Help me shred!

monquixote

OK so my band are doing a cover of Hot Stuff in this style:

Let me be the first to say it's a load of old cheesy shite. 

The band have requested that they would like a tasteless Van Halen style solo. That would be fine if I had any skill at shreddy stuff, but I don't really. I can tap or sweep in a very limited way, but I don't really know how to incorporate it into a solo. 

Any examples of riffs or ideas I could incorporate? 

Would also be really useful if you could give concrete examples of riffs as I probably won't have time to go through vast numbers of courses/books etc.

Thanks!

hubobulous

We play this one and I picked the main motif at the start with my own blues lick after the initial high notes.

What I then tend to do is really mimic what the original does in terms of ascending/descending at any given point, but with my own ascending/descending licks. So that means that if someone was drawing the solo in terms of a meandering line that goes up and down, mine would resemble the original, but the notes would be different.

Do you sing solos in your head? I do, and that's what normally forms the basis of a lot of things I do. For example, if I listen to a song and sing a melody and then in the next few bars start imagining vague faster bits, that provides the light/shade/tension/release aspects.

Then its just a case of finding notes that I like the sound of, using licks that I either already know or push me ever so slightly, and lo, a solo is born.

I'm happy to help with some specifics if you need it.

monquixote

Interesting, have you got a recording of you doing it?

hubobulous

No, but I can probably do one> When do you need it for?

monquixote

I've got to play it live at the end of the month so I'm not in any special hurry.

hubobulous

Ooooo, I remember that I finish this one off with a lick from Satriani's 'Summer Song' at the end I think, (its in G right?)

hubobulous

OK, given the imminent arrival I'll need some nudging but absolutely happy to help on this.

monquixote

hubobulous said:

Ooooo, I remember that I finish this one off with a lick from Satriani's 'Summer Song' at the end I think, (its in G right?)

It is, but I'll be playing it in F#

hubobulous

Still no problem. Not saying that you need to do the same, but its a nice lick with a slight stretch, but not too hard.

Loads of ideas for tapping and stuff in this one. I think I also do some string skipping arpeggios if memory serves me correctly - not at silly speed - so that makes it sound quite wicked too.

carlos

Play fast 2 note per string pentatonics - alternate picking, start on downstrokes ascending, start on upstrokes descending.

Extend pentatonic shape w/ the tapping, i.e. pull-offs/hammer-ons in one position, then tap the notes of the following position. Try to form a pattern for this across 2 strings (8 notes total).

There's a lot of repetition and pattern playing in that solo. You can do it.

viz

That's a big solo for a big crowd! I like it.

Handsome_Chris

@Monquixote, I've just started using Dunlop Jazz picks, as of Sunday, after a solid recommendation. They help me shred.  

ennspek

I love those picks :-) I still can't shred :-(

monquixote

Handsome_Chris said:

@Monquixote, I've just started using Dunlop Jazz picks, as of Sunday, after a solid recommendation. They help me shred.  

Yay!

They are super awesome aren't they. 

Still embarrassed I accidentally robbed one off you. 

mike_l

monquixote said:

Handsome_Chris said:

@Monquixote, I've just started using Dunlop Jazz picks, as of Sunday, after a solid recommendation. They help me shred.  

Yay!

They are super awesome aren't they. 

Still embarrassed I accidentally robbed one off you. 

Accidentally? :P

EricTheWeary

There are various nonsensical but fast things you can do with Eminor pentatonics or G major ones using open strings, even just lolloping ( technical term) right hand taps off the open G. So, get them to put the key back!

spacecadet

I learned to shred almost over night by watching these two videos. 

xscaramanga

If you can already tap then incorporating it into a solo is just about finding a cool way to finish the lick. As a shortcut to rock glory, this just means picking a tapping lick that ends on the b7 or b3. 

If it ends on the 7th, bend up to the root, tone wide vibrato.

If it ends on the 3rd, just tone wide vibrato.

End with pickslide and/or whammy dive.

Lick the guitar (extra points for getting artificial harmonics with your tongue).

Make devil horns.

Exit.

steamabacus

Doesn't really matter what you play so long as you ham it up enough. Worked for Jakko Jakszyk as 'Eduardo the mad Spanish guitarist' .....

from 1'30"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Vj9oMi7Rk

Teetonetal

sounds like a forum challenge to me:

Get a recording without the solo, then we can all shred over the top re-post and you steal the bits you like...

Otherwise VH solo is easy. Bend up into Dive Bomb on a pinched harmonic - blues lick, tap trill (with whammy depressions if you can), dive bomb, blues lick into tap sequence, dive bomb to finish. Job done.

mike_l

Teetonetal said:

sounds like a forum challenge to me:

Get a recording without the solo, then we can all shred over the top re-post and you steal the bits you like...

Otherwise VH solo is easy. Bend up into Dive Bomb on a pinched harmonic - blues lick, tap trill (with whammy depressions if you can), dive bomb, blues lick into tap sequence, dive bomb to finish. Job done.

You forgot a high-gain amp/pedal and a flanger, but I'll let you off........