Melodic guitar solos/technique that transcends the instrument

PeachyDragon · 2012-01-07T14:44:58+00:00

Have you noticed that some guitarists manage to do this and most don't? Some guys make the guitar sound like a voice. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a Brian M...

Melodic guitar solos/technique that transcends the instrument

PeachyDragon

Averatu wrote:
PeachyDragon wrote: Petrucci certainly has his moments. There's some awesome stuff on the Liquid Tension Experiment Albums but even those awesome examples are not quite as accomplished in this as the examples I mentioned. Just my opinion. The George Harrison example was awesome though.

Most of the melodic Metallica stuff is played by James as far as I've seen on DVD's. When I record something and it sounds like Kirk to me, I realize it's time to relax and listen to what I'm playing. That said, of course Kirk can do many things I can't.
So your definition of melodic is slow and/or echoing the vocal melody?
The solo on 'The god that failed' stands out as one of the best ever high tempo yet melodic solo's, and its a Hammet!!
Just again, for the record, Metallica sux!

I listened to the Metallica song. It's not bad but still has that Kirk H sound. ? It is melodic but not in the sense I like generally.

Keira-WitherKay

PeachyDragon wrote: [
Great post Keira. ?
My notes on jazz: I studied jazz. I love playing blues and jazz and improvising. I think Kevin Davidson said (although I heard it from Johnathan Crossley) that improvised music isn't about sounding good, it's about living on the edge. I agree. I think we mostly love the rush we get from it...

sorry slightly off the topic of melodic solo's but in responce to your post ?.............when it comes to jazz ........ one must live by what Coltrane said " there are NO wrong notes in jazz" ? words to live by ....... and once you "get" that when playing jazz......... it free's you up to express yourself as an artist

and hey if you studied with Jonathan you had a great foundation, a fabulous player simply love his style ,

PeachyDragon

I first learned jazz from Hugo De Waal for 6 months,
Then from Johny Fourie for 3 years. (during which I had ensemble with Jonathan C)
and then a year with Jonathan C.

And then I needed to get away from studying. It's amazing how your music and
creativity can suck by the time you play a 4th year recital, only to play stuff 4 weeks later that
blows it all away. Your mind needs to clear.

Oh, I'm sceptical about that one thing someone said. Think it was Charlie Parker or Coltrane.
They said "you are always one semitone away from being 'inside' " or one semitone away from
playing a correct note in other words... sure you can resolve any note in jazz, but lets say you're
not yet that accomplished and you're playing the C major scale over a Cmaj chord... you plat the F note
which can sound really horrible(unless the chord is a sus), you then shift up to F# which most people
would find odd anyhow since it's the #11 of the chord, but the chord progression changes the chord to
Am... oh boy, then you would be hitting 2 avoid notes in a row... Ouch... bad luck. ?

PeachyDragon

Vic wrote:
One of my favs is in fact on the memorial "Concert for George" DVD done by a group of world-class musos (Clapton, McCartney et al ...with a full string and brass orchestra filling in.

=

Awesome. What do you call that little guitar McCartney plays early on? I should get one just for kicks.

Keira-WitherKay

PeachyDragon wrote:

Oh, I'm sceptical about that one thing someone said. Think it was Charlie Parker or Coltrane.
They said "you are always one semitone away from being 'inside' " or one semitone away from
playing a correct note in other words... sure you can resolve any note in jazz, but lets say you're
not yet that accomplished and you're playing the C major scale over a Cmaj chord... you plat the F note
which can sound really horrible(unless the chord is a sus), you then shift up to F# which most people
would find odd anyhow since it's the #11 of the chord, but the chord progression changes the chord to
Am... oh boy, then you would be hitting 2 avoid notes in a row... Ouch... bad luck. ?

? no matter how "outside" you are and even if it's for 2 notes or a whole phrase, if questioned about it ....all you need do is keep the panic off your face.....and say you were simply "creating tension by going outside then you released that tension it by playing back in key" and then just stick to your story ...and yes i think you mentioned it .it's not about making mistakes or going out of key it's about being able to recover without it looking like a mistake , making the out notes look and sound like they belong
you gotta love jazz 8)

PeachyDragon

Vic wrote:
Another form of soloing is some small but vital bits of eg guitar during a performance of a song. Listen to the guitar bits of Knopfler during Brothers in Arms. These happen way before the actual solo in the song...and again it does not follow the melody to the tee but is beautifully blended into the song.

=

Pretty awesome. Odd scratchy tone in places but he is a pro. ?
Anyone remember his song from the movie "The Princess Bride"?
If you haven't heard it, google it. And if you haven't seen the movie, see
that as well! Its a great fantasy story with cynical humour and a very good balance.
He wrote the whole sountrack. here's the video, but it doesnt do it justice. The instrumental version is better:

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value=""><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>

PeachyDragon

Keira WitherKay wrote:
PeachyDragon wrote:

Oh, I'm sceptical about that one thing someone said. Think it was Charlie Parker or Coltrane.
They said "you are always one semitone away from being 'inside' " or one semitone away from
playing a correct note in other words... sure you can resolve any note in jazz, but lets say you're
not yet that accomplished and you're playing the C major scale over a Cmaj chord... you plat the F note
which can sound really horrible(unless the chord is a sus), you then shift up to F# which most people
would find odd anyhow since it's the #11 of the chord, but the chord progression changes the chord to
Am... oh boy, then you would be hitting 2 avoid notes in a row... Ouch... bad luck. ?
? no matter how "outside" you are and even if it's for 2 notes or a whole phrase, if questioned about it ....all you need do is keep the panic off your face.....and say you were simply "creating tension by going outside then you released that tension it by playing back in key" and then just stick to your story ...and yes i think you mentioned it .it's not about making mistakes or going out of key it's about being able to recover without it looking like a mistake , making the out notes look and sound like they belong
you gotta love jazz 8)

Yeah, I've often wished I could get away with those blunders in rock music.
70% of what the average person perceives during a music show is visual, so yeah. Straight face.
Playing the pentatonic scale a tri-tone away is always good for Sh*ts and Giggles.

