My latest solos - what's your opinion?

[Bande]

Hiye ibreather buddies!

last week I wrote two solos (haven't done something like that for a long time) for two brand new songs of my band.

I thought I'd post them here and ask you to tell me what you think of them.

I'd like to hear your opinions, what should be worked on, which part is good/bad/sloppy.

If ya like I can post gp4 -s of them. I cant post powertabs because Ptab is over my head.

The first one is the solo of our song called "The Demon" and the second is the solo of "For so long"

And... just for fun I will post the solo of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" if you don't mind. That's just because my band plays that song too! (heh, I don't really play this one exactly how maiden did)

So I please write if you want - and please tell me what I should work on.

[UKRuss]

Hey Bande dude!!

That is some **** hot playing dude, really great!

I love your two solos for your bands songs. Original material is much better to listen to anyway and I think because of that who's to say how you should improve you own solo?

I think they were excellent, well executed, great tone.

I think it sounds like you been practicing hard and it's really paying off. My favourite is " For so long", you're generating some serious AP speed at the beginning there and the middle section is nicely melodic.

Good stuff Bande, and let me know when you guys are playing in UK!!

[JailHouseRock]

Nice solos Bande!! Your playing is tight and the tone is great.
Sooner you could be Thorsten's companion, lol
I like both your original solos but I think if the demon solo is longer, that would be great! The trooper solo is great too. My fav would be the demon solo.

[synesthesia]

Tone on the chords is way too....fuzzzy..sounds like bees.

The lead tone is tinny...sounds like a small Marshall or a transistor radio.
(Not knocking your gear...as I have crap gear as well.)

Also...it's not mandatory to use the neck pickup...

Great playing for Maiden covers...

Timing seemed a bit stiff and rushed....not enough ebb and flow...RUBATI.

Pretty good picking overall

[Bande]

Russ: Thank you very much, I didn't think that any one of you would honestly like them at all. Anyway, gigging in the UK is very very far from us, we're still happy if we have the chance to gig on a small festival, in the schools gym or in the nearest bar...

JailhouseRock: Thank you, too! The demon solo will be continued (because my bandmates told so). Anyway I prefer the demon solo myself

Synesthesia: THANK YOU for your comments! (I expected such things that tell me what I'm not good in). Unfortunately my gear is a big crap indeed, so that's why I always sound so ****. (Anyway my gear is my guitar run through a distortion into my PC!!!! - That's so primitive I wouldn't call it a "gear", but I only have this, I have to be happy with it)

So I can't do anything with my sounding, because of the crap gear. But I'm still trying to improve my own tone.

And again thank you, I will be aware of the timing and the "neck pickup" thing

[synesthesia]

That's so primitive I wouldn't call it a "gear", but I only have this, I have to be happy with it)

I understand perfectly.

I have:
ESP->Iba TTS->Boss CS-3->Digi RP200 (I call it the R2-D2 for it's tendency
to sound a bit...uhhh...digital) into a Audigy Gamer 16 bit card.

Maybe a bit better gear wise than you, but I'm not going to get the tone
from MacAlpine's Maximum Security out of this crap anytime soon.

Again...playing..skill...talent wise...

You pretty much nailed the solos...excellent play.

[Bande]

You pretty much nailed the solos...excellent play.

Thanks really.

Anyway, as I said, I continued the Demon one. Not only the solo is continued but the backing also. Maybe the continuation is not as good as thew beginning but I think it will do. so here it is. I hope you'll like it

[JailHouseRock]

Cool. Not bad. My favorite part would be between 0.10 - 0.15.
What happen around that area? Care to tell me?

Anyway, the string-skipping part around 0.43-0.45 are nice too!
Sounds like one of Thorsten licks that he posted in the forum.

I can't speak much since I myself are not at your level. You said you record it from your guitar to distortion direct into your pc.
How did you do that without an amp? Just curious.

[satch_master]

I like the Demon Solo the best. You really nailed the Maiden standard aswell. Good job, your playing is definatly progressing and your brcoming more proficient at soloing.

[Bande]

JailhouseRock: 0.10 - 0.15 is a tapping lick with the lower notes staying the same and the tapped note changing. (A bit of EricV style) and after it a linear scalar run ascending then descending (nothing special)

From 0.43 - 0.45: Actually that's not string skipping, but sweep picking. First time an E minor arpeggio, then a D major arpeggio. Perhaps Thorsten has also posted something similar (or even exactly the same) but I don't really remember. So I didn't copy it from him . Anyway, I often use this kind of swept arpeggios. Because they sound cool and they're also fast. (Sometimes I happen to play them correctly )

I attached a powertab of them. Since I don't know Ptab that well, it got way too fast in the tab, because i don't know how to change the tempo

Oh, and my gear again: guitar -> Boss PW10 wah pedal with built in distortion -> PC. I don't know how, but it just doesn't need to be amplified. Maybe the sound card does the work? I don't know but as I plug my guitar in the PC, it works.

Satch: Thank you very much. The ugly thing is that my IMPROVISATION still sucks big time!

[JailHouseRock]

Hey, thanks for the powertab.
Ouch! It was sweep picking! hehe.

Anyway, I didn't mean you copy Thorsten,
maybe it happen to sound the same.

Good luck for your band!

[Bande]

Good luck for your band!

Hey, thanks!

Oh, you know what? Last saturday we had a concert where there were some really good fellow musicians sitting in the audience. After the gig they said that i should either practice sweep picking very much, or leave ot alone for a long while. Because they said: "You can't sweep correctly yet!" Maybe they're right, well at least technique is not everything in soloing, so maybe I should just leave that freaking sweeping alone indeed?

[UKRuss]

Nah, keep playing it and practiscing. Don't be put off by critiscism of any kind. The reailty is you prolly doi it better ni rehearsal but theres no reason why you shouldnt have a go live.

not everynoe ahs to be technically perfect to make enjoyable music.

i say stivk with it, itll get better anyway and then that's cool.

you can throw your guitar ni that guys face and sweep until he cries!

[satch_master]

Are you drunk Russ? Your spelling is woeful, not like you at all!

Nice avator bande! I really like your long hair.

[Bande]

Mmm, maybe you're right Russ. Actually I didn't say I would GIVE UP sweep picking and other high technique stuff, I practice these things for really long time daily! I just said that maybe I shouldn't play these live till i AM ABLE to play it! But thanks for the encouragement

And actually this guy who said this is (almost) a pro, and he's my friend and I believe him most of the time because if not anyone else, HE knows a thing or two. I'm always happy to get criticism of ANY kind. If somebody tells me: "hey you're cool, man!" Then I thank him and I get happy. But if someone says that I'd better practise this and that because that's sloppy, I don't get desperate, neither do I get angry, I just draw in my horns, grab my axe and sit down to DO IT!

Satch: You're aiming for something similar (I mean the hair) don't you? Maybe i could lend you some...
But seeing your previous avatar and the current one your going the right way!