Your approach to supporting a solo.

Andy

Honorary Member
Not your own, someone else's. For me, there's two distinctly different options. Either;

a/ Provide a solid & open foundation for the soloist to play over / around, or

b/ Use accents & other tools to complement the soloist's phrasing /parts.

I tend towards option a/ when there's a high degree of improvisation within the solo, & lean towards b/ when the solo phrasing / parts are pretty much fixed.

In case you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, here's a brief example of option b/ from last night's rehearsal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbT5B2m4PTY&feature=youtu.be

I frequently mirror patterns used by the guitarist on the exit of each phrase / section.

How do you approach supporting a solo?
 
Not your own, someone else's. For me, there's two distinctly different options. Either;

a/ Provide a solid & open foundation for the soloist to play over / around, or

b/ Use accents & other tools to complement the soloist's phrasing /parts.

I tend towards option a/ when there's a high degree of improvisation within the solo, & lean towards b/ when the solo phrasing / parts are pretty much fixed.

In case you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, here's a brief example of option b/ from last night's rehearsal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbT5B2m4PTY&feature=youtu.be

I frequently mirror patterns used by the guitarist on the exit of each phrase / section.

How do you approach supporting a solo?

Seems, about right, but there is an option c, which involves humorously placed China rides and lots of grace notes on floor Tom.
 
depending on the length of the solo I tend to use a bit of both. I use accents during any modulation and leave out long or busy fills. a lot of times ill crescendo towards the end when it goes back to the chorus to sort of build the energy ( on more upbeat tunes). and also never add wind chimes over the top of a solo, guitar players seem to hate that.
 
Definitely A. The time to be interesting is not during another's solo. That's the time for THEM to be interesting. If the soloist decides she's going to trade fours, or accents, or otherwise integrate the other players into the structure of the solo, I'll respond if asked. But my JOB is to provide the canvas upon which the soloist can create art.
 
Definitely A. The time to be interesting is not during another's solo. That's the time for THEM to be interesting. If the soloist decides she's going to trade fours, or accents, or otherwise integrate the other players into the structure of the solo, I'll respond if asked. But my JOB is to provide the canvas upon which the soloist can create art.

I am from the other camp. I believe its the overall song that is important, not just a soloist giving it big licks. I try to complement the soloist, along with the rest of the musicians, and integrate the solo into the rest of the song. I believe this also helps the solo fit better into the music. If the soloist is going from moody to melodic to exciting I believe the band should do the same.

So rather than at the end of a solo the soloist taking a bow saying "Wasnt I great", but rather "We were great".
 
Very nice playing, Andy. I love seeing you on the four-piece, by the way!

I understand exactly what you mean, and I don't have a single approach, I let the moment dictate what I do.

For backbeat (rock) music, sometimes it just feels right to play it straight and solid. Other times, it feels like the drums should stoke the fire a bit and maybe push the soloist to go even hotter. My mood is going to be a factor also.
 
I listen for what is needed by the soloist and provide it, just like every other part of the song. I try and read their minds or at least try and feel where where they are going.

It's nice when you know soloist and their tendencies and even recognize some of their vocabulary. You can really make some nice musical connections when there is familiarity with a person's style.
 
I tend to agree with A and B but will state that whichever you choose do not drowned out the soloist during their break. Your time will come.
 
Groove only during our solos. If I fill it's very minimal. It's our guitarist's time to shine. I don't like a lot of busy stuff over a guitar solo.
 
I am from the other camp. I believe its the overall song that is important, not just a soloist giving it big licks. I try to complement the soloist, along with the rest of the musicians, and integrate the solo into the rest of the song. I believe this also helps the solo fit better into the music. If the soloist is going from moody to melodic to exciting I believe the band should do the same.

So rather than at the end of a solo the soloist taking a bow saying "Wasnt I great", but rather "We were great".

I dig you, and agree, because I think we're talking about the same thing. We're using two different routes to get to the same destination.

