No BT Blues...

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Blindboy
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No BT Blues...

Post by Blindboy »

I read the thread on playing without backing by xithe with interest. Weelie and roswellj pretty much summed it up... Keep your place in the progression in mind, and come back to the tonic (root note). It helps to have a rhythmic figure to come back to, then, for fills, resolve on, or revolve around the tonic note for the chord you are in (I, IV, or V).
Wondering what I would play, I sat down with Casino, Line6, and Audacity. This was number two of three. I was trying to throw a bunch of ideas into one jam, and I kind of got lost here and there, but I think it gets the idea across for one way of playing without a BT. I have other ideas that I may fool with too, that aren't so cliche.... :roll:
Would love to hear anyone else's ideas on a BTless track might sound. :D
download/file.php?id=1271
Attachments


NBT noodle.mp3 - (3.3 MiB)

"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
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roswellj
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by roswellj »

That was awesome. Had a good time listening to it. Thanks :beer:
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Blindboy
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by Blindboy »

A different take on kind on the same thing... :whistle:

Casino, through Line6, through Audacity...
Played on the Casino, with a nickle use as a pick. Workin' on a nonsmokin for ten days jam...
May have some cool stuff to post from last Monday, don't know...
This is a nic'less jam just before bedtime...
download/file.php?id=1272
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Solo noodle 1.mp3 - (3.32 MiB)

"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
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12bar
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by 12bar »

Really nice, a pleasure to listen. :clap:
How do you keep the pace? Stomping your feet? Metronome? Nothing at all?
I tried to record something without any rhythm control and to add some bass afterwards - I failed completely, timing was too unsteady. :wall:
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tytlblues
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by tytlblues »

Wow.....great job BB. I really liked those tracks. I especially liked that last up tempo one. Had a real nice groove. The old Casino was :music2: swinging!
Tytlblues

"Notes are expensive... spend them wisely”
BB King
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VikingBlues
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by VikingBlues »

Yo!!!! A Masterclass - great stuff Blindboy. :pray:

A quality guitar and a quality player - they don't need no backing tracks. :clap: :clap:

Playing without the support of other instuments / musicians certainly shows up my deficiencies big time. Or should that be 'out of time'. The rhythm thing is tricky no doubt but for me a big a problem as that is the playing the right noted to keep the reference going to the underlying chord structure / progression.

One of my favourite videos of an unaccompnied player (shame the sound quality is a bit poor though) :-
rxux5LdmjQU

Blindboy - you have the same pure spirit of the blues channel through your playing as that guy above in the video.

Keep up the posts of your work to here - they keep my spirits up. :thumbsup:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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HalfBlindLefty
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Yeah, great stuff BB.
I wish I could do things like that
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
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Blindboy
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by Blindboy »

Thanks for the kind words fellers...
12bar wrote:How do you keep the pace? Stomping your feet? Metronome? Nothing at all?
On listening back, I apparently don't keep the pace. :whistle: In my defence, I recently quit smoking (11 days :banana: ) and my lungs have gone haywire. The docs have me on some heavy doses of steroids to clear out my lungs, and it makes me VERY jittery and scattered. Enough excuses... I didn't record these as performances anyway... they are just exercises. :roll:
To answer your question, I pat my foot, and also use my right (picking) hand to (try to) keep the beat. If I were going to do a bass track, I might put down a scratch rhythm track to play it to, then delete it. I don't have a bass though, and can't really play one.
VikingBlues wrote:Blindboy - you have the same pure spirit of the blues channel through your playing as that guy above in the video.
:yikes: Wow, comparison to the Green one... Higher praise I can hardly imagine.
HalfBlindLefty wrote:I wish I could do things like that
You probably could... and you do things I wish I could do. (most of what you do, actually :thumbsup: )
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
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VikingBlues
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by VikingBlues »

Blindboy wrote:I recently quit smoking (11 days :banana: ) and my lungs have gone haywire. The docs have me on some heavy doses of steroids to clear out my lungs, and it makes me VERY jittery and scattered.
Good luck with that particular project! :thumbsup:
Blindboy wrote:I pat my foot, and also use my right (picking) hand to (try to) keep the beat.
Ditto ..... but as you will see with only limited success! :wall:

So with that comment - lets show both ends of the ability spectrum on this thread - here's how not to do it - sort of a vaguely Stop-Timey type of thing - this is the sort of thing I do trying out a guitar in a shop (if the nerves don't get the better of me). Blindboy mentioned in his opening post that you "Keep your place in the progression in mind, and come back to the tonic (root note). It helps to have a rhythmic figure to come back to, then, for fills, resolve on, or revolve around the tonic note for the chord you are in (I, IV, or V)." The advantage of this sort of piece I've played is you're always resolving to the same note - the disadvantage is this is much less interesting to the ear. Sorry - the recording runs on a bit - I just hit record and let it play and I'm too tired to bother with editing, so theres lots of errors to wince at and once you've heard the first minute you've probably heard it all! I CANNOT (yet) do a proper 12-bar shuffle style solo blues and have it sound at all convincing. So I'm sticking with two chords on this wee demo. At least it's hugely better than I could have done when I joined the 12bar forum nearly a couple of years ago.

download/file.php?id=1276
Blindboy wrote: :yikes: Wow, comparison to the Green one... Higher praise I can hardly imagine.
And praise thats totally justified.
Attachments


Stop Timey Test of No BT Solo Playing in E
Stop Timey Sort Of Solo Blues E Test.mp3 - (4.09 MiB)

An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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12bar
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Re: No BT Blues...

Post by 12bar »

Blindboy wrote:In my defence, I recently quit smoking (11 days :banana: )
Congrats - a wise decision, I hope you have enough strength. Obviously it doesn't affect your playing! :thumbsup:
Blindboy wrote:To answer your question, I pat my foot, and also use my right (picking) hand to (try to) keep the beat. If I were going to do a bass track, I might put down a scratch rhythm track to play it to, then delete it. I don't have a bass though, and can't really play one.
I can't either, I simply try to use the bass strings of my guitar. :big_smile:
Tried a metronome, but that's too strict, maybe I should start tapping my feet. I love those solo Blues numbers, raw and intimate. The Green one is also outstanding, as is VB's one. Such a nice tone and great noodling. Oh, and lower end of the spectrum is already given to me... :lol: -trying to record Gershwin Summertime since a week. I think I'll order a Tonelab as soon as I get the money. This Toneport makes me crazy :nuts:
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