Per Nilsson

[Per Nilsson]

The intro of Ghost Prototype II features some chord voicings I really like. They share a lot of common notes, so most of the time it's only the root that changes, the rest of the notes just keep on ringing. The chords are called:
G# min 9
B maj 7
F# add 4
C# min 7
nothing fancy or out of the ordinary harmony-wise, it's the "droning" feel of the common notes that makes it sound so yummy mummy

 

[MSalonen]

I write my solos while recording them, never beforehand, and usually I start out by improvising over the part a few times to get in the mood and make like a roadmap in my head of where I want the solo to go. Then I often record just one or a few licks at a time - sometimes improvising them, sometimes carefully composing note-for-note to get to exactly what I want to hear.

If the solo part's chord progression makes the scale choices obvious I tend to improvise a bit more, and if the chord progression is a bit tricky I compose more note-for-note. Sometimes when the solo part is a "static modality", with no chord progression, I imagine a chord progression on top of the riffing, and play over those 'imaginary' chords instead, which often makes things sound a bit more interesting to my ears, it gives the solo a sense of movement I think. For example, I use that 'superimposing' technique in the Morphogenesis solo.

Awesome, thanks so much! That makes a lot of sense and I also follow similar methods, though also not to anywhere as greatly!

And I also really like that droning feel where the chords share a lot of notes. It can give a real cool "atmosphere" to the song, I think.

 

[Ordinary_Story]

If the solo part's chord progression makes the scale choices obvious I tend to improvise a bit more, and if the chord progression is a bit tricky I compose more note-for-note.

Would you say, for example, the Three-Dimensional Shadow solo was note-for-note? Cause that some cool shizz..

Also, what advice would you give to a guitar n00b as far as music theory goes? On reflecting on your younger days, how much of learning theory has proved important to you over the years.? And what did you learn from the jazz pianist Alvaro Is Rojas?

Thanks for the cool info. Per!

 

[Per Nilsson]

The Three-Dimensional Shadow:
I play the first lead part after the second chorus, I wrote it note-for-note after an idea from Jonas, basically I was just augmenting what he had already envisioned for that part. It's also played (well it was programmed 'cause my keyboard skillz isn't the best...) in unison on keyboards.

 

[kingpinMS3]

The Three-Dimensional Shadow:
I play the first lead part after the second chorus, I wrote it note-for-note after an idea from Jonas, basically I was just augmenting what he had already envisioned for that part. It's also played (well it was programmed 'cause my keyboard skillz isn't the best...) in unison on keyboards.

i just want you to know that i think morphogenesis is one of the sickest songs i've ever heard.

you're all 5150, right?

 

[Anthony]

Per, what can you recommend for developing such an outside sound? I notice you use a more "Fusiony" approach to technique, like hybrid picking, so I'm sure that enables you to do more, but theory wise, what did you study?


I love you by the way.

 

[bulb]

Wow, so nolly just showed me the illusionist, and jesus christ that solo is ridiculous!
i probably should read this thread to find the answers (as to your influences etc), but i just had to post how blown away i was by that solo.
Per, you are fucking genius, of course figures that you are swedish, whatever the fuck they put in the water there seems to be working!

 

[ittoa666]

Wow, so nolly just showed me the illusionist, and jesus christ that solo is ridiculous!
i probably should read this thread to find the answers (as to your influences etc), but i just had to post how blown away i was by that solo.
Per, you are fucking genius, of course figures that you are swedish, whatever the fuck they put in the water there seems to be working!

I tried to learn that solo, but damn. So many unorthodox things going on in that solo. I would try to include some of his influence in my playing, but it's so hard.

 

[Mindcrime1204]

Wow, so nolly just showed me the illusionist, and jesus christ that solo is ridiculous!
i probably should read this thread to find the answers (as to your influences etc), but i just had to post how blown away i was by that solo.
Per, you are fucking genius, of course figures that you are swedish, whatever the fuck they put in the water there seems to be working!

Scope the solos on Deviate From the Form

 

[-Nolly-]

Yeah I only very recently found out about Per's awesome playing, I had to show Misha since I knew he'd love it straight away.
If anyone wants to suggest which disc is best to get hold of to hear the best of Per's material, I'd appreciate it!

 

[ittoa666]

Every disk has great playing, but my preference is Holographic Universe. Maybe the man himself could suggest something better.

 

[MSalonen]

Yeah I only very recently found out about Per's awesome playing, I had to show Misha since I knew he'd love it straight away.
If anyone wants to suggest which disc is best to get hold of to hear the best of Per's material, I'd appreciate it!

Check out the Swedish Prog Folk Fusion of Kaipa!

