Thursday, October 29, 2009
CLIFF GALLUP SOLO, RECREATED BY ESTONIAN ROCKABILLY GUITARIST ARTUR SKROPNIK
Artur Skropnik plays this Cliff Gallup solo beautifully in this clip. The original solo, from Gene Vincent's version of pop chestnut "Peg O' My Heart," eloquently illustrates the solution to a problem I've been struggling with for years. Apparently, if I had just taken the time to learn this Cliff Gallup solo, I would have figured out the solution.
The problem-- how to use double stops to outline chord changes. I've mostly clung to the major/minor thirds method, which constantly paints me into a corner-- using only thirds, you often wind up with a harmonized line that doesn't outline the chord too well. Often it won't sound "wrong," exactly, but just kind of bland in a context including seventh chords and other extensions. The solution? Mix your thirds with sixths, and throw in some triple/quadruple stops too when you can fit them.
There's more to it than that, but that is enough to give me some ideas. Here's a link to Artur's transcription of the solo. (I believe his transcription omits his pickup entry.) Thanks, Artur!
www.rockabillybash.com/article.php?id=118
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2 comments:
So beautiful. I plan on starting to learn this when I get home. Thank you for the tab! Cliff was so amazing.
Cliff was great, of course, and this is a good example of how he used more "chord melody" than most rockabilly cats, making him stand out. Another way to put it is, he stole different things from Chet than the things everyone else stole from Chet (which were mostly the things Chet stole from Merle Travis, who stole them from Mose Rager and Ike Everly, who stole them from Sam McGee, etc., etc.)
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