i need some ideas on how to make cool runs. mine just suck....and are awefuly quick. quick as in they are over too quick. wat i do its NORMALY go up 4 down 1 for minor, and usualy up 5 down 1 for the first half of the diminished scale and up 4 down 1 for the last half. although, even when i go up 4 and come back 2 or 3, its still over pretty quick...and lets face it, its boring!!!

so is there any patterns some of you might use other than "up # back #" (eg; up 5 back 3) or is that pretty much it? because i'm really lacking ideas in that department. but, if up and back is pretty much all, wats some tips i can use make the run last longer a part from doing it in phrases?

try crawling up and down the fretboard. it looks good, and its simple enough for you to think of what to do next.

__________________

ya, thats wat i been doing.

but its all good, i usualy been basing my runs simply around one of the scales (as in, keeping it in the same key while shifting back and forwardon the same scale), now i'm drifting up and down and across....if you understand

here's an idea:
1. start off with a medium fast scale, starting on Estring with an Emajor scale
to a couple of octaves higher(using eighth notes)
2. on the end of the scale do some funky trills with Aminor
(and some sixteenth notes after)
3. and then a Bminor scale triplets on the way down using those figurations of
yours. finishing off with a cool grooving riff.
i just made that up, i have no idea what that might sound like...
just add different rhythms, keys, and key signatures as a generalization...

__________________

You could do all the planning in the world on which string to start or what technique to finish with, but you're solos arent gonna be anything without an idea and melody in your head and then puttin it into action, what i found that helped me is I hear what i want to do in my head and then try to put it down on guitar. Sometimes a wide vibrato and some slides will make all the difference rather than sweepin here, doin scale runs there, ya know. In my experience having an idea in your head will get you a lot farther than trying to force a solo.

__________________

ye man, i know exactly wat you talk about, thats my exact technique. but, i was just lacking ideas (because i never had any in-depth lessons in my life) on how to create runs because the only one i knew how to do were just basic 'up, back, up, back, up, back' etc and when you blister them they are over too quick. i find sweeping is just pointless on runs because you practicaly run into the same wall. but i like wat powersofterror said. i don't think i'll throw any trills in there because trills 'arnt me' but i'll definatly substitute them for wild hammers and pulls and bends and vibrato's....etc.....

thanks guys

Heres a quick idea on how to come up with sick runs, but they arent easy.
First take your typical run eg
e--------------------------------------------------------------12--
b------------10---------10-12-----10-12-13-10-12-13-------
g-9-11-12-----11-12---------12--------------------------------
d-------------------------------------------------------------------
a-------------------------------------------------------------------
e-------------------------------------------------------------------

Now harmonise that run but use a different harmony on every note, any formula you like, for the purpose of this guide Im gonna go diatonic third (the iron maiden way) on every beat, paralell 4th (5 frets higher) for the second of every 4 notes, parallell 5th for the 3rd note of every 4 and the diatonic 4th of each note for the final one, now you get a lick like this

e--------------------------12-12----------14-14------12-15-17---
b-----12-15-15-10-13----------12-15----------13----------------
g-12-------------------------------------------------------------------
d-----------------------------------------------------------------------
a-----------------------------------------------------------------------
e-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Now you get a totally origional lick, play both them on 2 guitars and you end up in cacophony territory, advanced harmonies are cool cause they make you approach weird picking patterns, sometimes incorporating string skipping, and come up with totally origional licks even if you only play the harmony part youll sound much more origional, try playing both those licks over an e minor chord, or repeatingthem over an e minor,d,c progression the second one will be much less familiar and although a little less complicated much better, sometimes by using this method you can come up with licks that are awfully hard, maybe try something like diatonic third, minor third, major third octave youll prob have to tap the octave note, and youll end up with some outta key notes which can be awful but sometimes great.

i do harmonies and wire choirs all the time in my band, so thats nothing new.

but i think i'm going to have to get my own ideas for longer runs.


i also might try wat ramy said....slayer solo's

yeah man

cheers !!!!

its not the actual harmonies, you dont play the usual riff you just play the harmony part and you dont use the same type of harmony on every note, thus giving awkward licks youd never think of without approaching the solo that way.

or just learn from your heroes.