This month we welcome rock guitar virtuoso Andy Wood who has filmed a lead performance and then an in-depth discussion for Alright Already!, a piece written especially for him by Jason Sidwell. With a moderate tempo of 114bpm, this rock track is largely based in F# Minor with a middle section based in Eb Major. With jaw-dropping licks, stunning speed lines and tasteful phrasing, you’re in for an exclusive masterclass of brilliant rock soloing.
Andy created his solo by taking a mostly improvised approach, but there are a few set ideas that were planned out first. Starting with Jason’s fast F# Minor Pentatonic riff, Andy stays out of the way by playing a pre-composed melody. Through a process of jamming over the verse groove Andy settled on a melody that he liked. This precomposed route is a good strategy when navigating sections in a musical way, as the motif can be repeated and developed further down the line. It’s a classic way to get more mileage out of an idea and provide something for listeners to latch onto.
The verse is in the key of F#
