Problems with Soloing

[lord_mezry]

Hey guys i have been trying to play bass solos but i can't seem to be getting at it.

hellllllllppp

i can't do especially fast runs

[Mark Wilson]

I can't solo worth s***.
But, speed kills. Think melodic while soloing.
Sadly, I can't apply that

[JimmyM]

Melody kills???

Anyway, learn a fast run slowly and practice it at the slowest speed you can play it perfectly. Then gradually build speed.

[Dogbertday]

to get real fancy.. start even slower then you can play it comfortably.. Set a metronome at about 40 then build it. this has helped me countless times with syncopation, fingerings, and overall groove oddly enough.

[TheBassBetween]

BLUES SCALE! That's all you need for a solo!

[0--+LoveBass]

I learned to solo:

My teacher kept playing the bass lin over and over again and i had to play the lead line. Then we switched and he would play a solo. So either record the original bass line and practice soloing over it. I know some people like also to use a looper.

In my personal opinion it also helps to learn all the parts to the song. (guitar and keyboard part)

Scales and arpeggios also help

[Tslicebass]

Learn melodies.... then learn some more....then learn them in all the keys... then start transcribing very easy solos.... then transcribe hard ones. Then you can solo.
AND the most important thing to remember when soloing is RHYTHM. Too many bass players play great licks but really square rhythms, which is actually pretty ironic considering we are mostly rhythmical players.
And be patient. It is hard to play it cool when you only get 1 or 2 solos a gig. You are automatically gonna want too jump on your "A" game right away... however this usually takes away from another important soloing concept. Remember to shape your solo and not just have it be one stream of ideas with the same intensity.
Patience and persistence

[DocBop]

+100 on learning melodies and then learning to embellish them first rhythmicly then later with grace notes and etc.

Speed is just a way to hide for many learn to play solos that actually say some thing. Over the course of practicing and playing speed will develop on its own. Same as guys who play nonstop lines they even wear out the listener. You need to breathe so does your solo. Most get over whelmed when they start soloing because they tried to use too much. To get started pick three or four notes and work with those only. A lot can be said using rhythm and phrasing with just three notes. Try the appropriate 3rd, 4th, and 5th of each chord as the only three notes. Learn to play inside solos, then can start adding color tones and passing tones. Listen to the song you want to solo on and sing a solo and record it. When we sing we can do anything, then figure out what you sang. That is a great way to build your ear too so you can play what you think.

Learn to play Walking bass lines. They resources you use to learn to Walking bass are basically the same for soloing. Only real different is the rhythm and the root. Walking you want to hit the one and use roots to establish the chords and progression. Soloing you want to avoid roots and playing on the one, everything else is basically the same scale choices, passing tones and approach notes. Learn to Walk you are learning to solo.