Solo of the Month (SotM) #119 - Challenge

stratman3142

I'm starting this one a bit early because I'm going to be busy over the next few days and might not get time.

The challenge is now open and ends at midnight 23rd September 2025

Discussion:

Thanks to @digitalkettle for this backing track.

You can download the backing track from the link below:

https://app.box.com/s/0j7881e6jxub9uuxve837g9u6vzkcfe4

You can hear the track below:
https://on.soundcloud.com/cCpqa2L3q9BaQfgubd

Track info:

Title: King Of The Ninth World

Tempo and structure:

In the words of @digitalkettle: "106 bpm...just a big old G minor groove".

Record your solo over the top of it and then submit it (ideally in mp3 format) to solos@thefretboard.co.uk

Also, feel free to post how you approached the solo on this thread, which will add a bit more interest and maybe we can learn something from each other.

There should be headroom to record your solo. Try to set a level without excessive master limiting, because we want to avoid loudness wars.

Voting will start soon after the submission deadline, 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

The order and scores of the top three entries will be announced soon after the voting ends.

No prizes. It's just for fun.

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/sotm119-2025-09?si=8447a048ffc34518a48b61f5f29c5271&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

stratman3142

For some reason the Soundcloud window doesn't show when I use the url insert option. But the link should still take you to the track.

RichAC

I haven't taken part in a tFB challenge before, but this will be the month! 

maharg101

RichAC said:

I haven't taken part in a tFB challenge before, but this will be the month! 

Nice one  look forward to hearing it

topdog91

RichAC said:

I haven't taken part in a tFB challenge before, but this will be the month! 

Ditto, just sent mine in. Except I didn't:

Your message wasn't delivered to solos@thefb.co.uk because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email.

digitalkettle

topdog91 said:

RichAC said:

I haven't taken part in a tFB challenge before, but this will be the month! 

Ditto, just sent mine in. Except I didn't:

Your message wasn't delivered to solos@thefb.co.uk because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email.

I think that's the old email address!

Try solos@thefretboard.co.uk

topdog91

digitalkettle said:

topdog91 said:

RichAC said:

I haven't taken part in a tFB challenge before, but this will be the month! 

Ditto, just sent mine in. Except I didn't:

Your message wasn't delivered to solos@thefb.co.uk because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email.

I think that's the old email address!

Try solos@thefretboard.co.uk

Done, ta!

stratman3142

digitalkettle said:

topdog91 said:

RichAC said:

I haven't taken part in a tFB challenge before, but this will be the month! 

Ditto, just sent mine in. Except I didn't:

Your message wasn't delivered to solos@thefb.co.uk because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email.

I think that's the old email address!

Try solos@thefretboard.co.uk

Aaaargh. How many times must I keep making the same mistake. Sorry about that.

I've updated the email address.

The perils of copy and pasting from previous challenges to save time.

stratman3142

topdog91 said:

RichAC said:

I haven't taken part in a tFB challenge before, but this will be the month! 

Ditto, just sent mine in. Except I didn't:

Your message wasn't delivered to solos@thefb.co.uk because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email.

Got it now. There'll be a short delay before I upload it because I'm busy at the moment and away from my main computer.

RichAC

Er... not that I'm expecting to leave this to the last possible moment or anything, but can I clarify whether "midnight 23rd September" means "end of Monday night" or "end of Tuesday night?" 

I ask because I ran something like this once, and people's interpretation of that differed. 

digitalkettle

RichAC said:

Er... not that I'm expecting to leave this to the last possible moment or anything, but can I clarify whether "midnight 23rd September" means "end of Monday night" or "end of Tuesday night?" 

I ask because I ran something like this once, and people's interpretation of that differed. 

"ends at midnight 23rd September 2025" means you've got all Tuesday 23rd to get it done (and you're allowed to be late anyway...within reason).

stratman3142

Yes, perhaps it should 23:59:59.9999... instead of midnight

But as @digitalkettle says, it's not really a hard deadline. Voting usually starts the following morning, and you could submit late (during the voting period), but risk losing out on early votes.

stratman3142

topdog91 said:

...sent mine in...

It's in the playlist, finally, after I messed things up originally.

skullfunkerry

I'm feeling brave this month, after everyone's kind comments last time round. I've just sent mine in - and a noodle as well!

I just started jamming over it on repeat, and found some motifs I liked which I built on. I think the noodle take was about my 5th or 6th go, and the final version was my first take this morning, which was probably around my 10th or 11th take in total.

I've used the same guitar tone as last time, but I've been more careful with the levels: I think if anything I may have gone the opposite way and mixed it too quietly this time... it sounded okay on my monitors, but then through my headphones I was *way* too loud, so I adjusted it to sound good in them - it sounds alright on my in-ears too, but through my monitors it sounds a bit quiet... will be interested to see what everyone else thinks.

stratman3142

skullfunkerry said:

I'm feeling brave this month, after everyone's kind comments last time round. I've just sent mine in - and a noodle as well!

They're both in the playlist.

topdog91

stratman3142 said:

topdog91 said:

...sent mine in...

It's in the playlist, finally, after I messed things up originally.

Thank you! Comments on my approach:

o What's an approach? Sounds far too professional for me. The plan is something like "play what I hear in my head" which apparently mostly sounds the same on the rare occasion that I can execute it. I'd run out of steam by the last quarter of the track!

o I like tracks that don't change too much because they do (theoretically) force the player to try and make something happen.

o The sound is too thick / high gain (with extra delay) but it's my standard practice sound because it shows up my sloppiness.

o Hearing myself afterwards and wincing (mainly at my timing) is excellent motivation for practice.

flying_pie

Sent one in

Approach as follows:

usual PRS Tremonti SE & Friedman IR-J with Nux Atlantic and plenty of reverb and delay into SSL2 and stereo delay in REAPER

noodled for a bit in G trying to be more modal and atmospheric than pentatonic 
then turned on polypitch up 3 semitones and finished of playing in E except it's G - very confusing especially as I did it at low volume with monitors and could hear my guitar unshifted

stratman3142

flying_pie said:

Sent one in

It's in the playlist.

stratman3142

If you need any ideas for this SotM G minor chord (Dorian) type groove, Mr Cordy has just posted something cool in C#m (link below) starting at about 1:40.

Axe2Grind

Just sent one in.

I cracked out the old strat which I've not played in a while for this one. Plugged into the usual Fractal FM3. 

stratman3142

Axe2Grind said:

Just sent one in.

It's in the playlist.