For every guitarist there is a solo that is totally theirs. It is that one solo that reaches into their soul. That singular solo that actually turns the world into a better place. It is that one and only legendary solo.

For me personally, that solo is Comfortably Numb, done by Pink Floyd. When I am listening to David as he dives headfirst into that most flawless, melodic solo, my day becomes more beautiful in an instant.

I am tremendously moved by the power, and tone, and the meticulous phrasing. Do you ever wonder how David, and a multitude of other great rock guitarists, composes what becomes their legendary solo? Let’s examine a few of the finest guitar solos ever known and find the secret you can start to use to create your own solo today.

Step 1 – Tempo is a lot more essential than you know!

Back when I was one of those “wet behind the ears” kids, I remember all I wanted was to play fast. My thought process to this was when I could just play it faster than everybody else, then I BE better than the rest of them.

What I’ve discovered is how absolutely untrue that attitude was.

Now I’ve realized there’s just one thing in my mind when I’m playing – how diminutive can I really play.

They say that music is the very language of life, and to honestly live your life as a musician, you’ll have to know how to really listen.

Stop and consider this – exactly what is it that makes a conversation “good?” Is it the person who is talking non-stop, or the one who sits quietly and just listens?

That’s why you’ll want to sit back in that moment, get into that groove. Allow the music to breathe into you, then start your solo. Begin by play a couple of notes, then take a break. What do you hear the music saying back to you? Then you can respond with a couple more of the notes. Then once again, rest.

Yes, I’m aware how kooky this sounds, but I promise you it’s the secret to achieving greatness. Remember, the ability to pay 300 notes a beat, and never repeating the same lick, just tells me you are really fast, but it doesn’t mean you are great. For an example, if you’re in a relationship, would you prefer to be known as great or fast? Ah, never mind, we’ll just move on from that one.

So how do you go about adding space, and making your solos be so remarkable?

Step 2- When you realize what helps catch the largest fish, you realize how important hooks really are.

Without the audience (fish) a musician is really nothing, so the larger your audience will mean the larger the musician. It comes down to your writing hooks (sizes) in your phrases are the true keys to having a large audience.

For that reason it’s vitally important that you make the effort of learning the melody of any song you plan to play. That’s how Jimi Hendrix did it. Because he was able to play each of the notes he was singing, there was an element to his music that other performers just couldn’t accomplish.

For the majority of guitarists they just want to know what key they are to play in so they are able to pull some recycled licks from their bag.

Remember, you need to learn those melodies first thing. Once you do that you are able to use your knowledge or licks to continue expanding on a melody, plus it provides you with that base to do your solo around. By being willing to stick with that melody, and create those hooks, people will remember you.

Step 3 – Tone, Tone, Tone, AND Tone!

You need to put the time in to craft your tone. Distortion will definitely kill the mood! This is one thing that seems to have been lost over time. If you look back over a list of the all-time best solos you’ll find even the giant of hard rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, played clean tones. A lot of people mistake the emotion of their music as distortion.

These people played with such raw intensity, a pure passion and power, and that’s what put them on many lists as one of the greatest rock bands ever.

When you are concentrating on creating great music, not just a great solo, you want to play with everything you’ve got. Just make sure to use those hooks, melodies, and spaces when crafting your solo, and in the process you’ll end up composing music that will be remembered forever.

Please feel free to take a moment and add your favorite solos, or any other personal tricks or tips you know in the comment section below.