Stormy Monday soloing tips

Adam614ce · #1 08-19-2009, 12:36 AM

A few weeks ago, I posted a thread about soloing on the D&D/Clapton style version of "Little Wing." Thanks everyone for your help, I gained a lot of insight. It seems that the consensus was to play to the chord changes to get those "sweet" bends that I was refering to. After fooling around with it for a bit, I think I've gotten the hang of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1unh...eature=related

The above link is Clapton with the ABB again, this time on Stormy Monday.

I'm applying what I was told in the Little Wing thread, but I seem to be having more trouble with this song. What scales can I use specifically over EACH chord? I'm really digging Warren on this one.

Thanks!

Bern · #2 08-19-2009, 04:50 AM

Consider it your lucky day...

listen and watch Andy Aledort
...and while you at it, follow his links and you'll find a video on 'Little Wing" as well.

Bob Womack · #3 08-19-2009, 05:38 AM

Well, let's see. Step one: Go out and buy two albums:
The Allman Brothers: The Fillmore Concerts (re-release and remix of Live At Fillmore East with more material)
The Allman Brothers: Beginnings (their first two albums repackaged into one)
Listen to these well. Really well. Study them. Fillmore actually has "Stormy Monday" on it. Listen and learn the licks, because there is a huge lexicon of blues licks on these albums, but also listen to how the licks are used and how the players move from lick to lick. Understand that the blues seems a simple form on first listen, but the subtlety comes in using the licks to communicate something, to tell a story. Listen for the way the players build the tension within a solo via pitch, density, speed, and intensity.

Now, also understand that blues soloing is somewhere between playing in the box and following the chords. If you watch a bluesman play, he often stays within the blues box but uses the sharps and flats or simply shifts a lick or bend up a step to follow the chordal structure.

Two more excellent resources: Clapton's Crossroads I & II live concert DVDs. You can watch a bajillion blues players, including some of the old black masters, do it their way.

I've written a little article on soloing. It's on my website: HERE

Bob

Adam614ce · #4 08-19-2009, 02:59 PM

Thanks for the links everyone.

I think the part I get confused on the most is soloing on Am7 to Bm7, and the chords after that till the end of the 12th bar. Just not really grasping what to do there.

For G7, I'm using both major and minor pentatonic in G. Using all 5 forms.

For C9, same thing. Mostly using the same thing. What scales can I use in C here? C minor pentatonic doesn't really do much for me here, but I would like to do something different.

For G#7, not really finding anything that sounds good. hard to make a transition.

I grasped soloing on the changes in little wing fairly easily, but I'm having a hard time on this one. It just perplexes me.

JohnDWilliams · #5 08-19-2009, 05:27 PM

Duane's recorded solo on Stormy Monday is largely G major pentatonic. You can use that scale for almost all of the changes. For the non-diatonic chords you can look for notes that fit on those chords as accidentals within the G major pentatonic scale.

For instance you can use the flatted third, flatted seventh, or flatted fifth of the G maj. pent. scale against the Bbm.

Personally I don't think you should be looking for what scale to play over what chords. Think about making music, melody lines, how certain notes sound against certain chords, how certain notes sound in succession, etc.

Yes, that's not the easiest way and it does take practice.

Steve Berger · #6 08-20-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Personally I don't think you should be looking for what scale to play over what chords. Think about making music, melody lines, how certain notes sound against certain chords, how certain notes sound in succession, etc.

Yes, that's not the easiest way and it does take practice.

Probably the best single piece of advice I've read on this or any music forum.

Adam614ce · #7 08-20-2009, 10:35 PM

Thanks for the advice John.

Still fooling around with this. Things are getting a little better. It just really helps me, melody-wise, and also with setting up for transitions, to really know the scales for the chords.

I try to think about it like this: If I'm in a certain location on the fretboard, and I know the next change coming, how can I smoothly transition from the scale I'm in to the next scale, to best emphasize those changes?