Kaipa on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

But if you want something in the vein of SS, my favorite is probably either Pitch Black Progress or Symmetric in Design.

 

[Mindcrime1204]

Yeah I only very recently found out about Per's awesome playing, I had to show Misha since I knew he'd love it straight away.
If anyone wants to suggest which disc is best to get hold of to hear the best of Per's material, I'd appreciate it!

I love every Scar Symmetry album, and all 4 have incredible leads by Per.... but I say start out with Pitch Black Progress ,imo the solos on there are just as catchy and memorable as the melodic-ass choruses!!!

 

[-Nolly-]

Checking out Kaipa, really digging it!

 

[Cadavuh]

Pitch Black Progress is definitely the best of the 4 CDs. Especially lead playing wise

 

[Per Nilsson]

you're all 5150, right?

We've never used 5150s in the studio, we've used Engl, Randall, Marshall, Egnater, even V-Amps and software amp sims, but no Peavey's whatsoever... Not that I don't like 'em. We often get to play 5150's at festivals, I think it's the most common amp for the backline rental companies. I think the 5150 can produce some killer rhythm sounds though I'm not very happy with the lead sounds I get.

Per, what can you recommend for developing such an outside sound? I notice you use a more "Fusiony" approach to technique, like hybrid picking, so I'm sure that enables you to do more, but theory wise, what did you study?

I don't use hybrid picking that much, and when I do it's mostly for the sound of it - it gives the note a kind of "snappy" attack that you can't get from a pick.

I've studied a lot of jazz theory, and used to play jazz too when I was younger, though I'm not that big a fan of "traditional" jazz (like swing bebop and whatnot), but I was lucky enough to understand that a symmetrical diminished scale wasn't something that was only usable in jazz music.

One thing I did pick up from jazz theory, was superimposing - which is a form of polytonality. For example: the chord A min 11, consists of the notes A C E G B D (1 b3 5 b7 9 11 respectively). If you look closer to this, you realize that A min 11 is built from two different triads - A minor (A C E) and G major (G B D). So whenever you solo over a A minor chord, you can play the G major triad arpeggios - and it gives it a "11" feel. See?

Piano players often use this technique when playing chords - for example playing A minor with their left hand, and G major with their right. I used this type of superimposing on our song called "Holographic Universe" at roughly the 1:20 mark:

The guitar, bass and synth pad together produce the progression: A min, F min, C# min.
On top of it, there's another synth pad and a synth arpeggio playing the following progression: Ab, E, C - all major triads.
The sound that reaches your ear:
A min maj 7 #11
F min maj 7 #11
C# min maj 7 #11

I love you by the way.

Thank you Anthony. You've got a lovely smile.

 

[Mwoit]

^Damn. You are the coolest guy ever!

 

[kingpinMS3]

We've never used 5150s in the studio, we've used Engl, Randall, Marshall, Egnater, even V-Amps and software amp sims, but no Peavey's whatsoever... Not that I don't like 'em. We often get to play 5150's at festivals, I think it's the most common amp for the backline rental companies. I think the 5150 can produce some killer rhythm sounds though I'm not very happy with the lead sounds I get.

well i feel like a dick what's your favorite amp you've used in the studio, and live? what does your primary live rig look like?

 

[Per Nilsson]

well i feel like a dick what's your favorite amp you've used in the studio, and live? what does your primary live rig look like?

The setup we had on Dark Matter Dimensions is my favourite so far, jcm900 heavily modified by Tapp Amps for rhythms, and Rocktron Egnater for leads. My second fav rhythm sound is the Pitch Black Progress album, that's Engl Fireball, though I'm not particularly fond of my lead sound on that album (Marshall 6100 amp and V-amp blended 50/50).

We haven't really had any live rigs of our own so far, 'cause most of the time, we do tours and festivals where there's backline provided and it's a pain in the ass bringing your own backline on the plane... I think I wrote about it earlier in this thread that at a recent gig, we used modeling instead (I used POD X3 and Jonas the Johnson J-station) and it sounded absolutely killer. Though it was weird not having a 4x12 roaring behind your back...

Scope the solos on Deviate From the Form

Now that's a chord progression I really like to solo over:
D# C#/D# B C#/B
I consider the first two chords to be a part of D# mixolydian, and the second two to belong to D# minor, though the 2nd and 4th chord in the progression could use either of the scales... But it has that feeling of switching between major and minor, from up-lifting to sad and back again... Luv it!!!

 

[Anthony]

Thank you Anthony. You've got a lovely smile.

Hahah, thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to elaborate on those things, means a lot coming from you.