The challenge is now open, and remains open for submissions until 11:30pm on 24th January 2018
Here's this month's backing track (you can download it from soundcloud). Record your solo over the top of it and then submit it to us.
Send your tracks (in mp3 format) to solos@theFB.co.uk
Discussion:
This is an attempt to create a track that sounds a bit 'Steely Dan'.
It's slightly tricky (at least it is for me) but I expect it will be 'walk in the park' for any jazz guitarists.
The aim is to get as many as possible involved. If we can promote discussion and help others to get involved then that's the most important thing.
Feel free to ask any questions. You can message me but you'll probably get the best answers on the forum. Everyone's in with a chance and often the simple melodic approach wins the day.
The chords are in a pdf at the link below, if you want to refer to them. Let me know if you have any problems and if you spot any errors or typos.
https://app.box.com/s/oujsh2twlcohqz1xvnv1cr95ayg0thtbVoting will start soon after the submission deadline of 24th January 2018, with each voter selecting their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice.
First choice gets 5 points - Second choice gets 3 points - Third choice gets 1 point
Voting will end on 11.30pm 31st January 2018
The order and scores of the three people with the most votes will be announced soon after the voting ends. Although it's not really about winning and there are no prizes. Think of it as forum team building, learning from each other
Entries so far are below in the order I received them:
https://soundcloud.com/thefretboard/sets/sotm-2018-01
It's not a competition.
Comments
I'm inclined to post Sotm entries as I receive them, as it keeps the thread more alive, but I'll go with the majority view.
As a newbie to this forum I'd like to ask if there's an etiquette to these things as far as other platforms go - e.g. is it okay to also upload it with thefretboard in descriptions to our own Soundcloud / YouTube channels?
If you post the entries as they come in that’ll encourage me to get on and get mine sorted and in!!
Uploading all submissions at voting time would be a change to previous practice but not necessarily a bad change - it was always noticeable that early entries got more listens, but I don't know whether that ever translated into more votes. I'd have to crunch the numbers ...
From this and the other challenge threads, people seem to either not mind or would prefer submissions at voting time. So, for now, I'm going to go with uploading the submissions at voting time, unless I hear a strong body of views to the contrary.
If you need the tempo of future SotM's and the chords I'll always post a link to a chart which includes the tempo (as I have for this one in the first post).
I didn't post the chart to be immediately visible on the forum because I know that some prefer not to know the chords.
This strikes me as akin toThe Nightfly-era Donald Fagen - like a cross between "Ruby Baby" and "New Frontier" (rhythm from the former, that E7/E7sus4 thing from the latter). I have no idea what the right scales/modes would be but if a simple blues scale is good enough for Larry, that's good enough for me.
I should however warn you that I had never listened to Steeley Dan and decided not to before entering as I thought it better just to give it a go... I have since realised that playing far too many notes and using the neck pickup was probably not the right approach!
So far we've got entries from (in the order I received them):
@bingefeller
@flying_pie
@stratman3142
@Luxxman
@Bellycaster
Let me know if I've missed anyone.
Was a tricky one this, somewhat outside my comfort zone.
I wanted to try the Larry Carlton thing but I think it’s ended up sounding more like incidental music from an ‘80s US sitcom