I'll do my best
(July 2016) Blues Key of the Month: Concert Ab [Major or Minor]
- Thread starter rhysonsax
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trying to touch anything in Ab
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I deleted the link, I enthused me, but it was very bad, sorry
Hi Francisco, I listened through to it last night on very poor speakers and was going to listen again this morning on better equipment.
From what I remember it sounded fine and not bad at all. I wasn't sure whether it was solo playing around in the key of concert Ab, or using a particular scale or whether there was a blues harmonic structure to it.
It would be good if you could describe what you were doing and repost the link - we are a very open and constructive community here, so you should get some helpful observations on it.
Rhys
Hi, I was trying to play a Birks Work solo, I was playing by hear, for you can better understand what I was doing
I joined the backtrack. thanks.https://app.box.com/s/zni9h4xt5tpm7x2ule0vch1j8zso6u2m
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Don't apologise, if it enthused you it was worth doing and you may receive some useful feedback which will also help others.trying to touch anything in Ab
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I deleted the link, I enthused me, but it was very bad, sorry
Jx
Veggie Dave
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Don't hold your breathLook everyone, it's Jeanette! She's ventured in to the sleazy world of blues forum, she must be about to post a song, too.
Well, @Jeanette ?
Jx
Veggie Dave
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This is me giving you a Paddington Bear stare.
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Very good sound. Lots of dynamic range, from soft to mighty powerful. And the recording equipment and effects have captured the sound really well too. What effects have you got on there ?
It is hard for me to say anything specific about the mouthpiece - just that the overall effect of the player, the musicianship and the gear are really great ! That's how an alto should sound.
Rhys
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Hi, I was trying to play a Birks Work solo, I was playing by hear, for you can better understand what I was doing
https://app.box.com/s/zni9h4xt5tpm7x2ule0vch1j8zso6u2m
Good sound going on there and pretty good timing too.
What was your approach to the solo ? For instance were you trying to use one blues scale or play riffs or short ideas or outline the song's harmony ?
Keep the recordings coming.
Rhys
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Hi,
as I mentioned, I recorded it with iPad and Lewitt USB Mic.
Then transferred it to my Mac and put a bit of reverb (Rematrix) and a little bit of Compressor (Waves HComp) on it (in Final Cut). Listening to it Reverb to environment ratio sounds a littly spooky, hehe.
Of course youtube kills the sound a bit. But most of the potential lies in my sound which still has to evolve, and I will try hard to move on
Cheers, Guenne
mrpeebee
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Did record two quick Blues tunes in Ab during my latest recording session.
Here is the first one, recorded with a medium shuffle YouTube backing (120 bpm). As usual with a fully improvised theme and solo. Couldn't always find the correct notes in this for me not so familiar blues key.
- 'Blues in Ab' - medium (Florida no USA 10* - Plasticover 2):
Blues in Ab - medium (FLnoUSA10* - PL2) by mrpeebee
This is the second tune, done with a slow and much shorter YouTube backing with organ and backing horns. Also here no fixed theme, just some quickly improvised ad hoc stuff.
- 'Blues in Ab' - slow (Florida no USA 10* - Plasticover 2):
Blues in Ab - slow (FLnoUSA10* - PL2) organ horns by mrpeebee
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carburetor
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You move around quite fluidly in your phrases. How long have you been playing?
Thank you
I played sax when I was very young, but never improvised, I've been away for 24 years and started again at about 4 years ago, it was quite difficult to recover air suport and the embouchure, I think I'm still recovering, improvisation is new for me, I am taking the first steps, I like jazz and blues, but do not know if I was able to play one day Ab is arguably the worst guitar key ever. I never play in Ab. A very good sax player, Bill Bixler once told us, "you guys just have to move up or down the wires" to change key. That's not true, because open strings are important to any good guitarist. So I never work with Ab on the saxes, either. This morning I laid down this track, starting with soprano and adding some alto in the middle. If I keep working, it'll be much better, but this is the first draft.
View: https://soundcloud.com/randulo/a-flat-blues
View: https://soundcloud.com/randulo/a-flat-blues
