Solo Opp In So-Lame Song - Any Tips?

jaywa · #1 04-26-2011, 08:21 PM

So the new band I joined has a song where every member is required to take a solo. The song is Orange Blossom Special. I mean seriously, could there be a more un solo friendly song and I despise soloing to begin with. I've done two gigs with them and both of my solos have been embarrassingly lame. Any ideas on how to solo over a fast root-5 "train" 2-beat and have it be something worth doing?

HeadyVan Halen · #2 04-26-2011, 08:25 PM

Quit.
Buy Heroin.
Shoot it.
Rejoin Band.
Play solo.

Any song with a fiddle is.....is.......bad..except Charlie Daniels

jaywa · #3 04-26-2011, 08:31 PM

We actually have a fiddle player and he's pretty good. That's why I hate cluttering up the song with other peoples solos and especially mine. But I'm not gonna win this one so I need to come up with something that works... preferably before this weekends gig.

AmadeusXeno · #4 04-26-2011, 09:10 PM

When all else fails go pentatonic! Not the best option but it'll work.

**trkelley** · #5 04-26-2011, 09:18 PM

NO. Do NOT go pentatonic in a country bluegrass song! Ever!

KeithPas · #6 04-26-2011, 09:25 PM

Listen to Dixie Dreggs and get some ideas.

jaywa · #7 04-27-2011, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmadeusXeno

When all else fails go pentatonic! Not the best option but it'll work.

Uhh... I tried that the first time out. Epic fail. I'm gonna have to come up with something else.

Right now I'm thinking I'm gonna have to come up with something that's more rhythmic, doesn't have as many notes and maybe I'll just have to ham it up visually to make up for what's not there musically. Really trying to stay away from slap because that has been so overdone as the standard bass solo thing and especially around here.

KeithPas · #8 04-27-2011, 08:08 AM

YouTube - dixie dregs -assembly line

The bass solo is about 2 minutes in or so. Violin in a rock band and it rocks.

metalstorm · #9 04-27-2011, 10:40 AM

Hey man, my first suggestion would be to give your solo to someone else. I was in a country band and they gave me a solo and I did it for a bit but I realised that it was just better for the song and the groove to not solo, so I gave it to the guitar player. However, if you do want to solo, just check out what players on other instruments are playing. Steal some licks and get ideas from there.