I just have to mention that Per did his part in one take. No extra takes, no practicing or anything. Just shows how awesome of a guitar player he is. Buy one now
Ola Englund love your work man, I'd actually like to write a university report on this and was wondering if you could tell me what software/hardware you're using to record all of this? it would me a major asset to my report if I could get a response from you on this. cheers man 🤘
Man just watch some other videos... for the software, the DAW is Logic Pro X. I think Ola had an Apogee Quartet interface (not sure if he still does), and then just bunch of cool metal amps, usually Hesu 2x12 cab and a SM57. Here you go.... plus that awesome Washburn Solar guitar...
Do you remember that time we made a Per play popular movie theme songs on guitar out of thin air without having played them before? I do. He played the bass and lead lines of John Williams film scores at the same time off the top of his head. So yeah, we all need a Per. He's great to have at parties as well as in the studio.
Guy played with Timo from Delain at the Aristides after party at NAMM and they both literally harmonized 16th notes at an ungodly tempo ... fully improvised. It was like watching the second coming of shred.
Sometimes I feel locked up in the technicalities of music theory, and feel like I have to learn it fully before I start composing, but this video was a helpful reminder that what's most important is just making something that sounds good. Thank you! :)
Jag älskar dig Ola. It's really awesome that you show us mere mortals how music is created instead of all those studiodiaries where a dude just nails everything on first take. Every time. You show us how it actually is for most of us.
Dude, I freaking LOVE that pinch harmonic towards the beginning of the solo!! The pitch and the feel is spot on and fits so perfect! Total ball grabber!
Tusen tack för denna video! Som smått förvirrad gitarrist i utveckling och som har gett sig fan på solon (och påläst med skalor och grejer) blir prestationsångesten till något som kan liknas ett monster och dödar en självkänsla totalt... så löjligt egentligen... känns lättare nu. Tror jag kan besegra monstret efter att ha sett detta. Tack igen, och Rock on!!
Yeah hes comparing hmself to the technical masters like Per. The good thing is that leads dont have to be technical to be awesome even in metal. In fact the best solos in my opinion are not super technical.Per understands this and just throws in his technical mastery sparingly.
Ola and Per are both amazing, but I do agree. Just by playing with good timing, good tuning & vibrato tech, and by presenting memorable melodies you can get far already.
Great video! I really love your solos, I have learned so many of your songs and I am always impressed. It is such a great mix between hard riffs and nice clean parts and awesome solos, which touch my heart. Can't wait to get the new Feared album...
Ola is using the same way to build a great solo as most of us do. Sure, there are some that hit, "record," and go for it, but this is effective for those of us who rarely can pull that off, especially whith no prep.. DLR mentiolned Eddie doing the same back in the day. He would create these parts, arrange them, and then learn to play them as a whole, for the live show, later. Recording is about the album. Great video, Ola. I just saw the comment about Per doing a one take. Special breed.
I can confirm the benefits of purchasing a Per for when you need an epic lead in one of your tracks. Low maintenance, virtually no noise and the one thing to bear in mind is to provide your Per with healthy doses of beer / bacon to ensure optimum functionality.
Trial and Error is still the best way to do it. At least for me, everytime I focus too much on the theory, modes and scales for a lead section, my solo always fall flat with no feel at all. Great vid
This is a totally legit way to do it. Trial and error, a lot of intuition, which you clearly have! But hey... if you want to know more about theory and how to approach it a bit more intellectual... next time you are in the Frankfurt area... let's hang, films videos and do stuff about theory... I know a few things about that... I don't have the intuition... all the stuff you have, but I know theory...some of it!
According to David Gilmour, this is basically how he comes up with solos as well. (Except for the Per Nilsson part. And maybe using tape instead of .wav's, but I don't know about that.) As a guitarist, if you find that you're doing things like David Gilmour, chances are you're not going too far wrong. He has also said that he'll carry a small audio recorder around with him and sort of sing or hum little melodies or motifs into it to later learn on the guitar for solos or even the main melodies of songs. That way if an idea hits him while he's out driving or something he can get it down and save it; it doesn't just evaporate back into the ether, never to reappear again.
Thanks for letting us see part of your creative process. It is nice to know that I'm not the only one that struggles with coming up with leads. Also as a professional product designer i'm always curious how other creatives create and manage their process.
This reminds me of an article I read on David Gilmour. He did the same thing back in the day. The result was incredible melodic solos. We have the advantage of technology today and this technique makes complete sense to me. ..another kick ass Ola video.
