SWS solos

ndjordjevic

Blues Newbie
Did you guys check the solos 3-7? Man, they are killers. If we ever get them under the fingers we are gonna become a hell of players and be able to play anything. So, solo #3 here I am, journey begins. See you in a couple a months. :)
 

560sdl

Blues Newbie
Come on!  It is only 4 notes!   ;D ;D ;D

Like I still don't really have the original 4 note solo down.......... :'( :-[ :-?
 
M

MandyC

Guest
Nenad, you are making me panic :eek:
If YOU think they're hard.......
I'm not gonna look yet
 

ndjordjevic

Blues Newbie
The whole purpose of this course is to make your own solos but I would like first to copy Griff's part and then continue with my own phrases. Don't panic! We are here to become a blues players. It's not an easy job.
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Don't worry about 4 notes. there are the same two notes in Solo #3 played in rapid succession. I can play them at speed with my pick, or I can play them at speed with just my fingers, but OF COURSE Griff in his infinite wisdom suggests that we use a pick and our middle finger! I have to drop down to about 40% speed to make that work. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!
 

stratogeezer

Blues Newbie
I keep forgetting that as a beginning guitarist I'm trying to emulate the phrasing and speed of a guitar master.
When I see guys with many more years of playing experience having difficulty (especially with BGU solos) I know I'm in way over my head and get discouraged.
So what to do?
Simple.
Practice..practice..practice.
It's the only way.
 

kgarkie

Been living the blues.
Well, I'm still on solo 2 and warm up on Solo 1--I might get it right someday.  But, am looking forward to solo three and what's coming.  The thing about all of these is to try and learn 1 lick at a time.  Will I master them?  Don't know.  Will I learn to play them so as not to suck completely.  Probably.  I learned Samba Pa Ti, Born on the Bayou, etc on my own, I can do this at sometime in the remainder of my life.  If not, I'll sure have fun trying. 
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
Don't worry about 4 notes. there are the same two notes in Solo #3 played in rapid succession. I can play them at speed with my pick, or I can play them at speed with just my fingers, but OF COURSE Griff in his infinite wisdom suggests that we use a pick and our middle finger! I have to drop down to about 40% speed to make that work. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!
Don't feel like you have to do it my way. If you can do it with picking and incorporate them into the rest of the solo, then do it! I only make suggestions because it's what I've seen work. Everyone has their own "guitar DNA" that makes certain things work for them. When you find those things you gotta stay with them.

Griff
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Gee Griff, where's the fun in that? I guess I just thought that you intentionally put that in there exactly because we would find it harder than all fingers or all pick. Another cool thing to learn that will be expanded on in future lessons. I looked for, but I didn't see the Mark Knopfler right hand lesson!  ;)
 

kgarkie

Been living the blues.
Mark finger picks with whatever finger is handy at the time.  He doesn't use any set pattern.  So, there you go. 
 

kgarkie

Been living the blues.
Don't worry about 4 notes. there are the same two notes in Solo #3 played in rapid succession. I can play them at speed with my pick, or I can play them at speed with just my fingers, but OF COURSE Griff in his infinite wisdom suggests that we use a pick and our middle finger! I have to drop down to about 40% speed to make that work. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!
Don't feel like you have to do it my way. If you can do it with picking and incorporate them into the rest of the solo, then do it! I only make suggestions because it's what I've seen work. Everyone has their own "guitar DNA" that makes certain things work for them. When you find those things you gotta stay with them.

Griff

I found that I can do this with alternate picking better than I can with a pick and finger.  Got a touch of arthritis in the old hands. 
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
I might be weird in how much I use my middle and ring fingers... I just really like the sound and to me it feels easy. I see a lot of guys do it, but it may not feel natural yet so as always, go with what works.

That being said, there are some cool things you can do when you have more than just a pick available on your right hand...
 

ndjordjevic

Blues Newbie
I might be weird in how much I use my middle and ring fingers... I just really like the sound and to me it feels easy. I see a lot of guys do it, but it may not feel natural yet so as always, go with what works.

I practice a lot those pick + middle finger triplets in a #3 and I found my self to start using the middle finger even in the different spots or in a different solos. I think it worth to have this technique under you belt.
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Nenad, I just decided to go back to using a just the pick and it seems to have worked.
 
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