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Rock Electric Violin Solo (Video and Commentary)

Rocking Electric Violin Solo: some tips and analysis for students who would like to peek behind the curtain and get tips on how to approach improvisation. Don't be fooled by the suits.

Rock Violin Solo & Commentary


Featuring Cedric Easton on drums and Greg Byers on bass; Recorded live at the Music For All Summer Symposium 

For players, students, teachers, and anyone interested—here are my thoughts on improvising a rock electric violin solo.

 

1) Sound

Rock sounds better with distortion. Trying different types of distortion, amounts of gain, and the best eq for each room requires effort, but nothing conveys rock like overdrive. Add delay, reverb, and wah, and you’re ready.  (See the Electric Violin Training Kit for an overview of amplified strings gear and how to use it.)

 

2) Harmony: How to create drama over a one-chord vamp

The harmonic structure given behind this solo is an E pedal. Not E major, E minor, E7, or any specific chord—just open on E. Since there’s no other chordal instrument getting in my way, I can fill the open space with a new harmonic progression over the E pedal by alternating various modes (including E Mixolydian, E diminished, B diminished, A harmonic minor, E minor pentatonic, and E Phrygian). Switching between different modes adds or releases harmonic tension. (For more modes, access my instructional library at Creative Strings Academy.)

Instead of envisioning modes as scales or key signatures, one can outline triads and seventh chords from any scale.  Alternating between two arpeggios could be called a “chord pair.” I recommend starting with chord pairs by alternating the tonic with some form of dominant chord. In the context of this solo, you could designate E minor 7 as a tonic and follow it with either the dominant/5 chord  (B7), or an alternate to the dominant such as 4 (A), 4minor (A minor), flat 7 (D), flat 2 (F), flat 6 (C), 1 diminished (E dim), etc.. This implies a recurring progression between E and any other chord. You can use harmonic rhythm to manipulate tension and release by holding each chord for longer or shorter durations.

You can leave the tonic chord to play any other collection of notes and then return to the tonic repeatedly. Or you can create a new chord progression that stays away from the tonic for a while and moves around many other chords before resolving. The point is to be aware of your harmonic intention, familiarize yourself with conventional choices, and try different combinations. (For more on chord pairs and harmonic tension, try my Harmony Fundamentals Series)

 

3) Rhythm: Keep it simple. Stay in the pocket.

When it comes to music with a strong groove, I try to play lines that fall clearly in the rhythmic grid. This creates cohesion. I suggest you record yourself improvising and keep score based on how often your lines get lazy, ambiguous, or rubato-sounding. You’re likely trying to play too much if your rhythm is unclear. As Victor Wooten writes in his book, The Music Lesson, “Never lose the groove in order to find a note.”

 

4) Melodic shapes and phrases: Repetition vs. Randomness

I like to think about the general shape of a melody. It doesn’t have to be exact. Once I have a general shape in mind, I can play around with repeating, transposing, compressing, expanding, or inverting it.  Another strategy I use is avoiding repetition to approximate randomness. I recommend structuring your improvisation using repetition and randomness, applying both ideas to shapes, melodies, and phrases.

Other alarm bells that run like a tape loop in my head include: when a phrase starts, how long a phrase lasts, how many notes are contained in a phrase, and how a phrase ends. Phrase endings are important. I like to make the endings of phrases clear and concise. Sometimes I interrupt phrases, forcing myself to play shorter ideas. Other times I keep a phrase going without spaces, relying on groove or attitude to push the music forward and sustain energy. (Apply these concepts with my Free Improvisation Master Series)

 

5) Attitude

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In the end, it’s all about attitude. Sometimes I like to hold onto a feeling, focus on it, and try to channel it in my playing. For example, this photo reflects the feeling I had on stage. Improvisation provided an outlet to express it in that moment.

 

 

 

Gear supplied by the Electric Violin Shop

  • Yamaha SV 250
  • D’Addario Strings (Helicore and Zyex) and Planet Waves cables.
  • Boss ME-50 effects
  • Fishman Loudbox Amp


Please like and share, and comment below for further discussion
Contact me at chris@christianhowes.com

 

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