a solo around an actual good song, such as Soma, it sounds much better. Another great solo was Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins. Again, it was a tasteful solo that revolved around a great song.
I remember when Corgan had a column in Guitar World I think it was. He also recommended experimenting with little things like different picks, different tunings, etc.
Billy has such a great sense of musicality, how sounds will fit together, what creates and colors the landscape/structure of a song, and even his wildest, most technical solos are just so tastefully done. Some people later too much and the feel is gone, his layers just added and added and added until your heart, ears, and brain were the same organ. Sometimes I can’t believe I saw them play live. I mean, I loved Kurt, Mike, Kim, Dean, Chi, Jerry, and other GREAT guitarists from that era but Corgan and the whole SP concept will always speak to me the most. From a guitar standpoint to the overall sound and execution. It’s literally ART.
The story isnt about soloing but it does feel related to what you're talking about: I was in a power-pop band in Reno from 2003-2006. Our guitarist, Ty, was our primary song writer. What's cool is that he was also the primary songwriter for a metalcore band in Holland but his pop music sensibilities were so strong that, while writing a six song EP for his metalcore band, he ended up with like 10 other songs that were failed attempts at metalcore songs that worked perfectly in our power-pop band. We ended up with more songs than his Holland band and all of our early songs were scraps from that band. In fact, our best songs were always the songs that started off as him trying to write for the other band.
This gave me a big kick as a new guitarist. I tend to focus on just getting the scale right or just noodling with no structure, but the music and the songs need to be the reason I do this.
It’s so cool to look back on your early guitar solos and see what has evolved. What licks you now use or always go back to. It makes the journey of playing that much better
I don't care how awesome a solo is. If it doesn't evoke emotions and actually be interesting, I could care less for it. It needs soul, character, emotion, and a purpose. If you can take a guitar solo out of the song and the song doesn't change in a meaningful manner, it doesn't have a proper purpose and detracts from the song
Perfect example is Sweet Child o Mine solo. The song wouldn't exist without it. Compared to many uninspired shelf solos... To me a solo needs to have it's own intro development climax and resolution as a mini song within a song
kinda why Billy Corgan has always been one of my favorite guitarists. his solos have so much feel and are put in the perfect place in each song to just make them explode and push the song to that next level.
I'm a bassist and really dig your channel! I'm actively writing and performing in two bands and find your perspectives useful while I'm thinking on song bits. Thanks!
I remember an interview the late Dimebag Darrell did where he said his dad told him to learn one new lick a day. That was all he had to do -- learn one lick a day and add it to his repertoire. After a while, you will build up an arsenal of licks you can draw from when composing a solo or riff. Another valuable piece of advice I got was an article interview with Joe Satriani, where he said to locate the root note of any key you're playing in everywhere across the fretboard. That way, you have reference points all across the neck and places you know you can land on in case you get stuck in a rut.
Great lesson. As soon as you first played the solo by itself, no backing..I knew exactly where you were going with the lesson. And sure enough, once you dropped the backing in...it erupted! Night. And. Day !!
In my opinion, most solos are missing a sense of melody and structure. Often, I'll listen to a solo and it just sounds like a bunch of fast notes. I want a solo that follows the chord changes. I want a solo that shifts moods. I want a solo that tells a story or captures an emotional arc, even if you can't articulate what that arc is.
This is exactly the way i see it too, you know even if its quick give me a change of pace in there somewhere you know. Instead of playing at just the same speed (slow or quick) change the tempo up some, take it from quick and aggressive to slow and vulnerable; i mean its a solo be creative and give some character and variation
It might not be the most popular statement to say, but after so many years of the electric guitar where every inch of fretboard and every nuance of amplifier has been played on, built up, torn down, recreated and blown up a thousand times, it's really getting more & more difficult to come up with something that makes people's ears perk up. That's why most people in 2021 use the guitar for a stress reducer/relaxation tool, rather than a magic wand that makes everyone think you're a hero. Much of what the instrument does has already been laid out & claimed.
Watched quite a few of your videos, never commented before, but this was a great one, I gotta say that you're a pretty cool dude! Thanka for sharing the knowledge and great tips! Stay safe out there everyone! GOOD LUCK!
I used to have a subscription to Guitar, and Guitar School magazine that my grandfather used to renew for me as a Christmas gift every year. I still have every single issue in boxes in the basement now. The "Guitar" magazines aren't still in as good a condition as my Guitar School magazines because the spines on the Guitar school magazines were better quality. Every now and then I will pull those boxes out and go through those magazines. I think it's awesome that you kept yours around too. (To a certain degree) haha.
Im actually a Bassist but I take these lessons, all of them to heart. I think I could add on to this the concept of revisiting licks and finding new way to recreate them, or even probably just update them. You might end with something much much better than before
I recognized that first solo you played, even without the backing track. Sometimes I write the song, then come up with a solo or melody, then other times the solo first and the rest of it comes later. And sometimes a riff I recorded 50 years ago inspires a song today. IMO a guitar "god" is one that can generate an emotional response to the whole song, not just be gobsmacked by how fast you can play or how many notes you can cram into one second. That's why I record everything, even the noodling. Something will pop.
