Soloing

Hey everyone, I have been playing metal guitar riffs for four or more years now but when I get to a solo I just fail to play it. Can anyone give me tips or some practice riffs that would help get a grip on playing those kinds of things.

thanks- Joshua

I was just always told
"Practice Makes perfect"
xD try it, it works!

what scales do you know?

are you talking of other peole solos or making your own?

I'd learn other people's solos first(ones that you like) in order to get a feel for what you want in a solo. The ultimate goal here would be to take an example then later be able to use that as a springboard to be able to write solos how you want them to sound and know how someone else might have done something similar.
Start slow with the solos though bro, don't try to force more complex solos, instead just build up to them.

start with pentatonics slowly

yeah pentatonics or wammy bar tricks and silly stuff like that

I would suggest working on the scales you know to a metrodome - eight notes, sixteenth notes. Do alterations of the scales (i.e. skip notes, taping your scales, etc.) slowly increase your beats / minute. Don't increase the speed until you can do the scale cleanly.

Practice some of your scales over a chord progression that you would do in your metal songs that you do over a loop or cheap recording program. This will help you hear how the scale fits with the chord progression and when the scale will not work.

Yeah all the answers above are correct. I always felt that the best way to begin soloing is to wait until something in your body forces you to start soloing. When you truly feel the music and can't help but hit a pinch harmonic or bend a note to heaven and back. Once you that feeling let scales and music theory do what they do. Practice scales but never forget that you have to feel what your playing or it will sound like crap. So learn scales primarily the minor pentatonic, with that scale you can easily through lick or mini-solo in to your song once you have that scale down. But, everybody always feel your music, always control the scales and the guitar and then let your spirit kick the ass of every ear listening LOL. ROCK ON