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I had a request to transcribe the sax solo that I played in my cover of Sweet Virginia. So here it is. Just the sax solo similar to how Bobby Keys played it, with the transcription.

Sweet Virginia – Exile On Main Street MP3 Downloads and Some Other Stones Stuff

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A Quick History, Sheet Music, Plus Musical Instruments and Recording Setup

Sweet Virginia – The Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street
Released May 12, 1972

The musicians during the Sweet Virginia sessions were
Mick Jagger – Vocals and Harmonica
Keith Richards – Rhythm Guitar
Mick Taylor – Lead Guitar
Bill Wyman – Bass Guitar
Charlie Watts – Drums
Bobby Keys – Tenor Saxophone
Ian Stewart – Piano

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Sheet Music

I found Sweet Virginia in two music books for Exile On Main Street. The first,
Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones
for guitar and voice. Hal Leonard Guitar Recorded Versions. Rock and Classic Rock. Difficulty: medium. Guitar tablature songbook. Guitar tablature, standard notation, vocal melody, lyrics, chord names, guitar chord diagrams and guitar notation legend. 136 pages.
The second music book,
Exile On Main Street Sheet Music, for guitar, voice, bass guitar, drum set and keyboard. Hal Leonard Transcribed Scores. Rock and Classic Rock. Difficulty: medium. Full score. Guitar tablature, standard notation, vocal melody, lyrics, chord names, bass tablature, drum notation, guitar notation legend and bass notation legend. 200 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.
This 200-page book features note-for-note transcriptions of every instrument used on 13 songs from the classic Stones album.

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Musical Instruments and Recording Setup

My Takamine
In the Sweet Virginia video, I am playing my Takamine EG Series Acoustic – Electric Guitar very similar to the picture to the left.
I’ve had this guitar for the past 10 years. I had heard alot of good things about Takamine guitars and had tried a couple which I really liked so when I needed an affordable stage setup, I bought the guitar, hard-shell case, fender deluxe 90 amp, and an assortment of accessories for under a thousand bucks.
I like the rounded profile that is narrow at the waist and broad behind the bridge. This creates a soundboard with balanced frequency response – deep bass, clear treble, and a sweet, round midrange that projects well.
It includes 3-band graphic EQ and built-in tuner which is really handy.
From Takamine, “Built to Takamine designs in some of the most modern guitar shops in the world, G-series instruments are priced for every budget. The G-series guitar is every bit Takamine, from its acoustic performance to the latest in pickup and preamp design. These guitars are crafted from the finest handpicked tonewoods, hand-crafted by expert luthiers, all providing players with unmatched excellence and surprising affordability”
I know I’ve enjoyed every minute of mine

Yamaha Tenor Saxophone
Yamaha YTS 23 Tenor Saxophone
I have had this saxophone (a YTS21 actually) since I graduated from high school. Although it’s a student model, it’s a Yamaha so it’s going to be a quality instrument.
I am also using an Otto Link 5* mouthpiece which is probably worth more than the saxophone.
This setup has been with me through music college and across the continent and back. The gigs haven’t always been glamourous – actually they’ve never been glamourous – but the sax still rocks.

Video Editing

I used CyberLink PowerDirector for editing the video. It works great for synching audio and video as well as adding text and transitions between scenes. And it’s fast, so you get quality videos without alot of time spent.
From PCMag.com, 12/27/2010, “CyberLink’s PowerDirector has all the speed and all the advanced features an enthusiast video editor could want. As the first consumer video editing software to support 64-bit Windows, PowerDirector is taking a lead in the field. PCMag.com, December 7, 2010”.

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Thanks for watching the video. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.
If you have a specific request for a song, send it along and I’ll see what I can do.
Here’s to your musical success,
George