Transcription of Atanas Shishkov- Shred This Competition

In the recent Shred This Competition, I saw a video by Atanas Shishkov. A great example of melodic soloing. You can see it here:

The progression for most of the song is Bb minor, Ab and Gb. So if you’re familiar with my system you will want to use the 5 CAGED shapes in key of Db (relative major of Bb minor). Practice soloing over the progression within each shape. Okay on to the transcription and analysis of the solo!

Here’s the backing track.

Here’s the tab of the intro:
shredThis_atanas

Explanation:
In measure one, over the Bb minor chord, Atanas uses a Bb minor arpeggio starting on the 5th of the chord (F) then ascending up to root (Bb), minor 3rd (Db), fifth (F) and then from the fourth (Eb) slides up to the fifth again (F). A really nice outlining of the chord with almost all chord tones. This is basically a 2nd inversion of the Bb minor arpeggio. But notice that the downbeat (beat 1) corresponds to the root of the arpeggio (Bb) as the F comes in during the previous measure.

In measure two a similar idea is used, rhythmically and melodically. He repeats the first line but over the Ab chord using an Ab arpeggio. Try to notice the shape that this arpeggio makes on the fretboard. The major and minor arpeggios form a unique shape. Then we land on the Bb and hold it and the Gb chord comes into play in the 3rd measure. The Bb is the major 3rd of the Gb chord so it’s yet another chord tone.

In measure 3 Atanas continues with an arpeggio built of the 3rd degree of the Gb chord (Bb) leading to measure four (the Ab chord) where he plays a descending F minor 7 arpeggio starting on the C (3rd of Ab). The interesting part as he descends is that he plays an A then into a Bb minor 7 arpeggio. The A is part of the melodic minor scale which sounds great over min7 chords. The A is the major 7th which you wouldn’t think to play (normally to be in key you would play the Ab). After Bb min7 arp there he descends chromatically from Ab to F (chord tones) then some pentatonic notes from the Bb pentatonic scale (6th fret).

In latter part of measure 7 into measure 8 he plays a series of minor 7th arpeggios. Fmin7, Bb min7, Eb min7, then descending F min7 (octave higher) to a pentatonic idea in Bb minor. Note all these arps are part of the Db major scale.

Then the original melody repeats, only this time an octave higher with modifications. That should be enough to get you going and start to use thiese ideas in your own playing. Keep in mind that all the diatonic arpeggios will sound pretty cool in the key of Db over this progression.

I’ll add more transcriptions when I can! I suggest you try to transcribe songs yourself as well. I take the youtube video, submit it to listentoyoutube.com then take the mp3 and slow it down if required with Amazing Slow Downer. Also understand why the notes work!
Will