Writing a Solo:

Behind the Creative Decisions

A raw, unfiltered, moment-by-moment look at my creative process

of writing a guitar solo from scratch

Enrolment Closes Aug 31

TOTAL SEATS LEFT:

*Last updated Aug 11

As of 10:47pm May 11 2025

102/200

You’ve Seen the End Results…

But Never the Process

You've seen my solos on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

You've learned my scales, techniques, and licks.

But you’ve never seen how I actually build a solo, from the first lick, to the final take.

In all of my other courses, I walk you through the final solo, after it's done.

But the problem with that, is once a solo is done, I forget a lot of the decisions that went into creating it.

We're only looking at the 'final result', and analyzing a 'finished' solo.

You never see the WHY behind a phrasing choice, scale pattern, neck position, tone, repetition ideas etc.

That’s why Writing a Solo: Behind the Creative Decisions is completely different.

I'm not analyzing a solo AFTER It's complete.

I'm walking you through the ENTIRE creative process, captured in real time.

You’ll see exactly how I chose each phrase, where I got stuck, what didn’t work, and how I find the right licks...

step by step.

No theory, no scales, no shapes,

NO TABS.

What You'll Learn

An inside look into my creative process. Every decision explained.

  • How I plan the “climax” of a solo and write around that

  • How I use repetition tastefully

  • How to follow certain hits in the track to make the solo more anchored

  • Balancing melody and speed

  • When to add speed and what to play for speedy licks

  • How I create space in a short solo without actually “resting”

  • My thoughts behind timbre and register (where to play the same notes for the best tone)

  • When to add harmonies

  • Dealing with doubt

  • How I avoid 'finger patten autopilot' licks

  • Feel vs. Perfection

  • How I use my DAW recording software (Ableton Live) to help me write

  • Why some ideas get cut, even if they sound cool

  • How I push through writer’s block

  • How I “audition” multiple phrases and edit quickly on the fly

  • And more!

Enrolment Closes Aug 31

The Full Course Outline

21 lessons - 1 hr 25 min

INTRO

  Introduction (1:30)

The Opening Phrase

1) Recording the First Idea (4:29)

2) Continuing the Opening Phrase (5:31)

3) Note Placement & Musical Priorities (4:27)

4) Trusting Your Gut vs Overthinking (3:23)

5) Enhancing Using Harmonics & harmonies (4:20)

Developing the Story

6) Finding the Solo's Direction + Vibe (8:00)

7) Bluesy Flavours and Smoother Transitions (4:46)

8) Obsessing Over Tiny Details (3:36)

9) Improv & Experimenting (5:45)

10) Figuring Out the Mechanics of a Lick (6:40)

The Rise & Climax

11) Building Up to the Peak (2:35)

12) Cutting Ideas That Don’t Work (6:07)

13) Refining the Idea & Elevating the track (5:54)

14) Adding Space (2:44)

Resolution & Ending

15) Hitting A Wall: Doubts & Frustrations (4:38)

16) Breakthrough & Repetition (5:29)

17) The Final Resolution (3:28)

Conclusion

Final Thoughts (1:59)

Final PlayThrough video !

Feedback

Student Reviews

This is a brand new course, so I don't have too many reviews yet

You often say that you have tons of licks in your memory that you can activate. I really felt it here. You seemed to come up with what I would think are some of the most difficult parts really easily, because they were sequences that you already had down, like the sweep part and the final fast run before getting to the key note at the end. I found the part when you were missing the bends to pitch reassuring. So, even great players can stuggle with that sometimes! :-) I've seen so many of your clips with the fantastic solos you put out. This really gave a nice insider view of what goes into creating them. A combination of music theory, great technique, feel, and sometimes grit... to push through a difficult part. Thanks for this!

Eddy

This was brilliant! It immediately made me wanna go get a DAW and write some badass solos!

Rob

I absolutely loved this! Lots of take aways. It taught me where I personally need to work on more, and that it is okay and normal to get frustrated, unsatisfied, and take time to create something I am happy with. Thank you for showing your raw and vulnerable side

Deborah E.

I loved the process and representation making soloing more humanly obtainable for the less experienced. This helps me locate myself, I see what I can currently accomplish i watch this I understand what is happening and being explained and it gives me an idea where I'm headed. Thank you for being willing to put your time and effort into this for us.

Hashim J.

Fantastic! Made me believe in a creative process that follows a rational plan, without compromising spontaneous playing

Diego

Ready to watch the creative process?

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Meet Your Instructor

Hi, I’m Roy Ziv, and for over a decade, I’ve helped thousands of guitarists improve their technique, and play with confidence.

With over a million combined followers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, my work has been featured in Guitar World Magazine and MusicRadar, and I’ve had the privilege of being a guest speaker at Berklee College of Music for their Global Connections talk.


I've released many guitar courses on technique, scale, licks and solos. But I've always wanted to show my students how a solo gets written in 'real time'.

I'm happy to finally make this available, and show you the 'raw' behind-the-scenes look at how I write.

I hope watching my process helps you develop your own,

and I really hope you find some of the tips and tricks useful in your own writing.

I look forward to hearing your feedback!

Meet Your Instructor

Hi, I’m Roy Ziv, and for over a decade, I’ve helped thousands of guitarists improve their technique, and play with confidence.

With over a million combined followers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, my work has been featured in Guitar World Magazine and MusicRadar, and I’ve had the privilege of being a guest speaker at Berklee College of Music for their Global Connections talk.


I've released many guitar courses on technique, scale, licks and solos. But I've always wanted to show my students how a solo gets written in 'real time'.

I'm happy to finally make this available, and show you the 'raw' behind-the-scenes look at how I write.

I hope watching my process helps you develop your own,

and I really hope you find some of the tips and tricks useful in your own writing.

I look forward to hearing your feedback!

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Toronto , Ontario│ contact @ royzivmusic . com