Great video Brad... with either a liquor or a riff or even just a melodic idea that could be a vocal or some kind of a lead... I'll often sing them into my phone recorder... then we create them either on the piano keyboard base or guitar... And even sometimes it's a rhythm idea that I come up with at a gym night or something and I just hit record on my phone to capture the sound or the feel... developing into a completed song is always the dream and of course the best feeling when you have it done! 😎🤘🎸
mike, thankyou for this video. you are a really good guitar teacher and in all the ways, not just one. it seems that every one of your videos are hitting on really important things for me music wise. keep up the great work and it did indeed trigger a lot of ideas and motivation. have good one
When I was in a band, the song we were playing didn't have a solo, so I just borrowed one from a different song, and it worked, possibly passed as semi original due to different song keys.
The secret to a good solo is write the song first. To often people write a bunch solos or ideas and then try to force the idea into a song just write the song and then play the solo that fits.
When I started playing guitar all my friends wanted to be slash because of his solos but every one always misses the point that his rhythm playing is just as good
Great insights to soloing and making them sound even more artful and musical that inspires me as a guitarist and I love the passionate melodic playing!
You mentioned synchronicities in this video and this video itself is a synchronicity for me right now. I didn't record a lot of my little licks and riffs that i came up with as much as I would transcribe them in this huge binder I used to have. I always dated everything too. The other day I accidentally found that binder that was from almost 20 years ago. (I had forgotten all about it) In it I found a ton of shit that I wrote and completely forgot about. (I used to have a heavy opiate addiction). If I hadn't of kept all those notes and ideas, they would've been lost forever. Finding this video today is a sign of some kind i think. Thank you 😊
Great video. Nice guitar work. I'd add one thing. If you put together a fully realised song, record it somehow. Otherwise it'll disappear just like licks do.
YES, I LOVE IT! You 20-30-somethings can keep your smartphones and tablets. There's nothing more reliable than the good 'ol fashioned three ring binder. There's something about touching the slightly rough paper the tabs were printed on in magazine's. It's like an indescribable connection, not only to the music but also to the band. My teenage self in the 80's imagined my favorite guitar players were so cool they actually took the time to write out the tabs of their songs so their fans could learn to play them too. lol. But the best part was the smell of the paper when you found that 2 year old copy of Guitar World with Eddie Van Halen on the cover holding his Frankinstrat.
Guitar World had some great columns in it back in the 90s. J Zombie also had a great one that focussed more on forming and running a band, some very sage advice in that one. Not weird at all to have kept these old magazines.
Thanks so much for all your takes, ideas and tutorials. Love your channel. Always learn something new. Wish i had more patience and drive to play more intricate stuff, but im stuck somewhere between classic metal and alternative. Lol. Just started a channel to try and motivate myself some. Thanks again bro. You rock! \m/
I totally agree, one thing I’ve always done ever since i started was just add some chords or riffs in there before and after a solo; a pretty simple thing, but its something that helps determine me figure out the direction I’ll take + I’ll record almost any of my “noodling” still not too the point of a “song” but i could definitely imagine a bass line in the back if my head or some drums after I listen too it so i may just get into some midi stuff just to mess around with it; still wanna learn bass though 😁
Great video. Context is important for solos. Maybe, there would be the slight difference between an improvisational solo in context and a through composed piece for an ensemble or solo instrument.
Mick Taylor, is my favorite player. He understood there were 12 nites, 8 of which work well inside any given key. From those 8, 5 are hugely impactful, whether major ir minor, and 3 were passing tones for flavor. He's obviously capable of anythig his mind heard, but always chose the right notes for the tension and release while still showing restraint. Slash also has that appraoch. I can't stand noodler ala Lynch, etc. EVH is an obvious exception, as he wrote a real composition within a compostiton.
Great video... I think you have a whole new concept here... I feel we've gone through several stages through the years... great songs, great songs/great solos, greater song writing/poor solos, lousy songs/lousy solos (Simon C era)... Listening to your guitar playing gives me hope. I like to add syncopation and durations to my leads. I think all good leads, truly relate to the theme (melody) in some way. They also generally have a bit of a clash and resolution. Also playing against different timings such as 3-3-2 (4/4) and 4 triplets per measure bring out really cool leads. Do you have any videos of such things? Thanks... Piano player/former guitar player :)
I was wrong. I clicked on this video because of the Title, not so much BC Billy Corgan, but the topic... Then I almost left because I thought oh this is another shredder with amazing chops showing me how bad my solos are... lol You definitely have some serious chops, overall technique is clean like someone who practices allot... So your idea about putting solos in a frame, so it’s a composition , it makes a world of difference, it is what makes a solo memorable, Bark at the moon is a good example, that solo section, 3singable...ithe more memorized & practice can give the brain a chance to explore & try new ways .
