Advice to guitarists from Richard Thompson

The Q&A from Squid Ink favourite Richard Thompson's website has appeared on this blog before. Since Squid Ink only wants you to improve, we share him sharing his advice on how to play a guitar solo.

Richard: I am a guitar player who wonders how you keep your solos so fresh and new? I seem to hear myself playing the same runs in some shape or form despite efforts to break new ground — I have been playing awhile, am considered by peers to be not too shabby, but can't get free of my entrenched soloing habits. I particularly admire your complete freedom from the pentatonic cage and unique timing and phrasing. Any thoughts about how one can work on expanding and improving note selection and phrasing without woodenly forcing “new notes” into solos? Thanks

Charlie Parker never repeated himself, but everybody else does, to some extent. I comfort myself with the thought that those clichés are really “signature licks”. But we all must try to expand the envelope, so here's some thoughts:

It's all about scales, so practice weird ones — minor 7 flat 5, 13th scales, 11th scales, whole tone scales. Try double octave scales.

Change the emphasis when you play a scale — push the off beats, put the notes into groups of 3 or 5 or 7 or 10.

Put your guitar into a bizarre tuning, and then play a familiar fingering. Write down any interesting sequences, and try to play them in regular tuning.

Try to sing a solo instead of playing it. Try to sing along with a solo as you play it.

It's all about the heart, so at some point, if you've done your homework, empty your mind of everything, and let your heart, not your brain, play a solo. Your fingers will know where to go.