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Unusual Guitar Solos

Reverend Cheese

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Reverend Cheese Newbie

Reverend Cheese

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I'm putting together a disc for myself, and some of my guitar students.

I'm targeting unsual guitar solos and I need some help with ideas.

 

I'm NOT thinking Adrian Belew, Tom Morrelo etc.

 

It began with the ending guitar solo for Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" which to my ears is a bit idiosyncratic.

 

Any others along those lines that anyone can think of?

 

Thanks!

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Jasco Newbie

Jasco

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I'm putting together a disc for myself, and some of my guitar students.

I'm targeting unsual guitar solos and I need some help with ideas.


I'm NOT thinking Adrian Belew, Tom Morrelo etc.


It began with the ending guitar solo for Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" which to my ears is a bit idiosyncratic.


Any others along those lines that anyone can think of?


Thanks!

 

 

Try Jeff Beck, Phil Brown, and Neil Haverstick.

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Jasco Newbie

Jasco

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Funny, I'm not hearing any tremolo at all, just
repeating picking
with echo!

 

 

Tremolo, as a playing technique, is repeated picking on one note.

 

 

 

Tremolo, as an electronically generated effect is volume swells, usually with control-able speed and intensity.

 

 

 

The vibrato bar on guitars has been mis-named tremolo bar for so long that it causes confusion sometimes.

 

(Fender also mis-named, or name swapped, tremolo and vibrato on their amps.)

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Stackabones Newbie

Stackabones

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Tremolo, as a playing technique, is repeated picking on one note.




Tremolo, as an electronically generated effect is volume swells, usually with control-able speed and intensity.




The vibrato bar on guitars has been mis-named tremolo bar for so long that it causes confusion sometimes.


(Fender also mis-named, or name swapped, tremolo and vibrato on their amps.)

 

 

+1

 

Tremolo.

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gennation Newbie

gennation

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I have a couple of my own for you...

 

the first/main solo in this song. It's a mess but it's perfect...http://test.mikedodge.com/mvdmusic/MikeD1/BuriedAlive.mp3

 

or...

 

http://test.mikedodge.com/mvdmusic/MikeD1/Contemplating.mp3 (backward guitar solo)

 

http://test.mikedodge.com/mvdmusic/MikeD1/rubberlover.mp3 (the moaning woman guitar solo)

 

A favorite of mine though is studio release solo on "You Can't Get What you Want" by Joe Jackson...perfectly different. There's no good version of it on youtube, but look it up it's a very "surprising" solo.

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Reverend Cheese Newbie

Reverend Cheese

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Andy Summers usually has something interesting and unusual

 

 

Well, that wasn't quite what I had in mind, but you did remind me of his solo on "Miss Gradenko" which was more what I had in mind.

 

 

thats one of my favs

 

 

Wasn't there a longer version without the fadeout? I'd swear I'd heard a longer solo on "EWtRtW" once upon a time.

 

Thanks to everybody for all the suggestions. I'm hunting down the Joe Jackson now...

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Jesse G Newbie

Jesse G

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Try these leads from Tool.

 

Very simple, abstract and powerful. I like Adam Jones' leads because they transition in and out very smoothly and you can't really pinpoint where "rhythm" ends and "lead" begins, and vice versa. It takes some practice to play these convincingly, just because it's such a different approach to lead playing and it's very abstract., with alot of varied picking dynamics and use of feedback. As a shredder guy who always strives to be tight and clean, this band really broadened my horizons when it comes to how I can use my pick and fingers to make music with a guitar.

 

Tool- Stinkfist

2:29- Starts with some wild scraping and then goes into some strategic strumming of whole-step and half step chords, and he uses feedback and sustain alot to get this big out of control vibe with the thing. Very simple, but very intense.

 

 

[YOUTUBE]07pLGIgyfjw[/YOUTUBE]

 

 

Tool- Eulogy

6:27- "Starts" here and builds up in intensity with the drums and bass through 7:49 or so. What's unique about this lead is that his playing just sort of morphs slowly from "rhythm" to "lead" and back into "rhythm" very smoothly all in the same take.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roqLR036ImE

[YOUTUBE]roqLR036ImE[/YOUTUBE]

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GreenAsJade Newbie

GreenAsJade

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.

