The following content is related to the November 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.
As promised last month, here’s the second half of my original 16-bar solo, entitled “Americana,” which was inspired by Carlos Santana’s rock instrumental classic “Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile),” Gary Moore’s “Still Got the Blues (For You)” and jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker’s harmonically sophisticated soloing style.
In case you missed last month’s column, the chord progression over which this solo is played is structurally similar to that used in the old jazz standard “Autumn Leaves,” which is a circular (repeating) eight-chord sequence that moves diatonically (meaning the root motion is scale based) through the cycle of fifths/fourths (either descending fifths or ascending fourths).
It’s written in the guitar-friendly key of C major/A minor, with the melody superimposing harmonic extensions and tensions atop the basic underlying chords.
