March 3, 2011
If you’re like most musicians, you probably struggle with your soloing.
Unless left-handed, chances are you have a disproportionately stronger, more coordinated right hand. And if you learned to play piano with single bass notes on the left hand and full chords on the right (as many of us do), you kinda get stuck in your ways.
So when it comes to soloing musicians tend to use the right hand but what can you do to improve it?
1) Solo Your Chords
The easiest way to come up with instant solos on the spot without the pressure added is to always solo the chord. My personal preference is to solo the 5 chord or the 6 chord. The key is to bring it back home. If you don't do that then your playing will sound out of sync.
2)Practice your scales
Now I know what you all are thinking (the basics) yes that is true however you can go way beyond the basics of the major and minor scales. For example, lets say you are in a major key and you need some different notes to play try using the pentatonic scale or the blues scale.
Example: Key of C uses C blues scale or C pentatonic scale
If you in a major key try using the diminished scale
**Tip: Just remember to take your time and slow down when needed!
3) Hanon Exercises
Have you ever listened to a professional musician run up and down the piano, hitting each note with accuracy and precision and daydreamed about doing it yourself one day?
Or perhaps how some musicians can play super-fast scales, runs, and solos without messing up?
They were created by a man named Charles-Louis Hanon over a century ago and are still just as useful today.
Just a tip: You’ll notice your right hand can do the exercises easier than your left. Don’t give up. Stick with them. If you have to break them up, start by doing each hand separately at a very slow, manageable speed. Then, increase the speed over time.
We have a course on Hanon exercises. Check out a FREE video of exercise #1 at this link.
4) Double Octave Soloing
Here is the sweetest way to do quick solos. If you want to phatten up your solos solo the sames notes with both hands. What happens is that your solos will sound more fuller and complete versus just completing them with one hand.
5) Rest
Once you’ve given the right hand a good workout, let it rest
The growth begins once you let the muscles relax and contract. My suggestion is to practice the right things and work hard then take the much needed rest. The work is not going to be easy but it's going to be a good payoff in the long run.
Until Next Time
