Musicians check in here. If you play, tell us about it!
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I agree that what is tasteful and agrees with the scale is good music. A single note solo can make a statement, especially since that note makes a modal transition as the chords change and modify the way that "one" note affects your sense of musical taste.
My gripe is that there are few non-metal players these days that truly do creative solos. Some say that punk rock killed the solo by accusing players of showing off. Well, when EVH showed off it brought people to their feet screaming. Is that bad? I guess the punkers couldn't do it and felt led to condemn it.
I don't know if I can provide a good example. Pick a modern band that isn't into speed metal and you will find few solos. I flip to Paladia here and there and frequently find a group with melodic chord progressions, but no solos. I have to go back to retro videos to see solos! I did watch Heart last night and thoroughly enjoyed all the riffing going on.
The most famous one note solo was by Neil Young in the original recording of Cinnamon Girl.
My gripe is that there are few non-metal players these days that truly do creative solos. Some say that punk rock killed the solo by accusing players of showing off. Well, when EVH showed off it brought people to their feet screaming. Is that bad? I guess the punkers couldn't do it and felt led to condemn it.
I don't know if I can provide a good example. Pick a modern band that isn't into speed metal and you will find few solos. I flip to Paladia here and there and frequently find a group with melodic chord progressions, but no solos. I have to go back to retro videos to see solos! I did watch Heart last night and thoroughly enjoyed all the riffing going on.
The most famous one note solo was by Neil Young in the original recording of Cinnamon Girl.
to be honest, i reckon its all to do with the song, some songs DEMAND horrifically amazing solo's other smaller ones,
but they'll always be a place for them, just seems to tie the song in i think anyway.
I cant really say much though because i barely even listen to normal music anymore, 50-60% of all the music i have is just solo artist shredders and stuff like that really haha.
from my point of view, every rock n roll song should have a solo, and the very shortest it should be is about the length of the one from red hot chilli's - Cant Stop
but they'll always be a place for them, just seems to tie the song in i think anyway.
I cant really say much though because i barely even listen to normal music anymore, 50-60% of all the music i have is just solo artist shredders and stuff like that really haha.
from my point of view, every rock n roll song should have a solo, and the very shortest it should be is about the length of the one from red hot chilli's - Cant Stop
A bass solo can be a wonderful thing... or a boring train wreck. I got tired of the (how many notes can you fit in a measure) stuff years ago. It's all about tasteful application of chops.
That is all.
Hey Dave,
I still don't see any drummers or keyboardists here.
Damn string-wangers!
Bless yer pointy little heads...
I still don't see any drummers or keyboardists here.
Damn string-wangers!
Bless yer pointy little heads...
The solo was originally implemented in response to singer's voices becoming strained due to continued singing in a 4 hour gig. Each song had an instrumental "break" for the singer to rest their chops. It was also a change from the ordinary that offered an opportunity for showcasing the members of the band. Solos could be from the guitar, horn player, drummer, bass, or keyboards.
A good way to learn to solo is to listen to horn players. If you can match the speed and composition of a good sax man, you are doing OK with your soloing skills. A good harpist can challenge a guitar player also. Reproducing the bends and warbles of a harp player can be challenging.
A good way to learn to solo is to listen to horn players. If you can match the speed and composition of a good sax man, you are doing OK with your soloing skills. A good harpist can challenge a guitar player also. Reproducing the bends and warbles of a harp player can be challenging.
Good advice, Dave.
Many years ago ('74?) I went to see Bob Dorough with his bass player Bill Takas.
Takas was playing an Alembic modified Fender bass that sounded amazing and his intricate and melodic solos just blew me away. I'd never heard or seen a bass played like that.
Even then Bill Takas was at least 60. I asked him what bass players he listen to to be able to play like that. He sort of looked at me and laughed knowingly. "I listen to horn players".
What a radical idea....
Check out his bass solo about 1/2 way through.
Many years ago ('74?) I went to see Bob Dorough with his bass player Bill Takas.
Takas was playing an Alembic modified Fender bass that sounded amazing and his intricate and melodic solos just blew me away. I'd never heard or seen a bass played like that.
