Sweet Home Soloing

robinbowes

Could be worse... I get to play Mustang Sally!

R.

hubobulous

I've made my own up using parts of the original and then building around them. I use the open D and G strings for pull offs going up the neck and finish off with slowly swept C and G arpeggios so they are melodic rather than shreddy.

Danny1969

I make nods to the D and C when I'm over em but then settle to G major bar a few passing notes. I find it a bit of a challange keeping it interesting to be honest, those 3 chords aren't much of a bedrock for a good solo

monquixote

I tried targeting E minor last night and everything I played just sounded like total shit. 

Has anyone got any clips they could share of their approach, or of other versions with decent solos?

hubobulous

I'll see if I can do a very rough and ready video tonight of my solo. Don't expect nice editing or sound quality, but it will give you an idea. Mine's quite similar to the original, but with a few changes here and there to make it my own.

knuckleberryfinn

randomhandclaps said:

You could try breaking it up with a bit of scatting if all else fails.

People's view of Sweet Home Alabama always puzzles me as people seem to over complicate it - maybe because it starts on the 5th, which is incredible common in southern rock.  What is simply a V. IV. I progression makes it a really good example of how modal tonality is so related to player perspective.  People actually debate the key when it's clearly G, but from a solo this seems to trip a lot people up.

We used to play it years ago.  I personally always viewed the first solo as G major, the second and third as Em and D mixolydian.in order to give me a fresh take on each section.  Obviously they are all the same key so it purely is a modal player's perspective.   There are a lot of fundamentally mixolydian based licks in so many southern rock and country rock tunes.  This does also give you the opportunity to drop down to Dm pent (with the classic minor 3rd to major 3rd rock n' roll hammers on etc) at point, which works also works well with repeated motifs.

There's no way I could ever hear it in any other key than D.  I bet the only reason why the key is in doubt is that the song fades out.

hubobulous

I've done a quick vid just using the camera mic. My solo largely uses either E Minor/G Major pentatonic, with some G Major scale thrown in too, finishing with C Major and G Major apreggios. I start both of these arpeggios on the 3rd because I like the approach of playing them against the relevant chord, but not starting on the root if that makes sense. 

Never uploaded a video to Flickr before so not sure if link will work...

Video of solo

viz

That's great @hubobulous!

hubobulous

@Viz - many thanks. I quite like composing solos and try to give a nod to the original whilst adding my own bits too. Its taken a while to ensure that its consistent at gigs. A bit of a finger twister in places, and not really during the faster bits

Rocker

thomasw88 said:

just don't play it.

its an awful song.

the world does not need another version of SHA.

Nonsense, the audience like the song so play it. And look like you like playing the song.

Has the OP, @monquixote, considered the use of a slide solo or even a noodle with a slide. Could work very well....

not_the_dj

Rocker said:

thomasw88 said:

just don't play it.

its an awful song.

the world does not need another version of SHA.

Nonsense, the audience like the song so play it. And look like you like playing the song.

Has the OP, @monquixote, considered the use of a slide solo or even a noodle with a slide. Could work very well....

I imagine the OP is quite happy never having to play this song again (it's an ancient thread and his circumstances have changed).

Personally I've never quite understood the appeal of the song with the average pub punters...but they do still like it, so it's still on the set lists for my bands.

Stuckfast

EricTheWeary said:

Liking the irony (?) of a Young style solo on SHA.

Neil Young loved SHA when it came out and included it in his own set for a while.