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Posted by: Smells Mar 27 2008, 03:06 AM

hi there, Most of you know me well enough by now I think, for those of you that don`t can get some background on me here http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/User:Smells

So lets jump straight in to it.

This is a Rock Ballad Lesson in the Key of C and we`ll be using the C major scale, this lesson is aimed a little more at Intermediate players that are looking to improve their "feel" and "phrasing", many beginner/Intermediate guitarists focus a lot on speed playing and neglect these two very important parts. Feel & phrasing are fundamental to any good solo, with this lesson I hope to show you a little of how you can combine slow melody lines that have "feel" and "emotion" using vibrato and slides, with slightly more technical pieces to enhance and give the solo some extra touches.

The backing track is at 50BPM so its a very slow piece, the majority of it is a simple melody with some more technical parts (but not too difficult) building from the mid part to the end.
Because of the slowness already of the backing a slower backing track is not provided, I will however over the next couple of days be adding a simplified solo with this backing with slower runs for beginners.

techniques used in this lesson are :
- Vibrato
- Slides
- Alternate picking
- 3 string sweeps



Main Video :  CMajor_Rock_Ballad_Solo1.mpg ( 17.94MB ) : 2600


Video 1 :  Ballad_Solo_Video_1.mpg ( 5.65MB ) : 1254


Vid 1 Tab

\3
|------------------------
|------------------------
|------------------------
|---------5/7--5---------
|--3/7--3--------3/7--3-0
|------------------------

A very simple intro, keep the slides definate and confident, sliding evenly from one note to the next.

Video 2 :  Ballad_Solo_Video_2.mpg ( 7.54MB ) : 870


Vid 2 Tab

T T ph
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|-----------------------------2/5--4p0--4h5--9p5--0-4h5--12p5--0-7b9--7-5-7h5--4-5
|--------------------5/7--5------------------------------------------------------------------
|-----3---3-3/5--3--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--3---3-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
x x x x
pm

palm mute on the first 4 notes, the whole idea of this intro is to keep it smooth and flowing, use lots of vibrato to help with the phrasing on the notes.


Video 3 :  Ballad_Solo_Video_3.mpg ( 8.52MB ) : 665


Vid 3 tab

|--12-10-8---------------------13b15--12------------12/20--19-19p17--17---------------------
|-------------12-10-8-----------------------13----13---------------------------20-20-20b22--20
|-----------------------10-9-7------------------12--------------------------------------------------
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first run in this tab is all about the timing, you can vary up the timing in a run to give it some feature in the solo, then we move into a simple 3 string sweep sliding on the last note as smoothly as possible, accuracy is the key to getting this part correct.

Video 4 :  Ballad_Solo_Video_4.mpg ( 6.97MB ) : 536


Vid 4 tab

|----------17-19b20--19-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|------18------------------20------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--17--------------------------19----------19s-17-17s-16-------------------------------------10--
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9-10-12------
|-------------------------------17----------17s-15-15s-14---------------8-10-12-----------------
|---------------------------------------------------------------8-10-12-----------------------------

another 3 string sweep, thes sweeps bring you into that first note nicely and not laving it all on its own.
sliding down and only picking on one of the octave chords, a quick legato run up to finish this section.

Video 5 :  Ballad_Solo_Video_5.mpg ( 8.3MB ) : 493


Vid 5 tab

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|--12-10-9------------------9---------9----9-12-----------------------------------------
|------------12-10-9-10-12---10-12---12-------10-12-10-12-10-9--------------------
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------12-10-8----------
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------12-10-8

as with one of the previous videos timing the notes is important to accent them a little. finishing this section with an alternate pick run down palm muting he last 6 notes of the run.

Video 6 :  Ballad_Solo_Video_6.mpg ( 9.91MB ) : 554


Vid 6 tab

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|-------------------------------------12-13----12-13-15b17--15-15b17--15-13-15-13
|--------------------------10-12-14-------12---------------------------------------------
|--------------10-12-14-------------------------------------------------------------------
|--10-12-14-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|--15-13-12--------------------------------12---
|--------------15-13-12-----------12-13--------
|---------------------------14-14----------------
|--------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------------

The bends are what gives the final section all its character, finishing with a fairly straight forward but effective alternate pick run.


Backing Track

 C_Major_ballad_50BPM_backing.mp3 ( 1.2MB ) : 822
50bpm

 Ballad_solo_lesson_tab.txt ( 2.84K ) : 514


The key to this whole lesson is how you use your vibrato along with timing to accent certain phrases within the piece, it sounds a fairly simple piece, but you`ll ned to have your bends in pitch as they will stand out if they are out of key, and a reasonably good vibrato technique, I use both arm and finger vibrato techniques throughout this whole piece to try and give it as much "feel" as possible.

I hope you`ve enjoyed this lesson

All the best
Chris

Posted by: Tjchep Mar 27 2008, 11:37 PM

I think we need to petition to Kris that you need to be an instructor..

Should I make a thread about it ?

