Electric Guitar

[|Matt|]

Good to hear you got that sorted! I hate problems that are impossible to diagnose.

Here's a bit of an update of where I'm at with my song writing. If you feel like having a listen, once it's downloaded, change just edit the name and change the extension to .mp3 instead of .doc, farkin doesn't support the uploading of mp3s.

The first sweep sounds out of time because I had to quickly switch to the neck pup, but yeah on the proper recording that obviously will not be a problem and it will be in time! This is a part of the middle of our newest song, Thy Propheciser.

 

[|Matt|]

Such an amazing solo...jazz/blues nuts, don't rule it out cos its a metal song, apparently it's labelled as a jazz solo?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXIVOZO1heE

 

[LJohn]

I'd call that more neoclassical than jazz.

If you want a jazz/blue influence. Prepare to shit bricks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUZK9dasP8s

EDIT: Sorry I just have to gush over this man. His tone is probably my ideal. He plays a Suhr. He has rad hair. His feel is nothing short of incredible. Pity he's so good, maybe he wouldn't be as shunned into a niche.

 

[Ham]

I'd call that more neoclassical than jazz.

If you want a jazz/blue influence. Prepare to shit bricks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUZK9dasP8s

EDIT: Sorry I just have to gush over this man. His tone is probably my ideal. He plays a Suhr. He has rad hair. His feel is nothing short of incredible. Pity he's so good, maybe he wouldn't be as shunned into a niche.

that tone is amazing, he really has great feel and the facial expressions are the same ones i pull when i solo haha.

 

[Moggio]

I'd call that more neoclassical than jazz.

If you want a jazz/blue influence. Prepare to shit bricks.

EDIT: Sorry I just have to gush over this man. His tone is probably my ideal. He plays a Suhr. He has rad hair. His feel is nothing short of incredible. Pity he's so good, maybe he wouldn't be as shunned into a niche.

Thanks for the shit bricks warning!!!

Problem for me with him is he can play anything and is an amazing guitarist but really with that much ability he should really be doing something more interesting musically than playing standard approaches exceptionally well.

I prefer Matts video's solo example, even though I find it a bit naff melodically in places it has a bit of spirit to it.

Check out the clip below. Really in jazz things had hit these levels over 20 years ago, so you would think we could have gone further than sweet shred. These are "old" men pushing music, themselves and an audience... so seeing young musicians being so conservative is sort of pointless and lame.. where is that teenage/young adult fury?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kcRw23lK6o

Just a whingy bastard talking.

 

[ajay]

Such an amazing solo...jazz/blues nuts, don't rule it out cos its a metal song, apparently it's labelled as a jazz solo?

I dont know who you've heard labeling it as a Jazz Solo... it couldnt be any further away from Jazz.

One thing that loses my interest in those (and most metal solos these days) is the complete lack of phrasing.

That said, some of those arpeggios were really nice!

 

[Joy]

Both of those were awesome! I either need to quit or start practicing a LOT more

The 2nd guy has a similiar left hand style to me. Barely any pinky, lots of slides and bends, lots of legato. If only I could pull off something as clean as that!

 

[ajay]

I'd call that more neoclassical than jazz.

If you want a jazz/blue influence. Prepare to shit bricks.

EDIT: Sorry I just have to gush over this man. His tone is probably my ideal. He plays a Suhr. He has rad hair. His feel is nothing short of incredible. Pity he's so good, maybe he wouldn't be as shunned into a niche.

Guthrie never ceases to amaze...

I will echo Moggio's thoughts though, it is, in a round-a-bout kind of way, a shame that he hasnt (that ive heard) done anything exceptionally profound musically, because he is one of the greatest guitar "players" of our (all) time.

And god damn, it makes me want a Surh again!!!

 

[frostbite]

Les Paul died ...

 

[LJohn]

Wow.

Goodbye to one of the greats.

Performing till the end.

 

[|Matt|]

I dont know who you've heard labeling it as a Jazz Solo... it couldnt be any further away from Jazz.

One thing that loses my interest in those (and most metal solos these days) is the complete lack of phrasing.

That said, some of those arpeggios were really nice!

Yeah I've had people tell me that in guitar shops when I've been playing it while testing out gear (I still can't find a cab that I think suits my 6505 perfectly), that the sweeping is actually melodic and isn't just mindless shredding. <3 that solo so much, so much fun to play, might do a cover soon, will have to do it on the 7 string though, the neck pup is disabled on my 6 cos its got an active bridge, passive neck and bridge solos/sweeping sucks.

 

[Moggio]

Les Paul died!! .... obituary in the gaurdian...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/13/les-paul-dies-guitar-inventor

Thats a real shame he was a legend.