The soloist should be soloing for the song. Her solo should follow the tune. If the tune goes from moody to melodic to exciting, so should the solo. If she's not, no amount of work on my part is going to bring her back. If the band is playing So What and her solo is more A Night In Tunisia, there's not a whole lot we can do to bring her back. All we can do is provide the framework - the song - for her to solo over. The song is the canvas I referenced earlier.
 
I think the guy watching outside the window liked your approach just fine. :)
 
Another point is comping; there's almost a call-and-repsonse interplay that can happen when a melodic player is soloing. Also, dynamics are important and should change with each soloing instrument. For instance, I might play a little more aggressively when a piano player or horn player is soloing, but when a quieter instrument like bass or guitar start soloing, I might switch to riding a different cymbal, and play a little more sparsely, but still comping of their solo.

I think the comping is what makes the band sound like a cohesive unit, even when one instrument is soloing. If the whole band just keeps a pattern going, it sounds like the soloist is playing over a recorded track, and it loses any sense of personality. What makes a group exciting is the ability to see the band converse and interact with each other, whether playing the head or taking solos.
 
I'm generally a bit of A and B combined, depending on the tune. When playing covers, my approach tends to be dictated by the original if we are playing it fairly close to the original, but if we are doing our own version of a song, the way I play under a solo may differ depending on the direction we have taken the song in. In other words, so long as you support the soloist and they are happy with the approach, then its all good!
 
Some great responses guys, & I'm really enjoying reading your replies / POV's :)

Very nice playing, Andy. I love seeing you on the four-piece, by the way!
Thanks Larry :) I'm playing totally 4 piece right now, but that's only because I don't have a 6 piece at my disposal. Thinking I should do something to rectify that :) I have a plan, but it's secret for now - something you'll never expect if I pull it off ;) ;) ;) ?????

You can really make some nice musical connections when there is familiarity with a person's style.
& that's the space I'm in here Larry. I've known our guitarist for long enough to pick up on where he's going next, & this particular song is fairly well scripted - hence approach b/ :)

It's our guitarist's time to shine. I don't like a lot of busy stuff over a guitar solo.
I agree, but I'm commenting in the context of a supporting roll wether I'm just keeping time or really working in close harmony with the soloist.

Very nice playing of guitar, drums and the vocals as well..
Thank you :)

I think the guy watching outside the window liked your approach just fine. :)
Hahahahaha - that's a reflection of our singist in the window :)

so long as you support the soloist and they are happy with the approach, then its all good!
Bottom line right there Ian!
 
For me, it depends on which instrument is playing the solo as well. If it's the guitar, I'll accent along with his phrasing. Piano? Lay back a bit more, while still accenting the really tasty bits. But if my saxophonist is soloing, I'm very laid back, and try to not draw any attention to myself.

If the solo is more of an improv, I'm more likely to "join in" as it were, and have fun with the soloist.
 
I feel the need to point out, if you or anyone else is playing along, it's not actually a solo :)

That's not strictly true musically; the performance of a solo doesn't necessarily exclude accompaniment, or in some cases even one player.

In fact, the first documented solos are from the 9th century, where manuals described ways for singers to add new melodies (improvisation) on top of a chant. This really took off in the renaissance period of music, when bands would play ostinati while soloists (voice or instrument) would improvise counterppoint as well as embelishments on the melody, or new free-form solos. By the time we get to the Baroque period, solos (soli?) were played by multiple players. In the case of a concerto grosso, the "solist" was actually a group of players referred to as a concertino.

According to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, a solo "could refer either to a piece for one melody instrument with (continuo) accompaniment, or to a sonata for an unaccompanied melody instrument"
 
Thanks Larry :) I'm playing totally 4 piece right now, but that's only because I don't have a 6 piece at my disposal. Thinking I should do something to rectify that :) I have a plan, but it's secret for now - something you'll never expect if I pull it off ;) ;) ;) ?????
A couple of square bass drums wrapped in blue satin flame???

Misbehaving today,
8Mile
 
The thing I always try to be careful about is my dynamics during a solo. When a guitar starts soloing, my volume level comes down more than half usually. I don't want people to notice me, but want to keep it solid. In this way, when I keep my levels down, I can also incorporate little accents that follow along, and really it doesn't tend to get in the way.
 
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