Solo #2

[D. R. Miller]

Here is my rendition of solo #2 as recorded via Logic Pro. I used some techniques from our gear seminar last week to record the lead part using my KWS Fender Strat into an EH Soul Food feeding the tone to my monoprice 5 watt tube amp and recorded with an SM57 on axis about 3-4 inches from the speaker grill. Also I must confess I created this track by editing the best parts of each section from seven takes of the solo into Logic and then bouncing them to one individual track. Hope that's not cheating!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1m63rbxk5n2kqnv/BGU Solo 2.mp3?dl=0

 

[D. R. Miller]

I don't know about the rest of you but for some reason when recording it is hard for me to get a complete solo take without some sort of glitch like a plunked string, a flat bend or extra string noise that may just be in one little section but effects the whole. I learned several years ago to just play several takes and then piece together the whole from the best of the pieces. Works better than trying to go back and punch in at a specific spot and replay the take at that point only, something is just not there when I try that. How about the rest of you? How do you handle recording your solo's and going for the perfect take?

 

[JffKnt]

Ahhhh, the perfect take and the unicorn. Elusive creatures. LOL

Sometimes if I'm trying to record something "perfect" I'll do several takes and get the best parts from each take and make a composite out of them. But I'm still not that good where it sounds "professional." Or I was doing several choruses of lead with at least one chorus of rhythm in between each lead chorus. It's a lot easier to go back into a single chorus of lead you don't like when there's that much space before and after the chorus you're working on and just work on that one 12 bars instead of trying to get the entire song recorded perfectly in one single take.

I just listened to your Solo 2 above. Your playing sounds a lot like mine. Sometimes (not all the time) a little before the beat. All I can say is keep practicing. You know the notes to this solo. Keep practicing it. Hopefully, it will get better over time. I try playing with my eyes close. Trying to visualize the fret board in my mind's eye. Sometimes that helps with my timing, believe it or not.

I like your rendition of Solo 2. Just keep hacking away at it. Record it again in a month or 2 and listen for any improvements. What frustrates me is when I do that and I don't get any better. Some stuff I improve on, but some stuff I don't. Oh well.

 

[Cleotis]

Nice! Timing, tone, bends, and sustain are all done well.

 

[D. R. Miller]

Ahhhh, the perfect take and the unicorn. Elusive creatures. LOL

Sometimes if I'm trying to record something "perfect" I'll do several takes and get the best parts from each take and make a composite out of them. But I'm still not that good where it sounds "professional." Or I was doing several choruses of lead with at least one chorus of rhythm in between each lead chorus. It's a lot easier to go back into a single chorus of lead you don't like when there's that much space before and after the chorus you're working on and just work on that one 12 bars instead of trying to get the entire song recorded perfectly in one single take.

I just listened to your Solo 2 above. Your playing sounds a lot like mine. Sometimes (not all the time) a little before the beat. All I can say is keep practicing. You know the notes to this solo. Keep practicing it. Hopefully, it will get better over time. I try playing with my eyes close. Trying to visualize the fret board in my mind's eye. Sometimes that helps with my timing, believe it or not.

I like your rendition of Solo 2. Just keep hacking away at it. Record it again in a month or 2 and listen for any improvements. What frustrates me is when I do that and I don't get any better. Some stuff I improve on, but some stuff I don't. Oh well.

Thanks for the feedback, I am new at trying to learn canned solo's as I have always stayed away from doing that, at my own detriment, by always improvising. BGU has brought me into the middle of it and I have to say it is not easy but well worth the effort especially when you start seeing what you've been learning show up in your improvising.

Have you learned the art of counting or do you just try to follow the groove? I cannot count and learn the solo's at the same time but I know it is something Griff stresses a lot and something I need to try and do.

I need to go back and revisit solo 1 as well as a couple from the Killer Blues solos course I've worked on also as well and keeping this one fresh in the mind and fingers. Never lack for something to learn now that I'm part of the BGU family.