Yeah I've had people tell me that in guitar shops when I've been playing it while testing out gear (I still can't find a cab that I think suits my 6505 perfectly), that the sweeping is actually melodic and isn't just mindless shredding.

Well sweeping is really just an arpeggio which is really just a chord so you are working primarily with harmony just smeared a bit over time. So it works in the area between a chord and melody. Its the type of thing that is very common in classical piano, Stravinsky used to write a lot of that sort of thing, its just that it is pretty hard to do on a guitar and has a different effect when overdriven over crunchy backdrops.

Thing is with guitarists they make the sweep the centre of attention and no one seems to play over (like a nice or nasty melody) it which could be nice or interesting but I suspect the sweeper is too busy showing their sweeping to let anyone do that

Sweeps tend to be too melodic in some ways... why not more dissonant? Also they tend to be down and up in their regular series of 8 notes or whetever... one for each string so the accenting gets very regular and boring. Be nice if it could be mixed up more so the accents could be different maybe 3, then 6 then 7. Tension and release.

 

[Joy]

Really sucks about LP It's never good to lose someone prominent in the guitar community.

On the sweeping subject, I only like them as passing run. Back to back arpeggios sound impressive but aren't terribly creative. They are fun though! Almost so fun that I'm scared of taking them to the next level, because the 2 shapes I can do decently I find I go a little crazy and forget that I'm not a super fan of listening to them.

 

[ajay]

Yeah I've had people tell me that in guitar shops when I've been playing it while testing out gear (I still can't find a cab that I think suits my 6505 perfectly), that the sweeping is actually melodic and isn't just mindless shredding.

My idea of melody needs 2 key ingrediants: contour, and phrasing. That guy has the contour part nailed, just not the phrasing! It just all seems to become a blur with no parts that make identifiable... (which I guess in many cases is remarkably similar to Jazz!) Although I cant really play that style, maybe im just jealous

 

[Moggio]

My idea of melody needs 2 key ingrediants: contour, and phrasing. That guy has the contour part nailed, just not the phrasing! It just all seems to become a blur with no parts that make identifiable... (which I guess in many cases is remarkably similar to Jazz!) Although I cant really play that style, maybe im just jealous

I like the contour idea!

Yeah phrasing seems to be a real issue for most guitarists and really a hell of a lot of improvising musicians.

ALOTOFGUITARISTSSEEMTOPLAYLIKETHISWHERETHEREISNOTHINGDEFINED.

Most guitarists play like a boring politician (I think of John Howard in the 80s OMFG!!) talking their sometimes important stuff but just making it impossible to listen to. A monotone with no personality.

I remember Miles Davis talking about listening to people like Orson Wells and his phrasing while talking and off course Sinatra and also being inspired by the short, memorable pharising of nursery rhyhms.

With phrasing I think it is important to remember to play some rests, make statements and have a point to each little one and be rhythically interesting. Its too easy to flail ones fingers around (and fun) and people are full of ideas and splurt them all out but making a point or several is important to remember.

That said my phrasing sucks... but I try.

 

[LJohn]

I like the Scott Henderson way of looking at phrasing.

If you take an interesting story in terms of melody (contour), and say it like 'philwenttotheshopandmetanicegirltheystartedtalkingandshewasradtheywentbacktohisplaceandheshowedherhowtocrochetandplayringtosswhiletheysharedapintandwatchedthesunset' it loses its potency.

If you then go back, take the same musical phrase, but play it an interesting manner, emphasising the 'important' bits of the story, possibly repeating for extra impact, it picks up that extra dimension that makes it great.

That said, most of my solos now revolve around the pentatonic with falls to the 6th, '9th', and 4th of whatever scale I'm using over it, and the legato runs repeating down a few octaves.

But in the last month I've seen the light and haven't been trying to 'shred' as much. Everything's becoming more tasteful, and our band is clicking. I've pretty much been banned from the Ibanez.

 

[Joy]

Adding on to the phrasing notion, someone once told me that the key is to think about a singer vocalising your part. By thinking about breathing etc you can get a more natural flow to your stuff.
All the best solos ever can be sung (albeit terribly half the time) by the average punter. November Rain? Little Wing? Bohemian Rhapsody? etc etc

 

[Moggio]

Adding on to the phrasing notion, someone once told me that the key is to think about a singer vocalising your part. By thinking about breathing etc you can get a more natural flow to your stuff.

Extending on this idea also listening to the last "phrase" you played and somewhat taking it in and using that as a launch point for what you need to say next.

Another limitation with a lot of phrasing is the lack of rhythmic inventivness. Endless streams of 8th or 16th notes with maybe a triplet thrown in when they get excited if your very lucky. Can get very boring very quickly.

 

[ajay]

Yeah phrasing is the hardest part, but its the most rewarding part too!

 

[Elbo]

Rest in Peace Les Paul. What a true legend.