Re: Wall-to-Wall soloist
Phill Lear ( kinglear@cpuinc.net )
Mon, 03 Mar 1997 15:33:12 -0800
Harry Avant wrote:
>
> Lawson wrote:
> >I think we guitarists, coming from the rock tradtion often, think of
> >these really long Hendrix-like or Santana like epic solos. I felt bad
> >about my soloing because I just can't sustain any kind of good solo for
> >more than a chorus, if that. Recently I've just focused on learning to
> >play one decent solo on every tune I know. No harm in having the
> >audience and band members wish I'd played more, I suppose.
> >
> Not all of us came from the "rock tradtion"!
>
> Why do so many get upset about not being able to generate long (more than a
> one chorus solo)? Listen to C. Christian's work. Back then a solo might be
> 4 or 8 bars and he made every note count. Check VanEps with the big bands
> of yesterday. Short and to the point. I think soloing is like speech, in
> that if you don't have anything worthwhile to say, saying more will not add
> useful content.
>
> Lawson, if you can't play/sound like Hendrix consider it a positive thing!
>
> Harry
But let us also realize there's nothing wrong with long solos...as long as their GOOD solos. Remember
a solo is your interpritation of the melody/harmony. When I play, one night Ill play 12 chorus, others I'll
play two. It depends alot on how Im feeling and what the bands doin'. When the piano playes sitting on closed
voicing on 1 and the and of 2, or the drums keep going jing-jing-aling, ect... It's impossible to play a long
solo. But anyways look at 'Trane. Long epic solos. And speaking of Santana...whoa. Sure he uses(abuses) long
sustained distorted notes he also builds some pretty impressive tension by note choice too. Well anyways lets
not jump back 50 years to the planned 8 bar solos. It's time to evolve.