Thinking about these scales patterns visually, helps me make those transitions.

vac4873 · #8 08-21-2009, 05:34 AM

Hi Adam,

You are certainly getting some good advice, and asking the right questions regarding soloing. I think what you are looking for, though, is some insight about how to "move to the next level" in improvising a solo and not being trapped by a simple blues box or pentatonic scale. The posters gave you very good advice in telling you to incorporate melody, be musical, look for pitches in the chord changes, etc. But you seem to be an analytical person that needs perhaps a bit more of the "why", or just the answer to "what scale can I use that has a good possibility of having interesting sounds against the chord I am playing?" Be careful - if you strictly do this, you run the risk of sounding like you are just running scales against chords, rather than sounding like you are making music.
That being said, here are a few scale-chord "pairings" that you may want to experiment with:

7th chord or extension of a 7th (9th, 13th) - mixolydian mode - over C7th (x-3-2-3-3-3) try C mixolydian starting at the 3rd fret of the 5th string (5-3, 5-5, 4-2, 4-3, 4-5, 3-2, 3-3, 3-5, 2-3, 2-5,2-6, 1-3, 1-5, 1-6). This works for all (unaltered) dominant seventh shapes. The C note at the third fret of the 5th string can serve as your "anchor", as this shape and scale will readily move up the neck.

Minor seventh - dorian, natural minor

Altered 7th - there are a bunch of choices. The key here is to feature the altered tone and not its next door neighbor. For example, if there is a sharp 9th, make sure and incorporate the sharp 9th. Altered dominant, parts of any scale that incorporate the altered tones (harmonic minor for sharp 9ths, whole tone scale for sharp 5ths, etc.)

also, look for places to put some chromatic movement, things like that.

caveat1 - if you incorporate a lot of this into your playing, you will sound very "jazzy" and not so "bluesy". Like Bob said, blues players stay mostly "in the box"

caveat2 - when you hit one of those really "sweet" notes, don't go to a new idea right away. Give yourself and your audience a chance to savor it.

Hope this helps.
Matt

Bob Womack · #9 08-21-2009, 06:05 AM

And tell a story. Write a melody. Say something.

Bob

ELK · #10 08-21-2009, 06:29 AM

Thanks for posting that link. You guys have got me inspired. I remember how much fun this song is. I'm going to record a stormy monday rhythm loop tonight and solo over it 'til my fingers bleed!

Jamler · #11 08-21-2009, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam614ce

A few weeks ago, I posted a thread about soloing on the D&D/Clapton style version of "Little Wing." Thanks everyone for your help, I gained a lot of insight. It seems that the consensus was to play to the chord changes to get those "sweet" bends that I was refering to. After fooling around with it for a bit, I think I've gotten the hang of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1unh...eature=related

The above link is Clapton with the ABB again, this time on Stormy Monday.

I'm applying what I was told in the Little Wing thread, but I seem to be having more trouble with this song. What scales can I use specifically over EACH chord? I'm really digging Warren on this one.

Thanks!

Warren is amazing...(I'm in the Mule Army) If your attempting the Derek F'n Trucks licks... keep in mind he is in Open E (Always, permanently and never uses a pick) Yeah, its sick. Actually, out of the 3 of them... Clapton's stuff seemed weak... typical Clapton pull off bent string stuff... still wonderful but weaker than the others in just my opinion. Love Greg's B3 work too ;-) Some real good advice earlier was to listen to Dwayne off the Fillmore album!

JohnDWilliams · #12 08-21-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam614ce

Thanks for the advice John.

I try to think about it like this: If I'm in a certain location on the fretboard, and I know the next change coming, how can I smoothly transition from the scale I'm in to the next scale, to best emphasize those changes?

Don't pick a location for one chord then move to a new location for another. You'll never get smooth.

Pick a good place for G major pent. and stay there. Use notes in that location to play a melody against all of the changes.

On some chords you might need notes that aren't strictly in the scale (accidentals). Don't run around the neck to find those notes. Find where they are in relation to the scale and position you are using and make it fit together into melodic lines. Practice this a LOT.

Adam614ce · #13 08-23-2009, 12:37 AM

thanks again guys for the advice, it's really helpful.

Everyday I'm improving more and more on this tune. The mixolydian suggestions opened up a few more doors, and I'm getting some ideas off of that.

Been trying out Dorian on the Am7 to Bm7 change, but it sounds "funny."

I have a gig in two weeks, thinking about getting the guys to cover it!