Solo of the Month (SotM) #76 - Challenge

stratman3142 · November 2021

This is the 76th solo of the Month (SotM) Challenge.

The challenge is now open and ends at midnight 23rd November 2021.

Discussion:

You can download backing track from Soundcloud below:

https://soundcloud.com/thefretboard/sotm76-2021-11-stratman3142-blue-ford?si=3e2b42ec7ee84b3f84b0f593083bd9df

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

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

Title: Blue Ford

Tempo: 130

Chords:

E7#9 E7sus4 E7 E7sus4

A9 B7#5 A9 B7

E7#9 E7sus4 E7 B7#5

Repeat

End on E7#9

Sorry about calling it E7#9 @viz. Call it E7b10 if you prefer

Incidentally:

This track is broadly based on the Robben Ford Youtube clip called:

"Robben Ford Intermediate Guitar Lesson #6"

Which I found out about from the Tim Pierce youtube clip called:

"WHY Is Robben Ford So Highly Regarded? I Found Out"

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/sotm76-2021-11?si=f161ef8938ad4c06ac255f0461140a21

stratman3142 · November 2021

Sorry about the late start date. I was away from home and I've only just had time to prepare and upload it.

Bennyboy-UK · November 2021

Wow - nice track! I reckon this is going to be a tough one!

fastonebaz · November 2021

I have no idea what to play to this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

maharg101 · November 2021

Yeah it's going to take some work, this one

I jammed some ideas with the track on loop earlier, got a few half-formed ideas, but haven't settled on anything yet !

stratman3142 · November 2021

fastonebaz said:

I have no idea what to play to this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the E bit, you could nick some ideas from Tim Pierce's youtube clip called "WHY Is Robben Ford So Highly Regarded? I Found Out". The chords are similar to that, but just pass more slowly.

For a palette of notes, for a lot of it, I'll probably let my ear feel my way around Emajor pentatonic overlaid on top of E minor pentatonic. So the palette of notes could be described as E Mixolydian with an added b3, or E Dorian with an added maj 3rd, depending on how you want to describe it.

fastonebaz · November 2021

Sent one in.

I had some time for a noodle this afternoon and decided to video this one too

I spent quite a while trying to follow the chords and couldn't find anything to play, it's a tricky chord progression. So instead I focussed on the bassline and once I'd done that I soon got into the groove.

fastonebaz · November 2021

stratman3142 said:

fastonebaz said:

I have no idea what to play to this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the E bit, you could nick some ideas from Tim Pierce's youtube clip called "WHY Is Robben Ford So Highly Regarded? I Found Out". The chords are similar to that, but just pass more slowly.

For a palette of notes, for a lot of it, I'll probably let my ear feel my way around Emajor pentatonic overlaid on top of E minor pentatonic. So the palette of notes could be described as E Mixolydian with an added b3, or E Dorian with an added maj 3rd, depending on how you want to describe it.

Just spotted this cheers. Not sure what modes I used

maharg101 · November 2021

Another great backing track, thanks @stratman3142 ;

Initially this sounded quite daunting to me with lots of jazzy sounding chords. A bit out of my comfort zone - but this is what I'm here for, to try out new things. After a few rounds of noodling, I agree with the advice on E major pentatonic / E minor pentatonic with some bits added in. As I tend to do, I threw in loads of double stops and probably got a bit too "bendy" in the middle again

Ho hum. Overall I'm quite pleased with it.

Kit:
Gordon Smith Classic T (bridge, DiMarzio Chopper, tone rolled off a bit) > Budda Bud Wah Mk I > VFE Standout midboost -> VFE The Scream > MJW Electra 30w -> Ox -> Reaper
Ox settings were the 4x12 White with a light compression and a tiny bit of modulation + plate reverb
Bit of EQ in Reaper

This was about the 25th take. Great fun ! Thanks, and good luck everyone

Graham

Bennyboy-UK · November 2021

Good work chaps! - so far I've got a sketched out a thing which is uncomfortable to listen to!!!

stratman3142 · November 2021

Entries from @fastonebaz and @maharg101 are now in the playlist in the original post.

maharg101 · November 2021

Hope it's within the rules - I've sent an improved mix in (same solo) as I realised the guitar was too low in the mix !

stratman3142 · November 2021

maharg101 said:

Hope it's within the rules

What rules. I'm not sure there are any

maharg101 · November 2021

More like guidelines than actual rules

maharg101 · November 2021

fastonebaz said:

Sent one in.

