SOLO of the Month #3 - Chat

Antique_Guitars

This is the 3rd SOLO of the Month (SotM) Challenge, being run by @Antique_Guitars and @TTony.

The idea is that we give you a new backing track to solo over every month, the backing track will be a maximum of 1.5mins long and you will have to download the track from soundcloud and record your solo over the top of it and then submit it to us.

The challenge is now open, and remains open for submissions until 24th May.

All you have to do is ...

• Download the backing track and record you solo over the top of it.
  
• Challenge opens on the 1st of every month, and closes on the 24th of the month.
• Voting opens on the 25th of the month, and closes on the last day of the month, when the winner will be announced.

Here is this months backing track (you can download it from soundcloud)

Specs: Reggae / Dub           Bb / Gm

Let us know if you would like your entry to be anonymous.

Send your tracks to solos@theFB.co.uk

The tracks will be uploaded to our SoundCloud account and saved in a playlist that will be linked below

PLEASE GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ON PEOPLES SOLOS AND RECORDING TECHNIQUES IF YOU HAVE TIME

bingefeller

I'm getting 75 bpm for this one.

markv

Oooh, nice ... I'm thinking ideal opportunity to put my shiny new Big Muff to good use ...

daveww

mmmm tasty 

bingefeller

Email'd.

mudslide73

Blimey! ↑

Teetonetal

Ohh nice, will have a crack I think If I can make the time... always think these things are too long though... 1:40 of guitar solo is a lot of time to fill I'm only used to have 12 bars

markv

Teetonetal said:

[ ... ] always think these things are too long though... 1:40 of guitar solo is a lot of time to fill I'm only used to have 12 bars

I've lost count of the number of interviews I've read where some famous guitarist says that the spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves. Maybe you just need to leave more spaces ... lots more spaces! ;-)

Teetonetal

markv said:

Teetonetal said:

[ ... ] always think these things are too long though... 1:40 of guitar solo is a lot of time to fill I'm only used to have 12 bars

I've lost count of the number of interviews I've read where some famous guitarist says that the spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves. Maybe you just need to leave more spaces ... lots more spaces! ;-)

in my normal 12 bars at least half are space

bingefeller

Teetonetal said:

Ohh nice, will have a crack I think If I can make the time... always think these things are too long though... 1:40 of guitar solo is a lot of time to fill I'm only used to have 12 bars

Come up with a theme first then expand upon it until your playing turns to improv.

markv

Teetonetal said:

in my normal 12 bars at least half are space

Aha - a master. Eventually we aspire to the true Zen solo - all space.

Sambostar

I recorded something last night and it basically sounds the same as the what I did for the last one which I didn't send.  A load of non inspirational minor based twiddle.  Maybe the trick to this one is the timing, rhythm and melody.  Unfortunately that sort of stuff goes straight over my head.

I think the trick is like design, either you hear something straight away, the melody and tone or you spend hours slogging away at it.  For me, I don't hear anything and I'm lazy so twiddle it will be.  I may send some odd, badly recorded crap in this time though.

bingefeller

Sambostar said:

I recorded something last night and it basically sounds the same as the what I did for the last one which I didn't send.  A load of non inspirational minor based twiddle.  Maybe the trick to this one is the timing, rhythm and melody.  Unfortunately that sort of stuff goes straight over my head.

I think the trick is like design, either you hear something straight away, the melody and tone or you spend hours slogging away at it.  For me, I don't hear anything and I'm lazy so twiddle it will be.  I may send some odd, badly recorded crap in this time though.

For me, and maybe for you, I just play a rough sketch of a melody at first and decide where I"m going to improvise.  Each time I play over the backing there after I make things neater until I'm reasonably happy enough to record it.  

Don't think about the changes.....feel the changes.  

TTony

Sambostar said:

I may send some odd, badly recorded crap in this time though.

Sending something is many steps ahead of those who send nothing.

I've never managed to submit anything for these challenges.

Maybe this month ....

Sambostar

Ha....Just tried recording on the laptop mic while playing the acoustic and the track on Windows and it's the best tone I've heard by far.  So acoustic it will be then.  My electrics only has one setting, hair metal.  They can't cope and the dynamics of recording are way too complicated for simple me.

fnpt

Emailed my entry.

daveww

Is there any chance anyone could put an mp3 version of the backing track up?  I can't work with the wmv version on my mac or iPad.

bingefeller

Yes @daveww - https://www.mediafire.com/?dr3bietjt03ile6

daveww

@bingefeller that's great!!  thanks 

Sambostar

Sent my poxy effort in.  Bum notes not my fault - the classical guitar doesn't have any fret markers eh and the heel gets in the way.

Anyway it's an election special version with extended election influenced material.

TTony

I've uploaded the first couple of entries to the SoundCloud playlist, and embedded it in the first post.  Will continue to keep it updated, though possibly not as prompted as Antique used to do!

PLEASE send your files in mp3 format and <5mb.  I don't have a good www connection, and downloading/uploading large files is a real pita.