Solos that stump us?

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 25 Mar 2015 3:48 am

In that other thread, Richard Sinkler said Fast As You always left him stumped for a solo, Karen said Guitars and Cadillacs did it to her, James said Waltz Across Texas stumped him.
For me, the two that always left me starved for ideas and thinking "thank God that's over" and disappointed with what just spilled out of my speakers were I Always Get Lucky With You and Rose Colored Glasses. Never have had a satisfactory idea.
I wonder what makes certain songs "idea-free zones"? I assume we all have them...

DG Whitley · Post by **DG Whitley** » 25 Mar 2015 6:19 am

Lane, I've always thought of things like that as being similar to a baseball pitcher seeming to have the other teams "number" or "owning" them. We all have our favorites and then there are the ones we just never seem to have an answer for. We don't seem to be able to be a "jack" or "master" of all trades. I just try to concentrate on the things I do best and be happy with it. Concentrating on the negatives will drive you nuts.

My 2 cents, YMMV.

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 25 Mar 2015 6:45 am

Always Get Lucky with You to me has such a strong melody that its hard to veer off of it. To me its a great one to just do the melody and embellish.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 25 Mar 2015 7:05 am

I agree, I think. Its melody resists the addition of other ideas.

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 25 Mar 2015 7:31 am

Lane Gray wrote:I agree, I think. Its melody resists the addition of other ideas.

Yeah even on the George Jones version the guitar and piano basically play the melody. I typically have trouble with songs like that or songs that stay on a single chord. I hate soloing over something that's just sitting on the I forever.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 25 Mar 2015 7:42 am

To stay on 1 for a long time requires imagination. And ideas. Both Sally Goodwin and Rider drive me buggy.
Here's Mike Auldridge and gang staying too long on 1
The Seldom Scene 1979 - Rider (Bluegrass): http://youtu.be/Nk9vhhGyRyo

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 25 Mar 2015 8:00 am

Lane Gray wrote:To stay on 1 for a long time requires imagination. And ideas. Both Sally Goodwin and Rider drive me buggy.
Here's Mike Auldridge and gang staying too long on 1
The Seldom Scene 1979 - Rider (Bluegrass): http://youtu.be/Nk9vhhGyRyo

Needs more China Cat.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 25 Mar 2015 9:51 am

Both Sally Goodwin and Rider drive me buggy.

Did you mean "Sally Goodin?"

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 25 Mar 2015 9:59 am

The original spelling was Goodwin, AFAIK, although it's pronounced the same.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 25 Mar 2015 10:20 am

You could easily be right, Lane, but in my 50 year musical journey I never once heard it pronounced Goodwin. I guess I missed something somewhere… $:\$

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 25 Mar 2015 10:58 am

I don't think I ever played "I Always Get Lucky With You", but have played "Rose Colored Glasses" a bazillion times. I change the melody up a little with added expression to what I am playing. It's hard to explain what I mean, but little things like when you are going from a 1 to 4 from the pedals down position to the no pedals position, 2 frets down, you make the change just a few microseconds after you think it so go. I learned that from listening to Pete Drake. When I get time, I'll try to find something that has that in it. Or maybe I'll fire up the video camera.

Tommy Auldridge · Post by **Tommy Auldridge** » 25 Mar 2015 12:09 pm

I never try to improvise something on the spot. If I'm going to play "I always get lucky with you", I woodshed at home until I know exactly what I'm going to play and I never change it or improvise on the spot. I only work with a song list, so there won't be any surprises. When I get on the bandstand, I'll go over every song in my head just to refresh my memory. When it comes to improvising, I really stink. Either I know how to play it or I won't even try. That's just me. Tommy.....

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 25 Mar 2015 1:13 pm

In my situation, I find that tunes that are of little interest to me or that I am burned out on tend to cause the creative portion of my brain to go into shutdown mode,cannot seem to muster the enthusiasm to exert much effort. Example: at our last gig someone pulled out the old chestnut , 'Born to Boogie'. At one time I played what I considered to be a decent overdriven slide solo, in this instance, just went through the motions to fill the space...FWIW: I believe that Lane is correct, the original spelling in the title was 'Goodwin' (most likely changed to 'Goodin' in order to rhyme with the word puddin').

