Modal Fretless improv

[Mike Flynn]

Something a little fusion-y - I dig simple four chord loops, this is F#maj, Dmaj, Bmin, E7 - and seeing what I can do over them - with ultra-cheesy backing from Band In A Box (it sucks but it has its uses!) - sorry for the extra thread - let me know what you reckon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwLh_kfZZKQ

M

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Sounds cool, Mike. I just played those chords into a loop and tried playing over them, and sucked eggs at it What were you playing between the F# to transition into the other chords? The other three are all diatonic, so I kept wanting to play in Fmaj instead of F# major.

[Big nebula]

Can't get a grip on the relativity of the bass solo as the backing track is too low in the mix

[Matt Till]

I had the same problem, can't hear the backing track at all, it would help, even if it is cheesy.

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

Sounds cool, Mike. I just played those chords into a loop and tried playing over them, and sucked eggs at it What were you playing between the F# to transition into the other chords? The other three are all diatonic, so I kept wanting to play in Fmaj instead of F# major.

Try playing F#maj then Dmaj for the next two then Amaj and that should work - if you are feeling clever (I know I don''t ) then you can try throwing F melodic minor, or E super lochrian, and try and tie them together like that.

Sorry the backing is quiet in the mix but it's about as loud as I can stand it in the room - I'll try and adjust the levels in future... sorry for the wanky fast bits too - just trying stuff out, I like the slower passages actually... thanks for the comments.

M

[Baryonyx]

Excellent stuff! I really dig the tone of that bass too!

[Planet Boulder]

More great stuff, Mike - thanks as always, man!

[neptoon]

sounds cool...super locrian? what's that, bro?

[KeithPas]

Wow, that was great!!!

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by neptoon

sounds cool...super locrian? what's that, bro?

Basically an 'altered' scale - so over E7 you would take the seventh mode of the F melodic minor scale and play that to take it 'out' - it can also be called the whole tone-diminshed scale - as it goes E, F, G, G# (diminished part) then Bb, C, D, E (the whole tone part).

It's a great scale because it's only a major scale with a minor third instead of a major third, but play it a semitone above a dominant scale and the possibilities it opens up in II, V I's are pretty amazing - though for this little solo I did it's not the best one to choose to get from E7 back to F# major - but it's fun to try and find something by using it.

There's a ton of info on it here:
http://www.guitar-dreams.com/jazzminor.html


Hope that explains if a little more. Thanks for the feedback as well guys.

Cheers

Mike

[123eraniod]

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

Something a little fusion-y - I dig simple four chord loops, this is F#maj, Dmaj, Bmin, E7 - and seeing what I can do over them - with ultra-cheesy backing from Band In A Box (it sucks but it has its uses!) - sorry for the extra thread - let me know what you reckon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwLh_kfZZKQ

M

wow! loved your fretless playing man

[Matt Till]

P.S. Do you give free bass lessons for free... free


All your vids are awesome. I need to learn more about that four finger technique... that's pretty nutty.

[Jeralya]

Yea care to pick up some students?

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

P.S. Do you give free bass lessons for free... free


All your vids are awesome. I need to learn more about that four finger technique... that's pretty nutty.

Hey Matt - I'd love to give you lessons but I live in London and you the US of A - but if there's anything specific you want to know PM and I'll try and point you in the right direction.

What I will say about the 'style' I play in is that it goes with certain types of music - i.e. jazz, funk, worldmusic etc - but not so well with metal/rock - so in terms of developing this approach it helps if you try and play in these kinds of situations so as to actually get a chance to create certain types of sounds, feels, grooves, solos and harmonies. Having said that having more rather than less musical knowledge and technique - applied with taste - will benefit you in most musical situations - so if you have any questions please ask. If you are ever in London and fancy a lesson let me know.

Thanks for the support

Mike

[Mike Flynn]

Just added this faster version - it's the same stuff but like, faster... anyway it's a bit chops heavy - hope some of it hits the spot...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgSjK_uMDiI

[Matt Till]

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

Hey Matt - I'd love to give you lessons but I live in London and you the US of A - but if there's anything specific you want to know PM and I'll try and point you in the right direction.

What I will say about the 'style' I play in is that it goes with certain types of music - i.e. jazz, funk, worldmusic etc - but not so well with metal/rock - so in terms of developing this approach it helps if you try and play in these kinds of situations so as to actually get a chance to create certain types of sounds, feels, grooves, solos and harmonies. Having said that having more rather than less musical knowledge and technique - applied with taste - will benefit you in most musical situations - so if you have any questions please ask. If you are ever in London and fancy a lesson let me know.

Thanks for the support

Mike

My band is rock/metal, but in my spare time I play around with jazz, funk, worldmusic etc. But sometimes I throw my side interests in a metal setting, I just cover it up with distortion and a drummer who can't groove... so it becomes unfunk, ha.

I think I am going to shoot you a PM, I just have a quick question, thanks for the offer too, I'll let you know if I'm in London sometime. I've been telling all my friends/bandmates that I really need a bass teacher, and they think I'm nuts. They seem to think that bass lessons are for beginners, that's the problem though, I've been playing for 6 years and I'm still a beginner. I play OK, but I have no idea what the hell I'm doing.

Bah, derailing the thread, awesome stuff... making me fiend for a fretless bass... well, you, Alain Caron, Pino... and I guess Jaco, he makes me want a fretless sometimes.

[JamesM]

Awesome!!!