SOLO of the Month #21 - Chat

ChrisRG

I don't recognise the track (I hope it's not an obvious one!) and I'm not going to listen to the original before I submit.  I totally get where you're coming from @markv, although I'm going to come at it from the "no influence" side.  It'll be really interesting to hear what the results will be and whether people drew influence from the original or not.

Teetonetal

I didn't know the track either - must be a right pain if you do!

paul_c2

I know its a competition but to me its not a competition - what scales have people used/planning to use? Maybe its better to "reveal" after entries have closed, but it would be interesting to hear how others appraoch the solo of the month, and how they construct the solo. I'm alright once I get going, but sometimes getting started or finding a bit of inspiration doesn't occur, or leads me down a path of rubbishness.

ElectroDan

I didn't think about it too much before playing... just listened to the backing enough for my ear to lead my fingers.
Looking at it now though, I've used notes from Cmin Minor Pentatonic but targeted the Maj 3rd of the major chord. At the chord change near the end I've pretty much just run down and back up Diatonically.

stratman3142

paul_c2 said:

I know its a competition but to me its not a competition - what scales have people used/planning to use? Maybe its better to "reveal" after entries have closed, but it would be interesting to hear how others appraoch the solo of the month, and how they construct the solo. I'm alright once I get going, but sometimes getting started or finding a bit of inspiration doesn't occur, or leads me down a path of rubbishness.

I don't really see these as competitions either. I think it's just fun to share ideas and hear (and learn from) how other people approach things.

These are the chords I'm playing, which are hopefully fairly close to what's on the original. I'm happy to be corrected if I've got it wrong in my backing track.

1) The two lead-in chords are: Fm7   Gm7

2) Then it's: Cm7   Bb/C  repeated a few times (or you could also look at it as being equivalent to:  Eb/Bb    Bb/C)

3) The last two lead-out two chords are: Ab/Bb    Bb

If you look at the notes in those chords you might think C Aeolian mode (i.e. Cm pentatonic with an added D and Ab).

However, for the original solo, over the repeated section (Cm7 to Bb/C) I'm pretty sure he throws in a couple of very quick passing A notes instead of Ab, which would make it C Dorian mode. At least that's what I use when I play my copy of the original solo, but again I don't claim to be right.
 

markv

@paul_c2 - I think the reason they're called "challenges" is (very wisely) to make it less of a competition. It's just a bit of fun after all!

Being somewhat, well, challenged in the theory dept, I nearly always start with a minor pentatonic. If someone tells me it's in some specific mode I will give that a go. This time, as I said, I think I'm going to try and incorporate the melody - the solo section here is the same as the verse, up a tone, which is why it modulates up at the beginning and down again at the end.

paul_c2

Aaaaaaahhhh..........I have put in some arpeggios over completely different chords at the start and the end! Mind you, it sounds quite nice so I'm not re-doing my solo!

I started with C minor pentatonic, too, but then threw in C major, C phrygian and C locrian too. And some other notes (deliberately). I know exactly why I put in each note, and I know exactly the type of effect I wanted to create with each particular note. At least that's what I keep telling myself when I listen back and my ears hurt.

Teetonetal

paul_c2 said:

I know its a competition but to me its not a competition - what scales have people used/planning to use? Maybe its better to "reveal" after entries have closed, but it would be interesting to hear how others appraoch the solo of the month, and how they construct the solo. I'm alright once I get going, but sometimes getting started or finding a bit of inspiration doesn't occur, or leads me down a path of rubbishness.

No idea. I just listen once. play once, then record and that's what you get.

DulcetJones

So far all of my sotm  entries have been one take from start to finish.  Not the first take but the 3rd or 4th usually.   Basically, when I get a whole take that has no major flubs, it goes in.   I'm not "in it to win it" so much either, it's just fun and gets me out of my comfort zone with no risk.   I haven't tried this months yet but I am very familiar with the song and share the fears people have been expressing here.   We'll see what happens when it happens. 

paul_c2

Just emailed mine in, let's see how its received!

DulcetJones

Sent.  Pretty sure I got a couple of phrases from the original in there even though I was trying really hard not to.  

rash

Sent mine in. Didn't listen to the original track beforehand, now I recognize it.

Teetonetal

paul_c2 said:

Just emailed mine in, let's see how its received!

So, is the bass guitar at the end, after the track finishes supposed to be there? 

paul_c2

Teetonetal said:

paul_c2 said:

Just emailed mine in, let's see how its received!

So, is the bass guitar at the end, after the track finishes supposed to be there? 

Yes, it was all planned out. The backing track ended abruptly but I didn't.

Teetonetal

just checked out the video. Wasn't even aware there was a solo in this song until now! And there is some serious guitar face going on there... guess it's enhance the mime?

markv

Yeah I noticed that in the video! That's a clip from Top Of The Pops afaict, not a video as such. And the guitarist looks like he's taking the piss out of the whole thing.

paul_c2

Is Dulcet Jones' entry for a different competition? I can't hear the backing track underneath it?

DulcetJones

Uh yeah, I must have got them mixed up, that's the ROTM entry.  I'll just got and resend those now.

ElectroDan

DulcetJones said:

Uh yeah, I must have got them mixed up, that's the ROTM entry.  I'll just got and resend those now.

They're both on the Soundcloud page. I think Antiqueguitars has put the wrong one in here.

Antique_Guitars

Aye must have just picked the wrong file whilst uploading, fixed now.