My take of Marco Sfogli’s Larry Carlton style improv

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    • May 29, 2009 at 5:53 am
    arc_of_descent
    Member

    Hey,

    I recorded myself playing Marco Sfogli’s improvisation on his infamous Larry Carlton style backing track. I’ve been studying this solo for quite a few months now, still got only a minute down, so the track is not complete. I’ve learnt lots from this!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jjS5jmqGq8

    Please leave your thoughts.

    —
    Rohan

    p.s. how to embed YouTube videos?

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • Replies
    • May 29, 2009 at 8:16 am
    billmeedog
    Member

    @arc_of_descent 7485 wrote:

    Hey,

    I recorded myself playing Marco Sfogli’s improvisation on his infamous Larry Carlton style backing track. I’ve been studying this solo for quite a few months now, still got only a minute down, so the track is not complete. I’ve learnt lots from this!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jjS5jmqGq8

    Please leave your thoughts.

    —
    Rohan

    p.s. how to embed YouTube videos?

    Hey Rohan,

    Well done my friend! šŸ˜Ž I agree with you, that is an amazing solo! I thought about learning that one, but I never made it past the “thought-about-it-stage!” (LOL!) šŸ˜® The only things that I could possibly recommend trying to improve possibly is the tone (a bit “fizzy/brittle” for my taste, but maybe that’s just YouTube’s “audio-stream!”) and perhaps a bit more vibrato on the tail-end of some of the phrases (for resolution and sustain.) Those are just “nitpicky” issues too, because you rocked this solo. BTW, your “groove/timing” was excellent here too! šŸ˜‰ You looked “relieved” when you finished/stopped, as if your head was about to explode trying to remember everything and execute it all perfectly! That being said, you pulled it off, and that ain’t easy bro! Again, well done! šŸ˜‰

    Repect Ro! šŸ™‚

    ~Bill Meehan~ šŸ˜€

    • May 29, 2009 at 1:50 pm
    arc_of_descent
    Member

    Thanks Bill, for your comments, and you’re right. I have a lot to improve on the tone front, something which I always put off. I just can’t seem to get a decent sound with my setup and its quite frustrating. And yes, some vibrato at key points makes a lot of difference.

    @billmeedog 7486 wrote:

    You looked “relieved” when you finished/stopped, as if your head was about to explode trying to remember everything and execute it all perfectly! That being said, you pulled it off, and that ain’t easy bro!

    Yeah! Very relieved. But I can play what I’ve learnt over and over through the 5 minutes of the backing track, so thats good practice.

    On a side note, this is the first solo that I’ve transcribed entirely by ear, and it was very enlightening. I’m not someone who would reject tabs, they are good for exercises and difficult passages, but transcribing a solo yourself is so much better, in that you end up practicing the lines much more! If I had done it by tab, I would not have practiced the phrases as much.

    Thanks,
    Rohan

    • May 29, 2009 at 2:12 pm
    Coop
    Member

    I like that alot. Your playing seems to be getting alot better on your last few videos.

    Did you use your new POD on that? I liked the tone alot.

    Coop

    • May 29, 2009 at 3:50 pm
    billmeedog
    Member

    @arc_of_descent 7488 wrote:

    …On a side note, this is the first solo that I’ve transcribed entirely by ear, and it was very enlightening. I’m not someone who would reject tabs, they are good for exercises and difficult passages, but transcribing a solo yourself is so much better, in that you end up practicing the lines much more! If I had done it by tab, I would not have practiced the phrases as much.

