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Books and pubs on soloing


mwdiehl

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Hey gang!

 

Even though I have a fair amount of music knowledge (chords, scales, chord progressions), it has become abundantly clear that I have always overlooked soloing. The band is offering much more solo time, but I just lack the skills to feel comfortable in soloing situations.

 

Are there any books or publications that you all have found useful in providing a good foundation for solo work? I'm more than willing to invest the time to learn but I want to use that time wisely as well.

 

Thanks again everyone for your continued support!

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The Jamey Aebersold series has been around a long time. Gives you charts and a back-up CD to play along with. http://www.jazzbooks.com/ has them available. There are a few which focus on the blues.

 

Also, listen to the solos that you like and cop them. You get ear training and increased vocabulary all in one shot. Good luck!

Never try to play anything live.
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There are lots of books. Except they're not called books, they're called albums. Nobody good ever learned to solo by reading some book, not even if it's written by a (jazz) legend like Hal Galper. People should read those *after* they're already good soloists, not when just starting out. I wouldn't recommend any of them to somebody who isn't already a *very* decent soloist/musician.

 

I will say that the Aebersold charts are very good -- you can find just about any tune you'd want to play in one of the volumes, and without the "idiot factor" of the Real Book, e.g. That's only jazz, though.

 

You didn't say what kind of music, did you? I bet you could get a lot of recommendations for solos to transcribe (="the book") if you narrowed it down a bit. For example, in blues, I could tell you which Otis Spann solos I got the most out of or even try to give a basic idea of what to look for. A bit different, but also the same, for each genre.

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Originally posted by J_tour:

There are lots of books. Except they're not called books, they're called albums. Nobody good ever learned to solo by reading some book, not even if it's written by a (jazz) legend like Hal Galper.

J, your age is showing. ;)

 

Do you mean CDs and nowadays, downloads? :)

 

Books are like recipes. Great for getting started. Require embellishment to make it your own.

 

A good teacher shows the ropes. Listening material keeps one from reinventing the wheel.

 

Practice and application makes the ride better. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Very true, J_tour and ProfD. Excellent advice.

 

I've read some of these books when I was starting out. Didn't make a lot of sense then. Actually, I looked at them all as simplistic and I thought I understood them.

 

Now looking back, some sentences don't make a lot of sense without actual playing and you make self-discoveries that are sometimes hard to explain.

 

For me, first it was just a scale to a chord. Now I am picturing how the scale interrelates to the chord in a whole different way, and thus even affects the phrasing of the line. In my case, it wasn't books that changed my view. It's teachers. I kind of use books as filler, to elaborate on what the teachers already mentioned.

Hamburg Steinway O, Crumar Mojo, Nord Electro 4 HP 73, EV ZXA1

 

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Aembersold books, Andy Laverne has a good book there with lines over chord progressions. Nice stuff if your looking for jazz influenced stuff.

But ya gotta ask yourself, Who do you like? Who would you like to sound like? Pick a few keyboardists that you really like, cop a few of their solo lines, nothing intense at first, and yes, try to write them down. Now you dont want to play anyones solo, but take some of the lines youve written down, and incorporate the ideas into your own solo's. 1 good line can spawn a multitude of ideas. When your listening to your favorite guys, or girls, also try to get the feel of what theyre doing, what theyre playing behind another soloist, rythmically, etc. Rhytym, I view piano/boards as rythmic instruments (thats whys I loves good drummers)so listen to that. After awhile (years har) your very own personality will shine thru and you will live happily ever after in a galaxy far far away. Long winded, but its worked for me n many others. Good luck.

A.

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Thanks for the starting point. I should have included a little more information in my original post. We're a classic and progressive rock band, so we do songs by Kansas, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lit, Smash Mouth...In essence most everything under the sun! :)

 

Personally I'm influenced by Jazz and Blues. I've tried looking at jazz fake books, but the problem I always run into (regardless of the style) is how to create phrases as the chord progressions move through. It's one thing to solo over the same chord, but once we move over several chords, such as Sweet Home Alabama, I just fall to pieces.

