GT Solo Assignment - July 2008

Hi Guys.

This month we have a very straight forward backing track with a Latin flavor to it.

Tempo: 130 bpm
Key: D minor.
Chord Progression: Dm7.….Bbmaj7.…..A7.…../……
Panning: All the instruments are panned mostly to the sides so you can use the center.
[(50 - 100) % Left] and [(50 - 100) % Right] are also available.
Scales to use: Minor, Harmonic Minor, Minor Pentatonic.


Right click and Save as…


Have fun.
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Hey.. thanks for that. I've just woken up from a huge night out so I'm feeling a bit sketchy right now.. hehe.. I can host the file on my web-server too if needed I have 1TB bandwidth per month allowance.. lol..

I'm still not quite ready to listen to a new track yet, still want to finish the June one first.

EDIT: I've downloaded and also hosting as well:

Right-Click and Save As...

You sure it's D minor? I had a little fiddle with it this morning and when I tried playing a basic F Major scale over it to find all the notes I can use, it sounded wrong. I fiddled around some more and can't seem to find the Major key that it is relative to.. may be I just confused myself.

I did play the D minor pentatonic which sounded fine but I like to mix things up a little rather than stay in one spot, so I really like to know the Major scale as well.

Man.. my weather thing, on my computer, just updated and it's freezing point outside right now. 0 degrees C .. (-32 F) Brrrrrrr!

Yeah, it's in the key of D minor.

The chord progression includes an A dominant 7 which allows you to resolve to the key center. ( Dm )

Because of the Dominant chord, the scale that best fits is the Harmonic minor.

But in Music Theory there is no " Harmonic minor key "...instead you place a minor key signature and the raised seventh appears as an accidental.

The F major scale that you were using has a natural C note, whereas the D Harmonic minor has a C#.

Most of the notes of the scale you were playing fit, just make sure to play the C# over the A7 chord.


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Santana's in the house! Very nice equator!

I dunno why this has a major feel to it. Maybe cuz I'm still catching my breath from Light's track. And of course I'm having trouble with the Toneport- it may not be too late to trade it in for the stealthplug. I just can't find my groove on this yet.

I usually hear the minor triad in a Maj7 chord, but for some reason, it's feeling major to me right now.

Hey guys...

I havent been on for a while....

I hope I can try to get something in for this month....

Cheers

Hi guys.
I recorded my take yesterday and did the mixing job this morning.

The rhythm and the melodies take me in a journey back to South America, so I decided to title it
“The Traveler“

Gear: Fender Strat -> Line 6 Spider II 15 amp -> Xenyx 802 mixer -> laptop.


Right click on the link and Save as…

equator


Enjoy. :)


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Equator - Excellent track - really bouncy! Just had one listen to your take, nice one!

Only had half an hour to throw this together before I leave again... work work work!

Rough bit of classical nylon guitar - nothing to write home about, I may come back if I have time.

WrigglerUk

WrigglerUk. Glad you liked the BT.
You did a good job in such a short time.
Your acoustic guitar sounds good too; maybe you should consider bringing the volume of the guitar track down just a bit, about (-0.8 dB).

Other than that, your take sounds pretty good.
Cheers. :)

Thanks for the kind words! I've reduced the level of the guitar track a little, not too sure if it's had the right effect or not, the original is still there for comparison.

WrigglerUk (quieter!)

Here's my July submission.....

mpaq July 08

WrigglerUk. That is a much better mix. :cool:

mpaq. I liked your tone choice a lot. Some cool ideas and panning experiments too.
Just two things that could be done to improve your take to make it sound better:

1. Making sure that the bended notes are bent to the right pitch.
2. To stress the correct notes so they match the chords being played in the backing. Make sense?

I hope you don’t take it in the wrong way bro. Just giving you my respectful opinion. :)


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Originally Posted by: equatorWrigglerUk. That is a much better mix. :cool:

mpaq. I liked your tone choice a lot. Some cool ideas and panning experiments too.
Just two things that could be done to improve your take to make it sound better:

1. Making sure that the bended notes are bent to the right pitch.
2. To stress the correct notes so they match the chords being played in the backing. Make sense?

I hope you don’t take it in the wrong way bro. Just giving you my respectful opinion. :)


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Absolutely no offence taken..thats why i post here. Thanks much for your helpful advice. Im still not at the stage where i am conciously applying any real degree of theory, i just play what comes to me. Im trying to train myself to transcribe but i get so little time to play, i find when i do i just want to have some fun. Discipline is tough, the theory part doesnt come naturally to me.....

I'm trying to get something out, but time has been really tough this month. I see someone used a nylon string- at first, I was thinking of using a steel string acoustic/electric, but that may seem like I'm stealing someone else's idea- I haven't listened to anyones work yet, as I don't want to be influenced. I'm just beginning to learn Ableton, but I may have to resort to Audacity again. There's been an incredible heat wave here in the northeast, and the necks on a couple of my guitars have warped, and I've been spending time adjust the truss rods and getting the intonation right again. Well, I have about 10 days. Hope to have something in. Great work on the BT equator!

