The Cover Band's Extentded Guitar Solo's

armywalaby · #1 08-12-2008, 04:16 AM

You know what I'm talking about, those guitarists in the cover bands that improv on the solo WAAAAAAAAAY too long. There's a band here that does this with Freebird and Hotel California everytime. Guy takes the solo for about an additional 5-7 minutes, and his additions are never anything relevant to the solo.

Any other songs you see this done to?

DWBass · #2 08-12-2008, 05:59 AM

I can't stand extended solos on any instrument. Unless it's a jazz band, no solo should be more than 8 bars (16 at the most). I had that very problem with my last band and I just gave up after 4 years of complaining and quit!

Gard · #3 08-12-2008, 08:13 AM

It ain't just a problem in cover bands...

...however, it is very prevalent in cover tunes.

Here's my personal experience:

I was in a very good original Latin rock outfit a few years back (some of the old timers may remember this...), and we'd do gigs around Orlando at clubs regularly to get out and play, make some money, etc.

As we were playing LATIN ROCK, it made sense to fill our set up with a pretty wide selection of Santana tunes, as that was more or less the style we were doing, and folks knew and seemed to like it.

So, we would do "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen/Oye Como Va" (covering a trio of covers, that most people actually thought were Santana tunes!

)regularly, usually the last tune of the 2nd set, sorta the "big number" of the night.

Always got the dance floor filled, because well...the rhythm section (myself on bass, great drummer, incredible timbalero, incredible congos player) just grooved its @$$ off.

Anyhow, all was fine every time until we got into the solo section of "Oye", and the guitarist decided it was time for him to take a 20 minute wankfest solo...every single time...

...during "BMW" and "Gypsy", we stuck to the form, and kept the wankery to a minimum, but he just had to "cut loose" during the "Oye" section...and without fail, it CLEARED THE DANCE FLOOR.

Everyone was diggin' on it, chicks shakin' their money makers, everyone smiling and happy, then...wankola...and you could see the eyes glaze over after about 60 seconds of his tweedly wankage.

I took it upon myself to one day politely point out, with VIDEO EVIDENCE, the end result of what I referred to as "too much of a good thing" because "the crowd didn't get it" - I didn't tell him he was boring everyone, including the band, to tears (although he WAS), I was very "PC" about it - but to no avail. His response was that I didn't know what I was talking about, because the crowd came "to see me (i.e. the guitarist) jam".

...really sad, because when he self-edited his playing, it was actually quite good, but he just couldn't do it consistently.

I do miss that band a lot, but not that part of it...

lonote · #4 08-12-2008, 08:47 AM

The simplicity of the solo in "Oye Como Va" is what makes it work. That should be obvious to even the most self-absorbed wanker.

DWBass · #5 08-12-2008, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonote

The simplicity of the solo in "Oye Como Va" is what makes it work. That should be obvious to even the most self-absorbed wanker.

Nope. Because they are not thinking about entertaining an audience. They are playing for themselves! The whole solo and volume thing (I have to be loud to get my sound) is getting so frikkin' old! I just wish it would stop!!

BassScum · #6 08-12-2008, 09:16 AM

We used to do Black Magic Woman. The guitar player would way over extend the solos. People would start off dancing but then would lose interest after the solo went on and on. Used to ask the guitarist before we would play it to keep it short, he said he would but never did. I hated playing that song. Thankfully once we got a new drummer we have never played it and not once have any of are regular friends/fans requested it.

57pbass · #7 08-12-2008, 09:19 AM

I just last week endured an extended solo in "Rockin in the Free World"

True torture.... and the guy thought he was so f@ckin cool.. I hated it

ggunn · #8 08-12-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassScum

We used to do Black Magic Woman. The guitar player would way over extend the solos. People would start off dancing but then would lose interest after the solo went on and on. Used to ask the guitarist before we would play it to keep it short, he said he would but never did. I hated playing that song. Thankfully once we got a new drummer we have never played it and not once have any of are regular friends/fans requested it.

Who do those guys think they are, Jerry Garcia? ;^)

That sort of thing only works if your audience is tripping, and even then, not all the time...

dukaruk · #9 08-12-2008, 09:26 AM

I've seen it a few times. I just assume they don't have enough songs and/or would let the singer take a break without stopping the music. (5 - 10 minutes)

Now, extending in the middle of a cover song just to wank.. That sounds really irritating.

abngourmet · #10 08-12-2008, 09:31 AM

I was in an R&B/Blues band here in Fayetteville several years ago. Our guitarist was a frustrated jazz/George Benson type who felt he should start many songs with an acapella solo. Yes, starting songs by himself with wankery. He also ended them the same way. I actually timed him and some of this nonsense went 3-4 minutes. Then he'd do the George Benson sing-along thing. He'd lose the entire audience, such as it was, and folks would leave the dance floor. His response when confronted with this was usually "I had folks come tell me how cool it was." Never mind we were often not booked in some places again.

scottbass · #11 08-12-2008, 09:37 AM

The lead guitarist in our cover band has been known to put a VERY long solo into "Rockin' In The Free World", but it's understandable because it's our last song in our last set and if we happen to be a few minutes short, well...

