PLAY } FUSION
ALEX SILL Video Masterclass Pt5
In the fifth instalment of his six-part video series, Alex Sill demonstrates his chord and lead style over Jason Sidwell’s track, Wipe The Slate. This track shows Alex is a master of tasteful chord and lead guitar creativity. Jon Bishop is your guide.
ON VIDEO
This month we are looking at another tastefully crafted solo courtesy of fusion wizard Alex Sill (guitarist in Simon Phillips’ Protocol band). For his solo on Jason’s Wipe The Slate, Alex favours a combination of sophisticated phrasing, clever chord choices and a rounded overdriven tone which makes this a great piece to study.Jason’s track clocks in at an upbeat 142bpm with chord changes and rhythmic feels reminiscent of fusion bands like Steely Dan.
Much of the track is in odd time as it has a 7/4 time signature, enhanced by a slight swing feel during each beat. This triplet feel is favoured by many West Coast AOR artists (Steely Dan, Toto, Boz Scaggs, etc). Much of Alex’s phrasing and rhythmic motifs are constructed from this eighth-note triplet subdivision. It can be counted as 1 & a, 2 & a, 3 & a. 4 & a, 5 & a, 6 & a, 7 & a. For clarity and ease of use we have labelled the main sections of the track as Intro, Verse, Middle and Outro.