Originally Posted by: SilimtaoI'm trying to get something out, but time has been really tough this month. I see someone used a nylon string- at first, I was thinking of using a steel string acoustic/electric, but that may seem like I'm stealing someone else's idea- I haven't listened to anyones work yet, as I don't want to be influenced. I'm just beginning to learn Ableton, but I may have to resort to Audacity again. There's been an incredible heat wave here in the northeast, and the necks on a couple of my guitars have warped, and I've been spending time adjust the truss rods and getting the intonation right again. Well, I have about 10 days. Hope to have something in. Great work on the BT equator!

Go ahead and play whatever/however you want...the whole point of this thread is to share ideas, not claim them....nobody on here is that uptight.
I use Audacity as well, it works well for basic recording...I dont use any of the effects other than maybe the compressor, and its mp3 encoding never sounds right to me so I save as a wave file then import to Wavelab and then render to mp3. (both programs use the Lame encoder so im not sure why Audacity doesnt seem to sound as good with the equivalent settings). I also have Reaper but compared to Audacity its much more advanced and my older PC chokes on it.
I record my guitar straight into a POD, through a mixer to a 24 bit soundcard. Probably not the best setup, but it sounds pretty good, and is easy and hassle free.

Hey Silimtao.
I know you will come up with something cool, man. Take your time and have fun recording. :)

I too was about to use my acoustic at first, but then I picked up my electric and I got some ideas and decided to record them right then and there.

I am not familiar with Ableton, but I’ve heard good things about it.
And yeah it’s been really hot here in MI too.

Thanks for the comments on the BT bro. :cool:

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Originally Posted by: mpaqGo ahead and play whatever/however you want...the whole point of this thread is to share ideas, not claim them....nobody on here is that uptight.
I use Audacity as well, it works well for basic recording...I dont use any of the effects other than maybe the compressor, and its mp3 encoding never sounds right to me so I save as a wave file then import to Wavelab and then render to mp3. (both programs use the Lame encoder so im not sure why Audacity doesnt seem to sound as good with the equivalent settings). I also have Reaper but compared to Audacity its much more advanced and my older PC chokes on it.
I record my guitar straight into a POD, through a mixer to a 24 bit soundcard. Probably not the best setup, but it sounds pretty good, and is easy and hassle free.

I hear ya mpaq. That's what's cool about this BT thread from the posts I've read- nobody's "competing" (I'd just drop out if that were to happen), and everyone gives helpful insight in the responses. I just wanted to be kinda "original" by using an acoustic, and when I saw someone post they used a nylon string, I couldn't help thinking..."ah, someone beat me to it"- not in a competitive way if you follow me. I doubt I'll be able to learn Ableton in time for me to get anything out. Just Audacity, my laptop and the Toneport which is giving me conniptions. Anyway, I have ideas in my head, but the heat has me worn out.

Originally Posted by: equatorThanks for the comments on the BT bro. :cool: .

It was well deserved, dude. I still have the blues BT you were nice enough to send me- damn that AbMaj7 chord! I think I've been able to deal with the C# (key word is *think*, lol). Originally, I was thinking of giving my solo a flamenco kind of feel- and this is what I enjoy talking about: the thought processes the contributors were going through when they recorded their stuff. Like I said in the June BT assignment, I was thinking.."metal? FAST". That's why I was ripping away as fast as I could- actually, in one of my takes, I had a phaser effect going, and my son was saying "faster!" so I was ripping along at something like 600bpm- it might be on the soundclick site; I called it need4speed, w/out Light's BT, I just did it for my son. Anyway, right now, my mind is locked into an opening riff I've played enough times where I don't even know if it's harmonically correct anymore, lol. I'm still a play by the seat of your pants kind soloist anyway. But I know you have good ears, equator. Part of my solo is (I hope I'm not messing up anyone's head by saying this) always resolving to A natural for some reason. I know that A is the 5th of D-7, so if I keep resolving back to A, what mode am I in? I'm lousy at theory, but have been studying more. At first, I didn't know what the heck I was doing, all I know is that it *sounded* to my ears, "right". But when I was dissecting the theory behind it, all I could think was, "I keep coming back to A, am I "going modal? If so, what is it? Then that throws me off because I don't like to think too much. I was proud of myself when I figured out the harmonic minor thing on my own. So, right now, I THINK I know where my fingers should be going, but in the end, I'll do what I always do- just close my eyes and PLAY. That's what's so cool about this BT thing; no more jamming along with pre-recorded stuff. Again, great job on the BT, equator. Something so "simple", yet challenging at the same time. I like stuff like this because it challenges me as a player. It's all good. All you guys are great.

Originally Posted by: mpaqAbsolutely no offence taken..thats why i post here. Thanks much for your helpful advice. Im still not at the stage where i am conciously applying any real degree of theory, i just play what comes to me. Im trying to train myself to transcribe but i get so little time to play, i find when i do i just want to have some fun. Discipline is tough, the theory part doesnt come naturally to me.....

Damn, equator really has great ears. I can't wait to listen to your track mpaq- along with the others of course. But I'm curious about yours right now because I want to see if I can pick up what equator is talking about in your bend. I'd probably miss it, lol. Damn, I really want to play now, but I'm wilted from the heat, even with the a/c on. So I'm just gonna lay here, and maybe listen to the BT to see where my mind takes me.