Solo of the Month (SotM) #59 - Challenge

stratman3142

This is the 59th solo of the Month (SotM) Challenge.

The challenge is now open ends at midnight 24th May 2020.

You can download backing track from soundcloud below:

https://soundcloud.com/thefretboard/sotm59-2020-05-blubbing-brook

Record your solo over the top of it and then submit it (ideally in mp3 format) to solos@theFB.co.uk
Also, feel free to comment on how you approached the solo, which will add a bit more interest and maybe we can learn something from each other.

Discussion: This month's backing track is broadly based on the chords to 'Cry Me A River' as suggested by @fastonebaz in post dated March 11 in the thread at the link below:
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/175046/solo-of-the-month-sotm-58-challenge/p1 ;

Title: Blubbing Brook

Tempo: 70 bpm

Chords: 
[ Em /  /  /  |Em /  /  /   |Am7 / D7 /  |Gma7 / F#m7 B7 | 

Em7 / E7 /  |A9 / A9/E /  |Am7 / D9 /  |Gma7 / F#m7 B7 | ]  x2

End on Em

The backing track has some headroom to add your solos. Add your solo and (as a guideline) try to avoid boosting the overall level beyond that if possible. That way the entries should be at roughly the same level and we won't get into loudness wars.

Voting will start soon after the submission deadline, 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

The order and scores of the top three entries will be announced soon after the voting ends.No prizes. It's just for fun.

As people submit their entries, I'll post them below to hopefully promote some discussion on approaches used for the solo:

https://soundcloud.com/thefretboard/sets/sotm59-2020-05

Bellycaster

Sent one in.

fastonebaz

Oops I was so busy sunbathing I forgot about this one :-)

Bellycaster

fastonebaz said:

Oops I was so busy sunbathing I forgot about this one :-)

Dammit, Man! Where is your commitment?

stratman3142

Bellycaster said:

Sent one in.

That makes the one entry in the playlist in the original post.

fastonebaz

Entry submitted.

My approach on this one was to sunbath all day, then drink a lovely bottle of red wine and watch a movie, then after midnight listen to the backing track a few times whilst trying to jam along and decide it really needed a guitar harmony solo in a kind of call and response affair.

So, my solo has 2 guitars.  For the 2nd guitar, i composed the start of the solo (obvs) to get the harmonies correct, and tried to play the fast descending runs towards the end as a delayed response to the first guitars' call, and the rest of it I just improv'd trying to sound harmony-esque.  Then at 3am I went to bed.  Now I'm off to make american style pancakes and then to paint the garage side door before sunbathing again.

Charvel San Dimas HT
Planet waves cable
JP Jazz III pick
Ernie Ball Super slinkies
BIAS FX2 - saturated lead, slight reverb, loads of compression
Reaper
Rioja
 
#stayhome

stratman3142

fastonebaz said:

Entry submitted.

That makes two in the playlist.

fastonebaz

@stratman3142 ; I just noticed that there is a little difference in sound between the browser based soundcloud version and the original mp3.  After testing, the Mp3 and soundcloud App sound pretty much thr same.  The soundcloud in my phones browser is quieter and lacks a little bass.  

Might be the same for everyone.   Wonder if it's my phone browser causing the difference or maybe on phones they throttle the quality of the browser site to encourage people to install the app. Hmm.  

Anyway,  the pancakes were delicious. 

stratman3142

fastonebaz said:

@stratman3142 ;; I just noticed that there is a little difference in sound between the browser based soundcloud version and the original mp3.  After testing, the Mp3 and soundcloud App sound pretty much thr same.  The soundcloud in my phones browser is quieter and lacks a little bass.  

Might be the same for everyone.   Wonder if it's my phone browser causing the difference or maybe on phones they throttle the quality of the browser site to encourage people to install the app. Hmm.  

They sound the same on my PC. Have you played the original mp3 on your phone to compare with soundcloud to see if that's a factor?

fastonebaz

Yeah I A/B tested all 3. Weird.  Must be my phone browser.

stratman3142

Done mine. That makes 3 entries in the playlist.

stratman3142

Entry closes tomorrow at midnight.

stratman3142

Entry closes tonight at midnight.

stratman3142

Entry closed.