When we, as guitarists, play with other musicians, we learn an immense amount. When we’re playing rhythm, we get the chance to hear other soloists and pick up on their styles. In turn, when you get to solo, you get the chance to try out some of the techniques you’ve picked up, and mix them with your own preferences for playing lead.
In his course, Trading Solos: Americana, Jason Loughlin will give you tone and technique tips to get you feeling confident in your soloing. Then, you and Jason will trade off comping and soloing each other over five different Americana grooves.
Here are five video Americana
Americana Guitar Lesson – Track 2: Songwriter: Track Overview
Download the tab & notation for this Americana guitar soloing lesson
This track in D is meant tap into more of folk or americana songwiter progression and feel. The track is in 4/4 and the progression is I-I-I-I-vi-vi-vi-vi-I-I-I-I-vi-vi-vi-vi-IV-IV-V-V-I-V-I-I. This track makes me think of cruisin’ down an open road. So I want all of my solo and rhythm ideas to help support that space. Low, twany, lyrical melodies…
Americana Guitar Lesson – Track 2: Songwriter: Comping Approaches Demo
Download the tab & notation for this Americana guitar soloing lesson
My first instinct for rhythm is to go low. I want low and twangy voicings that sound a little like a baritone
Americana Guitar Lesson – Track 2: Songwriter: Three Solo Ideas Demo
Download the tab & notation for this Americana guitar soloing lesson
The first solo concept is targeting a single chord tone. Seems simple but it’s a very effective way to make a solo sound organic and connected. Try being consistent about what you target. In this example I’m only targeting the roots. The next concept is to play double stops within the pentatonic scale. Nothing too complicated here. Pick two notes on strings next to each other and embellish with a pentatonic note above on either string. You can hammer on, pick or bend to it. Try as many variations as you can think of. The last soloing idea is great for tighten up your phrasing. We are gonna to be using call and response phrasing with octaves. We do this by playing a short phrase and then repeating it an octave above or below with little variation. This can help give this illusion of two voices or instruments playing off of each other.
Americana Guitar Lesson – Track 2: Songwriter: Playalong Preview
Download the tab & notation for this Americana guitar soloing lesson
In this playalong preview I’m using all of our concepts. See if you can pick out the ideas repeated in different octaves, landing on the roots and how my double stops line up with the pentatonic scales.
Americana Guitar Lesson – Track 2: Songwriter: Track 2 Playalong
Download the tab & notation for this Americana guitar soloing lesson
Now let”s trade some solos. I’ll bring up the track and take the first solo. You’ll play rhythm for me and then we’ll trade. I’m around the progression once before jumping to rhythm and giving you a chance to dig in.
Digging these free video Americana