cool

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1. During verses I sometimes "forget" to play guitar. This is a technique I've developed to vary the texture and dynamics throughout songs, especially when there's another guitar in the mix. I now worry whether this will make our sound too empty, especially since this technique (for lack of a better term) is by this point an ingrained subconscious thing.

if you do it in consistent spots, it might just become part of your sound and overall dynamics. There's nothing wrong with a bit of bass and drum action going on. It can make for a really cool feeling in songs

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2. I have similar worries about guitar soloing. I don't want the energy level to drop out when I'm playing solos. I figure one way to get around that is to limit the one note phrasing to a minimum, and emulate the Pete Townshend approach to lead playing. This isn't much of a stretch since he's one of my main influences anyway.

This is a spot where having a rock solid bassist really helps. I've found that maintaining a solid bass line that doesn't walk over the guitar solo is key to keeping energy high. if the rhythm section is strong enough to stand alone, then you shouldn't lose energy during solos. This might not be the style you're playing, but this is my three piece www.myspace.com/yourfavoriteband. Our guitarist is a bit solo crazy at time, but consistency in the rhythm section (drum and bass) keeps everything in line.

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Both the bass player and drummer are very good, and the bass player in particular likes the idea of a three piece, since it allows him to by "busy". I'm fine with that, quite frankly.

that's why I like it to

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Actually, my largest concern is with song arrangements, since many of them I wrote with two guitars in mind, and I don't know how well they work with only one.

This would be the tricky thing. I would stay focused with a strong rhythm on guitar and solo only when it's adding something to the song. Also, you may find that giving your bassist more freedom, while it won't exactly replace the second guitar, can give you a very good but different sound that can give a very pleasing groove.

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thesteve