Most guitarists (and other musicians for that matter) play way too many notes when they take a solo.
You do not need to play every note at lightning speed to make your solo interesting.
In fact, silence is one of the key elements of a good solo.
Listen to the way Miles Davis uses silence in his solos.
It’s pure gold.
Silence can be very, very dramatic.
And, when it’s placed well, it makes everything around it more dramatic.
When you take a solo and you play notes continuously, the listener unconsciously checks out after a while.
Silence breaks that monotony (Yes, your solo becomes monotonous. Sorry.)
Silence creates anticipation and tension.
Next time you play a solo, think about how you can use silence to create tension.
You might be surprised at how effective it can be.
