PRESENCE - Volume 39
Inspiration For Guitarists
Every guitarist should know the difference between improvised and composed solos.
Some solos are crafted to fit a song perfectly—think Hotel California, Comfortably Numb, Sultans of Swing.
Others are improvised—alive, unpredictable, and unique every time, like Hendrix, Santana, or the Allmans.
But it’s not black and white. Most players live in between.
Stevie Ray Vaughan reused favorite licks but kept the energy of improvisation. Larry Carlton’s Kid Charlemagne solo was fully improvised—so good he later had to learn it note-for-note because audiences expected it.
Before learning a solo, ask: Was this improvised or composed?
Composed = melodic, singable, easier to memorize
Improvised = exciting, but not worth learning every note
If you can sing it in your head, it might be worth learning in full. Otherwise, grab the phrases you love and make them your own.
Pro Insight:
David Gilmour’s first Comfortably Numb solo is composed—each lick fits the chord. The outro is improvised—floating over the changes. Both work, for completely different reasons.
✅ Takeaway: Know whether a solo is crafted or captured—and use that awareness to shape your own playing.
Here are a couple more recent videos that you might find helpful:
See you in the next lesson,
Dustin
P.S. I just added a brand-new section to the course called The Test Lab — it’s where I’ll roll out new ideas before officially adding them to the main course.
Right now, you’ll find:
A big Practice Studio widget that lets you craft a custom routine based on how much time you have and work on all three Essential Skills in one place (no more jumping between separate studios).
The first in a new series I’m testing tentatively called “Play Along With Me” — where you can jam alongside me to backing tracks with downloadable tabs.
I’ll keep building this space out, so if you’re in the course, go check it out and tell me what you think!