Sick, that's exactly how I've been doing it. One little piece at a time, then learning it all together for a final take. Doing it section by section lets me focus on writing something interesting and melodical. When I used to try writing solos all at one time by improv, I'd inevitably just wind up running through scales and making super boring solos.
Am I the only one you likes Ola's solo more than Per's one? :v btw. it's kinda funny that my name is Alexandra, but in my country the short form of it is Ola and that's how people call me the most often, in addition laughing at me, that I have a male name, like you Ola :D
+Alex Schmeia well put it like this, I was working up he solo and Per basically just rolled in and did it in one take. If I would've given him 2-3 more takes it would've probably killed my version
Ola Englund yeah possibly, not saying his solo was bad tho, it was very cool, in case it was just a one take it was mind-blowing then. Yours was just more melodic, which I really like. Anyways, you're both an amazing guitarists. Cheers! ;) 🤘🎸
This is exactly how I go for solos! Either this or a great improvisation the first/second time I jam on the rythms in the background. Glad to see I'm not the only one ^_^ keep it up Ola
i hope young guitarist understand just how helpful your videos are. I write solos in a similar way as you do sometimes, but it took years of playing to figure out what works and what doesnt. then again, i had a needle and a record player to learn songs with by ear also. The only other helpful hint i would give a guitarist in solo writing is to just begin by sliding a one finger pattern to the root note of every chord to begin with. then work on that as a start, great video as always Ola.
Nice Ola - that's kind of how I do it. Right after that point where I'm freakin' sick of the repetition is usually when something I really like happens. It's so much better than leaving the best parts in the rehearsal room. Peace
Ola Awesome thanks so much for posting this. You could have kept the mystery but props for your honesty. I write solo's in much the same way. I have no musical training at all, what I have learned I learned for books, UA-cam and by listening. It's heartening to know that a quality player like yourself goes about things in the same way (although your results are a lot lot better), makes me think maybe, just maybe if I keep plugging away I get maybe achieve a sound that doesn't make me wince when i listen back to it. Thanks man
I just do the same in my compositions and it is really practical if you know exactly which sound you are looking for, even without knowing the notes on the fredboard.
Great video Ola! As a fellow clueless-when-it-comes-to-leads player, it's cool to get some insight into your process. However, when I reach your level of "cluelessness" I'd count myself as a pretty damn slick lead player. You're so humble. ;-)
Man, as a player that knows theory I can't stress enough that knowing what chords and their function are pretty much took my playing to the next level. For someone that has been playing by ear like Ola, it really wouldn't take too much time to intellectually understand the stuff they play if someone helped them know!
I've been brushing up on theory and it really helps. I'm glad I didn't learn straight theory when I first started, but codifying some aspects of music having played a while is pretty darn helpful to get one out of a rut, or at least get a starting point for a particular sound.
Really cool, I need to back to write my songs, but the things that I need to do it, now it's complicated to have, but, you make this more possible than it is. Thank you Soo much, I'm already your subscriber, but I'll follow you more and more.
Interesting video thanks. I do my solos similarly, although I don't record them, just loop, for quite a while. It helps to listen sometimes instead of playing over and over. Get to know the track etc. I find that space in the solo, not filling every milli second with guitar, makes for a much better and interesting guitar part.
I've been watching some your old videos and I saw this for the first time, great idea for Per, I laughed my ass off. And of course man you did a great solo there🤘🤘🤘🤘
When you hit the "wrong notes" in the beginning, you were actually in a mode of the key you were using so if you stuck with it it would have sounded very dark and eerie
same way, don't know scales and never practised on them. i'm not great or such but do feel fine with that same way. like e.v.h once said, the less you know the more you can do. there are no limitations. i've got the problem with "lots" of theory due to having a "very" short memory span. the pro's of beeing a self tought is sometimes that the feel is really big. allot of metal guys are selftought for the most part, dime was also right.
I just have to mention that Per did his part in one take. No extra takes, no practicing or anything. Just shows how awesome of a guitar player he is. Buy one now
Per is a monster of the highest caliber \m/
Love how all of his scars are in perfect symmetry.
Ola Englund love your work man, I'd actually like to write a university report on this and was wondering if you could tell me what software/hardware you're using to record all of this? it would me a major asset to my report if I could get a response from you on this. cheers man 🤘
Man just watch some other videos... for the software, the DAW is Logic Pro X. I think Ola had an Apogee Quartet interface (not sure if he still does), and then just bunch of cool metal amps, usually Hesu 2x12 cab and a SM57. Here you go.... plus that awesome Washburn Solar guitar...
cheers man, was hoping for a reply from Ola to make the essay look heaps more credible but this will work fine
Do you remember that time we made a Per play popular movie theme songs on guitar out of thin air without having played them before? I do. He played the bass and lead lines of John Williams film scores at the same time off the top of his head. So yeah, we all need a Per. He's great to have at parties as well as in the studio.
lmao!
