Discover 3 Ways To Create Captivating Instrumental Breaks And Solos On A Single Guitar

by Simon Candy

In this video, you learn 3 techniques for crafting captivating guitar parts to enhance an instrumental break or solo within a song's arrangement.

This will be done in the context of a single guitar without accompaniment. Despite the absence of other instruments, seemingly basic concepts can yield great results when breaking away from the vocal.

This is your opportunity to showcase your musicianship and offer a unique contribution to the arrangement and flow of the song.

We will use a very cool tune called “St James Infirmary” to demonstrate each of the following 3 approaches:

1. Triads

You learn how to use triads to create a cool instrumental break/solo. Triads can be used in many ways and sound great in contrast to your typical open and bar chords.

2. 10th Harmony

You learn how to use 10th harmony to imply the chords of a progression creating another way for developing unique sounding instrumental breaks and solos on a single guitar.

3. Melody

Finally, you learn how to incorporate the melody of a song in cultivating a great sounding instrumental break or solo.

Watch the video below to learn more:

St James Infirmary

The following are 3 ways to create an instrumental break on guitar for the tune “St James Infirmary”.

Watch the video above for a play through and detailed breakdown of each approach.

Instrumental Break 1: Triads

The first approach for creating an instrumental break uses triads. Triads create a nice contrast and break from using more standard chord forms like open and bar chords:

Instrumental Break Solo Guitar Triads