Is there any set soloing text for metal style bass solos, like (Anesthesia)Pulling Teeth or others like it? Would knowlegde of guitar solos help with this?

Also, is there a way to improve picking speed?

Nobody? I'm just trying to piece together a solo.

Would knowlegde of guitar solos help with this?



Yes.



In my first year of playing I learned many Metallica (80s Metallica) guitarsolos on bass.

It comes in very handy.

There are naysayers who say you mustn't play guitar stuff on bass.
I see nothing wrong with it.
You play the instrument you choose, and you play the music and musical role you choose.
Any piece of music can be played on any instrument if you are doing it right.

It worked for me in my first band where I was the lead musician. Many told me back then to pick up guitar cause I had potential for a lead guitarist.
But I loved bass guitar so much.

You're not obligated to see your bass as a traditional groove-tool.
It can also be a melodic instrument, metal shredder or a percussion tool.
If it sound like it works and it feels like it works it works.

Study as much non-bass parts as you want.


Speed: practice, practice and more practice. Start slowly and be sure never to lose articulation when speeding up.


You're trying to piece togheter a solo...
I can only give some vague advice on this.
You can go from melody to rhythm patterns.
Studying up on classical music will make you a great lead metal musician. Like Bach's fugues.

Patterns and variations... melody spreading over multiple bars.


Sorry, very vague, it's all up to you.

Unless you have a more specific question.


Okay, after typing this long post I just realize this is the Technique forum.

Hmmm... any technique you like and that works.

Metronomes! Scale fragments! Arpeggios! Rawr!

Like I'm sure you've heard a thousand times. Just keep practicing and staying sharp. As far as writing or free-styling solos, unless you want to sound like someone else, don't play their solos. You'll get a voice if you just jam along with some instrumental tracks. Solo over pop radio stuff! Man thats the funnest especially when you hear it later and recall that cool lick you did over that cheesy chorus.

Picking gets really fast when you learn to control the tremolo picking (essentially making your hand spasm). Get a bass with low action/low string to string distance. Set up that metronome and budget your time like your at the gym. Gradually work up in time but forget the grunting, that's even pretty lame at the gym!

Shoot, if by text you mean tabs, then theres plenty of sources on the internet, just search for your favs! I do not know of any books to find, I don't really like books unless its sheet music. Then I love em!

The truth is that many guitar tricks don't sound good with those thick strings we're using. I think that a bass solo has to be a bit different than a guitar solo, cos what sounds good in one instrument doesn't sound (nessesarily) on the other.

What you need for a good bass solo (that could fit a metallica song for example) is knowledge of which scales and chords the song goes with. Then, you need to have in your head the rythm of the song, so u can make out some patterns and "phrases" out of those chords and scales. Also, u need to use the effects (or just good equalizing), that would make your bass stand out even more than in the rest of the show.

As for picking technique improvement, speed comes with practice. Check the other threads that have to do with picking technique in this forum.

Wow. Thanks for all the helpful tips and tricks. I've been learning the freebird guitar solo for a few days now, and hopefully will improve.

Also, that's an aweoms song that will neve get old.

Minor Pentatonic

It's the cheats way to scales, but it works exceedingly well for improvisation.

I already use the minor pentatonic, and occasionally the maj. pentatonic, but i'm trying to use some good ol' fashioned modes.