That solo is amazing and better than anything I've ever come up with. If I had one suggestion to offer I'd say that solos should try to be a bit like mini stories with a beginning, middle, and end. They don't have to be, but they often appeal to the listener more when they are. Think about why songs are structured the way they are. Why do we like songs that start slowly, have a pre-chorus, then chorus, then another verse, and pre-chorus, and chorus again, etc.? It's not because it's the only way you can structure a song. There are a lot of really amazing songs that don't do it, but even though some music nerds appreciate them, most other people do not. I guess my point is to think about forming solos in a way that is pleasing for the audience to hear.
see, I never just come up with solos - I ALWAYS have the song first, then the melodies on top come and I construct something that sits on that bed but also flows through it seamlessly. I like to think of a solo as telling a story of it's own or expressing a raw emotions or sonic coloration. Sometimes it's mood and aesthetic and atmosphere and other times it's lyrical. My band's original song "My Friend" on my channel reflects these principals pretty well I think.
I love hearing you talk about your old cassettes. I’d imagine we are close to same age and the only reason my recordings aren’t on cassette is because I didn’t start playing till I was 17.
The only reason my music isn't on cassette's is, they weren't invented when I started playing. I used a reel to reel tape deck. Allowed me to overdub from track to track.
Smashing Pumpkins are the mold on the wall of a small town mall Hot Topic stockroom that grew until it became sentient, divided into four, and started a band. If you move a box of old faux leather chokers you’ll see the stain where the started, right next to the circuit breaker box.
I like to keep the whole magazine. I don't throw things away, I pay for. Also, I love pulling out my old guitar world magazines and rediscovering the gear, tabs, and interviews I may not have been interested in years ago.
Make your solo part of a song. This used to be more of what a solo used to be: enhance a sing, serve the song. When a solo is just showing off your guitar talent, the song isn't served and made better. A great lick can inspire a song, but a great song should inspire a solo. They should not be separate.
@@MrWilander88 debatable today, as many, like myself, find his work sleepy. There is such a thing as being boring with your emotions. This is what I feel when Gilmore plays. To each, their own. Adversely, I like how Hendrix played a lot. Sloppy, because drugs often when live, but his expressions where neat, and almost playful. Thats the sign of emotions used correctly in music, in my opinion.
I come up with ideas but don't have the time for a band or the mates to jam with so pretty much everything I play is just noodling. Amazing solo BTW!!!
If the solo has a home/song as you say, the solo can play around with motifs of other elements of the song, let's say it's repeating the vocal-line partly. In this way the solo gets connected to the rest of the song.
Billy Corgan is one of the most underrated Guitar players of the 90s
Probably just in general he's one of the most underrated guitarists because the Pumpkins are one of those unique bands that don't fit in with the masses. His playing was/is far more interesting than many middle of the road guitarists that get hailed as gods all the time. But hey, it's one of those "if you know, you know" things
I'm a fan of Billy's solos because he shreds a lot but it doesn't sound boring. The solos fit the songs
Very underrated guitarist, as far as when they rank "Top 100 guitarists". He belongs there.
My solos are generally missing talent...
Same
F
I feel seen.
Me too buddy
Just keep playing! You may not be the best but you'll be better than you were. It's a journey.
I was kinda hoping the answer to be:
A MELODY
Call it a lead line, a motif or whatever. I think most solos lack a unique set of notes that set them apart form all other melodies.
Don't get me wrong, I love Kirk's soloes. They're certainly recogniseable, but most of them feel like he's throwing licks at us. Compare that to just the 6 first notes of Hendrix's "Little Wing". Unmistakeable.
That, to me, is what makes a guitar really sing
I thought the same. I switched from drums to guitar because of Siamese Dream, so I read a bunch of Corgan guitar mag interviews back in the 90's. The single biggest concept I remember regarding solos was: they needed to go somewhere. They should take the song to a different place by the end of it - up or down in energy. Cherub Rock is a good example. Even though the chords are familiar coming out of the solo, he's augmented it with a different vocal line / melody. Gave the same chords new lift towards the end of the song.
If you can't sing or hum your solos, it's probably bs.
That's been my experience. Make em sing!
@@mattgilbert7347 bingo!
Most of Kirk's best solos where they "sing" are anything before "Death Magnetic" onward (well that last "Unforgiven III" solo is amazing, aside from that nothing else). But yeah, he really got lazy in the late 00's, he barely soloed in the 90's, so idk if that counts.
@@murk4552 Halo on Fire sings like nothing else Kirk has ever written in the past two decades.
For me a big issue is when I get locked into a repetitive pattern of fingering. I've caught myself multiple times using a lot of repeated motions, but in different spots along the fretboard. Ultimately it feels like if writers block and muscle memory had a bastard child
Honestly that can still work if done right. Think of the middle climbing part of Enter Sandman's solo if you take away the wah. (Or even with wah, still sounds good) That's just the same 3 note lick starting on the 12th fret, then up to the 14th, then ending on the 15th. I love that little climb, as simple as it is.
