Kyle Pudenz

Musician. Arranger. Producer.

(573) 819-8043

Acoustic & Electric Violin, Mandolin, Guitar, Utility

The Khromatiks - Switchback

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The Khromatiks - Switchback

$5.99

This is a loop station composition for electric violin that I composed for my live-looping duo, The Khromatiks, in 2013.

With The Khromatiks this piece was performed as a duo with violin & drums/percussion, but also works as a violin solo. If you have a looper capable of syncing to a click track, you could also try adding bass (plays the bottom line of loop 2 only) or guitar/keyboards (read the chord symbols as a lead-sheet). The sky is the limit, feel free to get creative with it!

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I originally recorded this tune on a 7-string electric violin with a Boss RC-30 loop station. That being said, there are plenty of other "gear configurations" that will work. Any phrase looper/sampler that is capable of playing 2 tempo-synced tracks with overdubs will be able to handle this structure, such as the Singular Sound Aeros, Boomerang III, Ableton Live with a MIDI controller, etc. If you don't play 7-string, a 5-string can also play this chart as written if you use an octave pedal to record the low bass lines. A standard 4-string can also work, although some phrases will have to be transposed 8va.

A little about this tune: the head melody incorporates a simple dorian phrase that alternates between iterations in 6/4 and 7/4. The performer adds loops of melody, harmony, and accompaniment to the loop station "tracks" one by one, and then improvises solos over the accompaniment loop. It's a great tune to build your skills looping in non-standard time signatures, as well as developing both melodic and comping/rhythmic phrases within a loop.

Nashville duo The Khromatiks, Kayleigh Moyer & Kyle Pudenz, perform "Switchback" on 7-string electric violin, phrase looper & drums. Sheet music available at...