Hello everyone, i need help on a solo....

[Junkie]

Ok here goes, i'm a beginning guitar improvisation dOOd, and i need some ideas for a solo. I'm performing a solo for the Theme from Shaft, and it's about 8-16 measures long, it is in the key of F. I have no clue what to do, if anyone will please draw out a tab of what i could possibly do, i would forever be indebted to you. Please respond soon if you can help!! thank you.

[64Firebird]

What's the chord progression?

[Junkie]

d minor 7
e minor 7
D minor 7
D minor 7
E minor 7
E minor 7
D minor 7
D minor 7
D minor 7

And this is off of the trumpet music, in that order.

[Junkie]

i'm only a student, i won't really be able to play ripping 16th notes, i'm actually a bass player, but by recommendation of my teacher i am trying out a guitar solo. I am alright at guitar, but nothing special.

[64Firebird]

Okay, that doesn't look too tuff. Here's what I'd do.

I'd base the whole thing around the Dm7 at the 10th fret.

E---10--------------------------
B---10--------------------------
G---10--------------------------
D---10--------------------------
A---12--------------------------
E---10--------------------------

And This Em7 Chord. Don't worry if you can't finger this chord (I can't), you just need to know where all the notes are.

E----10----------------
B-----8----------------
G-----9----------------
D-----9----------------
A----10----------------
E----12----------------

Try a lick using the Dm pentatonic and when the change to the Em7 comes, land on one of the notes from the that chord. If it sounds funny when you play that last note, that's just bacause you don't have the harmony backing you up.

I'll give you a lick to show you what I mean.

E--------------------------------/---------
B--------------------------------/---------
G----------------------------10--/--9------
D--------------------10--12------/---------
A----------8--10--8--------------/---------
E------10------------------------/---------

This lick leads you to the tonic of your Em7 chord. You could also use the 3rd, 5th or 7th. But, the 3rd and 7th are the best ones to land on.

Then do the same kind of thing and lead it into the next chord.

Hope this helps.

[Junkie]

When you say base it on the 10th fret, what exactly do you mean, will you elaborate on this?
Btw, this is a bright rock piece, and using that penantonic, it sounds dark and eary.

[64Firebird]

I"m talking about the chord shapes that I put into my last post.

Do you know the Dm pentatonic scale?

[Junkie]

Not to be a pain in the ass, but no...if i'm not mistaken isn't it just a 3 fret jump, then 2 for 4 strings, and 3 the last 2?

I'm not really used to using penantonics, i've spent most of my time on the bass.

[64Firebird]

Here it is. D miner pentatonic. I finger this scale a little differantly than you may be used to.

E-----------------------------------------10--13--
B---------------------------------10--13----------
G-------------------------10--12------------------
D-----------------10--12--------------------------
A------8--10--12----------------------------------
E--10---------------------------------------------

This is a workhorse scale. You can use it almost anywhere.

[Junkie]

Then what do I use for the E minor 7?

[64Firebird]

Use the same scale, but you'll want to add a few notes from the Em7 chord (E the tonic or root, G the miner 3rd, B the 5th and D the miner 7th). Then when your playing over the Dm7, use the notes from that chord (D, F, A and C).

I'd like to stay up and help you out some more, but it's almost 1:00 AM here and I have to get up and take my son to school in the a little while. I'll check back here in the morning, or you can send me an E-Mail if you need any more info. Okay?

[Junkie]

Thank you very much, i won't be on tomorrow morning, as i aswell have school to attend. But I will be on this time tomorrow. I can not thank you enough for what you've done for me. Thank you.

[64Firebird]

I was reading back thru this and something occered to me. The chords you talked about before, is that the progression of the song or is that a horn riff of some kind?

Sence your a bass player, what kind of bass line would you play over this song?

[Junkie]

I got this progression off of the trumpet music in the solo section.

The bass line is a simple Eb G Bb Eb G Bb; D F A D F A; The solo section is just a C D F, C D F, C D F F, four times. The prgressing chords OUTSIDE of the solo section are EbMa9 and Dmi9, but i was told it could be played in F.

[64Firebird]

Okay, if the progression you gave me before is what the trumpet is soloing OVER (not what the horns are playing) then everything I told you should work.

[Junkie]

I spoke with my instructor, the chords are really as follows:
C9, Cmi7/F, Dmi7/F, Dmi7/F, Cmi7/F, Cmi7/f, Dmi7/F, Dmi7/F. In that order. I appologize for the confusion.

[sologod9]

sorry dude i wish i could help you out. but i cant read or write music. sorry again.

[Junkie]

well, do you have any ideas for a bright rock sort of funky solo. It's for the theme from shaft, so any ideas would be nice.

[64Firebird]

Originally posted by Junkie
I spoke with my instructor, the chords are really as follows:
C9, Cmi7/F, Dmi7/F, Dmi7/F, Cmi7/F, Cmi7/f, Dmi7/F, Dmi7/F. In that order. I appologize for the confusion.

Well... That sort of changes everything don't it?

If you want to keep things real simple, just play C miner pentatonic (at the 8th fret) over the C9 and Cm7. Then when the change comes, slide 2 frets higher and play D miner pentatonic (at the 10th fret) over the Dm7. Then slide it back down to C when the music calls for it. Doing it this way it'll be hard to hit a bad note.

Now, if you want to get into it a little deeper... That progression looks like it's in the key of G miner. If it is, then you could play G miner (G,A,Bb,C,D,Eb,F), or G miner pentatonic over the whole thing.

Good Luck.