I feel like after a point though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you’re not playing prog there’s only so many ways you can go up and down a scale that sound ‘good’ in a conventional setting
What i do is the moment i catch myself doing that, use a different finger, mive the finger somewhere else or move to a different string. From there you can decide whether you wanna resolve or branch out into another idea. Nothing wrong with those "safety licks" , especially if youre just sorta showing off for people. Hope this helps :)
@@tylercady3985 That's true, sometimes a simple repetitive lick with slight adjustments can be terrific if well executed!
@John McIntyre I know the feeling lol. It's like you wish you could just do a factory reset on your hand and start unimpeded
Slayer solos!!!!! What's the formula? What are the scales? RICK BEATO! YOU THERE???
Its a chromatic scales with a mix of jazz. After Slayer ended, Kerry King finaly started his be-bop band
Thry use the Kerry King scale
Slayer solos = dial up connection sound.
Kerry's method for recording solos in the studio is really interesting, actually. For each one he consumes the tape for up to 3 hours' worth of tasteful shred. Actually eats it. He then takes five doses of Ex-lax, squats over an SM-57 and records whatever comes out.
Id love to see rick breakdown a kerry king solo
I love Corgan’s philosophy on his article on how the music you wind up playing because it connects to you might be different from what you listen to and are inspired by. Corgan’s big influence was surprisingly Yngwie and there’s a few mid eighties videos of Corgan shredding on a Les Paul. But as much as I like it I’m glad he went with what he truly connected with.
Billy was the best songwriter of the 90's alternative rock scene from a compositional perspective and those first three albums from SP are three of the greatest albums in rock history in my opinion with "Siamese Dream" being my favorite album of the 90's and his guitar tone on it pushed me to swap my stock strat pickups for the lace sensor pickups (blue, silver, and red) that he used religiously on those first three albums. Without a doubt the most versatile pickups I have used out of the seven electrics I own in regards to the wide range they offer in controlling your tone.
this is interesting when you consider smashing pumpkins was almost a post punk band
@@Zappappappappa To place Corgan within a genre or temporal era completely guts his true greatness. I'm not trying to sound like some sort of intellectual snob or something, I just think it confines and cheapens the value of the art itself and removes the transcendence of it.
I remember thee was someone in the comments under one of the Corgan shredding compilations describing him as an "80's guitarist who successfully managed to adapt to the 90's"
Billy Corgan is a damn musical genius.
Kirk Hammett: that solo is missing a wah pedal
Funny, but I do hope you know that the meme of "Hammett Solo = Wah" is entirely untrue. Oh sure, he went through a wah period, but it's not the end-all, be-all of Hammett's soloing.
@@johncrafton8319 ...yeah, it is.
@@johncrafton8319 Weally?????
Hardly "entirely untrue", if " he went through a period".
yeah Kirk. the most shitty commercial successful guitarist ever.....
Pretty sure I read that Billy Corgan article when it came out, he has some great ideas about using guitar for the purpose of making good songs, not just for the sake of playing guitar
He did a whole series of articles, all which were very enlightening. Loved it.
If I recall correctly, the whole series of articles is collected in the Melon Collie tab book.
Billy Corgan is a hell of a great composer and guitarrist, one of my greatest inspirarions
@@TheArtofGuitar dude...links to the song. Your original stuff, where do I find it?
Where can I find those online?
I’m still waiting to find out what Billy corgan actually said
🤣🤣 Was just thinking this, tf did Billy actually say?
This is why a dude like Chuck Shuldiner is such a great guitarist to learn from--all his solos show off a ton of technique--but ultimately they are part of the song, and tell their own musical story. Also, a good one to learn from jazz is having the band as a whole change dynamics, and call and response and react to the soloist, rather than just be a back track for an individual to show off.
Chuck-The main reason I play melodic death metal. What a genius.
I figure solos are "neat", but useless without context. As far as I'm concerned, the solo has to serve the song. Whether the solo is created around the song or vice versa, if there's no song then there's no solo - it's just a lick or an idea.
I am inclined to agree, one solo i love is seize the day by avenged sevenfold. Its a beautiful solo on its own, but the emotional power only comes through fully when its in its proper place in the song
100% agree
Eruption
I think one great example is Stairway to Heaven. I don`t think the solo itself is anything incredible, but the way it interacts with the song and the fact that it comes like a sun ray after such a great journey is what makes it so good and legendary
Thats what I tell all of my students: j) No song, no solo!
Corgan is in my opinion the best songwriter that came out of the 90's alternative rock scene when looking at it from a purely compositional perspective and Billy's love for a wide range of different artists and genres really shows with how unique the Pumpkins' sound was and the amount of different elements Billy utilized as a way to pay homage to his inspirations. His approach to playing on "Siamese Dream" is what makes it the best album to come out of the American alternative rock scene in the 90's and in my view top three for the entire decade.