 

 

 

... so in there it correctly describes the most common meaning as a variation in amplitude.

 

Which, as I said, is not what is happening in that solo, it's repeated picking.

 

I was interested to read the second definition:

 

"A regular and rapid repetition of a single note, which is scored as a single note, and particularly used on bowed string instruments, the balalaika, and plectrum instruments such as the mandolin family. On these latter instruments it is more often called a trill, but on electronic organ stops imitating these instruments it is generally called tremolo.

"

 

... I hadn't heard that before, and it's obviously what you are referring to. Maybe it's common in keys or mandolin or something? Is this a common usage in reference to guitar? This _is_ a guitar solo we're talking about...

 

GaJ

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Jasco Newbie

Jasco

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... so in there it correctly describes the most common meaning as a variation in amplitude.


Which, as I said, is not what is happening in that solo, it's repeated picking.


I was interested to read the second definition:


"A regular and rapid repetition of a single note, which is scored as a single note, and particularly used on bowed string instruments, the balalaika, and plectrum instruments such as the mandolin family. On these latter instruments it is more often called a trill, but on electronic organ stops imitating these instruments it is generally called tremolo.

"


... I hadn't heard that before, and it's obviously what you are referring to. Maybe it's common in keys or mandolin or something?
Is this a common usage in reference to guitar?
This _is_ a guitar solo we're talking about...


GaJ

 

 

 

Yes. It is common usage in reference to guitar.

 

http://www.ioannis.org/Flamenco/Publications.asp?id=1

 

http://www.guitarramagazine.com/goodtremolo

 

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guitar/Tremolo_Picking

 

 

 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/760855/electric_guitar_tremolo_picking_licks.html?page=2

 

 

...

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akapuli Newbie

akapuli

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Pretty much everything by Primus had unusual solos.
So did Soundgarden on the last 3 records. Might be the Indian influence.

The Tool solos are nice, but they are always about the annoying quasi-unisonos. No wonder why he doesn't solo more.

I don't see why to exclude Belew. He also made lot of popish things, see Bowie-Talking Heads. I like the Under the Radar song from the recent album trilogy.

Another candidate would be Reeves Gabrels. Pure genius of unusual guitar playing.

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Reverend Cheese Newbie

Reverend Cheese

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I don't see why to exclude Belew

 

 

First, it's not just Belew, second, I'm trying to eliminate solos that fall outside the bounds of recognizing chord changes and diatonic harmony.

 

I'm looking for solos that dance on the very edge of the harmonic environment

while still staying with bounds and having harmonic content.

 

I LOVE Belew, but out of all his solo albums and King Crimson material I can't think of anything he did that really stretched the bounds of diatonic harmony without breaking it. His work with the Bears was very diatonic, but but was too straight.

 

Another great example of the kind of solos I'm describing: Dave Gregory on "That Wave" by XTC. The first time I heard that, it was a real 'ear stretcher' and really kinda' floored me. It was 'outside' while still being 'inside'

if that makes any sense.

 

Now I'm going to take Barrys' suggestion and go pull out my wife's copy of that Kate Bush CD and see what I can hear (haha!)

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pinkzep52 Newbie

pinkzep52

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First, it's not just Belew, second, I'm trying to eliminate solos that fall outside the bounds of recognizing chord changes and diatonic harmony.


I'm looking for solos that dance on the very edge of the harmonic environment

while still staying with bounds and having harmonic content.


I LOVE Belew, but out of all his solo albums and King Crimson material I can't think of anything he did that really stretched the bounds of diatonic harmony without breaking it. His work with the Bears was very diatonic, but but was too straight.


Another great example of the kind of solos I'm describing: Dave Gregory on "That Wave" by XTC. The first time I heard that, it was a real 'ear stretcher' and really kinda' floored me. It was 'outside' while still being 'inside'

if that makes any sense.


Now I'm going to take Barrys' suggestion and go pull out my wife's copy of that Kate Bush CD and see what I can hear (haha!)

 

 

Well what about Robert Fripp from KC? I'd say his parts in The Sheltering Sky, Frakctured, and Oyster Soup for example are quite unusual but not really random like Belew's solos.

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