First Song - Ingrid Michaelson's, "The Way I Am," multi-track version. The tracks in question include bongos, Brazilian drums, bass, ukulele, and vocals. I don't think it's as good as the original, but as I practice and record, my skills are increasing!
Second song - Green Day's, "Good Riddance." This was also multi-tracked in GarageBand. It was a pretty fun song to record, especially the intro and middle bit. I know it's not perfectly in line with the record, but as they say in the business, it's, "close enough for government work."
Third Song - Final mixdown of my 2nd assignment in Music 51. I'm not entirely satisfied with how the final product turned out, but I really like the samples. The samples are easily 5-10 times better than the ones taken for my first project. I'm trying my best to get this one to load, but because it is an .aiff file and not an .mp3, I might be out of luck. I'm just glad it wasn't as big as a turd as my last one (though, admittedly, it did suffer from being strictly written to the guide posts for a grade rather than to what I really wanted to write; that is water under the bridge at this point).
EDIT - After converting the song to .mp3 format, it seems to load without issues. It may also be worth noting that the samples for this project were recorded in GarageBand, but the song itself was assembled in MULab. MULab is a free sequencing tool (though you can pay for the full version and get more features, like additional tracks) that is similar to GarageBand. It has some features I like (EXs: "sampla," a tool that allows you to sample and actively manipulate pre-made audio samples, or the ability to assemble your own synthesizer based on specific parameters). It also has features I don't like (EX: the user interface is often counter-intuitive; I found the save system to be particularly frustrating. Also, I had trouble getting my external MIDI controller to work properly (it only worked approximately 2 times out of three)). All in all, for free software there is a fair amount of things to like. I don't think I will be using it extensively in the future, but if I ever need to do a "remix," this is probably the software that I will turn to.
I'll have more coming soon, including more videos to my YouTube channel (lancer327). See you soon!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Long Lost Music 51 Project
There are a few people who read this blog who I know in the, "real world." These people probably have a vague recollection of the fact that I am taking a music class at school this quarter...Music and Computers. It's an interesting class, with an especially interesting professor (who is strangely similar to Chairman Kaga of "Iron Chef" fame). I was looking forward to the assignment, until the day it was due. That was mostly due to the fact that I had not yet started it. I admit that all of this was entirely my fault...but trying to record a multi-tracked ANYTHING (let alone a 1 minute song) in lab an hour before it was due was a mistake. The project resulted in what experts are calling a, "tremendously awful, steaming pile of manure." It was so bad, I was ashamed to turn it in. If I get full credit, it will undoubtedly be due to the fact that I met all the stated requirements of the piece, not because it was worth listening to, or even the time I spent working on it.
In short, I will not be posting my turd of a project. There is one more assignment due before the end of the quarter, though. After learning my lesson from assignment one (that lesson being to NOT start the day of, and to not take new software for granted), I should have something much more polished for assignment 2. I hope so, anyway.
If nothing else, I'll probably have a new video or two on YouTube of me playing uke. Hot damn I love the uke.
That is all for now.
In short, I will not be posting my turd of a project. There is one more assignment due before the end of the quarter, though. After learning my lesson from assignment one (that lesson being to NOT start the day of, and to not take new software for granted), I should have something much more polished for assignment 2. I hope so, anyway.
If nothing else, I'll probably have a new video or two on YouTube of me playing uke. Hot damn I love the uke.
That is all for now.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
From The Wayside
I'm back for a quick update. I'm too frustrated that none of my songs seem to be loading, but unfortunately I'll have to leave that for another day. Today, I'm going to post song lyrics for a song I just wrote. The song was inspired by a question, that question being: "Which side is the wayside these days?" I thought about the question, and decided to offer this in response...
[C] I come from a long lost land
[F] Where the scenes and the skies are grand
[Dm] Maybe you have been there too
[F] Maybe we can save a spot for you
[C] On the wayside
Chorus: [F-C7-F] On The Wayside... (x3)
[C] Walkin' down this road again
[F] Has got me wonderin'
[Dm] "Will I ever see my home
[F] Again?"
[C] On the wayside
Chorus
[C] When your car has broken down
[F] 100 miles from town
[Dm] Let your eyes hang
[Fm] Down
[Fm-C7-G7-C]
[C] On the wayside
Chorus
[C] And as you start to dream
[F] It's doesn't matter where you've been
[Dm] Or - where you're
[F] Going
[C] On the wayside
Chorus
[Csus4-C-Outro]
[C] I come from a long lost land
[F] Where the scenes and the skies are grand
[Dm] Maybe you have been there too
[F] Maybe we can save a spot for you
[C] On the wayside
Chorus: [F-C7-F] On The Wayside... (x3)
[C] Walkin' down this road again
[F] Has got me wonderin'
[Dm] "Will I ever see my home
[F] Again?"
[C] On the wayside
Chorus
[C] When your car has broken down
[F] 100 miles from town
[Dm] Let your eyes hang
[Fm] Down
[Fm-C7-G7-C]
[C] On the wayside
Chorus
[C] And as you start to dream
[F] It's doesn't matter where you've been
[Dm] Or - where you're
[F] Going
[C] On the wayside
Chorus
[Csus4-C-Outro]
Thursday, September 10, 2009
What Makes A Well-written Song?
So I'm back, and a lot sooner than even I expected. I was tooling around in GarageBand after hearing a friend of mine got a synth, just to see what I could do / come up with, and this was the result. It was all played using a MIDI controller; the goal was to create a mash-up of sorts between more "electronic," style music and, "classical," music. I can't say the results were stellar...but the song did allow me to experiment in a few ways, and to bring a few questions into the front of my mind.