100% agree with you. He is still alive and creating music so unfortunately most people would disagree.
In an interview with guitar world Angus Young said, "Why play a thousand notes when you can get your point across with a few notes". This was in reference to his solos. While he's not my favorite soloist, he definitely gets the job done. 🎸.
I think that Dave Gilmour would agree with that statement.
A friend actually went to a show with both Yngwie and Angus, and was much more exited by Angus.RIP Steve Blackwood.
He made an incredible career out of it. Well, that and a schoolboy uniform. And that seizure thing.
Yeah, but these are still just a few notes played slowly, even if they get the point across. Where's the feel? :)
Let me tell my opinion: Pauses and spaces. Usually that's whats missing as we just stuff whole solo with sound. Pauses build tension,try it out!
Underrated comment
One of my favourite guitar solos ever is the one by Alex Lifeson on ´Limelight´. If you only heard the isolated track of the solo without knowing the song you'd never get it. But it perfectly matches the mood of the lyrics (feeling isolated amongst the crowds of fans).
Billy is a monster player, and a musical genius.
One of the most influential tips I ever read was that the best (i.e. most memorable) solos are ones you can easily sing along with. David Gilmour and John Mayer immediately come to mind for this. Flashy licks have their place but a good solo has a melody and a well thought out progression from beginning to end.
The Purple Haze solo out of context made me think of Steve Howe's guitar playing style. Never before did I realised how jazzy it was.
"Realize"
"Did" is already in past tense.
👍
@@unrepentantoffender188 Thank you. English is not my main language, and sometimes I get lazy with autocorrect on my phone.
Absolutely no one wrote solos like Billy. Pure shredding talent blended with melodic genius and creative fx. Kurt also was very unique.
I think it's partly because someone like Billy is as much of an artist as he is a player, which unfortunately not all people are. Anyone can study and practice to become a brilliant player technically speaking, but the true artists are born with that mind and develop/hone it with hard work into songwriting. Those videos of Billy in the 80s shredding some amazing stuff on some Les Paul type guitar show he'd mastered the technicalities of the instrument by a fairly young age but hadn't yet developed his artistic approach to music and songwriting. It's about knowing when to call on the difficult solo playing as well as the far more simplistic, melodic or textural soloing to best suit the song. I'm sure other artists as well as Billy sometimes have to work a lot on ideas when writing but I get the feeling intuition comes into it too. He just knows what works best for any style of song he's written. The moment you stop trying to impress the listener and instead focus on serving the song can be a pretty profound thing
Couldn't have said it better
What our solos are missing:
Songs.
Mind = blown
Billy once said, there is no wrong way to play a guitar. After decades of playing I agree, it's a noise maker and my goal is to make sounds myself and other people enjoy its that easy.
Yep, I’ve always said it. A solo can only be as great as the song it’s a part of.
A solo should take the essence of the song and express it in a way that’s not possible with words. Take that feeling to a next level if you will and create a moment of catharsis.
Yes, a very important fact, the song is king or rather the end result is king. But to acquire the skillset to put the right solos/riffs in their proper place one has to grind seemingly mindless scales like forever. Think of it like building oneself a toolbox with fully working tools instead of sticks and stones.
The difference between approaching guitar playing as a tool of expression vs. trying to be a guitar hero!!!🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍
Billy is always right. EDIT: don't throw away the tapes, give them to me, I love collecting tapes
Real interesting video, not what I expected.
I thought you were going to point out the one thing that a great solo needs is space, not just a predictable, endless barrage of notes.
That kills the dynamics and musicality 99 times out of a hundred.
What you're saying is know when NOT to play.
One of the best solos on rock n' roll history was the Soma solo by Billy Corgan. It wasn't guitar wankery at all. It went along with the song and it was so perfect. A lot of people forget that Billy Corgan was a great guitarist and a superb soloist. In my opinion, a solo should fit the song. I'm not a big fan of guitar wankery in which a guitarist will play a backing track and recklessly shred through tons of scales and various arpeggios. It just seems excessive to me and it doesn't sound good. But if you build a solo around an actual good song, such as Soma, it sounds much better. Another great solo was Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins. Again, it was a tasteful solo that revolved around a great song.
Those are my favorite Pumpkins guitar solos. They've been my favorite band since '92.
So, what was Billy Corgan saying?? U never quoted it pal
My blood is boiling lol Without the context of Corgan’s statement… Our solos are missing… songs to live on? LOL
I remember when Corgan had a column in Guitar World I think it was. He also recommended experimenting with little things like different picks, different tunings, etc.
Billy has such a great sense of musicality, how sounds will fit together, what creates and colors the landscape/structure of a song, and even his wildest, most technical solos are just so tastefully done. Some people later too much and the feel is gone, his layers just added and added and added until your heart, ears, and brain were the same organ.
