Do We Need a Sax

[VikingBlues]

Last day of a (much needed) weeks holiday from work and wishing I felt more rested!

There'll be precious little chance of much playing, let alone recording the first week back.

So here's a mournful wee improv ..... a JamTrackCentral backing track called "Need You So Bad". Think it's pretty clear what it's based on. In A Major, so gives me another chance to try and hit the target notes right in a major key. Guitar is the Hagstrom through Palmer Overdrive, Blues Junior and Microphone.

Around the 4 minute mark I'm joined by two additional members of my split personality - Roland VikingSax and Roland VikingKeys. You'll have to pardon their lack of skills as they're not too sure about the gear they're using ... maybe it could be GReat one day? Hint, hint!

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[ratfinkdan]

Wow VB your playing is getting so smooth, sounds really nice great tone from the blues jr and really nice playing. Good Job!! Dan

[12bar]

GR20EAT!

[losaavedra]

Hey, that's pretty good amigo. This and earlier posts of yours had already got me drooling over getting something with them there tube thingies in ... but what's with the 'sax and keys' ... where did they spring from ... you been spending all the housekeeping dosh again!?!

[tytlblues]

Total class VB, nicely played. That amp is working well for you. Interesting with the Roland synth, sounds quite good!! Nice song overall!

[Blindboy]

Nice!
Good to hear the Hagstrom again. Sounds very sweet through the BJ.
Playing in Major is tough (at least it is for me). We have a few tunes that I have to play in Major and I am rarely happy with the recorded results.
The sax was a GReat touch. Nice and subtle. I'll be interested to hear what you come up with as you mess around with the Roland more.

[HalfBlindLefty]

Ah rVB goes Guitarsynth. Awesome ! just gotta love that.
A guitar as way better at wind instrument control than keys are imho
Well done.

[VikingBlues]

Thanks guys! I'm very happy with the sounds I'm getting from the BJ and the synth could be some fun and add some musical colour to recordings.

The BJ seems to suit all three of my electric guitars which I'm pleased about. I only took one in with me to try the amp out, and sometimes a particular guitar / amp combination doesn't seem to quite work. Was relieved when I tried the others at home.

Nice!
Good to hear the Hagstrom again. Sounds very sweet through the BJ.

The BJ does seem to bring out the tones of those SH55 pickups in the Hagstrom very nicely.

... you been spending all the housekeeping dosh again!?!

.. something like that! But combination of birthday and a sort of cheat I am doing. Since I've pretty well given up alcohol (down to 1 glass of wine a week ) I have an amount set aside each week of the savings made to spend on my hobby. Amazing how quick those funds grow. Shame that it took stomach troubles to get to that point though .... I've decided against the gall-bladder removal and am trying to use diet and lifestyle to control things. Interesting to note that while on holiday last week I hardly was aware of the stomach at all - first day back at work yesterday and was noticing it was a bit grumpy - I'm 99% sure there's a stress factor in there.

Nice!
Playing in Major is tough (at least it is for me). We have a few tunes that I have to play in Major and I am rarely happy with the recorded results.

In the 40 or so backing tracks I got from JamTracksCentral fairly recently (this being one of them) there's about a half of them in major key. To be honest with at least a half of those major key BTs I'm struggling badly - just can't get them to sound right and keep missing the right notes when the chord changes kick in.

A guitar as way better at wind instrument control than keys are imho.

I'm finding that with the sax sound that some work with the pedal as a volume control is useful - in particular to start the volume a bit lower when the note first sounds and bring it up. I suppose it gives more of an impression of the variation of someone playing a wind instrument who will not be blowing with the same force all the time.

[losaavedra]

... you been spending all the housekeeping dosh again!?!
.. something like that! But combination of birthday and a sort of cheat I am doing.

Yup, familiar with that particular funding mechanism!! After I got hauled into hospital for a couple of weeks (pains in chest etc.) several years ago I gave up smoking for a few months to fund a mixer. Indeed surprising how these bad habits burn money. I've recently more or less packed in the booze ... but unfortunately the vino's so cheap here (around 60 cents a litre for the drinkable variety!) that giving it up barely pays for anything!