Imaginary situation.

[leschirons]

This is just out of curiosity due to the subject coming up at a rehearsal.

You're on stage, for whatever reason, the guitarist starts an 8 bar solo, a bar late. Do you,

Go back into the song after he's widdled for 8 bars or go back into the song after 8 bars from when he should have started?

I've had this situation occur a few times over the years and the outcome has usually depended on whether the solo is a well known "set in stone" affair or not, and the on-stage communication abilities of the band
and luckily, never ended in a car crash (so far )

[CamdenRob]

If you know he's gone in a bar late, just play the backing a bar longer... so you all come back in at the same time.

That's got to be better and it all clashing and then arguing about who was right.

[bartelby]

I'd expect him to realise and end his solo after 7 bars in a suitable manner.


Mainly because the chances the drummer has noticed the issue are zero.

Edited January 29, 2016 by bartelby

[ahpook]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1454070265' post='2966031']
You're on stage, for whatever reason, the guitarist starts an 8 bar solo, a bar late. Do you,
[/quote]

Wonder what I'm doing in a band with guitar solos !




Joking aside, at a gig I'd give the guitarist the 8 bars to finish their solo and announce my intention with a hearty shout of 'one more bar'

[toneknob]

Make sure all the rest of the band know, especially the drummer who won't have noticed and the keyboard player who will have noticed but will stick to the correct number of bars regardless.

Or, make sure in advance that the guitarist knows in advance to cue out of the solo regardless of how long he's going to do it and that everyone else is awaiting the cue.

I remain yours the eternal optimist, tone.

[keefbaker]

Read the situation. Make indicative nods at the other musicians, read whether the solo is going to end correctly or not and try and adapt as a band.

[FuNkShUi]

Yeh, give the drummer "the eyes" to check he knows to play a bar extra.
If you know each others playing well enough, you usually know what the last bar of the solo sounds like anyway. So we usually let the guitarist go as long as their ego needs.
We recognise the last phrase, and then back in together. No problem

[Leonard Smalls]

With our band we wouldn't notice as all of us (including the singer) are soloing wildly all the time.
Light and shade is supplied with a strobe and smoke machine...

[Dave Vader]

all agree secretly and then ensure the singer comes back in too early/late

[Muzz]

Check in with the drummer - luckily (by the sound of some previous posts) I play with better drummers who I'd imagine will have spotted it, and then we'd bring the guitarist back into the fold with an "Ahem..." kind of fill at the end of the 8 bars...if the guitard doesn't spot that, then he's not listening. OTOH, if it's a very iconic solo, we'd probably go the extra bar so as not to feck the song up...which would be done with some nodding...and "what's he like?" raised eyebrows...

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1454071113' post='2966057']
Read the situation. Make indicative nods at the other musicians, read whether the solo is going to end correctly or not and try and adapt as a band.
[/quote]

This. It's not really something you can plan for. Unless of course the guitarist in question has a habit of making the same error repeatedly!

[Bassassin]

Assume no-one else will have noticed. It therefore becomes expedient to silence the guitarist at the appropriate point. If he uses a volume pedal, it's simple, and needs no recourse to violence, unless chastisement is deemed necessary.

Otherwise, a smack in the gob with your headstock should do the trick.

Jon.

[CHW]

Unless it is a very well known solo that is copied note for note, I'm not sure many drummers I've played with would notice. The count remains king and I'd expect the fill in the normal place and also hope (not expect) the guitarist to follow his timekeeper.

[Earbrass]

Not exactly the same situation, but similar in some ways: when playing for morris, we not infrequently find ourselves having to supply an extra 8 bars (or cut some out) when the dancers screw up. It's all part of the fun and keeps you on your toes as a musician.

[Norris]

It depends on the song, what solo is being played, and working out on the fly the best way to synchronise at the end. My guitarist will usually realise when he's made a mistake, I'll usually do a very obvious run into the next chord change (add/remove a bar - whichever way is the most musical), and things will then generally fall into place

Edit: Damn auto correct - I wouldn't want to remove a BAT - although I might appreciate being handed one!

Edited January 29, 2016 by Norris

[Dad3353]

Not so imaginary in my case, and all the more troubling as I'm the drummer..! These 'senior moments' crop up on odd occasions; I have to bear the mild approbation from the others and try to turn my inappropriate fill or ending into some sort of sense and get back to the essentials. Doesn't happen often, but too often for comfort. Blast this advancing age..!

Edited January 29, 2016 by Dad3353

[TrevorR]

I guess for me it al depends on how you and the drummer are going to work together in that situation. If the drummer plays his fill as usual at the end of bar 8 and lands back in for the verse or chorue where he's supposed to then you'd do that together. If you think that you and he can have the eye contact and intuition to make a 9 bar solo work seamlessly then that's the way to go...

[leschirons]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1454074243' post='2966142']
Not so imaginary in my case, and all the more troubling as I'm the drummer..! These 'senior moments' crop up on odd occasions; I have to bear the mild approbation from the others and try to turn my inappropriate fill or ending into some sort of sense and get back to the essentials. Doesn't happen often, but too often for comfort. Blast this advancing age..!
[/quote]

Don't beat yourself up over this, it will only ever be the guitarist's fault. Everything is always a guitarist's fault. Late solos, out of tune instruments, sloppy performances, taking the wrong gig, vehicle breakdowns and even all the problems in the Middle East. I play guitar in another band sometimes and I've been blamed for everything because it's never their fault. Trust me, I know.

[Twincam]

Out of curiosity is this something you can practice for?

I imagine the more experience you have and the groups that have really gelled and stayed together for a good length of time this will be less an issue?

[ambient]

You do whatever everyone else is doing. If they seem unsure then take the lead and follow the guitar player so you all come back at the same time.

[TimR]

I'm confused.

The only way this can happen is if you are playing 8 bars over the same chord. Otherwise you have to go back to the first bar as soon as he starts his solo. Unless he realises and comes in on the second bar and plays the changes with you.

This is a situation where your theory comes into play.

If you're playing the same chord you just have to watch him for his cue to say he's finished. He'll give the cue subconsciously even if you haven't agreed one.

Or am I misunderstanding?

[Woodinblack]

Imaginary? I would call that normal.But if we are on an actual bar start we would call that a result.

[neilp]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1454104451' post='2966594']
I'm confused.

The only way this can happen is if you are playing 8 bars over the same chord. Otherwise you have to go back to the first bar as soon as he starts his solo. Unless he realises and comes in on the second bar and plays the changes with you.

This is a situation where your theory comes into play.

If you're playing the same chord you just have to watch him for his cue to say he's finished. He'll give the cue subconsciously even if you haven't agreed one.

Or am I misunderstanding?
[/quote]
This. If he's ballsed it up you all have to follow, go with him. Music 101: start together and finish together, hope the rest sorts itself out!

[arthurhenry]

If it's a solo, there's no problem since he or she would be playing on their own.

[Cameronj279]

I'm quite lucky in the band I'm in that we 1. Don't really do stuff like this too often. 2. Whenever we do it we're usually pretty good at communicating our intentions for how it goes so it usually doesn't seem like a fluff up to people watching.

I would say it depends on the solo though. If it's a solo that's just there for the sake of it (which lets face it, so many guitar solos are) then I'd like to cut back in after 7 bars but if it was some iconic guitar solo that everybody knew then I'd come in after it was finished.