 

[jmin]

What Cleots said...but you "cheated!" I wish I could make a recording that good by using splices! I really couldn't tell where you cut it! Nice work!
Now, about your cheating...
How'd you do that?! I've never spliced or edited any of my lesson recordings. If I knew how, I might have been tempted! I've done some lessons that have taken over 50 takes to get...and still not quite right! I think sometimes I spend too much time on a single lesson and don't move on fast enough (slow learner).
You had a lot of "learning" experiences going on there, between the recording gear setup, editing (cheating), and the playing and the counting...oh, wait you didn't count. As Griff would say, "COUNT!" But, your timing sounded good, so that's up to you. I count, using the musical notation. I'm trying to learn how to read standard notation (along with the tab), so that's why I focus on the counting part. Reading has helped where I just couldn't get the beat right.
Looking forward to your next solo!

 

[JffKnt]

Thanks for the feedback, I am new at trying to learn canned solo's as I have always stayed away from doing that, at my own detriment, by always improvising. BGU has brought me into the middle of it and I have to say it is not easy but well worth the effort especially when you start seeing what you've been learning show up in your improvising.

Have you learned the art of counting or do you just try to follow the groove? I cannot count and learn the solo's at the same time but I know it is something Griff stresses a lot and something I need to try and do.

I need to go back and revisit solo 1 as well as a couple from the Killer Blues solos course I've worked on also as well and keeping this one fresh in the mind and fingers. Never lack for something to learn now that I'm part of the BGU family.

I know how to count the easy stuff. But when it gets into triplets and 16th notes it gets tricky. I'm probably like a lot of people. I try to play something new without counting. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not. Right now I'm hung up on lick 12 in solo 5. I can see a lot of it is the same as the 4th lick but I'm still having trouble. I wouldn't be able to learn most new stuff without counting, but my first approach (whether correct or incorrect) is to just try and play by feel. When I really know the count, I play the lick a lot better (at least it's easier to play, play with more confidence)

You may want to look at the new video recording I just posted: Solo #3 With Eyes Closed. I talk some about counting versus feel in that post, and there's a link to a great video recording

 

[JohnHanau]

Hey that was a nice rendition of this composition. There's always a glitch or a problem nothing is ever perfect. I have found is try and record yourself playing (you might have to loop it) 3-4 times and just go with the best rendition. I always get an inch or the dog starts barking or my brother in law's alarm goes off at noon or something like that. Griff's backing tracks are short enough where you can do that in a timely and efficient manner. My two cents.

 

[david moon]

I don't know about the rest of you but for some reason when recording it is hard for me to get a complete solo take without some sort of glitch like a plunked string, a flat bend or extra string noise that may just be in one little section but effects the whole. I learned several years ago to just play several takes and then piece together the whole from the best of the pieces. Works better than trying to go back and punch in at a specific spot and replay the take at that point only, something is just not there when I try that. How about the rest of you? How do you handle recording your solo's and going for the perfect take?

In this forum, I go for the imperfect take. If you're in a jam, or playing a gig,you can't go back and do over. If it takes a few takes to get something you are happy with ( but not perfect) then just take the best take.

 

[B Roddick]

I don't know about the rest of you but for some reason when recording it is hard for me to get a complete solo take without some sort of glitch like a plunked string, a flat bend or extra string noise that may just be in one little section but effects the whole. I learned several years ago to just play several takes and then piece together the whole from the best of the pieces. Works better than trying to go back and punch in at a specific spot and replay the take at that point only, something is just not there when I try that. How about the rest of you? How do you handle recording your solo's and going for the perfect take?

I go to pieces when I press record... and yes, there's always at least one blooper, if not more!

 

[B Roddick]

Thanks for the feedback, I am new at trying to learn canned solo's as I have always stayed away from doing that, at my own detriment, by always improvising. BGU has brought me into the middle of it and I have to say it is not easy but well worth the effort especially when you start seeing what you've been learning show up in your improvising.

I'm exactly the same - this solo learning is great discipline (and makes the improv better too)!