The Friendly 12bar Blues Guitar Forum

Hi Guys. I've been having a go at a different style of BT the last couple of nights. It's sort of melodic, hint of jazzy / funky and has been designed to be in a similar style to a Jeff Beck number.

Mostly E Aeolian (nice safe territory for me scale-wise at least) though the last two measures where the chord used is B7(b13) [whatever that is!] suits B Phrygian Dominant (has a 3 instead of the usual b3 of the normal Phrygian scale) which dovetails and fits quite neatly with E Aeolian at the 7th to 9th frets.

I was trying for lots of space and pauses - smooth transition of scales - sustain from the compressor without the sound getting boxy, and trying to make it tuneful. I'd like to know if I got on OK with those aims?

PRS SE + Compressor + Hardwire CM2 OD + Nano Reverb. Clean amp sim on the Tonelab LE. Can't stop using that set up at the moment.

download/file.php?id=1669
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11447773

The BT is from David Wallimanns website. The link below is to the page where there is also a video of David Wallimann himself doing an improv using the BT - I didn't listen to it till I was finished. A bit different to mine (!), but a Parker Nitefly and a PRS SE are different beasts and Wallimanns and Vikings fingers and heads are very much different too! It's quite a nice feature he has on the site - quite a few of the BTs he has for sale have demos of him doing an improv.
http://www.guitarplayback.com/Jam-Track ... ck-Is-Back

I think you achieved your aims. You lost me on the technical part of the scales and changes but I do know it sounds good, very splinter group.

Quite nice!
Excellent tone and sweet playing. Your phrasing and note choices are... choice!
You seem to have made some advances in your playing and tone in the couple of weeks I have been absent. Congratulations!

Very nice playing - to me more Gilmour than Beck -ish

VikingBlues wrote: Mostly E Aeolian (nice safe territory for me scale-wise at least) though the last two measures where the chord used is B7(b13) [whatever that is!] suits B Phrygian Dominant (has a 3 instead of the usual b3 of the normal Phrygian scale) which dovetails and fits quite neatly with E Aeolian at the 7th to 9th frets.

I've added both B7(b13) (just a B7 chord plus b13) and Phrygrian Dominant to the scale generator - so you can prove you're right. But it's impossible for me to think about it when playing....

Thanks guys - I'm enjoying playing at the moment - it's nice when the music flows easily though I wish it was possible to make that happen all the time. With 24 of the 32 measures of the backing track being minor chords I'm in territory that suits my mournful inclinations.

12bar wrote:to me more Gilmour than Beck -ish

I wouldn't argue with that - I couldn't play like Jeff Beck if I did nothing but study guitar for 10 years - I just have no idea of the logic of his very unique music making ideas. I sometimes feel he's reinventing his technique with every piece he plays!

12bar wrote:I've added both B7(b13) (just a B7 chord plus b13) and Phrygrian Dominant to the scale generator - so you can prove you're right. But it's impossible for me to think about it when playing....

I'll admit wher it came to the Phrygian dominant parts on the last two measures I'd worked out a pattern and a few minor (no pun intended) variations on it in advance of the recording. Though thankfully there's very little thinking required by me for the six main modes any more - it's much better when you can use all your concentration in the notes being played and where those notes should go next.

Blindboy wrote:You seem to have made some advances in your playing and tone in the couple of weeks I have been absent.

Wish I knew how to make that happen! It's all a bit roller-coaster - a few weeks where things seem to fly and then I hit a brick wall and even playing in tune can be a problem! Maybe the alignment of the planets? I appreciate the comment Bb - thank you!

MikeJackal wrote:I think you achieved your aims. You lost me on the technical part of the scales and changes but I do know it sounds good, very splinter group.

Very splinter group or possibly very ???
Sorry about the technical gobbledygook Mike .... it does fascinate me though (and David Wallimann has this on a few of his BTs) how a change of scale at the closing measures / turnaround can give a piece a hook line and something that grabs the attention because of the twist to sound / tonality. It's startling how big the effect can be when all it's doing is shifting one or two notes in the usual scale by one fret.

I hate the theorie and i do not untherstand it, maybe thats why i hate the theorie

I now it's sounds very good thats what i do untherstand, great job VB, a nice song to hear

Yeeeeeesss!, I like this very much! whatever pedals, tone, gizmos, compressions, etc. it is working well for you my friend....very nice!!

Thanks 2WOB, thanks Tytl.

I rather think that this is the best recording I've done this year,
... and having given it a week or so for the novelty to wear off I think it's a contender for best ever.
That that should be the case with a David Wallimann backing track doesn't surprise me - it's like having a load of talented musicians helping you to make music.

tytlblues wrote:whatever pedals, tone, gizmos, compressions, etc. it is working well for you my friend

It is very inspirational when a combination of pedals / guitar etc make the tones and sounds so close to what you're looking for. Odd - I've had the compression pedal for quite some time - it's not really helped at all until I've started to use it with the Hardwire CM2. I have to watch I don't get so wrapped up in listening to the tone that I forget about melody.

2WheelsOfBlues wrote:I hate the theorie and i do not untherstand it, maybe thats why i hate the theorie

I can really identify with that. My theory is pretty well only to see patterns of notes on the fretboard - pentatonics and the few extra notes for each mode. As sonn as I watch a teaching video or read a teaching book where the teacher starts using technical terms my brain gives up and I find I make no sense of what's being said. Part of the reason i have found David Wallimann a helpful guide - a lot of his teaching is based on seeing patterns.