What's going on in this solo?

johnl

Hopefully that should link to the exact moment; otherwise it's about 2:59 in that video. I can play the solo but I can't figure out what's going on or why I like the sound of it so much. Is it using a particular mode / scale? Any help understanding what's going on from a theory point of view would be much appreciated.

johnl

Pasted again as edited the original post and broke the video link.

kswilson89

It sounds to me like the whole thing is composed in harmonic minor (the natural minor scale with a raised 7th)

simonhpieman

It sounds like the guitar is tuned slightly lower than everything else on first listen...

Second listen: surely it's flat?

Sorry, that doesn't help much!

koss59

Yep Harmonic Minor but he’s well out of tune!

Nerine

What the hell programme is that? Lol 

Nerine

I think it's a mix between the harmonic and natural minor. 

And, yes. The guitar is either out of tune, or being fretted/played really poorly. 

Philtre

That's in Morris Minor.

Modulus_Amps

simonhpieman said:

It sounds like the guitar is tuned slightly lower than everything else on first listen...

Second listen: surely it's flat?

Sorry, that doesn't help much!

Adds to the tension....

If you know the notes and the chord structure you should be able to work out what scales he is referencing

Philtre

E minor , A Minor, B7 basically. And some noodling on E Harmonic Minor scale. D# note leading to E note type thingy...oh and there's a C Major going back down to B7 as well. Standard dirge.

sweepy

The tone doesn't help it at all in sounding "in tune" and his string bending is woeful but it sounds very minor pentatonic at a stretch

JerkMoans

Sounds like Gypsy scale noodling. Harmonic minor with the odd little twist.

Kebabkid

These are standard Greek 'Pop' ballad progressions. They also like their circle of 5ths.

As to the solo, my reckoning is that this is actually a bouzouki player taking the lead. I've seen/heard them do this and as they don't really bend on the bouzouki, they never quite make it on guitar and they also over-depress the strings. There are some bloody great session guitarists out in Cyprus and Greece, and of course, we have Phil X and Gus G, but this poor fella ain't one of them.

As to the programme/what's going on? They show these every weekend, making it look like they're in a taverna, eating, drinking etc and it's very staged.

johnl

In fairness they don't pretend that it's not staged, it's not meant to be in a taverna it's just a show where they eat, drink and play music. Thanks for all the advice all, very interesting. Agree that the guitar isn't as in tune as it could be.

Kebabkid

johnl said:

In fairness they don't pretend that it's not staged, it's not meant to be in a taverna it's just a show where they eat, drink and play music. 

Ok. My cousin used to do these shows and so I have a slight insight into them

DrJazzTap

Sounds like an out of tune guitar to me

Danny1969

It's basically just Em but he pays homage to the B chord at the start and when it reoccurs  by playing it's 3rd .... the third (D#) being the most important note in terms of flavour. Once the backings off the B chord he's purely Em. 

johnl

Kebabkid said:

johnl said:

In fairness they don't pretend that it's not staged, it's not meant to be in a taverna it's just a show where they eat, drink and play music. 

Ok, but I beg to differ. My cousin used to do these shows

He was on Stin geia mas re paidia? Nice, who's your cousin? 

Kebabkid

johnl said:

Kebabkid said:

johnl said:

In fairness they don't pretend that it's not staged, it's not meant to be in a taverna it's just a show where they eat, drink and play music. 

Ok, but I beg to differ. My cousin used to do these shows

He was on Stin geia mas re paidia? Nice, who's your cousin? 

Apologies, looking at my response, it came across a bit arrogant.

My cousin is Mike Minas (bouzouki player) played on quite a few of these type of shows and my mad uncle, Photis Akanthkiotiz recites his poems/Greek rap or Tschakista as they call them on one particular show whose name escapes me.

I also spent close to 15 years on the London Greek function scene.

 

equalsql

DrJazzTap said:

Sounds like an out of tune guitar to me

Yep.. have to agree and the whole thing is also a bit ..meh..

johnl

Not at all, just watched a bit of your cousin's playing - fantastic talent.