Theme from the Julie Show (solo c6th)

[fraser]

https://soundcloud.com/fraser-havens-82 ... julie-show

[Daniel Morris]

I don't know how you get the tone you get, Fraser, but that and your performance are superb.

[fraser]

Wow, Daniel, that's quite the compliment, so thanks!

I don't really feel like I'm doing anything really different tone-wise. Maybe that's why I like playing solo - you really get to hear the PSG in all its glory and you can really lean into it.

Otherwise I have a pretty standard setup - '50's Fender Tremolux, '60's Ampeg speaker and Yamaha R100 Delay/Reverb - https://reverb.com/item/72835005-yamaha ... wer-supply

The melodies in this tune are all being played with octaves. My pickup was wound to have more bass than normal (a mix-up!). My in-tune-ness has also really improved lately. The guitar is keyless. My guitar and pedals are all tuned to Equal Temperament. Both hands may be allowing some sympathetic sounds from strings not being played. And, the sound quality ought to get better as I have actually purchased a microphone meant for recording. I have been recording with the microphone I use for live flute performance.

I hope Cleveland is treating you well. Nice to hear from you.

Thanks
Fraser

[Daniel Morris]

Yer welcome, Fraser.
A few years back, I started using mostly equal temperament.
Some ET steel players have said that using it completely solo could be a tad squirrely, but I don't hear that in your piece.

I don't want to over analyze, but can you tell me just what you're referring to here:
Both hands may be allowing some sympathetic sounds from strings not being played.
Are you using a different technique, akin to a guitarist tapping on the strings?
At any rate, I do enjoy your work.

[fraser]

Hi Daniel,

I used to use a hybrid Just/Equal tuning where the string were Just but the pedals were Equal. It gave some pretty cools sounds but I like all Equal better now. I move through so many scales in any one tune, so Equal is really the only option. It would be no problem to tune it back to Just, for a particular song, if that one stayed in a particular key.

I sometimes take my left hand off the strings behind the bar so there is no blocking at all on the left, giving me a slightly different sound. At this point it's automatic. I certainly don't do that all the time.

If I play my 4th & 8th strings as an octave it sounds harmonious. If I play those same two strings, lowered a half a step, it no longer sounds harmonious but you can clearly hear the octave as an augmented/dissonant interval. So I am getting some sound from the rest of the strings I'm not playing. Is it because my blocking isn't good enough or is this just what happens when you play solo? Not sure. I'm not trying to fix that.

Fraser

[Daniel Morris]

Thanks for the details, Fraser.
To my ears, you don't need any fixing....