Crazy Little Thing Called Love Solo?

monquixote

I'm doing a dep gig in a couple of weeks which is going to require me to learn about 40 odd songs.

I've got limited time to learn the songs and only one opportunity to practice with the band. This means that the first time I play a lot of the songs will be on the night, but I should be alright as they are a fairly rough and ready lot and aren't bothered if I play things as per the record.

Most of the stuff is fairly easy fare and I'm only learning solos note for note if they are simple ones like "Use somebody". One of the only ones with a recognisable but complex solo is "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

I set out to bluff something in D minor pentatonic as I don't have time to work it out note for note which started out OK and then sounds a bit off so I'm assuming it key changes part way through the solo. 

Anyone do this in their band and can help me out with what scales I should be targeting and what the change is?

Roland

GT tabbed the whole song in April 2001. PM me an email address and I'll send you a pdf

monquixote

Fab thanks!

johnnyurq

If you wish I have the LTP LL DVD I could rip the solo section and upload it to DropBox if you wish. A bit naughty maybe but easier than me finding the old VHS of Brian himself teaching how to play it and ripping that.

Let me know and I will make it so.

viz

We did it and tbh I think your best bet is just to learn it - it's really easy, it's only got 3 chord changes I think, and if you snap to each one's penta position you'll be fine.

bigjon

It's got quite a lot of D major pentatonic as well as D minor pentatonic in it, if your improv can stretch that far

monquixote

Yes that's what's confusing me. 

I was trying to get a flavour of it to work out the underlying scale, but the riffs I have worked out contain the major and minor 6ths and the major and minor 3rds so I think he is doing something like playing alternating bars of D major and minor and then maybe going to E for the last couple of bars. 

stickyfiddle

viz said:

We did it and tbh I think your best bet is just to learn it - it's really easy, it's only got 3 chord changes I think, and if you snap to each one's penta position you'll be fine.

It's enough of a classic that it's easier to learn it than improv anything half as good I reckon. That's what I did with my last lot

RocknRollDave

There are some solos i am happy to improvise over and some i feel need to be played note for note. For me, Crazy Little Thing..falls in the latter camp.

monquixote

Yeah I would do, but I suspect in that the first time I'll be playing it with a band will be in the pub on the night there is a fair chance I'll bollocks it up so I'd like to know what the safe notes are so I can noodle about without clashing horribly.

monquixote

OK sorted now. 

Thanks for your help everyone.

close2u

Good luck

 

koneguitarist

How did it go ?

monquixote

Alright ish . As expected I didn't play it quite like the original but knowledge of the scales meant I didn't play any notes that clanged

koneguitarist

I agree with Rock and roll dave, some songs need the original solo, I learnt that one years ago for my old band, only to never gig it. 

One of only a few songs I have ever learnt note for note.  Another one was Kayleigh by Marillion, never ever gigged that either, part of the reason, I jam it and see what happens.

viz

Nice one monq. And i love that song - " dancing in stilettos in the snow ..."

close2u

I fluffed the solo at my band's recent auditions ... but I wasn't the one being auditioned so I guess I got away with it.

Majorscale

Definitely a little late, but for your info this tab/midi website is a great learning resource and has a huge library. As ever these are user submitted so some are better than others but the majority are of high quality...

http://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/queen-crazy-little-thing-called-love-tab-s23541t2

ElectroDan

I've almost given up on searching for tabs now, due to people who have been playing a few weeks, posting complete bollocks on all the tab sites.