Solo of the Month (SotM) #34 - Chat

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stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176
edited March 2018 in Making Music
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This is the 34th solo of the Month (SotM) Challenge and is being run by @stratman3142 and @TTony.

The challenge is now open, and remains open for submissions until 11:30pm on 24th March 2018

Here's this month's backing track (you can download it from soundcloud). Record your solo over the top of it and then submit it to solos@theFB.co.uk

https://soundcloud.com/thefretboard/sotm34-backing-track-flat-ten 

If your entry is in mp3 format it makes it slightly easier for me. Don't worry if you use another format, but I'll convert it to mp3. 

 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.

Info

The backing track is a bluesy minor thing. I borrowed the chords from "Unchain My Heart" then mixed them up a bit

The tempo is 90 BPM and there are two passes through the following chord sequence ending on Gm.

Gm  Gm  D7#9  D7#9 
Gm  Gm  D7#9  D7#9 
Gm  Gm  Eb9   D7#9

btw: there's a fairly quiet cymbal hit (cue) at the start of the 4 bar section containing the Eb9 chord.


Dates and Voting

Voting will start soon after the submission deadline of 24th March 2018, 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
Voting will end on 11.30pm 31st March 2018
The order and scores of the three people with the most votes will be announced soon after the voting ends.

No prizes. It's just for fun.


Playlist

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/sotm34-2018-03

It's not a competition.
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Comments

  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176
    edited March 2018

    Here's a bit more info on the backing track.

    The chord sequence contains what I've called a D7#9. I recall a discussion recently where it was suggested that a better name might be "flat ten". So I called the backing track "Flat Ten" in honour of @viz , who's extremely knowledgeable about this theory stuff and a lot cleverer than me

    It's not a competition.
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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    Lol. I might try and record a solo for it then!
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • bingefellerbingefeller Frets: 5723
    What song is Unchain My Heart?  
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  • beed84beed84 Frets: 2403
    I'm sorry, but I just can't abide calling an altered chord a b10  ;)

    Nevertheless, this is exactly the sort of motivation I need right now. Hopefully I'll have an interface in time to lay a solo down and enter!
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176
    edited March 2018
    What song is Unchain My Heart?  

    Stick it in Youtube. I believe Ray Charles recorded it first. Then Joe Cocker did a fairly well known version. I just selected (knicked) three of the chords, missed out the IVm chord, mixed them up and changed the key for the backing track.

    It's not a competition.
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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    edited March 2018
    beed84 said:
    I'm sorry, but I just can't abide calling an altered chord a b10 

    Nevertheless, this is exactly the sort of motivation I need right now. Hopefully I'll have an interface in time to lay a solo down and enter!
    The fact that it’s an altered chord, derived from the altered scale, is one of the main reasons why it can never be a #9! Anyway, I know convention is to call it a 9th; I’m nearly over it
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176
    edited March 2018
    Just in case anyone's interested I created this month's backing track using the following method, which was very quick.

    1) I used an inexpensive Android app on my Tablet called Chordbot (link below) to experiment with chord sequences, then applied a style within Chordbot
    http://www.chordbot.com/

    2) Exported a midi file and emailed it to myself to transfer it to my music PC

    3) Dragged the midi file into Reaper which opened up a number of tracks, then did a bit of minor tweaking of the midi files.

    4) Added some decent VSTis and VSTs to the tracks, which were
    - AAS Lounge Lizard for the Rhodes
    - IK Modobass for the virtual bass guitar (I selected a 70s J Bass)
    - Addictive Drums for the drums
    - ValhallaVintageVerb for the common Bus reverb
    - Voxengo Elephant for a bit of master limiting to take out transient spikes, and set the Out Gain to -3dB to leave plenty of headroom for solos to be added.

    I needed to get something done and dusted really quickly because I'm moving house next week

     I've since found another fairly inexpensive piece of PC software called Chordpulse, which I might use for future backing tracks, if I'm short of time and need to generate something quick.
    http://www.chordpulse.com/

    It's not a competition.
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  • flying_pieflying_pie Frets: 1806
    Thanks @stratman3142 that sounds ideal for making tracks to noodle to. Thanks for sharing. 

    And can I ask is the controversial chord sometimes known as The Hendrix Chord?
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176

    ...And can I ask is the controversial chord sometimes known as The Hendrix Chord?

    Yes.

    It's not a competition.
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  • beed84beed84 Frets: 2403
    edited March 2018
    viz said:
    beed84 said:
    I'm sorry, but I just can't abide calling an altered chord a b10 

    Nevertheless, this is exactly the sort of motivation I need right now. Hopefully I'll have an interface in time to lay a solo down and enter!
    The fact that it’s an altered chord, derived from the altered scale, is one of the main reasons why it can never be a #9! Anyway, I know convention is to call it a 9th; I’m nearly over it
    How so? An altered scale is 1 b9 #9 3 b5 #5 b7 - by calling it a D7b10 - which there is no mention of b10 - would be implying it's a major and minor chord at the same time. It's impossible!

    Sorry to troll the thread somewhat, and I know it's only theory, but to me a b10 doesn't make sense. Again, apologies for the unforeseen controversy OP.  I don't normally get this heated about things  s
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176
    edited March 2018
    I haven't recorded my solo yet, but I've loosely jammed over the chord sequence. Below is my thought process, but don't assume I know the answers. It would be good to get other views and share ideas, either before or after individuals record their solos.

    I'll explain how I think in terms of the home scale (Gm), but I might also think 'on the chord' (arpeggios etc.)

    I'm no jazzer and my simple thinking (and taste) is rooted in rock and blues. I generally think in terms of minor or major pentatonics then add to, or modify, the basic patterns.