 

I'm sure this hasn't explained my situation any better...I just know I hit a lot of notes that just don't belong! :)

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Have you actually looked at what Billy Powell plays when he solos (on live cuts, etc.)? Chuck Leavell's solo piano album is a mother, as well, for his ability to find the choicest lines. I'm sure about anyone here will come in with about a hundred different albums to listen to, but I don't know how much that could help you.

 

Personally, I think the only thing to do is try, try, fail, try, fail some more, try again -- and record everything you do. Your ear will tell you when you're "on." The theory helps, but you've already got that locked down, apparently; the key is to not *practice* (scales, cadences, playing licks/solos verbatim, etc.), but to practice *playing* -- that is, trying to do the thing you want to do.

 

There are a few approaches -- like trying to hit the "on" notes (the chord tones) on the downbeats -- but honestly, you'll hear those theoretical points pretty much automatically. Don't waste $30 on a book -- grab some staff paper and start transcribing, is what I'd do.

 

I love to transcribe -- I still try to do about 5-10 hours/week. I've done plenty of blues and rock solos and comping parts, but I'd like to do more. If you have something in mind, it might help me get out of a little rut to try something different, if you want a second opinion on some sound you're trying to breakdown/analyze.

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Originally posted by ProfD:

Originally posted by J_tour:

There are lots of books. Except they're not called books, they're called albums. Nobody good ever learned to solo by reading some book, not even if it's written by a (jazz) legend like Hal Galper.

J, your age is showing. ;)

 

Do you mean CDs and nowadays, downloads? :)

Actually, after calling them CDs for years, I've gone back to calling them albums myself. It's completely generic, and covers all types of media. From my dictionary,

 

a collection of recordings, on long-playing record, cassette, or compact disc, that are issued as a single item.
mwdiehl,

 

I don't think I can give you advice beyond what's given here. Personally, I find transcribing difficult. I haven't made that connection between what's in my head or what I hear to actual notes. I'm sure it's from not trying/practicing/playing enough though. Once in a while I get lucky, I think "that's an F" or something, and go to the keyboard and sure enough, I'm right. But if you can transcribe solos or parts of them, go for it.

 

One thing I might suggest are the common crutches musicians use, such as the types of scales to solo with over certain things. These would be pentatonic, blues scales, etc. Those can be things you can fall back on when you're playing in a jam or stuck in a jam. ;) Just be careful that you don't get too dependent on these crutches. If you use them too much, your legs will get weak...

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I remember listening and picking out solos a few notes at a time by lifting the needle after a passage. I guess some here have no idea what needle I am talking about.

 

In the begining you will find that you only retain bits and pieces of the solos but as you begin to string them together you will start to find your own way. Also when the band gives you your solo spot... remember to BREATH... I used to get so wound up before a solo that I couldn't play it, just relax and try to build it slowly.

Jimmy

 

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho

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Originally posted by Joe Muscara:

Actually, after calling them CDs for years, I've gone back to calling them albums myself. It's completely generic, and covers all types of media.

Great point. I'm only 30, but like most people, I've got a an alarming amount of cassette tapes, CDs, digital things on a hard drive, and, yes, "old-fashioned" vinyl. (No 8-tracks, [un]fortunately!) "Album" just seems to work well for all of the above. I know it's something of a running joke given the dinosaur status of the LP, but I appreciate the well-reasoned point that the term "album" does seem to fill a need which no other word can quite cover.

 

BluesKeys:

Also when the band gives you your solo spot... remember to BREATH... I used to get so wound up before a solo that I couldn't play it, just relax and try to build it slowly

Nobody's ever going to be able to give a better piece of advice than this. It took me about six years to really learn this from the time I first heard it. You think Joe Henderson on "Idle Moments" forgot to breathe? I think not!
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For the results of not "breathing" on solos, see the posts about Kenny G in the Yanni thread. ;):D

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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