Even then Bill Takas was at least 60. I asked him what bass players he listen to to be able to play like that. He sort of looked at me and laughed knowingly. "I listen to horn players".
What a radical idea....
Check out his bass solo about 1/2 way through.
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Great cut, Bassnut. It wasn't until half way through that I realized there's no drummer in the background. There was enough staccato percussion to carry the beat without one. Even on a set of run-of-the-mill headphones I was able to clearly hear fret noises and tiny string buzzing effects that added to the character of the tune.
Piano jazz and a good bass player go hand in hand to make a pleasurable listening experience. All those times we played in huge hotels around Atlanta I got to hear some great jazz artists. We'd be playing for a big party in the ballroom and we'd walk over on breaks to see who was playing in the lounge. I got to see some impressive singers and musicians during those times.
Back in the 80s, we used to insert some fill dates by playing at the Officer's Club at the local AFB. It was a laid back job in nice surroundings. Occasionally, the Air Force Rock Band would show up for some shindig in the ballroom. We'd go listen to them during breaks and they would come and listen to us during theirs. The Air Force has quite a few players to pick from and they get some killer musicians. Those guys go all around the world playing for the troops. It's probably one of the best cushy jobs in the Air Force and they change members as people leave the military and others sign up. The current band, AfterBurner, is good! Give a listen to them play an AC/DC tune in Times Square. (headphones or earbuds recommended)
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In the spirit of keeping this thread alive...and my own peculiar bass interests, I want to add more to my story about Bill Takas (I'm pretty sure he's gone now - he'd be in his late 90's) when I was heaping my praise and excitement on him he told me that he didn't feel that he played the electric bass particularly well. He approached the instrument as if it were an upright (stand-up acoustic - bass viol etc.) bass and made no other excuses for his string attack.
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Some people are just not impressed by their own playing. After all, if you hear yourself every night, you just get to thinking that you play the same old stuff over and over. You hear other people play and it sounds fresh. It's easy to get into a rut.
Lately, I've been trying to adopt new licks and styles into my riff repertoire. I never played octave dyads much unless it was part of a cover song and I had to. Lots of the new music is full of dyads in a chunk chunk chunk sort of way.
I also like playing inside chords, sometimes with a pedal tone. Doing things like that has added some variety in my playing.
BTW Bass, I don't know if you viewed the Afterburner video, but if you didn't it is worth viewing. Those guys are good. You can close your eyes and see AC/DC in the song. It's a great cover.
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What is it with Air Force Guys? Way back about ten years ago, we had ourselves a Yes (nothing past '74) tribute project.
The geetar boy was a 19 year active-duty spook hardware guy. He would not tell us what he was working on.
This guy could pull off the Steve Howe chops perfectly. The only thing that gave him any real trouble was the Clap.
I sure miss that band...
Afterburner is a great band name!
OH, yes!
Sorry. Those guys are great and apparently versatile as well. There are some other Youtube videos of them available.
The sound quality was so good in this video that I was having a hard time believing it was live. It really sounds studio quality.
I was watching them closely to see if they were pulling a Milli Vanilli on us. I'm convinced now that they weren't.
I'm sure they travel with a good sound crew. That would include close miking and a person on the other end of the snake controlling it all in multi-track. Good isolation gives you the freedom to mix down after the fact.
When you have government backing you get access to all kinds of neat technology. These guys are not only entertainment for the troops, but representatives to the public for the AF. They appeal to recruitment age prospects.
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So who's into guitar amps? What's your preference ... Tubes or Solid State? Which kind for which types of music?
I know everyone's got a favorite. Let's talk about loud and toneful.
I know everyone's got a favorite. Let's talk about loud and toneful.
Can I just say, if I had known in my younger days that the military band was that good. I am afraid I might have tried to join the military just to be in that band.
Sorry Dave I can't even being to talk about amp's, I can't even make up my mind on how I like my simple acoustic amp set at. I guess if I had to pick it would be tube, but only because of the idea, I haven't actually played either one.
