Difficult to play Solo parts ... need some help.

[Oymmot]

Hello.
why not use the midi file when you wrote that you had it and kill everything you want to play yourself and then let the midi file take the difficult parts.

[mikf]

I don"t have multi pads but are they not thrown off whenever you change chords which is almost inevitable in a solo. Of  course you can just skip the solo altogether. Why is it so important? It's not, what is important is that you  enjoy your playing. I just don't agree that finding slick ways of not playing will increase your playing enjoyment.
We have no idea here whether you are struggling to play a complex Oscar Peterson solo or a solo for jingle bells. Why don't you give us a couple of examples of what songs you like to play that give you problems.
Mike

[Stijn]

Hello.
why not use the midi file when you wrote that you had it and kill everything you want to play yourself and then let the midi file take the difficult parts.

Thank you. I will give that idea a go as well.

Cheers,
Stijn

[Stijn]

I don"t have multi pads but are they not thrown off whenever you change chords which is almost inevitable in a solo. Of  course you can just skip the solo altogether. Why is it so important? ......
Mike

The solo I'm trying to play is in 'That'll be the day" by Buddy Holly. Around second 48.
Here is the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4TfFTmITLo

Stijn

[mikf]

Well that's not a very complicated solo, and there is certainly no need to reproduce it exactly, because frankly it's not all that wonderful anyway. Most of it is just a couple of notes from the chord played in rhythm. And there is only three simple chords. You could just substitute almost anything as long as it doesn't fight the chord and stays in time. Play the chords in rhythm in your rh maybe. Or just skip it altogether. Are you singing along with this or just trying to play it as an instrumental?
Mike

[Lee Batchelor]

Stijn, I was taught that most piano solos are based around the lead guitar player's solos. That's not a hard and fast rule but it often applies. There is one exception though. There are times when copying the guitar licks on piano is just plain wrong because it sounds wrong.

Buddy Holly's solo is based on what's called the major or minor pentatonic scales. Much of the music of that era was. I would look at some simple piano videos on YouTube about these two scales. Before long, you'll come up with a solo on your own that sounds like "you." There's not a person on the planet that would argue with your interpretation. If you were the lead guitarist in a band, then you'd want to try for those exact notes because they are a signature part of that song, which brings me to the next point.

Perhaps you're wanting to use one of the Genos guitar voices to recreate that solo? If so, you now have two problems. You must learn the solo as close to the original as you can AND make the Genos guitar voice sound like a real guitar, which few people do effectively. I don't know how many times I've heard good Genos players mimic a guitar solo by using a piano style attack 🙄. What I'm saying is, if you insist on using the guitar voice on the Genos for this solo, get it right on the mark or else use a piano or organ voice. I've played this song a million times for groups where there's no lead guitarist or only a rhythm guitarist. They look to me for the solo but I never play it like Buddy Holly because I would never get it right. I can do a dandy solo on piano but not on a Genos guitar voice.

[Stijn]

Thank you Mike and Lee.
Your input is much appreciated.

Here is the midi file:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/n82oq8rrua8ctid/That%27ll%20be%20the%20day.T174.mid?dl=0

Cheers
Stijn

[Lee Batchelor]

Hi Stijn,

I downloaded your MIDI file and added some rhythm piano and a solo up to about bar 39 on Channel 7. When you play it back, please mute Channel 1 so that the guitar part is out. I know you wanted to use the guitar voice but I just wanted to give you an example of how to use the pentatonic scales in any song from that era. The solo may sound somewhat complex but it really is all about using the pentatonic scale in various positions.

The recording is crude but it should get the point across. See what you think. Remember, it's not against the rules to use a different instrument for this purpose unless you are doing a "tribute" version. Then you need to be exact. If you're doing a "cover" version then you are allowed a lot of slack.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3228u20vop2t8a8/That%27ll%20be%20the%20day%20LEE.T174.mid?dl=0

Side note
I'm happy to let anyone download this recording. Please don't throw rotten fruit at me for the sloppy playing in places 🤣!

[Stijn]

Thank you Lee.
I will have a good listen and try to follow your advice.
Thanks for the help.

Stijn

[Lee Batchelor]

No problem, Stijn. I owed that one at least, for all the time you spent doing Yamaha's trouble shooting for them over my registration problem that still has no answer 👍.

[Stijn]

Hi Lee,

I listened to your midi and if I had your talent I would go for that solution. But my musical skills don't reach that far.
I'm hopeless without sheet music. Other members proposed skipping the solo or playing my own improvised solo but honestly, I wouldn't know how to! Too far out of my league...
However, I can program registrations...

So I solved this problem by Sync starting Style and Song. The song plays along but is muted till it reaches the solo. I leave the solo part to be played by the midi and then it is muted again and I continue playing the rest.

Cheers,
Stijn

[Lee Batchelor]

That's excellent Stijn. Thanks for the compliment. And don't feel bad. I still have a lot to learn. Don't we all?! I am primarily an ear trained musician. I can read a bit but not enough to be effective. Most of the top pro guys I play with are non-readers. I wish I was both!

You have found a musical solution and that's all the matters. You've managed to still enjoy playing music on your Genos, something that will keep you young at heart at least . Take care...