Constructive Criticism: work in progress solo

Jkendrick · August 20, 2015, 05:26:14 PM

I've got a jazz/blues tune that I wrote recently and I decided to compose the solo. I'm trying to use some more advanced ideas (at least for me) and I'm composing it with guitar in hand but notating on the computer. What you'll hear here is the computer synth as I'll need some practice to get it playing smoothly on guitar. But before I do that, I want some feedback on where it works and where it doesn't. I'm borrowing ideas from a lot of places here (Jimmy Herring, Pat Martino, Bill Frisell and even Slash). Thanks in advance for the help.

https://soundcloud.com/jim-kendrick/work-in-progress-solo

Jkendrick · August 25, 2015, 12:36:18 PM

I've worked on getting the solo down on guitar. The section from 8 seconds to 14 seconds I might have to change because I can't play it fluid enough for it sound right. It's a cool riff though so I may just keep practicing it. it should be a lot easier to play on an electric too. Seriously though, it's tough for me to be objective since I'm so deep in this. It's pretty abstract for me so I'm definitely seeking criticism.

https://soundcloud.com/jim-kendrick/work-in-progress-solo-w-guitar

Buffered · August 25, 2015, 04:53:37 PM

Quote from: Jkendrick on August 25, 2015, 12:36:18 PM
I've worked on getting the solo down on guitar. The section from 8 seconds to 14 seconds I might have to change because I can't play it fluid enough for it sound right. It's a cool riff though so I may just keep practicing it. it should be a lot easier to play on an electric too. Seriously though, it's tough for me to be objective since I'm so deep in this. It's pretty abstract for me so I'm definitely seeking criticism.

https://soundcloud.com/jim-kendrick/work-in-progress-solo-w-guitar

I really liked the Jimmy Herring bit in the beginning (chromatic/bluesy,) could you explain a bit about what's going on there?

Jkendrick · August 25, 2015, 05:11:48 PM

Not sure which riff you're referring to. The progression is pretty straight forward jazz/blues in Gm, but I do it as a Gm7 to Gdim. That required getting into some diminished stuff. The opening lick is straight Gm stuff. I think of it as Dorian but it's not spelled out yet in this solo. The first bit that gets out there a bit would be at :06-:07 and that's pretty straightforward except I resolve to the b2. The next riff is the one giving me trouble. It's just a cool little chromatic riff I copped from Pat Martino, but switched it up by having it climb the neck. Then there's just a run up and down the half-whole diminished scale (mostly). Then a more melodic part that probably doesn't need much description. The fast diminished tension into the slow, quiet melodic resolution is something I get from Frisell, though the licks aren't specifically taken from him. The build up is a non-scalar pattern made to make fingering quickly easier, a trick I stole from Slash. then subsequently learned Slash got it from Eddie Van Halen That resolves into a diminished lick inspired by Herring's Frogwings work. Finally a few bluesy Dorian licks. To be honest, I feel like I know what I'm doing with this stuff just enough to be dangerous. So I could be wrong about a lot of this.

I'm not sure what works and what doesn't. Especially how much it flows. Sometimes it feels like a collection of riffs to me rather than a solo. I mean I built it as a collection of riffs but with an ear towards each riff flowing into the next.

Hans Moleman · August 26, 2015, 11:05:07 AM

Lots of fun ideas in there, sounds very good. One thing with a blues, or any solo really, is finishing phrases on the 1. Particularly for diminished stuff, I personally feel that helps resolve things and makes a more powerful statment. The riff from :9 is great but could resolve a bit stronger, for example. The patterns started at around :25 sounds cool but it comes rather suddenly. Also, I'd maybe mix up the order of some of the notes in each repetition of the pattern so it sounds less programmed and more melodic. It's a good riff to move things up the neck though, so to speak, and the melody you end that whole series with around :32 or so is killer.

Take all this with a grain of salt, it sounds great.

Jkendrick · August 26, 2015, 11:39:20 AM

Thanks for listening and for the feedback. The riff at :09 originally had the last note (the F) bending up to the root (G), but I thought resolving to the VII was more interesting. Perhaps I should go back to the root to make the resolution stronger. I'll give it a try. Thanks again.

Jkendrick · August 28, 2015, 11:53:00 AM

Quote from: Hans Moleman on August 26, 2015, 11:05:07 AM
Lots of fun ideas in there, sounds very good. One thing with a blues, or any solo really, is finishing phrases on the 1. Particularly for diminished stuff, I personally feel that helps resolve things and makes a more powerful statment. The riff from :9 is great but could resolve a bit stronger, for example. The patterns started at around :25 sounds cool but it comes rather suddenly. Also, I'd maybe mix up the order of some of the notes in each repetition of the pattern so it sounds less programmed and more melodic. It's a good riff to move things up the neck though, so to speak, and the melody you end that whole series with around :32 or so is killer.

Take all this with a grain of salt, it sounds great.

With Mr. Moleman's critique I've updated this a bit. Hopefully it works better and has more of a sense of resolution.

https://soundcloud.com/jim-kendrick/wip-solo-rev1

I'm trying to tie parts of the solo back to the main motif of the song (some are directly restating it), so I thought I'd post the full demo for context as well.

https://soundcloud.com/jim-kendrick/wip-demo

Hans Moleman · August 28, 2015, 02:36:35 PM

That line at around :30 is so tasty. Sounds great.

Jkendrick · August 28, 2015, 02:56:40 PM

Thanks. Does that build up resolve better now in your opinion? Maybe once my little menace kids go back to school I can actually do a proper recording of this on my electric rig.

Hans Moleman · August 28, 2015, 03:27:15 PM

Yup, and honestly it was great before, I was just being nitpicky to provide some feedback.

Jkendrick · September 01, 2015, 07:36:42 PM

I put together an electric version in GarageBand on my iPad. Not exactly how I hear it in my head but close enough for a demo if I ever find a band to play with again. Ha!

https://m.soundcloud.com/jim-kendrick/dwindle2

Helping Friendly · September 01, 2015, 08:40:59 PM

Good shit breh. Sounds like some Wes type jive. I dig it. Keep up the good work...