    1) My starting point is Gm pentatonic, plus I might add a b5 (D flat) to create the blues scale. So when I say Gm pentatonic, I encompass the b5 to create the blues scale. I let my ear judge how long I stay on a b5. It's usually a passing note, but In this progression there's a Db in the Eb9 chord (i.e the b7 of that chord) so it sounds (to me) that I can hang around (and emphasise) the b5 of the Gm blues scale on the Eb9 chord.

    2) There's an A note in the D7#9 (the 5th) and obviously an Eb note root for the Eb9. So adding the A and the Eb to Gm pentatonic suggests the Gm Aeolian mode.

    3) The D7#9 also has an F# (the 3rd), which is also the major 7th of the Gm key. So I can occasionally convert my Aeolian mode to G harmonic minor by playing F# (the major 7th) instead of F (the b7th).

    4) Once I know I can occasionally get away with the harmonic minor scale, I know I can build a basic diminished scale on the 7th of the harmonic minor, which in this case comprises the notes F#, A, C and Eb.

    That's what in my mind and ear. But I might just jam away using the Gm blues scale

    It's not a competition.
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  • flying_pieflying_pie Frets: 1806
    @stratman my approach to a few minutes noodling was even simpler than yours.

    My ears told me that all three chords are in Shine On You Crazy Diamond. There are lots of licks with extra notes outwith Gm pentatonic which can be borrowed and adapted. I suspect that's what you've described without the jargon. 


    And by complete coincidence my raw riff for this month features a technique DG used to play the intro for that song on a recent tour
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  • flying_pieflying_pie Frets: 1806
    Couldn't resist it. Slightly daft entry sent. 
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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    edited March 2018
    beed84 said:
    viz said:
    beed84 said:
    I'm sorry, but I just can't abide calling an altered chord a b10   

    Nevertheless, this is exactly the sort of motivation I need right now. Hopefully I'll have an interface in time to lay a solo down and enter!
    The fact that it’s an altered chord, derived from the altered scale, is one of the main reasons why it can never be a #9! Anyway, I know convention is to call it a 9th; I’m nearly over it 
    How so? An altered scale is 1 b9 #9 3 b5 #5 b7 - by calling it a D7b10 - which there is no mention of b10 - would be implying it's a major and minor chord at the same time. It's impossible!

    Sorry to troll the thread somewhat, and I know it's only theory, but to me a b10 doesn't make sense. Again, apologies for the unforeseen controversy OP.  I don't normally get this heated about things  s
    It’s good when threads meander! 

    There’s nothing wrong with it being a major and a minor scale at the same time - remember it’s not a diatonic scale so it doesn’t conform to the rules of ionian and aeolian. It is after all “altered”. But most of all, that’s what it sounds like. It sounds like it has a major 3rd at the bottom and a minor 3rd on top, that’s how the scale functions. It starts like a phrygian, then it has a major 3rd, then it has an aug4/dim5, then it finishes like aeolian or mixolydian. That’s just its sense.

    Lots of scales have major and minor tonality, including the mixolydian b6 (melodic minor in 5th mode, played over a dominant) - that has a major 3rd yet a minor 6th. 

    With respect to the numbering of the altered scale, it actually has every note flattened from the major scale. It’s 1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 8. That’s the reason its name is “the altered scale” - every note is altered apart from the root. So the real issue you could legitimately have is that it seems to have a MAJOR 3rd. That major 3rd is actually a diminished 4th. That I could agree with if I wasn’t led by my ear but by notation alone. Just!

    Edit - I see Wikipedia spells it as you have. I think that must be an alternative convention, even maybe the standard notation - which i don’t really understand, but ok you’re right! I think it must spring off the convention of naming the chord using only odd numbers. So you don’t call it a b2 and #2 but a b9 and #9. This seems to me to be a very roundabout way of spelling the scale and, as I say, detracts from the musical meaning of it.

    Anyway, I’m going to record my solo now!
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176
    beed84 said:

    ...Sorry to troll the thread somewhat...

    No problem. I think it's good to have a discussion based around some actual music and solos. Also, it keeps bumping the thread, which will help to remind people to enter :)

    It's not a competition.
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2176
    Couldn't resist it. Slightly daft entry sent. 

    I'll try to upload a playlist when I can, but I'm supposed to be preparing for our house move and the missus is complaining that I keep getting distracted.

    It's not a competition.
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  • flying_pieflying_pie Frets: 1806
    No rush @stratman3142 I just had the time spare to record it last night 

    Good luck with the move
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  • Rowby1Rowby1 Frets: 1258
    edited March 2018
    Hope the move is going/has gone okay @stratman3142

    Run out of time this weekend, will get an entry in next weekend with any luck.
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  • Rowby1Rowby1 Frets: 1258
    Okay, so I’m having a crack at this today. I just wanted to check though as I’ve also added a bit of percussion to the track to help me play in the groove a bit more. Is it breaking the rules if I submit it with the extra percussion as well as my solo? Would anyone object? 
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  • markvmarkv Frets: 459
    edited March 2018
    Rowby1 said:
    Is it breaking the rules if I submit it with the extra percussion as well as my solo? Would anyone object? 

    I'd say submit what you think works best - and people will vote for what they like. I don't think there's really any rules as such - it's just a bit of fun!

    I try and treat it as if I was being asked to add a solo to someone else's track. I've added clicks to tracks before now, and even some chords to give me some harmonic "scaffolding" as it were - but it all comes off for the final mix. I'd like to feel my solo can stand up in the original context. But that's just my opinion and approach.
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