We sure do appreciate Brett Garsed; Sizzle is his 15th track for GT over the past five years and it’s a corker, with a tight rock groove and tasty chord changes over which he plays stunning lead guitar. Sizzle is largely in the key of G Minor and clocks in at 105bpm. For his soloing palette, Brett mixes G Natural Minor scale (G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F) with the G Dorian mode that contains the same notes with the exception of a Major 6th (G-A-Bb-CD-E-F). Brett also adds the Diminished 5th interval (Db) for G Blues scale moments (G-Bb-C-Db-D-F). The track features plenty of harmonic movement and rhythmic syncopation, so while Brett states that he largely improvised, his playing was filmed and recorded after a few listens to get a handle on the feel, changes and structure.
Brett first created an appealing melody using the notes from G Minor Pentatonic (G-Bb-C-D-F). This melody was then used as a springboard for improvised phrases that ended with an Eb target note (Eb is the penultimate chord of the verse’s three chords; Gm-Eb-D7 x2). Brett explains that working within this structural and harmonic framework (eg overall scale, important guide notes to anchor phrases) is a good exercise for developing an improvisational mind.
Brett brought his melody to life by using pinched harmonics. This creates a faux, octavider style effect. Brett ghosts out a roadmap of picking points exactly 12 frets above the melody he’s playing. When the pinched harmonic is articulated 12 frets above the fretted note, an octave effect is produced. The use of hammer-ons and pull-offs adds further dynamics and gives the illusion that there’s more going on than there is. This faux octave effect is showcased on Brett’s song Fu’d Fight, on his Big Sky record. You can also watch his pinched harmonics on the YouTube video of him performing Hey T-Bone with Stuart Fraser.