Keith Merrow yeah you just get him drunk and he becomes a jukebox of awesome songs
Guy played with Timo from Delain at the Aristides after party at NAMM and they both literally harmonized 16th notes at an ungodly tempo ... fully improvised. It was like watching the second coming of shred.
Keith Merrow pepridge farm remembers.
lmao!
5:21 Ola's tone is so good that he doesn't even need to play notes to write riffs
Just randomly pulls out one of the best lead guitarists of our generation into his video with no warning or foreshadwowing, Ola is a legend.
Sometimes I feel locked up in the technicalities of music theory, and feel like I have to learn it fully before I start composing, but this video was a helpful reminder that what's most important is just making something that sounds good. Thank you! :)
Well at least you're not locked up in Ola's guitar lead closet
My DAW can't load the PerNilsson.dll
Oh my god! That final part was so unexpected!
Jag älskar dig Ola. It's really awesome that you show us mere mortals how music is created instead of all those studiodiaries where a dude just nails everything on first take. Every time. You show us how it actually is for most of us.
Can i get a Per from Ikea?
just by what you said in the beginning you already proofed you´re one of "the good ones " thanxxxx for sharing, very worthy
Haha, Per is indeed the solo master. And this headless strandberg is amazing.
I'm using this in my Riffer Ed segment! It's amazing to know theory but also is awesome to create direct from what you think sounds great!
I love your honesty, and your openness about your weaknesses. It's good to know you're human!
Dude, I freaking LOVE that pinch harmonic towards the beginning of the solo!! The pitch and the feel is spot on and fits so perfect! Total ball grabber!
Tusen tack för denna video! Som smått förvirrad gitarrist i utveckling och som har gett sig fan på solon (och påläst med skalor och grejer) blir prestationsångesten till något som kan liknas ett monster och dödar en självkänsla totalt... så löjligt egentligen... känns lättare nu. Tror jag kan besegra monstret efter att ha sett detta. Tack igen, och Rock on!!
Do you know if they sell Pers in the US? Would come in handy for sure!
Feared getting more and more Pantera-ish. AWESOME
That humility. I like you more. Thanks Ola. You rock
Not a lead player my arse
Well, he'd be lying if he considered himself a lead player on par with Per Nilsson. Ola is humble.
true, but he still shits on most of us :)
Yeah hes comparing hmself to the technical masters like Per. The good thing is that leads dont have to be technical to be awesome even in metal. In fact the best solos in my opinion are not super technical.Per understands this and just throws in his technical mastery sparingly.
LMAO
Ola and Per are both amazing, but I do agree. Just by playing with good timing, good tuning & vibrato tech, and by presenting memorable melodies you can get far already.
Great video! I really love your solos, I have learned so many of your songs and I am always impressed. It is such a great mix between hard riffs and nice clean parts and awesome solos, which touch my heart. Can't wait to get the new Feared album...
It's always good to have one or two Per Nilsons ready at hand. You never know when you need one.
I like your leads Ola. Hearing "Time will not heal..." inspired me to really challenge myself on guitar again. So I thank you
4:40 dude you're like the best shredder I've ever seen!
Honestly, it's a beautiful solo! I liked it a lot! And the harmony was perfect, made it even greater!
PER NILSSON!!!
I laughed so hard when I saw that part, what a guy that PER is!
Where can I buy a Per Nilsson?
I think IKEA have started selling them now (in their music department). ;)
Ola is using the same way to build a great solo as most of us do. Sure, there are some that hit, "record," and go for it, but this is effective for those of us who rarely can pull that off, especially whith no prep.. DLR mentiolned Eddie doing the same back in the day. He would create these parts, arrange them, and then learn to play them as a whole, for the live show, later. Recording is about the album. Great video, Ola. I just saw the comment about Per doing a one take. Special breed.
Fucking loled at last Per Nilsson part!
I can confirm the benefits of purchasing a Per for when you need an epic lead in one of your tracks. Low maintenance, virtually no noise and the one thing to bear in mind is to provide your Per with healthy doses of beer / bacon to ensure optimum functionality.
Trial and Error is still the best way to do it.
At least for me, everytime I focus too much on the theory, modes and scales for a lead section, my solo always fall flat with no feel at all.
Great vid
This is a totally legit way to do it. Trial and error, a lot of intuition, which you clearly have!
