The
"John Durant Guitar Solo Series"
I think many guitarists have always imagined
themselves playing guitar solos that rival legends like Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, or Stevie Ray
Vaughn, but they never seem to get past the most basic one string solos. It takes many years of dedication, practice and study
to even get to be half as good as any one of these legends.
"The John Durant Guitar Solo Series"
is designed to provide basic instruction for those guitarists wanting to improve their soloing capabilities. I'll try
to provide multimedia examples for some of these lessons, and I also recommend that students utilize a wide source of
study materials to expand their musical knowledge. My way is not the only way, and I know that I've benefited greatly
by learning the techniques of other guitar players whose style I've admired, and also by devoting many years
to the study of music theory.
The first article in this series will cover the physical aspects that
provide the foundation for great guitar soloists. Look for more articles in this series very soon! Thank you!
John
Durant
"The John Durant Guitar Solo Series - The Physical Aspect" copyright 2007 by John Durant
There
are two main physical attributes (other than hand size) that are essential for becoming a guitar solo virtuoso;
finger strength and finger/hand speed. Even guitar players without long fingers can become great soloists if they can greatly improve
on these two attributes.
The first attribute we'll address is finger and hand strength on the fretting hand.
Clean fretting, string bending, chord slides and hand speed are all dependent on good hand strength. The first thing
you'll notice about guitarists with exceptional hand strength is how effortless their playing appears. They can play
intense five-minute guitar solos with no fatigue whatsoever, and they're able to play equally well on both electric
and acoustic guitars. Very rarely will you hear a fret buzz from players such as these, and their tremolos and vibratos are
always controlled and in tune.
I used to work on my finger strength by squeezing a diesel fuel nozzle
for hours at my day job, but you can improve your finger strength simply by doing regular practice sessions on an
acoustic, 12-string, or bass guitar. These instruments require more fretting pressure and will definitely increase
finger and hand strength. Try playing your electric guitar after an hour or so of bass guitar practice; you'll feel like
Superman once you go back to that lower action and fast guitar neck! Music stores also carry hand exercise "grips"
which are somewhat useful, but I recommend dedicating more time to guitar practice instead of just doing hand grip
exercises.
Exceptional hand and finger speed is the second attribute that nearly all great guitar players possess.
There is only one way to achieve this critical asset: practice, practice, and more practice!
Hand speed on
the fretting hand is based on both mental and physical preparation. Repetition is the foundation that hand speed
is built on, because this helps increase both muscle memory, accuracy and endurance. Daily scale and chord practice
all over the neck is essential, and you have to master the fretboard from top to bottom to be a successful
soloist.
You can also help increase your speed and endurance by learning to fret only as hard as necessary,
and to fully relax your hands when not fretting. This can also help reduce the risk of tendinitis and repetitive stress
injuries that can end your music career before it starts!
By doing repetitive practice you increase your accuracy,
which also increases confidence, so that you play in a more "automatic" mode. You can have all the hand speed
in the world, but if you have to think about every note you play and are afraid of making mistakes, you're dead in
the water! When you've put in the time, you'll realize that it's easier to "get in the zone" and play
from the heart instead of playing from your head.
Next I want to talk about strength and speed of the picking
hand. You may think that less strength would be required, but most great guitarists finger-pick with this hand, even if they're
holding a pick; and faster picking styles also require significant strength and endurance. Different muscles
are used in the picking hand, and like the fretting hand, repetition is the key to hand strength, endurance, and
accuracy. I'm going to cover this in a general way right now, because picking is a very complex subject which needs to
be covered separately.
Practice picking in both the up and down direction. Make sure that
you pivot your wrist up and down instead of moving your whole arm when you're doing electric guitar solos. Strumming an
acoustic guitar sometimes requires more arm movement, and I've seen rhythm guitar players use wide arm strums for audience
appeal, and not so much for accuracy.
Repeat a picking pattern until you can do it to perfection without
thinking. Try to grip the pick only as hard as you need to keep it from falling out of your hand, or as hard as you need
to achieve the dynamics you need. I use thick guitar picks (1.14mm and up) that would be difficult to use with
speed if I wasn't relaxed enough.
I can't stress the "relaxing" concept enough, and I especially
need to warn guitar soloists that play hard rock "speed metal" styles. I've known many guitar players
who now suffer from repetitive stress injuries, especially in their picking hand, that have seriously impacted their
music careers. Unfortunately it takes a lot of repetition and practice to become great, but that's exactly what can cause
these painful and debilitating injuries. Practice, practice, practice; and then take the time to rest. Consult a doctor
if you feel numbness in your fingers or severe pain in your elbows. You may have to adjust your playing style to avoid further
injuries.
Speed and strength are fundamental building blocks for great guitar soloists, and if you put
in the work, you're sure to see the results. I hope this article was helpful, and gave you a fresh perspective on
what it takes to solo with the best of them!
Look for more articles soon in the "John Durant Guitar Solo
Series"!
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