Live Sound & Production

[McTrout]

Play in a trio and i'm the guitar player.  Rhythm sounds good, but suffer a big drop out when soloing.  Solutions? 

[MDLMUSIC]

Here's what I do in my trio.

Drummer switches to ride cymbal during solos, simulating sound of guitar strumming.

Bass player keeps it simple during vocals, but plays more chordally during guitar solos.

I use a lot of double stops on my leads instead of only single string leads for a fuller sound. I also tend to use a clean sound for rhythm and a slightly overdriven sound for lead.

These are not hard and fast rules, of course. Sometimes I like the marked contrast between rhythm and lead.

[loveofjazz]

I deal with the same on a regular basis. Here are some ideas that may be applicable, depending on the type of music you're playing.

- instead of single note solos, try utilizing more dyads

- chordal solos that restate the melody give a different feel

- if the solo is in E, A, D, G, or B, try utilizing that open string as a drone in the solo

- if the solo is in E, A, D, G, or B, try using hammer-ons and pull-offs in your solo as a connector to different phrasing

- you can always try scat singing the notes of the solo as you play them on the guitar (if you're playing blues, jazz, or soul), though I don't think this would work as well on Sabbath's "Fairies Wear Boots"

- have your bass player and drummer develop a slightly busier groove during the solo, and you just play single whole notes...adding delay or reverb with this can help

- you can use a delay pedal with tap tempo delay and stagger the delay to something like a dotted quarter note or a quarter note, which will yield some interesting repeat lines that become intertwined with the current line being played

- you can always bring the volume down, comp chords with a full sound on the neck pickup, and have the bassist play a solo...or even the drummer...

- you can try playing harmonica with one of those harmonica holders that you wear 'round your neck...I am trying to learn that right now and it's incredibly difficult, but will be worth it in the long run

- you could always just sing another verse, or maybe have the rhythm section bring the volume down, hold the I chord, and talk to your crowd...crowds love interaction

[loveofjazz]

Oh...I almost forgot...play some slide, if it will work with the music.

Playing slide, whether you're restating the melody or just sliding into dyads (root with the fifth below, perhaps) to support the rhythm, it certainly offers something different.

Good luck on filling it up. I love working in a three piece more than quartets or larger. It makes you work harder and learn more, and you have a lot more room to move.

[Rob_H]

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McTrout wrote:

Play in a trio and i'm the guitar player.  Rhythm sounds good, but suffer a big drop out when soloing.  Solutions? 

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Can you expand on your question with a few more details? Are you asking how to boost the level when playing a solo or are you looking for some suggestions on EQing that will help it cut through the mix?

[BlueGreene]

I think they're just looking for a way to 'fill' the sound when there's no rhythem guitar playing. Not about volume or EQ.

It could introduce other issues, but you could look into a looper.

[WynnD]

This is even more of a problem when the bassist plays with a deep sound. (More shake the room than hearable.) This is one of those times when a bass that sounds more like a Fender Precision played through a Fender Bassman amp is better. It's a real cut through sound that isn't very deep but carries a lot of bass mids. If you mic the kick you can have than drop below the bass for the very lowest bottom end. (Don't let it get muddy.) I've seen quite a few good bands that were only guitar, bass and drums. It can be very good. It can also be very boring when all the songs start sounding the same. There's a band out here in Denver called Olachi. Trio that amazed me with their variety. Might want to check out their website.

[Dookietwo]

If your PA is in stereo and it works with the style of music maybe a Stereo Ping Pong delay pedal? Even a little sometimes gives more space/fullness. That with reverb.
Dookietwo

[n9ne]

As others have mentioned, you have to recognize that single-note solos are going to sound a bit thin....so use more chord-y type stuff than you might otherwise use.

And don't be afraid to dump the solo and just continue playing rhythm.  You'll find that most of the time, the only people who really care about guitar solos are other guitarists.  So unless you're playing to a room of musicians, solos are purely optional.

Finally....have you ever tried splitting your signal and running two amps side-by-side?   Using two separate  amps with different voicings gives you the best qualities of both amps and makes the guitar sound incredibly huge....almost like two guitars playing in perfect unison.  (I've messed around with running a Marshall JCM800 and Fender Bassman side-by-side, and was absolutely blown away at the sound.)   It's more gear to haul around, and you need to be prepared to deal with ground loops....but it'll sound bigger and thicker than any single amp can sound.

[RoadRanger]

One of the power trio bands I've done sound for runs two different amps on the guitar at once. It sounds great BUT you have to put one in each side of the PA or it sounds like crap  . I'd not recommend it unless you have a BE and even then probably not.

[tlbonehead]

have you verified the emptiness by recording your band or are you just going by your feelings while playing onstage? I sometimes feel the same way until I go out front and listen or listen to recordings. Bewyond that, there could be a lot of reasons and/or solutions to help minimize it. Maybe you are playing too loud on your rhythms and/or not loud and fat enough on your leads. You also have to choose what you play in your solos based on it being a trio. Does your bass player do anything to help fill in during ther leads? Same with the drummer. What do you use to boost and fatten your leads?

[tlbonehead]

can be very limiting and a nightmare if you aren't using a click track.

[tlbonehead]

I disagree with that. I use dual amps all the tim,e usually set straight up on the channel strip.

[McTrout]

Thanks guys.  I'm going to try a combination of your suggestions.  Reverb, delay and roll off the gain.  I'm also going to talk to the bassist and drummer to see what they can do to help make everything sound better.  This is the first time i've played as the only guitarist in a band.  I'm also relatively new to playing electric guitar, being primarily a folk based acoustic player previously.  I'm kind of in the dark about a lot of this stuff.  You have all been most helpful.  I will post an update on my progress with this issue.

[lonotes]

Billy Gibbons, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robbie Kreiger, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck all managed to have a full sound in a one guitar band. It comes down to the arrangement of the song that makes the difference. Work it out with the other members as to how to fill in the bare spots.

[sirfun]

Compensate but don't over compensate

let it be what it is

the shift of sound between vocals and rhythm guitar and no vocals and lead guitar is dramatic

make the drama work for you

bring the drama

switch either on or OFF dirt boxes, delay

I love a volume pedal with a minimum adjust-all the way back=rhythm

all the way down=lead 

every once in a while go back to that "bottom dropping out thin sound" and make it work for you