But hey... if you want to know more about theory and how to approach it a bit more intellectual... next time you are in the Frankfurt area... let's hang, films videos and do stuff about theory... I know a few things about that... I don't have the intuition... all the stuff you have, but I know theory...some of it!
This is pretty similar to what I do when writing solos. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who goes for this approach. Thank you for the video!
Really honest, Ola. Deeply appreciated! Loved the end hahahaha
Coming from a fellow guitarist who does the same thing who also isn’t well versed in lead playing this is a very good way to right leads
Hahahah that ending!!! Per is love Per is life
According to David Gilmour, this is basically how he comes up with solos as well. (Except for the Per Nilsson part. And maybe using tape instead of .wav's, but I don't know about that.) As a guitarist, if you find that you're doing things like David Gilmour, chances are you're not going too far wrong.
He has also said that he'll carry a small audio recorder around with him and sort of sing or hum little melodies or motifs into it to later learn on the guitar for solos or even the main melodies of songs. That way if an idea hits him while he's out driving or something he can get it down and save it; it doesn't just evaporate back into the ether, never to reappear again.
Damn, now I want one of those Per Nilsson thingies...
I love that alarm tone at the beginning.... it makes you much more..... eehm... human to me :-).
Thanks for letting us see part of your creative process. It is nice to know that I'm not the only one that struggles with coming up with leads. Also as a professional product designer i'm always curious how other creatives create and manage their process.
This reminds me of an article I read on David Gilmour. He did the same thing back in the day. The result was incredible melodic solos. We have the advantage of technology today and this technique makes complete sense to me. ..another kick ass Ola video.
One of the best vids on this channel! love it
I'll tell you what Ola, your feel and vibrato is killer!
as someone who is learning how to play lead I found this really helpful. thanks!
Wow, that's freaky.. that tapping lick Per did was almost exactly what was going through my head listening to that arrangement. o_O
wow, Per Nilsson is killer in his solos!
Per ❤️ one of the Best Guitar soloist. Love his flow, his sense of "reach the target note". And thanks Ola for this (and all of your) video!
I've hit the thumbs up BEFORE the Per Nilson part. I wish I could give two thumbs up now
Hey Ola, i opened my closet but found Lil Wayne... to whom do i have to ask for a refund?
Ask him for a feature his rapping ability is easily superior to his guitar abilities
the final take with Per make my day hahaha
Sick, that's exactly how I've been doing it. One little piece at a time, then learning it all together for a final take. Doing it section by section lets me focus on writing something interesting and melodical. When I used to try writing solos all at one time by improv, I'd inevitably just wind up running through scales and making super boring solos.
THIS
Agreed dude!
Awesome that you share stuff like this, very engaging with fans..... Thumbs up Ola!
Amazing video Ola!
Per and You are amazing guitar players!
Per is an amazing guitar moster!!!
Damn good solo for a rhythm guitarist! You give me hope! Although we all know rhythm is the most important part of any song.
Am I the only one you likes Ola's solo more than Per's one? :v
btw. it's kinda funny that my name is Alexandra, but in my country the short form of it is Ola and that's how people call me the most often, in addition laughing at me, that I have a male name, like you Ola :D
+Alex Schmeia well put it like this, I was working up he solo and Per basically just rolled in and did it in one take. If I would've given him 2-3 more takes it would've probably killed my version
Ola Englund yeah possibly, not saying his solo was bad tho, it was very cool, in case it was just a one take it was mind-blowing then. Yours was just more melodic, which I really like. Anyways, you're both an amazing guitarists. Cheers! ;) 🤘🎸
Excellent Ola, also I think you have a GREAT feeling on lead parts
Great contribution! Thank you Ola!
Love your work dude, same way i think, write and record too. Riff Kings 4 life!
This is exactly how I go for solos! Either this or a great improvisation the first/second time I jam on the rythms in the background. Glad to see I'm not the only one ^_^ keep it up Ola
Show how you do eq, compress and other treatment a solo guitar!)
Very cool to watch even as a fan. Since i am not a guitar player i would need to get a Per and a Ola. :D
Where can I get a Per Nilsson?
I love your honesty
i hope young guitarist understand just how helpful your videos are. I write solos in a similar way as you do sometimes, but it took years of playing to figure out what works and what doesnt. then again, i had a needle and a record player to learn songs with by ear also. The only other helpful hint i would give a guitarist in solo writing is to just begin by sliding a one finger pattern to the root note of every chord to begin with. then work on that as a start, great video as always Ola.
