Power Trio... What do you do?

[Max Blasto]

The sound should never sound "weak" in a power trio. Even when the gtr is in solo mode.

To answer your question directly - What I do is play normally. My always-on effects are a compressor and preamp. I do use foot pedals for keys in some situations, but I don't rely on it for sound reinforcement, just added spice for certain songs. I also use an 8 string bass on some things, so that takes up a little extra space. I only use other effects on my own solos, never during a guitarist solo.

If you think it needs a rhythm gtr or key sound to back you up, then maybe you're not used to what a power trio sounds like?
If so, you wouldn't be alone. However, my recommendation would be to listen to some well known power trios and see what they sound like. Get used to the sound. See where the Bass volume is in relation to the guitar. It's usually a little farther up than in 4 or 5 pieces.

Ok, maybe volume isn't an effect as we mean it in this forum. Lots of effects here can make the low end more _interesting_ while the solo is happening, such as chorus, flanger, even simple stuff like overdrive through fuzz. But if your tone has the right sonic spectrum to begin with, adding an effect during the solo isn't actually better, and can be distracting from the solo itself. Done right, it can be cool, but I like some space between the voices.

So I would ask, why do you think it sounds weak? Do you like the power trio format? I know guys who don't. Do you prefer 4 or 5 or more pieces? That may be why you think a trio sounds weak. For myself, I prefer trios, but obviously there are a lot of different ways to put together a band.

 

[Charlzm]

When the guitarist breaks into a solo and the sound sounds weak...

Do you Play more notes?
Tap an effect? If so, which one?

I've been hitting my Octave and playing higher notes just to fill out the sound.
Opinions? What do you do?

WWLD? (What would Lemmy do?)

Hit the overdrive pedal and play power chords?

 

[Smoove-Groove]

Listen to some live Cream or Zeppelin.
Bruce and JPJ were masters at filling out the sound.

 

[Johnny Crab]

We're normally 4 piece + lead singer now BUT did 6 year prior as a trio + lead singer.
When we'd do trio music(or our originals that were written for/by us), nothing was done different except possibly playing a bit faster in a live situation.

Covering non-trio tunes as a trio?
Either do it with someone as @Teijo K. mentions or let the music breathe(space) OR play a mix of notes and chords with possibly some flange(not the tone suck kind that removes the bass!) and/or reverb. After doing those tunes a few times AND listening to them(a Zoom H4 records everything, lives on my pedalboard) later....it is easier to hear what fits which song.

Even now there are a couple of covers we do with harmony guitars in some sections that I dump some chords under at certain times as it sounds better.

Finally, as Smoove Groove suggests, listen to other trios. RUSH, Triumph, and a lot of other trios have/had no issues. Now that I think about it, Van Halen was a trio with a frontman(talking about the Michael Anthony in the band version) and sounded fine.

 

[lfmn16]

I think it can sound bizarre if a bass player steps on a pedal or something every time the guitarist takes a solo. Listen to great trios and how other people have done it. Sometimes a killer low ostinato can be more effective than something outlandish.

If you equate stepping on a pedal with 'outlandish' why are you trolling the effects column?

 

[JR Roxx]

When all else fails play as many notes as possible LOL

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Playing up high has never worked for me - I like to start doing a breakdown with the drummer - tight, minimal, only a few notes per measure - give the egotist - er - guitarist lots of room to you know... wank.

 

[Basshappi]

Both of my bands are trios and I have played in trios more than any other line up, it's what I prefer.
As to the OP, it depends on the style of music and the individual song.
I think that far too often the inclination is to try to "fill up" the space. But more and more I find that it can be great to do the opposite, just hold to the groove and let the song breathe.

 

[J Gold]

Groove. You and the drummer are playing the most important part of the music while the guitarist wins 1st place in a douche contest.

Keep it simple and groovy. Make the booties shake.

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

My band is a trio. Your question makes me wonder what - if anything- I do. I'll have to pay attention at our next show. We don't sound weak or empty during guitar solos for sure. I think the drummer and I play a little more forcefully, a little more driven, maybe play more to each other. I don't play more notes, but I think I do play a little more if you know what I mean.

 

[stonewall]

Keep it solid ...Let the guitar player do the filling

 

[ThePresident777]

When the guitarist breaks into a solo and the sound sounds weak...

Do you Play more notes?
Tap an effect? If so, which one?

I've been hitting my Octave and playing higher notes just to fill out the sound.
Opinions? What do you do?

Practically every band with just one guitarist has more than one guitar track on every song and the solos are on a separate track and overdubbed.

Look at Rush. They actually have a fair bit of keyboard in their songs. Geddy plays Taurus pedals. If you listen carefully to this clip, you can hear a keyboard quietly in the background.





You could get the EHX organ pedals. Maybe have a split into a second amp for an organ sound. Use a polyphonic pedal of some kind to give it more notes.

A sequencer would be another option. Letting the drummer trigger it.

Another option could be songs that don't fall apart during solos.

 

[King Weapon]

Boss OC2 Octaver pedal. Works. Every. Time.

 

[Remus_Redbone]

Do nothing different or play even less. The most basic, straight ahead, no flash, bass line will sound the best and make things easier on the guitarist.

Think ZZ Top / Dusty Hill & you can't go wrong.

 

[stonewall]

Do nothing different or play even less. The most basic, straight ahead, no flash, bass line will sound the best and make things easier on the guitarist.

Think ZZ Top / Dusty Hill & you can't go wrong.

I agree good solid groove with good solid tones...oh yeah im in on that

 

[ole Jason]

If you equate stepping on a pedal with 'outlandish' why are you trolling the effects column?

Are you kidding? This is pretty much the only forum I post in. There is a difference in using effects intelligently and stepping on something every time the guitarist takes a solo...

 

[Ric5]

When the guitarist breaks into a solo and the sound sounds weak...

Do you Play more notes?
Tap an effect? If so, which one?

I've been hitting my Octave and playing higher notes just to fill out the sound.
Opinions? What do you do?

Hit the notes a little harder, add some distortion and play a few extra notes

 

[davegt666]

It depends how long the solo is.
However, usually I might just keep a tight groove with the drums for a couple measures.

Then slowly start adding notes and fills for the next measure or two to increase the tension, good solos also start a little more relaxed with the a bend or something and then progressively get more complex, so I like to mirror that while still keeping a groove--it is a solo section after all.

Then once the solo is coming to an end I might mirror an epic fill the drums are doing to finish the solo section or copy what the guitar is doing.

This way the the listener gets the idea "okay, we're going back to the song because everyone is playing in sync again".

That's pretty much what I do. It changes depending on the song. However, just think of how Cream and Rush did their thing.

 

[Crazyeelboy]

The first thing I do is I do not get all busy and throw curveballs at the guitarist. The guitarist is most likely working on the assumption that the drums and bass are going to be "there" and will craft the solo on that assumption. The second thing I do is listen carefully to the guitar solo and look for ways to help highlight the solo, but I never try to compete with the solo.

 

[vlad335]

.
As Mr voodoobass says, it depends on the music.

I play in a 3-piece "pop-punk" type band.
When our guitarist goes to a solo I hit my splitter pedal and get two separate signals going, one direct to my bass amp and the other to my Fishman Fission Power Bass Chord pedal for an octave up and fifth, combined with an external overdrive (because the built in Fishman one isn't all that good) and get a pseudo-rhythm guitar power chord going over the top of my regular bass sound.
(My amp has two inputs.)

I used the same pedal except I sent it to its own dedicated amp. A cheap behringer keyboard amp from which I disconnected the horn. Sounds great! Every soundman loved the Fishman Fission with one even telling me I need to use it alot more!