Grooving behind a guitar solo

[SteveXFR]

I'm having a bit of trouble and hoping to get some tips.

I can generally find a groove behind a guitar solo but our guitarist has just come up with an awesome heavy solo which isn't leaving me any space so I have to fit behind him rather than fill the spaces. I'm just not finding a groove but it must be there.

Any tips for working around a solo would be useful. 

[bass_dinger]

Could you share a recording of the solo?

 

Then, basschatters can make suggestions about how they might respond to the task.

 

Better still, they might share recordings of their own attempts,  and you can take inspiration from those examples 

[SteveXFR]

1 minute ago, bass_dinger said:

Could you share a recording of the solo?

 

Then, basschatters can make suggestions about how they might respond to the task.

 

Better still, they might share recordings of their own attempts,  and you can take inspiration from those examples 

 

I'll see if I can cut out the solo from the track. I'd rather not hear examples, I know I'll end up too close to one of the examples and then it's not really my idea. I'd prefer pointers in the right direction. 

[chris_b]

Why would you want to change the bass line in the solo? Stay with the same line as you play in the rest of the song.

[OliverBlackman]

Look to emphasise the solo rather than offer something different. Follow the direction it goes in and punctuate any key phrases or beats. Works for any style/ genre.

[Dad3353]

Syncopate, to leave space for the solo, by playing the root on the 'one' for the first chord (assuming 4/4...), then the root on the 'three' of the following bar. the. Link up with the drummer, who also stops, except for a heavy beat along with your bass notes. Rinse and repeat. So : One ... ... ... |... ... Three ...| One ... ... ... | ... ... Three ... | etc. Plenty of attention given to the solist, and an intereting break from the rest of the song. Try it..? 

[Bolo]

Give guitar some space and go grab a banana.

 

 

Or lock in with rhythm guitar and hold down the basic riff.

Edited June 20, 2022 by Bolo

[ubit]

Root notes. 

[Burns-bass]

If it’s a single line solo, the sound will be thinner so you’ll need to fill out the sound. Play too far up the neck or too complex lines and it’ll suck the body out of the sound.

 

Keep root notes and focus on the bass grove. Use dynamics such as syncopation  and digging in to help push the solo forward.

 

If it still sounds week, get a volume pedal and boost the signal when the solo starts or add an effect (depends on style!)

 

If the solo is in an open string and you’re in a rock band play the open string and raise your fretting hand the crowd like a member of The Darkness.

[musicbassman]

Ooh, so many questions, (and opinions, I expect)...

 

What style of music are you playing?

 

What's the line up? - is it just bass, drums, guitar, or have you got a KB player? There's a difference between filling out the bass line to compensate for the loss of guitar chords if it's just bass and guitar, or making a more interesting and varied bass line that compliments the solo if there's also another guitar or KBs.

 

If you are playing to fill out the sound, a few carefully placed double stops can help, but don't overdo it.

 

And persuade your drummist not to play a heavy ride cymbal right through the solo, which is their usual solution and doesn't always help.......

 

[SteveXFR]

36 minutes ago, musicbassman said:

Ooh, so many questions, (and opinions, I expect)...

 

What style of music are you playing?

 

What's the line up? - is it just bass, drums, guitar, or have you got a KB player? There's a difference between filling out the bass line to compensate for the loss of guitar chords if it's just bass and guitar, or making a more interesting and varied bass line that compliments the solo if there's also another guitar or KBs.

 

If you are playing to fill out the sound, a few carefully placed double stops can help, but don't overdo it.

 

And persuade your drummist not to play a heavy ride cymbal right through the solo, which is their usual solution and doesn't always help.......

 

 

Our style is heavy metal with a lot of grunge influences. 

 

Line up is lead, rhythm, drums and bass. Singer is yet to be recruited. 

 

Drummer is pretty sensible, he wants to stay out of the way for the solo with just a couple fills and not too heavy on the ride.

 

Just me and rhythm can't quite work out what we're doing. 

[PaulThePlug]

Lock in with the rhythm gtr and keep it simple 'holding notes' bigger dynamic difference

[cheddatom]

8 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

Syncopate, to leave space for the solo, by playing the root on the 'one' for the first chord (assuming 4/4...), then the root on the 'three' of the following bar. the. Link up with the drummer, who also stops, except for a heavy beat along with your bass notes. Rinse and repeat. So : One ... ... ... |... ... Three ...| One ... ... ... | ... ... Three ... | etc. Plenty of attention given to the solist, and an intereting break from the rest of the song. Try it..? 

 

great idea, but also try "pushing" so hit the root on the One of the first bar, and then Two And of the 2nd bar

[Munurmunuh]

Junior can play pretty much anything, but during the Greatest Solo Of All Time™️ what are he and Dave playing? Not much, six times.

[yorks5stringer]

8 hours ago, ubit said:

Root notes. 

.....and if there are any Stetsons in the audience throw in a couple of 5th's too! Works for me all the time.

[Dad3353]

8 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

.....and if there are any Stetsons in the audience throw in a couple of 5th's too! Works for me all the time.

 

Flash beggar, eh..? 

[P-Belly Evans]

Just a thought and might possibly work. Don't play round it, learn the key notes of it and rock it in unison with him.

[nilorius]

Is there a keyboard also ?

[Lozz196]

16 hours ago, chris_b said:

Why would you want to change the bass line in the solo? Stay with the same line as you play in the rest of the song.

Yep, if the solo is over the same pattern as a verse or chorus just do the same as what’s already played. If the solo is over a purpose written pattern then play what makes the solo instrument sound best.

[nilorius]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Yep, if the solo is over the same pattern as a verse or chorus just do the same as what’s already played. If the solo is over a purpose written pattern then play what makes the solo instrument sound best.

You can also change some higher notes to lower.

[Dan Dare]

21 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

our guitarist has just come up with an awesome heavy solo which isn't leaving me any space so I have to fit behind him rather than fill the spaces.

 

Isn't that what the rhythm section is supposed to do?

[Lord Sausage]

Just stand behind your grunge influences and get rid of the guitar solo.

Also, call the guitarist a fret wombler. That's what I remember from the 90s anyway.

 

(Obviously I didn't type wombler)

Edited June 20, 2022 by Lord Sausage

[yorks5stringer]

6 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Flash beggar, eh..? 

It's my mantra, Root -5th, ghost note, Root 5th: repeat until audience and or Bassist fall asleep!

[SteveXFR]

20 minutes ago, Lord Sausage said:

Just stand behind your grunge influences and get rid of the guitar solo.

Also, call the guitarist a fret wombler. That's what I remember from the 90s anyway.

 

(Obviously I didn't type wombler)

 

In fairness to the guitarist,  he's far from flash. His solos are short, to the point and he doesn't use any fancy tricks. He's even got a smaller pedal board than me and mine is tiny (just ask Mrs XFR)

[paul_5]

26 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

In fairness to the guitarist,  he's far from flash. His solos are short, to the point and he doesn't use any fancy tricks. 

About half of this forum is now green with envy!!