Not every guitarist embraces the solo, but for those who do, the choices they make can elevate a song or derail it entirely. Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson recently sat down with Tuonela Magazine to talk about the art of solo writing and the lessons he’s learned, especially while working on The Last Will and Testament with frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt.
“I always try to become better and better. And I try to look at each solo as something unique for each song. I try to do totally different solos. And this time around, I spent more time with him, I think, and I did them on my own. Usually, I just improvise a few takes. But this time I definitely spent more on afterthought. I could dwell upon a solo for a week,” he explained (via Ultimate Guitar)
He recalled an early demo moment with Åkerfeldt: “I sent something early on to Mike, and he’s like, ‘Oh, that’s too much shred.’ Okay, I’ll try something different. And a couple of those solos — I actually saved the ones that didn’t make it because they’re still not bad, but they’re different.”
Reflecting on his creative process, Åkesson emphasized a common misstep he sees among soloing guitarists: “I said it in interviews before, but I like to look at it as a little tiny composition within the song, and it’s supposed to elevate the song. I try to find new inspiration when we have our breaks and develop as a guitar player. Also, what you’re playing over is also the inspiration of trying to be more creative, because Michael writes really cool riffs and interesting stuff to play upon.”
Challenging structures in Opeth‘s music force him to push beyond routine licks. “Sometimes, some of the backgrounds can be quite difficult because it could be in odd time or there’s a lot of key changes, so you can’t just go for your regular licks. You have to be very certain on what note to land on and find something that’s musical and elevates the song, hopefully.”
Ultimately, he believes these constraints are a gift: “That can also be a tool to be more creative, when you have a background like that to play over, you can take advantage of it.”
Åkesson’s thoughtful approach underscores a simple but powerful lesson: guitar solos shouldn’t just show off technical skill, they should serve the song.
