Figuring out a solo.... YOUR OWN!

erik · Posted 1 Aug 2002 6:28 am

That's right, i played a off-the-cuff solo over a rhythm arrangement of mine that sounded just perfect. I couldn't come close trying to duplicate it. So i spent over an hour playing it back and figuring it out. Can it get anymore embarassing? Yes, you could continue to make mistakes trying to play it. I've been finding that my first go at a solo tends to be my best... or at least most creative. It goes down hill from there.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Welcome to the club!
I've been there many times and still go there often.

I've also found that first takes are often keepers in the studio, even though there may be a little technique clinker here or there if you're not well warmed up.

Coming up with that brilliant combination of notes and ideas is a sign of growth. The more 'pockets' and places to go and musical ideas to explore you find, the more possibilities and combinations there are and the more open your playing becomes to 'happy accidents'. I can usually figure out what I played on a CD, for example, more easily than what someone else played, but I've had times when I'd knit a couple of pockets or ideas together in a new way that wasn't obvious to me when I listened to what I'd done.
Be proud of yourself for the accomplishment. (then go figure out what you did that was so cool)

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Funny thing about first takes... most of the studio engineers I work with will offer to let me hear and play along with a track of the song "just to get the feel of it and get warmed up". Little did I expect that they were recording it and sometimes after I'm done with that first listen, and noodling along, they say, "That was PERFECT Jim! We're just about done!" And I say, "WHAT?? You RECORDED that??" Old engineers' trick, cuz they know the first take is often the freshest and bestest. After that you're trying too hard and it can, indeed, go downhill from there. I should know to expect this by now, but I still fall for it every time!

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The "Master of Acceptable Tone"
www.jimcohen.com

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

erik,
Were you high when you played that solo? If so, you will probably never be able to play it sober.

erik · Posted 1 Aug 2002 12:16 pm

quote:

Were you high when you played that solo? If so, you will probably never be able to play it sober

No Earnest, i haven't gotten "high" in about 20 yrs. Almost that long since i've been drunk too.

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

I've been there too.

Also, I've recieved a CD that I did the session for a year ago. The steel solo was a mix of several different takes. (I was not involved in the mixing.)

It would be very difficult to play it, if I ever had to. So far, I don't have to.

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Jim and Larry, how true!.....al

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I usually can see the positions in my head when I hear a recording of myself. Maybe that's because I tend to play the same things over and over.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

I've only got one Lick, so after I've played it, we're done.

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