What are your thoughts on techniques guitarists use to play outside in rock contexts? I mean the ones that sound
good. Paul Gilbert does it sometimes. I could never get the hang of it.

deefstes

Please tell me I have simply overlooked the post where one of you fine gents mention Gary Moore? I mean melodic solo, transcending the instrument, blurring the lines between notes, frets and phrases, making the guitar sound like a voice - surely you must be talking about Gary Moore.

Exhibit 1:

PeachyDragon

deefstes wrote: Please tell me I have simply overlooked the post where one of you fine gents mention Gary Moore? I mean melodic solo, transcending the instrument, blurring the lines between notes, frets and phrases, making the guitar sound like a voice - surely you must be talking about Gary Moore.

Exhibit 1:

Yeah, someone mentioned him. ? ... Oh wait. :-S I must be delusional. Can't find it now.

Manfred-Klose

i suppose that will make a 14 year kid very happy, but the day when that kid grows up reality is gonna hit him really hard, haha

PeachyDragon

Manfred Klose wrote: i suppose that will make a 14 year kid very happy, but the day when that kid grows up reality is gonna hit him really hard, haha

What are you referring to specifically?

vic

PeachyDragon wrote:
Vic wrote:
Another form of soloing is some small but vital bits of eg guitar during a performance of a song. Listen to the guitar bits of Knopfler during Brothers in Arms. These happen way before the actual solo in the song...and again it does not follow the melody to the tee but is beautifully blended into the song.

=

Pretty awesome. Odd scratchy tone in places but he is a pro. ?
Anyone remember his song from the movie "The Princess Bride"?
If you haven't heard it, google it. And if you haven't seen the movie, see
that as well! Its a great fantasy story with cynical humour and a very good balance.
He wrote the whole sountrack. here's the video, but it doesnt do it justice. The instrumental version is better:

I will certainly check it out later...Knopfler, May and the likes are truly gifted players and composers...these people just keep on growing as time goes by, taking audiences with them.
One of the very first soundtracks Knopfler did was for the movie "Local Hero"..... 1983.....beautiful theme song....listen to that guitar at work...

=

Werner-Carstens

Wow Vic, forgot about the local hero theme. Thanks for reminding me. It is awesome composition.

PeachyDragon

Wow, that is awesome. I like it most before the saxophone kicks in.
He truly has a great gift for composition. makes me want to check out his work some more.

vic

PeachyDragon wrote: Wow, that is awesome. I like it most before the saxophone kicks in.
He truly has a great gift for composition. makes me want to check out his work some more.

Me too. But the general arrangement is also awesome...eg that Hammond moaning somewhere in the background....vital to the piece ?

deefstes

Vic wrote: One of the very first soundtracks Knopfler did was for the movie "Local Hero"..... 1983.....beautiful theme song....listen to that guitar at work...

=

Great stuff! While we're on the topic of 80's movie soundtracks by Knopfler, allow me to submit on of my favourites, much along the same vein. This is the soundtrack to the 1987 movie "The Princess Bride".
=

It caught my attention then and to this day I still think it's a great song (and movie) :yup:

vic

deefstes wrote:
Vic wrote: One of the very first soundtracks Knopfler did was for the movie "Local Hero"..... 1983.....beautiful theme song....listen to that guitar at work...

=
Great stuff! While we're on the topic of 80's movie soundtracks by Knopfler, allow me to submit on of my favourites, much along the same vein. This is the soundtrack to the 1987 movie "The Princess Bride".

It caught my attention then and to this day I still think it's a great song (and movie) :yup:

Beautiful Deefs ! I have forgotten this one....thanks for posting.

Mark is the Man... 8)

vic

Pinch wrote: Wow Vic, forgot about the local hero theme. Thanks for reminding me. It is awesome composition.

My pleasure.

Here is Mark with Jimmy Nail...unmistakably Knopfler My apologies for overpopulating PeachyDragon's thread with Mark Knopfler...... ?

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deefstes

Vic wrote: Here is Mark with Jimmy Nail...unmistakably Knopfler My apologies for overpopulating PeachyDragon's thread with Mark Knopfler...... ?

=

Ja man, that' another great song. Vic, you seem to know the Knop very well, are there any of his albums that you can recommend for this kind of music? I like dire Straits but that is something totally different. I'd like to get myself some Knopfler stuff more like these last few songs that have been posted. Any recommendations?

PeachyDragon

Vic wrote:
Pinch wrote: Wow Vic, forgot about the local hero theme. Thanks for reminding me. It is awesome composition.
My pleasure.

Here is Mark with Jimmy Nail...unmistakably Knopfler My apologies for overpopulating PeachyDragon's thread with Mark Knopfler...... ?

=

No problem Vic. As long as people can tolerate me constantly saying BLAH BLAH Brian May BLAH BLAH Queen BLAH BLAH (Insert some other stubborn view PeachyDragon has here) etc. ?