    Thanks,
    Rohan

    Hi Rohan, šŸ™‚

    I agree with Coop BTW that you are improving a lot bro, so keep up the good work! šŸ˜Ž Also, I couldn’t agree more with you about the benefits of self-transcribing (IE: eschewing others’ TABS!) Bingo! You said it correctly that you benefit more from the experience and work involved. The way I see it is that when you transcribe “by-ear,” you tend to associate the “lines/notes/phrases/licks/etc.” to something that means something directly and “memorably” to you! So whether it’s a fingering, or a particular scale-pattern, or even a group-of-notes that you visualize as “surrounding” or implying a particular chord-shape/voicing, those are associations that we tend NOT to make when we go into “Blind-folded TAB-itis Mode!” – (LOL!) BTW, “TAB-itis” is a term I coined in which a student/player stares at the “TAB-numbers” and memorizes “TAB/FRET-numbers” instead of discovering and HEARING music! Do you see what I mean?!? I firmly believe that this is why there are so many AMAZING “technical/speed players” nowadays, but not-so-many “musicians-who-happen-to-play-fast-guitar!” I also attribute this to the fact/phenomenon whereby a guitarist can play entire solos by the likes of John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Satch, etc. but then these same players can’t improvise over a simple 12-bar blues!!! šŸ˜® :confused: I’m serious! That may seem like an exaggeration, but I’ve witnessed such obvious disparity, and I find it bizarre/weird! …..Hmmm… Perhaps I’m just OLD!!! Yeah, that’s probably it!!! (LOL!) šŸ˜‰ šŸ˜®

    Anyways Ro, great point about the many benefits of “transcribing-by-ear!” šŸ˜Ž

    ~Bill Meehan~

    • May 29, 2009 at 6:18 pm
    Coop
    Member

    Bill, I have played with guys that can riff like mad, play 32nd note triplets and 200bpm, tap like Van Halen, but yet cannot play a common E shuffle or a simple A blues 12 bar solo. Serious!!!!

    Its really bout what your priorities are I suppose.

    Coop

    • May 29, 2009 at 6:22 pm
    Rick Graham
    Rick Graham
    Member

    Nicely played Rohan! Great to know that it was your own work too, I can’t recommend transcribing enough. Looking forward to the full solo šŸ˜‰

    • May 29, 2009 at 8:03 pm
    pekki
    Member

    Smoothly played Rohan, I like it a lot!

    Since I’m lazy and without any free time, can you share your transcription maybe?

    (don’t know how do you feel about sharing that stuff, no problem if you are against it: )

    • May 30, 2009 at 9:16 am
    arc_of_descent
    Member

    Thanks guys! Coop – yeah, I’ve used my POD XT for this. You liked the tone? I felt there was a bit too much treble in there, but otherwise it was good, with just a slight delay and not too much reverb.

    Yeah, transcribing has its benefits. I’ll share what I use to slow down songs. Its one of the best pieces of software I’ve come across for transribing songs.

    http://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/overview.html

    Hey pekki, I’ve written down 24 bars of the solo. The rest I memorized as I transcribed. Still got to finish the entire solo. Check your messages.

    —
    Rohan

    • May 30, 2009 at 11:09 am
    BenJS1000
    Member

    Hi Rohan.
    That was great man!
    I spent a whole day on this solo last week.. it’s amazing isn’t it???
    I’ve always preferred this one to Guthrie’s, some of the phrases make the hairs stand up on my neck!

    You done a great job dude! I’d also like to commend you on having the patience to transcribe such a difficult improvisation, some of those lines are very tough.
    Keep up the good work man!

    • May 30, 2009 at 12:31 pm
    arc_of_descent
    Member

    Thanks BenJS1000 (JS for Satch?) šŸ™‚ I just knew I had to learn this solo when I first heard it a couple of times. And then in for a rude shock. The subtleties involved (the bends, backward slides) were all such huge learnings and challenges. But couple that with the exercises and stuff learnt here at IG, and anything’s possible! (well, almost). šŸ˜€

    • May 30, 2009 at 12:37 pm
    Rick Graham
    Rick Graham
    Member
    arc_of_descent;7514 wrote:
    Yeah, transcribing has its benefits. I’ll share what I use to slow down songs. Its one of the best pieces of software I’ve come across for transribing songs.

    http://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/overview.html

    —
    Rohan

    Transcribing software can be essential especially with very fast lines but be sure to only use it when you really need to.

    • June 2, 2009 at 3:07 am
    Sean Conklin
    Sean Conklin
    Member

    Awesome job Rohan. I really enjoyed this video from you. Keep up the great work!

    • June 4, 2009 at 2:59 pm
    arc_of_descent
    Member

    @Sean Conklin 7534 wrote:

    Awesome job Rohan. I really enjoyed this video from you. Keep up the great work!

    Thanks Sean.

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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