Sorry Dave I can't even being to talk about amp's, I can't even make up my mind on how I like my simple acoustic amp set at. I guess if I had to pick it would be tube, but only because of the idea, I haven't actually played either one.
I think tubes have the edge because there's a feel in playing that most SS amps don't provide. It's called tube sag, but it's more the momentary oversaturation of the output transformer that causes it. SS amps don't need output transformers because the output transistors are low resistance and can be direct coupled to the speakers.
OTOH, tubes need maintenance and replacement, transistors just work and work. With computer modeling today, SS amps are getting so close that putting up with tubes isn't worth the effort for most people.
I like old Fender Amps. Vox is a good choice in the modeling types. I haven't played a Mesa amp on a gig. Peavey has always been a solid choice and I've owned half a dozen over the years. Amp choice is as widely varied as guitars and other musical instruments.
For guitars?
Tubes.
I'm spoiled. I know what a good vintage tube amp rig sounds like...and there's noting like it.
I also know that the sterile, compressed "perfection" of digital modeling comes very close and actually surpasses some of the real cool harmonic "ear candy" of a quality tube rig but it doesn't get it all.
I can see how people would settle for it because it makes achieving something close to those sounds easily accessible but...no cigar.
I can spot that processed sound easily, blindfold a mile away and it's become so ubiquitous since the late '80s I now find it annoying.
To use a crass comparison, it's like substituting the most gorgeous and sexy looking full size female doll to replace a real women.
Sure, it passes the eye test and might fool the masses but....
My current amp just blew me away when I tried it out in a music store. I actually didn't buy at first. I was in Birmingham, Alabama on business and stopped in one might after supper at a large music store (kind of like a local Guitar Center.) I looked at and tried out several tube amps. Then, I looked at the Peavey Vypyr, which comes in SS and Tube, all with the same SHARC processor front end.
The Tube 60 model had that tube presence that sets tubes apart from SS. It's a certain tonal quality that you learn to recognize. Later, when I got back home, I went to the local Peavey dealer and spent an afternoon playing with one and bought it. That was over two years ago and I still love the amp. The modeling front end is like having all the stompboxes and rack effects built into the amp instead of on the floor where you have to deal with cabling and setup and power supplies.
The tube section is one 12ax7 that serves as an dual inverter. Each half feeds a 6L6 in two phases, exactly like all tube amps ever built. One half of the signal goes to each tube and the output is combined in the output transformer, then sent to the speakers. In a standard all tube amp, the rest of the tubes are used for signal input stages, tremelo, reverb, tone circuits, and other necessary coupling functions. These are all 1-1 input and output unity gain devices. The meat of any tube amp is in the power amp stage. That's where you get the unique amp curve effect and saturation for "tube feel and response".
In every blind test I've read, the players couldn't tell whether the sounds were coming through tubes or SS amps when someone else was playing and they were listening.
This link talks about SS vs Tube amplification and how they differ.
Can solid-state sound really match that of tubes?
http://www.trueaudio.com/at_eetjlm.htm
The Tube 60 model had that tube presence that sets tubes apart from SS. It's a certain tonal quality that you learn to recognize. Later, when I got back home, I went to the local Peavey dealer and spent an afternoon playing with one and bought it. That was over two years ago and I still love the amp. The modeling front end is like having all the stompboxes and rack effects built into the amp instead of on the floor where you have to deal with cabling and setup and power supplies.
The tube section is one 12ax7 that serves as an dual inverter. Each half feeds a 6L6 in two phases, exactly like all tube amps ever built. One half of the signal goes to each tube and the output is combined in the output transformer, then sent to the speakers. In a standard all tube amp, the rest of the tubes are used for signal input stages, tremelo, reverb, tone circuits, and other necessary coupling functions. These are all 1-1 input and output unity gain devices. The meat of any tube amp is in the power amp stage. That's where you get the unique amp curve effect and saturation for "tube feel and response".
In every blind test I've read, the players couldn't tell whether the sounds were coming through tubes or SS amps when someone else was playing and they were listening.
This link talks about SS vs Tube amplification and how they differ.
Can solid-state sound really match that of tubes?
http://www.trueaudio.com/at_eetjlm.htm
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