The challenge 05/07/2010

Renesongs

This weeks theme is by Warren

Theme: Double-Stops

A double-stop is two notes played simultaneously, and on the guitar takes about a bazillion different forms in all kinds of musical genres. Your task this week is to create a piece of music that emphasizes the use of double-stops in some way or another, whether in a riff or as part of a lead melody or anything in between. Even the "Smoke On The Water" riff is played with double-stops (all fourths).

For inspiration, you can find the use of double-stops almost anywhere, but here are some suggestions:

Wes Montgomery - Wes loved playing double-stops in the form of octaves, to the extent that lots of people now think of octaves as sounding "jazzy".
Jerry Reed - Jerry played some really flash country lines using double-stops, some of which are quite fast and challenging to play.
John Scofield - Sco' uses all sorts of different intervals when playing double-stops, some of which are quite dissonant but very effective.
Chuck Berry - Chuck gave us loads of different little double-stop-based licks (also combining bends) that are still repeated in various forms today.
Hendrix / SRV - Listen to these guys playing "Little Wing" and you'll hear all kinds of lovely, fluid double-stops being used. One of my personal favourite ways to spice up the blues!

Obviously this challenge is quite open-ended, so everyone from the acoustic egg-heads to the tattooed metalheads can have a go, stereotypes notwithstanding...? You can play them clean or with distortion, with pick or fingers or hybrid etc.

@Beginners: Create a piece of music that places a heavy emphasis on the use of double-stops.
@Advanced: As above, but incorporate legato techniques at the same time.

Warren

Cool thanks Rene. ?

Picked up an error: Should be Jerry Reed. Oops!

Bob-Dubery

Warren wrote: Cool thanks Rene. ?

Picked up an error: Should be Jerry Reed. Oops!

One of Jerry Reed's most famous pieces is "The Claw".

Here's a clip of another Jerry, Jerry Donohue, that includes Donohue's version of the Reed classic. Y'all can watch it for all the string bending stuff or fast forward to about 2:11 to see his bent double stops, or to about 2:38 to see him get stuck into The Claw and putting in some tasty double-stopping (amongst other things). Note the hybrid right hand technique which comes in pretty hand for those country double-stops (or, as he does at some points, setting up a drone and playing the melody over that).

raithza

Just to be sure - a double stop is as simple as picking 2 strings at the same time?

edit: i should l2r :/

Bob-Dubery

raithza wrote: Just to be sure - a double stop is as simple as picking 2 strings at the same time?

I'd say so.

If that darn Paul Mccartney hadn't already written "Blackbird" I'd have snuck that in as an entry.

killafo

That shirt hat he's wearing is the same as Al from Home Improvement.....i'm just saying, ?

Awesome challenge!!!

Aldertguitarist

So how do you enter this? How long must it be? Video or recording?

Thanks ?

Bob-Dubery

http://www.guitarforum.co.za/monthly-competition/weekly-competition-rules-and-info/

Renesongs

It seems that everyone has had their eye on the ball and not much on their guitars, I have received only 1 entry for this weeks challenge and that was well over the sunset deadline today so I am going to hold this one over until sunset (around 8pm - ish) next Monday the 19th of July.

MikeM

I'm definately going to enter. Actually came up with something last night but didn't have a chance to record it.

Will do it tomorrow ?

Riaan

Will also try to get something done this weekend...life is really interfering with my guitar playing these days... ☹

Warren

Haha, guess that was my entry. ? Damn Spaniards...

It's quite rough. Anyone have a problem if I polish it up a bit for Monday?

Renesongs

No problem with polishing up your entry as long as it's re-submitted before the deadline

AlanRatcliffe

Sorry - I've been away (still am actually). Had an idea for this comp, but won't get much of a chance until tomorrow when I'm back at home.

PeteM

Just finishing mine off - will have it with Rene by Cape-Town-Sundown - 8pm, if that's okay.

evolucian

I'll try somethin in the 20 minutes i have left... cant promise much though...

Warren

I tried to polish mine up, unsuccessfully. Guess I'll stick with what I sent last week ?

evolucian

ok... its crap... but its in ?

PeteM

Got mine in - hope it's not to late. (Said the bass player to the actress)

Warren

evolucian wrote: ok... its crap... but its in ?

That's what she said.

*bam*