He also sometimes extends solos to double-length in Ted Nugent songs, but I guess that's what Ted does himself when playing live, so I guess it's OK.

The extended solo he does that drives me nuts is in "Comfortably Numb". I swear I have fallen asleep, started to fall over and had to take a couple of stutter-steps to catch myself when he does that. In fact, the guitarist himself has started to fall asleep during the third or fourth turn through the solo progression - I've seen him!

Geez - what's the point?

BassScum · #12 08-12-2008, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggunn

Who do those guys think they are, Jerry Garcia? ;^)

That sort of thing only works if your audience is tripping, and even then, not all the time...

Actually he thought he was Carlos Santana at Woodstock.

mrokern · #13 08-12-2008, 10:58 AM

We've got an easy way to fix this, although we rarely need to use it (our lead guitar player is pretty much on-the-ball when it comes to solo length).

The drummer and I simply set up and move into the next section of the song, and the rhythm guitar and singer follow right along. It's hard to keep soloing when there isn't anyone in the band backing you up. If the guitarist keeps soloing over the vocals, he looks like a fool...and if the solo is at the end and he keeps soloing, it will be a TRUE solo.

-Mark

BillyRay · #14 08-12-2008, 11:37 AM

I actually HAVE to tell my guitarist to extend it a bit sometimes (and also to loosen up): he used to play bass in a punk rock setting, so it's somewhat understandable that long drawn out solos are not appealing to him. He's by no means a great soloist, but he has taste and ear going for him (HIS is WAY better than mine), so he can rip it if he is in a good mindset. He usually is if I loosen up a bit too to help him.

professor_bills · #15 08-12-2008, 01:04 PM

I went to a local "jam night" recently and the front man asked me if I wanted a solo I just stared at him like he was nuts...I hate solos on any instrument...The drummer of course took him up on the offer. Then asked me to step down so he could play bass...I said sure and went home it was late anyway.

rappa29 · #16 08-12-2008, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrokern

We've got an easy way to fix this, although we rarely need to use it (our lead guitar player is pretty much on-the-ball when it comes to solo length).

The drummer and I simply set up and move into the next section of the song, and the rhythm guitar and singer follow right along. It's hard to keep soloing when there isn't anyone in the band backing you up. If the guitarist keeps soloing over the vocals, he looks like a fool...and if the solo is at the end and he keeps soloing, it will be a TRUE solo.

-Mark

That's actually pretty funny!!

Never really had too much trouble with any guitar players I've played with, regarding solos. Guess I've been lucky!

**cheezewiz** · #17 08-12-2008, 02:26 PM

Ah the extended guitar solo. Luckily, i'm in a band now where the focus is keeping people dancing and interested. I"ve had the misfortune of having to put up with this in the past though. Freebird is the biggest offender, which with any luck, I'll never have to play again. BUT...in all fairness to our guitard friends, one thing is MUCH worse than an extended guitar solo...and that is..........THE DRUM SOLO. You want to clear a bar in 5 minutes flat? Play a drum solo. The drummer won't even notice everyone leaves, because they'll be 3 tards up front watching and yelling encouragement, and that's all he listens to and sees. Meanwhile, every girl in the place sits down, goes to the bathroom, or leaves.

notalent · #18 08-12-2008, 02:31 PM

One of my wife's friends was over for dinner and she was talking about seeing a good band but complained about them "squealing the guitars at each other after each song"... lol

She was talking about long drawn out unnecessary guitard solos at the end of their cover songs.

Audiophage · #19 08-12-2008, 02:35 PM

Perhaps the actual reason why people are leaving is the rest of the band. Maybe you're all are letting the groove falter in your boredom with the guitarists soloing. I'm not pointing fingers here, but you can't all be blaming someone else for emptying a bar.

That's to say, not that there is anything wrong with purposely trying to empty a bar.

**cheezewiz** · #20 08-12-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audiophage

That's to say, not that there is anything wrong with purposely trying to empty a bar.

LOL! Very true. I can recall a recent gig with a group of obnoxious young yuppies who kept yelling for 'Ted Nugent", Well, we don't do any. Definitely not our style. I look at the singer. He looks at me. We both mouth the words to each other simultaneously..."Johnny Cash". They were gone within minutes.