Guitarplayers and their everlasting solo's

DiMarco

DiMarco

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Apart from Jimi and Stevie Ray, I never heard any guitarplayer do a solo that made the song any better? Usually the solo's come down to "public wanking" and it seems to be embraced by the guitarist community.

Now that I've come to think of it I feel the same about bass solo's. There's not a lot of good ones that complement the song very well.

Am I the only one feeling this way?
How do you guys feel about solo's?

o/ Marco

Edit: typo
 
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if you know how to use solos, they rock. Knowing how to use them as in not just playing the solo for the sake of playing the solo but because it fits the song.. and also the solo should have a meaning, a story, a vibe of it's own. A LOT of solos lack that.
 
Pretty much feel the same way as you, i think. Solos are fine as long as they fit/work with the song nicely. Solos for solo's sake can become annoying
 
Depends who's soloing.

Taste is key.

I could listen to a tasteful guitar solo for hours and I know guitarists who are capable of this.

Bass solos do little for me. I'd rather hear a bass break where everything drops out and the bassist just hits the groove with the drums. Pino Palladino is the master of this.

But yeah — the keyword is "taste"...
 
Lex said:
Depends who's soloing.

Taste is key.

I could listen to a tasteful guitar solo for hours and I know guitarists who are capable of this.

Bass solos do little for me. I'd rather hear a bass break where everything drops out and the bassist just hits the groove with the drums. Pino Palladino is the master of this.

But yeah — the keyword is "taste"...
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+1

Although there are a few decent bass solos. A few Brand New Heavies solos are decent, particularly the one in "You are the universe", but then again, Andrew Levy is a very tasteful player. The break in "Stomp" by the Brothers Johnson comes to mind, too. The little break in "Smooth operator" by Sade. I guess similar with guitar solos, when it takes the feel of the song and augments it, it is good. When it is just pointless showboating, then what's the point.
 
The reason bass solos are usually boring is because there's no bass line holding everything together. Guitar solos are more enjoyable because everyone who isn't soloing is still playing and there is a strong groove to solo over. When it comes time for the bass solo, the guitar players stops playing, the drummer gets really quiet and bass player stops playing the funky bass line and starts soloing. When everything drops like that, it's not a good time to start a solo.

If your solo is a direct extension from the main groove and you don't venture too far, your solo will be more pleasing to listen to.
 
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+1.

Eggs Acklee.

Just "piling on" with Flip and Lex.

Very well put there, Nizz !


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Mr Bassman Sax said:
Check out the bass solo in Stay Clean by Motorhead, I think that works very well.
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I could not have come up with a better example of a tasteful rock bass solo myself.I almost wore out a vinyl copy of No Sleep t'ill Hammersmith trying to work out this very piece.That was in the "pre CD days" btw.It's so basic,but that also makes it a perfect fit.
Another great solo bass piece is the start of Love Song,by The Damned.
My first band covered both of these songs.;)
I think youtube has alot to answer for about how the bass is percieved these days.I think there's alot more so called,"pressure" put on bass players,mostly by themselves,to be able to do solo's of the styles by everyone from Wooten,Claypool,to Jaco & Billy Sheehan.It's often fun to watch these solo's,but I think it's a complete waste of practice time,trying to emulate them,as well.It seems there's more videos of guys showcasing their speed skills,yet bugger all of anyone keeping it in the pocket/holding it down nice & tight/playing slightly behind or infront to demonstrate the potential benefit.
Maybe I'm getting old huh?
Sure is sounding that way.
 
but greg, SHREDDING IS AWESOME !111!!!!1!111!!!

Honestly, I love to shred from one time to another. My personal theory is to learn technique to the point where I will hardly have any technical difficulties playing a song. Then, I would start to learn playing the groove. Even though I'm far from being technically perfect, I got to where I wanted to be, aka good technique enough to play 90% of what I know. I'm still a very bad bass player, my groove suck. But I started trying to learn to groove this year only, and I'm making progress. My point is that groove is important, but great technique should be learnt before trying to make awesome groove. In this way, I don't think Lex could be that much of a great groove pocket bassist if he didn't have good technique.
 
I personally love pretty much any guitar solo. Although, having said that (dunno if this applies to anyone else) i love the first 2 DragonForce albums, but hate the second 2. So either the guitar solo's got boring - they are, to be fair, all pretty much the same - or the songs got worse. Either way, it does prove to me that solo's can't carry a song, and especially not an entire albums worth.

Having said that, anyone remember 'Dignity' from the first forum compilation? Now that's a damn fine guitar solo!!! And an awesome song!!
 
I would not generalize this...

Some musicians are boring some are not. Some are showing skills, some are really expressing something.
 
Florin said:
I would not generalize this...

Some musicians are boring some are not. Some are showing skills, some are really expressing something.
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Yeah, like Hadrien Feraud, tons of skill, tons of shred, tons of musicality.

Same goes with Allan Holdsworth
 
yeah, and just like Fieldy, TONS of musicality, awesome melodies and feel...

/runs away
 
Yeah, Feraud and Garrison are two people that come up first when it comes to soloing with taste. It's probably because they have such monster technique they can be so free and creative in their solos, nothing is holding them back ya know!
 
I dig this one: :)

[video=youtube;LcDyyy3N-Rg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcDyyy3N-Rg[/video]

Not his best performance of this song, but it still gives me goosebumps. I was watching just a few meters away.
 
MaxOnBass said:
yeah, and just like Fieldy, TONS of musicality, awesome melodies and feel...

/runs away
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lol don't start that again....never too late for a thread revival on everyone's favourite bass player ;)
 
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