Nice Ola - that's kind of how I do it. Right after that point where I'm freakin' sick of the repetition is usually when something I really like happens. It's so much better than leaving the best parts in the rehearsal room. Peace
It would be awesome to have Per on call! That was funny!
I might have just heard a part in the solo that reminded me of Pantera's This Love...Awesome!
It's reassuring to know that even the pros write the way I do!
I ❤️ The Haunted!! Glad I found your videos.
That's a very good Per Nilsson you have there Ola, where can I get one too?
best "how to" video of all time!
Ola
Awesome thanks so much for posting this.
You could have kept the mystery but props for your honesty.
I write solo's in much the same way. I have no musical training at all, what I have learned I learned for books, UA-cam and by listening.
It's heartening to know that a quality player like yourself goes about things in the same way (although your results are a lot lot better), makes me think maybe, just maybe if I keep plugging away I get maybe achieve a sound that doesn't make me wince when i listen back to it.
Thanks man
Exactly how I do it. Good to know I'm not the only one who records like that lol.
Lol the ending was hilarious! Great stuff Ola!
Dude, you're the best! Love your videos.
Best video ever Ola😂 Unfortunately my closet isn't big enough for Yngwie. (Bra lirat också!)
Jon Bjork Music 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
If he cut back of donuts he’ll fit
Thank you for posting this video. Very helpful and inspiring
Haah - add Per N. 👍🏻
Instant success
Great man!! For me that's pure music, and a very smartphone way to compose.
Cheers!!
I just do the same in my compositions and it is really practical if you know exactly which sound you are looking for, even without knowing the notes on the fredboard.
Great video Ola! As a fellow clueless-when-it-comes-to-leads player, it's cool to get some insight into your process.
However, when I reach your level of "cluelessness" I'd count myself as a pretty damn slick lead player. You're so humble. ;-)
Man, as a player that knows theory I can't stress enough that knowing what chords and their function are pretty much took my playing to the next level. For someone that has been playing by ear like Ola, it really wouldn't take too much time to intellectually understand the stuff they play if someone helped them know!
I've been brushing up on theory and it really helps. I'm glad I didn't learn straight theory when I first started, but codifying some aspects of music having played a while is pretty darn helpful to get one out of a rut, or at least get a starting point for a particular sound.
He already knows the theory, he just doesn't know the terms.
Really cool, I need to back to write my songs, but the things that I need to do it, now it's complicated to have, but, you make this more possible than it is. Thank you Soo much, I'm already your subscriber, but I'll follow you more and more.
Interesting video thanks. I do my solos similarly, although I don't record them, just loop, for quite a while. It helps to listen sometimes instead of playing over and over. Get to know the track etc. I find that space in the solo, not filling every milli second with guitar, makes for a much better and interesting guitar part.
PER!! I knew I needed to watch this video! Will you guest solo on Scar Symmetry's new album? *thinking emoji*
Good stuff Ola! I just ran into your video because I was struggling to write a solo. That Per part was hilarious! :D He is a genius. I want one! :)
So jelly! Would love to pick the brain of Per!
Hahahah that ending was really a surprise!! Awesome yet honest method for lead writing, thanks for the tips
Sounds like it works pretty well!!
Love your honesty. We are the same theory-wise so this was very helpful!
Wish you kept Per's solo for this song (My Next), it really wouldve made the song moreee kickass with the scar symmetry sound!
I've been watching some your old videos and I saw this for the first time, great idea for Per, I laughed my ass off. And of course man you did a great solo there🤘🤘🤘🤘
Per Nilsson cool guy!
i guess i should listen to ola's music now
next time taking a jeff loomis will be good too~!! haha
Jeff did a pretty bonkers solo for 7 Horns 7 Eyes and nailed it in one take too, haha.
Everyone should have a Per Nilsson. I know there's a delay on shipping him out to everyone because he's a proud papa now, but soon...
For someone who doesn't know shit about theory, the end result was absolutely amazing, man!
Very Megadeth-y feeling to the solo and rythm , fucking love it , great job Ola as always :D
When you hit the "wrong notes" in the beginning, you were actually in a mode of the key you were using so if you stuck with it it would have sounded very dark and eerie
nice video!! i improvise allways my solos and after i try to recorded the best parts in one!! the same for me
same way, don't know scales and never practised on them. i'm not great or such but do feel fine with that same way. like e.v.h once said, the less you know the more you can do. there are no limitations. i've got the problem with "lots" of theory due to having a "very" short memory span. the pro's of beeing a self tought is sometimes that the feel is really big. allot of metal guys are selftought for the most part, dime was also right.