I had some time for a noodle this afternoon and decided to video this one too

I spent quite a while trying to follow the chords and couldn't find anything to play, it's a tricky chord progression. So instead I focussed on the bassline and once I'd done that I soon got into the groove.

Really liking the tone and playing on that @fastonebaz ;

k.billy · November 2021

Just been analysing this chord progression a bit for solo choices, and it's a tricky one. For the E7#9 section, the "best fit" seems to be Mixo with a flat 3rd which is quite spicy. For the A9 passage, maybe a Lydian with a flat 7?

fastonebaz · November 2021

maharg101 said:

fastonebaz said:

Sent one in.

I had some time for a noodle this afternoon and decided to video this one too

I spent quite a while trying to follow the chords and couldn't find anything to play, it's a tricky chord progression. So instead I focussed on the bassline and once I'd done that I soon got into the groove.

Really liking the tone and playing on that @fastonebaz ;

Love that Budda Bud Wah Mk I it sounds immense. Bad Horsie!

jeroenvanhulsteijn · November 2021

I really like this progression. Leaves a lot of space for some noodling. I'll try doing something jazzy. No theory in advance, but more like playing patterns (not as in scales, but as in fingerplacement on your fretboard). I have the feeling that this progression gives you the freedom to play anything you like. Just try to end on the "right" notes.

Bennyboy-UK · November 2021

I've had a bash and sent one in

I reckon I could spend a couple of weeks finessing this bloody thing and learning to play it a better! But duty calls and my fingers don't want to try to do it again at the moment!

Gear was - 1992 Hamer USA Centaura Deluxe, Fractal FM3 Shiva Model (driven using the neutral onboard boost, with a dollop of compression on the front, 2x12 Alnico Blue IR, and some Plex delay and reverb afterwards.)

Heres the Centaura:

Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51667982209_28e993d275_o.jpg

First part of the solo was on the neck position SA with the mid boost 3/4 way up, and the second half was the Bridge 89 with the same amount of boost.

Cheers all!
Ben.

DrHungry · November 2021

Sent one in.

This was fun, but it took a lot of takes to get something half decent. I have at least 4 Robben Ford instruction books in a cupboard that I have never worked through but I hoped I'd at least have learned something from owning them, even if I haven't read them.

This was mostly E mixolydian and E dorian with a few chord tones over the B7#5 and an attempt to awkwardly shoehorn in the Half-whole tone scale that I believe RF likes to use. I also shamelessly stole one of Stratman's licks from last month, as I promised I would.

Recorded this on a tele bridge pickup into RYRA klone into Benson Germanium fuzz into DSM Simplifier into Studio One.

DrHungry · November 2021

maharg101 said:

Another great backing track, thanks @stratman3142 ;

Initially this sounded quite daunting to me with lots of jazzy sounding chords. A bit out of my comfort zone - but this is what I'm here for, to try out new things. After a few rounds of noodling, I agree with the advice on E major pentatonic / E minor pentatonic with some bits added in. As I tend to do, I threw in loads of double stops and probably got a bit too "bendy" in the middle again Ho hum. Overall I'm quite pleased with it.

Kit:
Gordon Smith Classic T (bridge, DiMarzio Chopper, tone rolled off a bit) > Budda Bud Wah Mk I > VFE Standout midboost -> VFE The Scream > MJW Electra 30w -> Ox -> Reaper
Ox settings were the 4x12 White with a light compression and a tiny bit of modulation + plate reverb
Bit of EQ in Reaper

This was about the 25th take. Great fun ! Thanks, and good luck everyone

Graham

That is a monster tone!

