Rhythm Guitar Solos

Cuimean

I had never really thought of making room in songs for the rhythm guitarist to solo, but I recently heard some really fun, tasteful rhythm guitar solos on two CDs I recently picked up ("Ombre et Lumiere" by Waso and "Force Majeure" by Jokke Schreurs). They're almost more like drum solos; the guitarists simply play their part, perhaps with a few different inversions of the chords, and beat out some different rhythms for a few bars. Like most drum solos, multiple choruses in every song might get a bit boring, so the players on the aforementioned recordings keep it down to a few bars in a couple songs. That seems just enough to throw in a different and interesting flavor.

Does anyone here ever attempt these little rhythm guitar breaks? Any tips?

Jack

Cuimean wrote:

Does anyone here ever attempt these little rhythm guitar breaks? Any tips?

We do it often enough in one of my bands-sometimes I'll take a rhythm chorus, but just as often the lead player will take a rhythm chorus over my straight rhythm playing. Tips? I think most of it's in your first post; inversions, syncopations, etc.

Best,
Jack.

djangology

maybe if you take it to the next level then we can all pave our own new style of gypsy jazz? it would be a fun subject to teach wouldn't it?

trumbology

Is the idea that the basic rhythm guitar pulse would be uninterupted (though embellished a bit)?

The topic reminded of the chordal solos that Marty Grosz specializes in. I wonder how much of those solos he has worked out in advance (if not the full solos, then at least connecting "modules" of already-worked out stuff).

I think this type of solo (chordal) doesn't try to maintain the basic rhythm guitar pulse throughout the solo - it's more just a harmonized, and maybe simplified, version of a single-note solo.

Neil

nwilkins

there are two things being talked about in this thread - Rod's original post about rhythm solos, and the subject, brought up by Jack, of chordal solos. The two seem to be different, one an extension of rhythm playing and the other actually soloing using chord shapes. The former are much rarer, for the obvious reasons that they lack much room for improvising or making a musical statement. However, to hear exactly what Rod is talking about, have a look at the Bireli video from his performance at the North Dea Jazz Festival this year (I think it's in the archives on this site). Hono takes a rhythm solo on Donna Lee

Jack

nwilkins wrote:

there are two things being talked about in this thread - Rod's original post about rhythm solos, and the subject, brought up by Jack, of chordal solos. The two seem to be different...

I don't think I was trying to bring up something else-I'm talking about playing the changes (which as the rhythm player does mean playing chords, yes), but I think that's what Rod meant:

Cuimean wrote:

...the guitarists simply play their part, perhaps with a few different inversions of the chords...

Right? I'm going to try to check out the Hono video to see if I'm thinking what I think I'm thinking...

Best,
Jack.

trumbology

Yes,

It was me who muddied the waters here

Neil

ghodaddyyo

Don't want to resurrect a dead topic but the album Polarity by Jimmy Bruno and Joe Beck is a fine example of rhythmic solos. Joe Beck is a monster rhythm player and there are often rhythmic breaks where he's doing subtle slap n' pop techniques that are quite mind blowing. He never goes over the top and it always sounds like jazz.

Having said that, I don't like to define guitar playing as lead and rhythm. To me it's all guitar playing and one is not a complete guitar player until they are accomplished at both. ...IMHO

Cuimean

Blurring the deliniations between lead guitar and rhythm guitar often make music more interesting, but sometimes it's useful to keep them separate. For what Django was doing with the original Quintet, the other guitarists had to provide a chordal base for the soloists AND keep the rhythm strong and defined, since there was no drummer in the group. Most (if not all) of the people who played rhythm guitar behind Django were very capable soloists, but in the context of the Quintet, allowing them to do anything other than beat out the rhythm would have muddied the waters too much.

The Jimmy Bruno and Joe Beck stuff sounds interesting. Are they playing fingerstyle or with picks?

ghodaddyyo

Point taken. I don't think I'd want to step up into the spotlight with Django anyhow, talk about intimidating!

Jimmy Bruno is predominantly a plectrum user, a darn good one at that. I'm an avid follower of his economy picking method and it's really hard to give up since I started the Gypsy Picking book. In fact, the same disclaimer about breaking old picking habits is contained in Jimmy Bruno's The Art of Picking book. Joe Beck plays with both pick and fingers. Alot of what he's doing on the Polarity album is finger style. It really is mind blowing. He tends to use a bit of chorus in his tone, but it's tastefully done.

Russell Letson

Two words: Bucky Pizzarelli.