Sometimes I can’t believe I saw them play live. I mean, I loved Kurt, Mike, Kim, Dean, Chi, Jerry, and other GREAT guitarists from that era but Corgan and the whole SP concept will always speak to me the most. From a guitar standpoint to the overall sound and execution. It’s literally ART.
The story isnt about soloing but it does feel related to what you're talking about:
I was in a power-pop band in Reno from 2003-2006. Our guitarist, Ty, was our primary song writer. What's cool is that he was also the primary songwriter for a metalcore band in Holland but his pop music sensibilities were so strong that, while writing a six song EP for his metalcore band, he ended up with like 10 other songs that were failed attempts at metalcore songs that worked perfectly in our power-pop band. We ended up with more songs than his Holland band and all of our early songs were scraps from that band. In fact, our best songs were always the songs that started off as him trying to write for the other band.
This gave me a big kick as a new guitarist. I tend to focus on just getting the scale right or just noodling with no structure, but the music and the songs need to be the reason I do this.
It’s so cool to look back on your early guitar solos and see what has evolved. What licks you now use or always go back to. It makes the journey of playing that much better
I don't care how awesome a solo is. If it doesn't evoke emotions and actually be interesting, I could care less for it. It needs soul, character, emotion, and a purpose. If you can take a guitar solo out of the song and the song doesn't change in a meaningful manner, it doesn't have a proper purpose and detracts from the song
Perfect example is Sweet Child o Mine solo. The song wouldn't exist without it. Compared to many uninspired shelf solos...
To me a solo needs to have it's own intro development climax and resolution as a mini song within a song
kinda why Billy Corgan has always been one of my favorite guitarists. his solos have so much feel and are put in the perfect place in each song to just make them explode and push the song to that next level.
I'm a bassist and really dig your channel! I'm actively writing and performing in two bands and find your perspectives useful while I'm thinking on song bits. Thanks!
Corgan's article taught me so much, in a meta, over arching way
I remember an interview the late Dimebag Darrell did where he said his dad told him to learn one new lick a day. That was all he had to do -- learn one lick a day and add it to his repertoire. After a while, you will build up an arsenal of licks you can draw from when composing a solo or riff. Another valuable piece of advice I got was an article interview with Joe Satriani, where he said to locate the root note of any key you're playing in everywhere across the fretboard. That way, you have reference points all across the neck and places you know you can land on in case you get stuck in a rut.
These are really great tips.
Thanks for sharing them, man!
Unfortunately the root note of every key is every note on the fretboard
Great lesson.
As soon as you first played the solo by itself, no backing..I knew exactly where you were going with the lesson.
And sure enough, once you dropped the backing in...it erupted!
Night. And. Day !!
You're playing that guitar so well. At one point, your face reminded me of Will Farrell in "Anchor Man" when he's slaying the flute.
In my opinion, most solos are missing a sense of melody and structure. Often, I'll listen to a solo and it just sounds like a bunch of fast notes. I want a solo that follows the chord changes. I want a solo that shifts moods. I want a solo that tells a story or captures an emotional arc, even if you can't articulate what that arc is.
This is exactly the way i see it too, you know even if its quick give me a change of pace in there somewhere you know. Instead of playing at just the same speed (slow or quick) change the tempo up some, take it from quick and aggressive to slow and vulnerable; i mean its a solo be creative and give some character and variation
you should listen to the band Cacophony! The songs Sword of the Warrior and The Ninja have really cool solos
The One Thing MOST of Our Solos Are MISSING! -------> Context
Fantastic advice, Mike. Really need to start getting some of my ideas down into context...
It might not be the most popular statement to say, but after so many years of the electric guitar where every inch of fretboard and every nuance of amplifier has been played on, built up, torn down, recreated and blown up a thousand times, it's really getting more & more difficult to come up with something that makes people's ears perk up. That's why most people in 2021 use the guitar for a stress reducer/relaxation tool, rather than a magic wand that makes everyone think you're a hero. Much of what the instrument does has already been laid out & claimed.
Djent people:
"You can always tune down and add another string!"
Watched quite a few of your videos, never commented before, but this was a great one, I gotta say that you're a pretty cool dude! Thanka for sharing the knowledge and great tips!
Stay safe out there everyone! GOOD LUCK!
Crazy, but I started sing Purple Haze in my head during the solo not knowing.
I used to have a subscription to Guitar, and Guitar School magazine that my grandfather used to renew for me as a Christmas gift every year. I still have every single issue in boxes in the basement now. The "Guitar" magazines aren't still in as good a condition as my Guitar School magazines because the spines on the Guitar school magazines were better quality. Every now and then I will pull those boxes out and go through those magazines. I think it's awesome that you kept yours around too. (To a certain degree) haha.
Im actually a Bassist but I take these lessons, all of them to heart.
I think I could add on to this the concept of revisiting licks and finding new way to recreate them, or even probably just update them.
