this ones over a backing track from the monthly jam at the petrucci forum
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jwnqss0m9I"]YouTube - may jam[/ame]
please tell me what you think
that solo took me maybe about an hour or so to write
i would work on one phrase at a time
record it
then loop it plus a bit at the end of it and just jam along
and repeat that process
sometimes i just hear the next phrase in my head and i work it out
sometimes i just play something and it works
sometimes i make a mistake and it sounds better than what i was trying to do
i believe a melody should always try and say something
just like someone is talking to you, like a phrase
and usually you should be able to sing the melody as well
after that
then i worry about things like bends, vibrato, pickup selection, slides... things like that