The Five R’s

Use the Five R’s to help you build a strong foundation in learning to improvise guitar solos.

The first “R” stands for Run. To play a run, you would move up or down all or part of the scale.

The second “R” stands for Repeat. A repeat may consist of a single note played several times, or a series of notes played several times.

The third “R” stands for Reverse. To play a reverse, you would change the direction of a run.

The fourth “R” stands for Rest. At times, it is a good idea to stop to allow time for the music to breathe. The contrast can also help your music to sound more interesting.

The fifth “R” stands for Rhythm. Another way to spice up your solo is to mix longer and shorter note durations.