You might end with something much much better than before
I recognized that first solo you played, even without the backing track. Sometimes I write the song, then come up with a solo or melody, then other times the solo first and the rest of it comes later. And sometimes a riff I recorded 50 years ago inspires a song today. IMO a guitar "god" is one that can generate an emotional response to the whole song, not just be gobsmacked by how fast you can play or how many notes you can cram into one second. That's why I record everything, even the noodling. Something will pop.
Great video Brad... with either a liquor or a riff or even just a melodic idea that could be a vocal or some kind of a lead... I'll often sing them into my phone recorder... then we create them either on the piano keyboard base or guitar... And even sometimes it's a rhythm idea that I come up with at a gym night or something and I just hit record on my phone to capture the sound or the feel... developing into a completed song is always the dream and of course the best feeling when you have it done! 😎🤘🎸
That binder idea is so good! I don't have my magazines anymore but if I get some again I'll definitely try it.
mike, thankyou for this video. you are a really good guitar teacher and in all the ways, not just one. it seems that every one of your videos are hitting on really important things for me music wise. keep up the great work and it did indeed trigger a lot of ideas and motivation. have good one
When I was in a band, the song we were playing didn't have a solo, so I just borrowed one from a different song, and it worked, possibly passed as semi original due to different song keys.
The secret to a good solo is write the song first. To often people write a bunch solos or ideas and then try to force the idea into a song just write the song and then play the solo that fits.
That solo was awesome!! It was really cool to see it go from 3 random riffs and crafted into a great solo.
When I started playing guitar all my friends wanted to be slash because of his solos but every one always misses the point that his rhythm playing is just as good
Great video, Mike. Thanks for posting. I’m learning a ton from your videos.
Really enjoyed your perspective and examples! Nice playing and couldn't agree more... the song makes everything.
Great video, great solo, and, as always, just a completely enjoyable presentation. Keep up the awesome work, dude.
At risk of being beheaded, I always thought the solo to comfortably numb wouldn’t sound anywhere near as good without the progression behind it.
You got it, dude.
I am not a fan of metal but that was ferocious playing!
I’ve still got 90% of my mags from the last 20 years. The 3-ring binder is a great idea.
Great insights to soloing and making them sound even more artful and musical that inspires me as a guitarist and I love the passionate melodic playing!
You mentioned synchronicities in this video and this video itself is a synchronicity for me right now. I didn't record a lot of my little licks and riffs that i came up with as much as I would transcribe them in this huge binder I used to have. I always dated everything too. The other day I accidentally found that binder that was from almost 20 years ago. (I had forgotten all about it) In it I found a ton of shit that I wrote and completely forgot about. (I used to have a heavy opiate addiction). If I hadn't of kept all those notes and ideas, they would've been lost forever. Finding this video today is a sign of some kind i think.
Thank you 😊
I almost never write a solo by itself, or even think of solo ideas. I start with riffs, melodies, or just something that sounds cool.
Great video. On the opposite end too, not every song needs a solo to be great. Sometimes it can flow better without one.
That solo was fucking awesome, man
This was so helpful. Really love the idea of putting magazine pages into folders too.
Listening to much Megadeth when you guys wrote 'missing time' by any chance? 😁🤘
Only every second of every day. 🤣
@@TheArtofGuitar 😆😆
Ditto!
Certainly not a diss 👍
@David Zarqui I didn't even know Marilyn Manson played guitar. I figured it was John 5 all the way.
Great analytical perspective and playing! 👏👏👏
I go through the old mags and scan in the articles for sources of lessons. Love your vids.
Great video. Nice guitar work. I'd add one thing. If you put together a fully realised song, record it somehow. Otherwise it'll disappear just like licks do.
YES, I LOVE IT! You 20-30-somethings can keep your smartphones and tablets. There's nothing more reliable than the good 'ol fashioned three ring binder. There's something about touching the slightly rough paper the tabs were printed on in magazine's. It's like an indescribable connection, not only to the music but also to the band. My teenage self in the 80's imagined my favorite guitar players were so cool they actually took the time to write out the tabs of their songs so their fans could learn to play them too. lol. But the best part was the smell of the paper when you found that 2 year old copy of Guitar World with Eddie Van Halen on the cover holding his Frankinstrat.
Guitar World had some great columns in it back in the 90s. J Zombie also had a great one that focussed more on forming and running a band, some very sage advice in that one. Not weird at all to have kept these old magazines.
Thanks so much for all your takes, ideas and tutorials. Love your channel. Always learn something new. Wish i had more patience and drive to play more intricate stuff, but im stuck somewhere between classic metal and alternative. Lol. Just started a channel to try and motivate myself some. Thanks again bro. You rock! \m/
Nice shredding dude! 👍
I totally agree, one thing I’ve always done ever since i started was just add some chords or riffs in there before and after a solo; a pretty simple thing, but its something that helps determine me figure out the direction I’ll take + I’ll record almost any of my “noodling” still not too the point of a “song” but i could definitely imagine a bass line in the back if my head or some drums after I listen too it so i may just get into some midi stuff just to mess around with it; still wanna learn bass though 😁
Great idea and great song! Gonna look up Sanctus. Really enjoyed it!
