BUILD YOUR SOLOS... ...to a Climax!

Richard Barrett looks at how repetition can serve you in creating dramatic, memorable and climactic solos, with exercises and example solos in the style of of some classic blues-rockers who use this approach.

- Richard Barrett

As with any concept that relates to playing the guitar, there are various angles from which we can examine it. In this feature, we will look at various ways some of the acknowledged blues-rock greats have employed the use of repeating phrases; from the repetition of rapid-fire phrases like Gary Moore or EVH to the patterns or motifs that recur in the phrases of SRV or Eric Clapton.

Some of the examples feature repeated groups of notes, but within that structure, this also forms a rhythm that continues across or along the strings - or perhaps a longer phrase or rhythmic idea that crops up regularly. To analyze this in action, I’ve taken key phrases or approaches from 10 different players and condensed these into exercises over a backing track of drums and bass; starting with Eric Clapton, the repeated use of melodic and rhythmic motifs is something that has always characterized his playing.