Posted by: Trond Vold Mar 27 2008, 11:42 PM

This is great Excellent melody

Posted by: Kizaze44 Mar 27 2008, 11:43 PM

Wow Smells, this is a beautiful piece! Like a lot of players, I'm fine with phrasing the min pentatonic, but new at major scale phrasing. Great work! I hear some Marcus in your style. Can I bookmark this?

Posted by: Smells Mar 27 2008, 11:47 PM

It`ll be here in the boards forever more now mate

Thanks guys glad your liking it

Posted by: Kristofer Dahl Mar 27 2008, 11:55 PM

I love it - the composition, your playing and the lesson. Just awesome!

Posted by: superize Mar 28 2008, 12:08 AM

Very good solo

Posted by: UncleSkillet Mar 28 2008, 12:34 AM

Very nice job man!! Great tone and structure. Is it all right to DL your backing and post our efforts?

You Rock!

Posted by: Smells Mar 28 2008, 12:39 AM

Thanks mate, and yes you can d/load the backing track for your takes no probs

Posted by: UncleSkillet Mar 28 2008, 12:58 AM

Should we post them here? Or maybe we need a seperate sub-form.

Posted by: Smells Mar 28 2008, 01:02 AM

Heres seems fine to me , or put it in the uploads section

Posted by: Stevie·Ray·Vaughn Mar 28 2008, 01:07 AM

Can we get the entire tab somewhere?

Posted by: Smells Mar 28 2008, 01:10 AM

so you got it all together you mean? I got it saved just as a text (notebook) document if you want that I`ll put it in the top no probs

Posted by: Smells Mar 28 2008, 01:13 AM

ok mate I`ve added it in, underneath the backing track

Posted by: UncleSkillet Mar 28 2008, 01:18 AM

You keep going where their needed to be an ending so I have to maybe think that this may be a 3 part lesson maybe. Am I right?

I think I will upload my take in the upload section and put a link here to it. That sounds about right.

Posted by: Smells Mar 28 2008, 01:21 AM

Not sure what/where you mean mate, theres 6 video parts to the main video

Posted by: Stevie·Ray·Vaughn Mar 28 2008, 01:25 AM

Tab is very scrambled for me

Posted by: UncleSkillet Mar 28 2008, 01:35 AM

Videos 5 and Video 6 are not included as a part of your main video. At least when I look at it here.

Posted by: UncleSkillet Mar 28 2008, 01:37 AM

Save target as a text file to your system and then open in Notepad without wordwrap on. Then it looks fine.

Posted by: Smells Mar 28 2008, 10:26 AM

?? hmm strange, all playing ok for me.

Anyone else having any problems with playback?

Try downloading VLC Player (just do a google on that), thats what I`m using here and its fine.


Stevie - Sorry should have explained that, do as UncleSkillet has said and it`ll be fine.

Posted by: Kristofer Dahl Mar 28 2008, 11:03 AM

Very interesting idea - having student takes in same place as the lesson! Perhaps something for the future of GMC lessons...?

Posted by: Iluha Mar 28 2008, 02:48 PM

Very cool solo Chris.. the harmony really adds alot to it

Posted by: wrk Mar 28 2008, 05:06 PM

Wao Smells, i like this lesson a lot ... really good job !!

Posted by: Unleash-The-Shred Apr 3 2008, 06:05 PM

Wow great job on this.

Posted by: Smells Apr 3 2008, 06:11 PM

thanks guys

Posted by: Daniel Robinson Apr 12 2008, 07:06 AM

Really excellent phrasing in this lesson man....and i especially love your vibrato.

Excellent all around! Your solo style and Vibrato remind me alot of Steve Blaze from Lillian Axe

Daniel





P.S. If you dont know who that is here is a link to one of there songs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sch7Vca5LpQ&feature=related

Posted by: Smells Apr 12 2008, 10:12 AM

Thanks Daniel, I didnt know who he/they where and that was a pretty cool link, I love that style of rock, possibly why you compared it, I liked his style a lot thanks

Posted by: Hisham Al-Sanea May 3 2008, 10:39 PM

another great job smell

Posted by: Hammerin Hank May 29 2008, 03:51 PM

Hey Smells,

Unfortunately I am having issues viewing it half way through each vid so I will have to try d-loading the player you spoke of. What I am able to hear, great job. I love the vibrato and phrasing.

Posted by: Pi38 May 29 2008, 04:04 PM

Smells, you should ask Kris if you could be an instructor. Your lessons are great. If you click Guitar Jobs it'll give you instructions on how to be an instructor here.

Posted by: Smells May 29 2008, 04:12 PM

thanks Pi38, maybe some time in the future I`ll give it a shot?? who knows, time is always a major factor, and posting up a few lessons on the SI board is at the moment proving to be difficult , which is quite frustrating

Posted by: Hammerin Hank May 29 2008, 04:14 PM

Well you did a great job Smells

Posted by: Fran Apr 6 2010, 06:35 PM

Just added this "oldie" to the knowledge base

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Chris_Evans_-_Rock_Ballad_Solo_SI_Lesson