Bennyboy-UK · November 2021

DrHungry said:

maharg101 said:

Another great backing track, thanks @stratman3142 ;

Initially this sounded quite daunting to me with lots of jazzy sounding chords. A bit out of my comfort zone - but this is what I'm here for, to try out new things. After a few rounds of noodling, I agree with the advice on E major pentatonic / E minor pentatonic with some bits added in. As I tend to do, I threw in loads of double stops and probably got a bit too "bendy" in the middle again Ho hum. Overall I'm quite pleased with it.

Kit:
Gordon Smith Classic T (bridge, DiMarzio Chopper, tone rolled off a bit) > Budda Bud Wah Mk I > VFE Standout midboost -> VFE The Scream > MJW Electra 30w -> Ox -> Reaper
Ox settings were the 4x12 White with a light compression and a tiny bit of modulation + plate reverb
Bit of EQ in Reaper

This was about the 25th take. Great fun ! Thanks, and good luck everyone

Graham

That is a monster tone!

I love that tone too! You and @fastonebaz are dead on. I love that you can get pronounced wah sweep with a decent amount of dirt!

stratman3142 · November 2021

I'll upload the new entries tomorrow or the next day. I haven't got access to my computer at the moment.

poopot · November 2021

sent one.

not very flashy as i had a slide on and was wahisting at the same time

two signal paths

telemacaster into:

1) Wah-pog-expandora-5e3-sm57 - logic up the middle
2) cot50 - 18watt - sm58 - logic (two channels 1 Left 1 Right)

reverb added in post

maharg101 · November 2021

Bennyboy-UK said:

DrHungry said:

maharg101 said:

Another great backing track, thanks @stratman3142 ;

Initially this sounded quite daunting to me with lots of jazzy sounding chords. A bit out of my comfort zone - but this is what I'm here for, to try out new things. After a few rounds of noodling, I agree with the advice on E major pentatonic / E minor pentatonic with some bits added in. As I tend to do, I threw in loads of double stops and probably got a bit too "bendy" in the middle again Ho hum. Overall I'm quite pleased with it.

Kit:
Gordon Smith Classic T (bridge, DiMarzio Chopper, tone rolled off a bit) > Budda Bud Wah Mk I > VFE Standout midboost -> VFE The Scream > MJW Electra 30w -> Ox -> Reaper
Ox settings were the 4x12 White with a light compression and a tiny bit of modulation + plate reverb
Bit of EQ in Reaper

This was about the 25th take. Great fun ! Thanks, and good luck everyone

Graham

That is a monster tone!

I love that tone too! You and @fastonebaz are dead on. I love that you can get pronounced wah sweep with a decent amount of dirt!

Thanks both

I've found that if you have any single gain stage too extreme, it makes the wah sound a bit binary. Kind of "Oooh" on the lower end then suddenly it switches to "Waah" half-way up, and there's little variation. Having several, less extreme gain stages seems to work better. YMMV !!

Bellycaster · November 2021

Sent mine in.

DrCornelius · November 2021

I have a new work laptop with GarageBand on it…… entry sent. It’s my Strat neck pickup which is a Bare Knuckle Sinner into a fender style model in GarageBand with a little reverb.

As you can tell it’s nothing more than E maj/min pentatonic with a couple of octaves and outside notes to kid myself that it’s jazzy

Habanero · November 2021

Bennyboy-UK said:

Heres the Centaura:

Those are some unusual inlays!

stratman3142 · November 2021

DrHungry said:

Sent one in.

...I also shamelessly stole one of Stratman's licks from last month, as I promised I would....

It's in the playlist.

Something at 37s sounds very familiar

stratman3142 · November 2021

poopot said:

sent one.

It's in the playlist.

Just curious. Is the title ("Dagenhamdustbin") a reference to the drum fill.

I remember we used to have a quite few of these. "Dag-en-ham" was a tom fill IIRC, "Kate-Bush" was a drum hit followed by a cymbal hit.

stratman3142 · November 2021

DrCornelius said:

...entry sent

It's in the playlist.

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Solo of the Month (SotM) #76 - Challenge

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