That intro solo was pretty good
that's the solo in the outro...
Great video. Context is important for solos. Maybe, there would be the slight difference between an improvisational solo in context and a through composed piece for an ensemble or solo instrument.
Mick Taylor, is my favorite player. He understood there were 12 nites, 8 of which work well inside any given key. From those 8, 5 are hugely impactful, whether major ir minor, and 3 were passing tones for flavor.
He's obviously capable of anythig his mind heard, but always chose the right notes for the tension and release while still showing restraint. Slash also has that appraoch. I can't stand noodler ala Lynch, etc. EVH is an obvious exception, as he wrote a real composition within a compostiton.
Great video... I think you have a whole new concept here... I feel we've gone through several stages through the years... great songs, great songs/great solos, greater song writing/poor solos, lousy songs/lousy solos (Simon C era)... Listening to your guitar playing gives me hope. I like to add syncopation and durations to my leads. I think all good leads, truly relate to the theme (melody) in some way. They also generally have a bit of a clash and resolution. Also playing against different timings such as 3-3-2 (4/4) and 4 triplets per measure bring out really cool leads. Do you have any videos of such things? Thanks... Piano player/former guitar player :)
I was wrong. I clicked on this video because of the Title, not so much BC Billy Corgan, but the topic... Then I almost left because I thought oh this is another shredder with amazing chops showing me how bad my solos are... lol
You definitely have some serious chops, overall technique is clean like someone who practices allot...
So your idea about putting solos in a frame, so it’s a composition , it makes a world of difference, it is what makes a solo memorable, Bark at the moon is a good example, that solo section, 3singable...ithe more memorized & practice can give the brain a chance to explore & try new ways .
That solo is amazing and better than anything I've ever come up with. If I had one suggestion to offer I'd say that solos should try to be a bit like mini stories with a beginning, middle, and end. They don't have to be, but they often appeal to the listener more when they are. Think about why songs are structured the way they are. Why do we like songs that start slowly, have a pre-chorus, then chorus, then another verse, and pre-chorus, and chorus again, etc.? It's not because it's the only way you can structure a song. There are a lot of really amazing songs that don't do it, but even though some music nerds appreciate them, most other people do not. I guess my point is to think about forming solos in a way that is pleasing for the audience to hear.
see, I never just come up with solos - I ALWAYS have the song first, then the melodies on top come and I construct something that sits on that bed but also flows through it seamlessly. I like to think of a solo as telling a story of it's own or expressing a raw emotions or sonic coloration. Sometimes it's mood and aesthetic and atmosphere and other times it's lyrical. My band's original song "My Friend" on my channel reflects these principals pretty well I think.
I love hearing you talk about your old cassettes. I’d imagine we are close to same age and the only reason my recordings aren’t on cassette is because I didn’t start playing till I was 17.
The only reason my music isn't on cassette's is, they weren't invented when I started playing. I used a reel to reel tape deck. Allowed me to overdub from track to track.
Wow, this solo/lick was just sick!
Smashing Pumpkins are the mold on the wall of a small town mall Hot Topic stockroom that grew until it became sentient, divided into four, and started a band. If you move a box of old faux leather chokers you’ll see the stain where the started, right next to the circuit breaker box.
I'm not a fan of Smashing Pumpkins, but I understand their place in music history.
That said, you're comment got a big laugh out of me. 🤣
The Unforgiven 1 solo is great but I love it with the rhythm guitar behind and strings etc...
I thought this was going to be about Billy Corgan.
I like to keep the whole magazine. I don't throw things away, I pay for. Also, I love pulling out my old guitar world magazines and rediscovering the gear, tabs, and interviews I may not have been interested in years ago.
Make your solo part of a song. This used to be more of what a solo used to be: enhance a sing, serve the song. When a solo is just showing off your guitar talent, the song isn't served and made better. A great lick can inspire a song, but a great song should inspire a solo. They should not be separate.
Pretty much like any solo written by David Gilmour.
@@MrWilander88 debatable today, as many, like myself, find his work sleepy. There is such a thing as being boring with your emotions. This is what I feel when Gilmore plays. To each, their own. Adversely, I like how Hendrix played a lot. Sloppy, because drugs often when live, but his expressions where neat, and almost playful. Thats the sign of emotions used correctly in music, in my opinion.
I come up with ideas but don't have the time for a band or the mates to jam with so pretty much everything I play is just noodling.
Amazing solo BTW!!!
Great solo. I love your guy's style!
Appreciate what you are doing!
If the solo has a home/song as you say, the solo can play around with motifs of other elements of the song, let's say it's repeating the vocal-line partly. In this way the solo gets connected to the rest of the song.
Definitely true. Great vid and cool licks 🤘
Nice to know that I'm not the only one who files those lessons away for later use.