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 25 Mar 2015 1:39 pm

One tune that always stumps me on how to play, or what to play, is For The Good Times. Now if it's my band, I'm ok, but everybody seems to have their own chord progression or rendition of song and I never know which one, LOL.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 25 Mar 2015 1:55 pm

Tommy, I kinda like the other way: as long as it's good musicians with "big ears," I think it's enough for the bass player to have heard it once (that's an exaggeration, but not by much). I enjoy learning it on the bandstand.
David, depending on my mood, I'm with you. But sometimes, I'll attack a song I disdain with the attitude of "tonight, I'm gonna make a silk purse out of this sow's ear, and it's gonna shine." And I put my taste and creativity to work on making a pretty line that fits the song.

Stupid anecdote: I used to hate the Hank Jr. thing "Blues Man" AND couldn't think of a line to play. One night on my way to the gig, Terry Jacks' "Seasons In the Sun" was on the radio, and I noticed it shared a chord chart, but at double time. I slowed the melody of SITS to half speed, adjusted the phrasing to fit the other song, and BOOM. I found a pretty solo that turned a song I didn't like into one I kinda dug. Never changed it the next two years.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Mar 2015 3:18 pm

Well, for what it's worth, here's what I ended up doing with "I Always Get Lucky With You" when I recorded it about 6 years ago. I agree, the melody is so strong that it's hard to get away from, but I tried! The solo starts around 2:06

https://soundcloud.com/jim-cohen/i-alwa ... y-with-you

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 25 Mar 2015 3:29 pm

Outstanding, Jim

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 25 Mar 2015 3:44 pm

Seconded. Damn fine job, Jim.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Mar 2015 4:52 am

Thanks, guys. I didn't mean to cut the conversation short, though...

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 27 Mar 2015 5:17 am

Bingo, Mike. And I don't think steel players look down on improv. Tommy may not dig it, but his brother was a master at it. Likewise Reece, Buddy, Hughey et cetera.
But certain songs seem to resist ideas.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 27 Mar 2015 5:35 am

Lane Gray wrote:Bingo, Mike. And I don't think steel players look down on improv. Tommy may not dig it, but his brother was a master at it. Likewise Reece, Buddy, Hughey et cetera.
But certain songs seem to resist ideas.

Sorry, Lane, I deleted my post, I just didn't want to get into it. But, yeah. That's the challenge that the greats rise up to, and that's what I try to spend all of my time working towards. I would rather be a great improviser than a great steel player.

Tommy Auldridge · Post by **Tommy Auldridge** » 27 Mar 2015 5:47 am

Lane: It's not that I don't like to improvise, it's because when I'm put on the spot, my brain jams up and I just can't think straight. Everything I do on this steel guitar thing has to be premeditated. I guess I really just don't want to embarrass myself. Buddy Emmons might be in the audience. And, I do sort of have somewhat of a reputation to try to uphold. Some people think that just because I'm Mike's brother, I must be really good. Well I'm not.
I do try to make Mike proud of me though. Tommy......

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 27 Mar 2015 6:04 am

Mike, there's room for both approaches. I've heard Tommy play, and I've known other classical musicians who feel much more comfortable working with prepared lines, and can make them pulse with all the soul one can muster.
It's kinda like actors: some can hang with improv and others would much rather stick to a script.
Like this gal. At the start of the piece, the audience laughs because it's thought of as a student piece, not really what you'd play at a major concert. http://youtu.be/yAsDLGjMhFI

Like I mentioned about Blues Man/Seasons In The Sun, there's times when I prefer a set piece over an improvised ride.

EDIT: Tommy, you're better than you give yourself credit for. There's just more than one way to approach creative endeavors. And some people thrive on one approach instead of another.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 27 Mar 2015 6:22 am

Tommy, here's one thought in support of your approach: if someone had come up to you and asked "how did you just play that ride on "Storms Never Last"?, you'd be able to tell them. Mike would (and did, often, back when I was taking lessons from him) laugh and say" let me hear the tape so I can hear what I did."
I think it's cool to know what you did.
Tommy and Mike Auldridge "Storms Never Last.AVI": http://youtu.be/GoRs2PpXPq0

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 27 Mar 2015 6:50 am

I play pretty frequently at open jam venues...needless to say, gettin' stumped at solo time is fairly frequent. I have a few comic relief tunes, such as "Turkey in the Straw" or the "Oscar Meyer Wiener" tune, at the ready. It never fails to bring some laughter and appreciation from the audience. The key is, I think, is to not take yourself too seriously, no one else does.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Solos that stump us?

Solos that stump us?

I never change.

I'm just no good at it