Solo guitar instrumentals are one of the most challenging yet fun ways to play a guitar; as well as the most satisfying. By solo I mean no support from anything: pre-recordings, backing tracks, loopers or other musicians. Nothing!
The challenge is to make the guitar stand up on its own - to make something sound complete. Of course, there is a whole history of doing just that: from the Classical Guitarists to Chet Atkins to Joe Pass and whoever else...The styles may be different and the techniques employed may be different but the quest is the same: to bring melody, harmony and rhythm together to make something sound complete.
If you are interested in learning about solo guitar playing - and how to improvise/compose/arrange for it then you have come to the right place: t is something that I can teach you. A certain amount of theory helps in the quest but it need not be burdensome or pointless. The abilty to improvise can help try out possibilities for good arrangements. Indeed, there is a fine line between compoosition, arranging and improvising!
One should be open to all technical approaches: each have their merits: fingerstyle, thumb pick and finger (picks), hybrid picking and plucking, flatpicking only and so on. In fact, there are a few rather esoteric approaches too including tapping with both hands (though I don't go in for that myself too much).
It is fair to say that the things that work best have strong melodies; and good chord progressions help also. Perhaps it is harder to maintain very rhythmical music or songs that are very reliant upon production or technology in some way. Styles such as Jazz, Blues, Ragtime, Folk work very well on one guitar; whereas it would be hard to capture the essence of Punk or Metal with a solo guitar instrumental approach. Take note that I am drawing a distinction here between what works and what is novel. I am reminded of guitarist, Stanley Jordan (who emerged in the 80's) who tapped with both hands, arrangments of tunes such as Stairway to Heaven. Whilst it had novelty value, I would much rather listen to the original with its power!
