Soloing Scale?

Uncle Niko

Uncle Niko

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Jul 5, 2014
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#1
I find a lot of players have a similar sound when playing quickly, and it sounds like it might be because they're working off a scale. I was also wondering if was just a mode, but I wasn't sure which one it would be. I've provided a video of the sound I'm talking about. Hadrien Feraud is using the scale during the first half of the song.
I may be incorrect, though, and if it isn't a specific scale, any tips on achieving this sound are well appreciated.

 
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#3
Hi Uncle Niko,

Do your ears tell you anything about this song? Can you tell what is the root note or "tonic" of the key? Can you tell whether the song is major or minor in quality? How many different chords does it have? Can you hear the root notes of the chord progression (or better yet, the full chord qualities? Do you hear any distinctive melodies or musical ideas that are repeated (like a distinctive "hook")?

I hope you don't mind all the questions. Just trying to get a sense of where your skill-set is so I can give a good answer.

Oh by the way, the players in the videos teach lessons, so if you want to learn to play like them, the path is all laid out for you. Here is Hadrien explaining the thought-process of how he decides what notes to play:

 
#4
I respect the fact that these guys play so well, but to me, the newer guys play too many notes and don't leave any space. It's like they never shut up.

Check out a Jimmy Haslip solo like the one on Indian Summer and you can see, it's so conversational. To me it just has something to say, besides a lot of notes.

Only my opinion though...
 

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  • Indian Summer (Haslip Solo) - Yello Jackets.mp3
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#8
I see 3 things that make these solos sound generic :
The use of scale boxes
The jazz cliché of quick bursts of notes followed by a pause, that came from wind instrumentists needing to catch their breath.
The lack of silence and space in what they play, also typical of the style.

This said, the fluidity and ease with which these gentlemen play is mesmerizing.
 
#10
Mushroo said:
Hi Uncle Niko,

Do your ears tell you anything about this song? Can you tell what is the root note or "tonic" of the key? Can you tell whether the song is major or minor in quality? How many different chords does it have? Can you hear the root notes of the chord progression (or better yet, the full chord qualities? Do you hear any distinctive melodies or musical ideas that are repeated (like a distinctive "hook")?

I hope you don't mind all the questions. Just trying to get a sense of where your skill-set is so I can give a good answer.

Oh by the way, the players in the videos teach lessons, so if you want to learn to play like them, the path is all laid out for you. Here is Hadrien explaining the thought-process of how he decides what notes to play:

I understand all my theory training, and I have good ears. I was just wondering if there was a specific scale they were using, because I was told it was one specific scale.
Click to expand...
 
#12
Uncle Niko said:
I understand all my theory training, and I have good ears. I was just wondering if there was a specific scale they were using, because I was told it was one specific scale.
Click to expand...

If you have good ears and theory training, and you've been working on the piece since Tuesday, then you should easily be able to answer questions like: what key is "Locked Out Of Bass Heaven," is it major or minor, what time signature, what are the roots of the chords, what are the chord qualities, what scales or modes are being used over each chord, what are some "signature" melodic phrases or licks that stand out to you?

In Hadrien's video "Playing the Right Notes" he talks about learning to solo by transcribing phrases from Marcus Miller, Jaco, Victor Bailey, Christian McBride, Matt Garrison, etc... are you doing this a little bit, every day? Have you heard any songs by these bassists that have similar feels or chord progressions to "Locked Out Of Bass Heaven," that maybe you can hear an influence, or compatible phrases that could be borrowed from one song and used in a solo in another song?

After watching this video, I am convinced that ear training is an absolute requirement for anyone who wants to learn to solo like Hadrien Feraud.
 
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#13
Mushroo said:
...After watching this video, I am convinced that ear training is an absolute requirement for anyone who wants to learn to solo like Hadrien Feraud.
Click to expand...

I'd say, ear training is pretty much a requirement if you want to learn to solo... Period.

In my current transcribing project, which is the Haslip solo posted above, It's all diatonic to a few keys, so it's easy to hear what's going on. Jimmy is a diatonic player for the most part, but his thing is to be melodic with it. There's a lot of stuff there I plan to use in other songs, like the bass solo section of Robert Glaspers "Downtime". Building vocabulary is what I'm focusing on lately.
 
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