The most obvious experiment was the combination of sounds. I feel my results were somewhat limited by the types of sounds available in GarageBand, as well as my lack of experimentation. I'd be willing to bet many more sounds could be produced with a little tinkering...but I'll save that for later. Another experiment was using instruments that played in different ranges: oboe in the highest range, harpsichord in the middle range, and tuba in the lowest range, plus a smattering of electronic sounds. This produced some satisfying interplay, and I look forward to further testing the water in future songs. The last little experiment was my implementation of a few chromatic runs, and my key shift in the middle of the song. While the chromatic runs seem a little on the long side, they were fun to play. I would consider the middle section to be akin to the "bridge," section in popular music. All of this experimentation would have been for naught if I hadn't come up with a few questions and new ideas to pursue.
If the song taught me one thing about harmonies, its that I still don't really understand them. It also showed me I'm not really very good at writing a, "normal," pop song. My mind just doesn't seem to bend that way (though, to be fair, I didn't really have my heart set on composing a pop song with this one). Maybe, "normal," alone is a better way to describe what I cannot write - if nothing else, the song doesn't sound like anything I've heard on the radio. This brings my to my big question of this post: "what makes a well-written song?"
I find this question very difficult to answer, for several reasons. First, is that there is no explicit formula or rules that guarantee success. For example, it would be silly to suggest that all well-written songs must contain a G7 chord, or some other arbitrary figure, form, or riff. Secondly, it seems the question can be roundly answered by one word: musicianship. Shouldn't any song, regardless of style / statement / etc. be judged based on the craft that is put into it; the time, thought, and consideration put into the piece? I feel the answer to this question is, "yes." This, however, does not always guarantee commercial success. That point raises a different question, "what must a song contain to be commercially viable?"
I will not seek to answer that question, as it seems to have too many variable and factors to consider. Should the song be up-beat? Down-tempo? Should it have a conscious? What if the lyrics are, "political?" Perhaps, instead of thinking about hypothetical situations I will instead consider what I want to do in writing music. Since my goal is not to make money, to write a hit, or to, "make it," in the music industry, I think it would be worthwhile to make a list of things I would like to do with my musical ventures.
1) Hone my craft / musicianship / ability, whether it be through lyrics or any particular musical instrument.
2) Express a message - whether it be political, social, or just my own hopes, dreams and fears. I feel like music should always have a point, even if it is as simple as, "let's dance!"
3) Invoke emotions - This one is a little trickier. It's something that cannot be parsed out, made into a formula, or otherwise homogenized. It's not something technique alone can produce, in my opinion. It's something I've struggled with...but more and more I'm finding that listening back, I mean really listening in to the music is a good way to see what sort of feeling is being established.
It's all just a journey, I guess. I dunno where it'll lead, but I'm not really worried. The following song is really little more than me tooling around on a keyboard and producing some bleeps and bloops by ear. It's not great, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon. The way I see it, this will only help me improve, and produce better songs in the future. With that said, I think I've said quite enough. It's time to get to the song!
PS - The song is called, "Synth Disaster." It seems worthy of that title.
The most obvious experiment was the combination of sounds. I feel my results were somewhat limited by the types of sounds available in GarageBand, as well as my lack of experimentation. I'd be willing to bet many more sounds could be produced with a little tinkering...but I'll save that for later. Another experiment was using instruments that played in different ranges: oboe in the highest range, harpsichord in the middle range, and tuba in the lowest range, plus a smattering of electronic sounds. This produced some satisfying interplay, and I look forward to further testing the water in future songs. The last little experiment was my implementation of a few chromatic runs, and my key shift in the middle of the song. While the chromatic runs seem a little on the long side, they were fun to play. I would consider the middle section to be akin to the "bridge," section in popular music. All of this experimentation would have been for naught if I hadn't come up with a few questions and new ideas to pursue.
If the song taught me one thing about harmonies, its that I still don't really understand them. It also showed me I'm not really very good at writing a, "normal," pop song. My mind just doesn't seem to bend that way (though, to be fair, I didn't really have my heart set on composing a pop song with this one). Maybe, "normal," alone is a better way to describe what I cannot write - if nothing else, the song doesn't sound like anything I've heard on the radio. This brings my to my big question of this post: "what makes a well-written song?"
I find this question very difficult to answer, for several reasons. First, is that there is no explicit formula or rules that guarantee success. For example, it would be silly to suggest that all well-written songs must contain a G7 chord, or some other arbitrary figure, form, or riff. Secondly, it seems the question can be roundly answered by one word: musicianship. Shouldn't any song, regardless of style / statement / etc. be judged based on the craft that is put into it; the time, thought, and consideration put into the piece? I feel the answer to this question is, "yes." This, however, does not always guarantee commercial success. That point raises a different question, "what must a song contain to be commercially viable?"
I will not seek to answer that question, as it seems to have too many variable and factors to consider. Should the song be up-beat? Down-tempo? Should it have a conscious? What if the lyrics are, "political?" Perhaps, instead of thinking about hypothetical situations I will instead consider what I want to do in writing music. Since my goal is not to make money, to write a hit, or to, "make it," in the music industry, I think it would be worthwhile to make a list of things I would like to do with my musical ventures.
1) Hone my craft / musicianship / ability, whether it be through lyrics or any particular musical instrument.
2) Express a message - whether it be political, social, or just my own hopes, dreams and fears. I feel like music should always have a point, even if it is as simple as, "let's dance!"
3) Invoke emotions - This one is a little trickier. It's something that cannot be parsed out, made into a formula, or otherwise homogenized. It's not something technique alone can produce, in my opinion. It's something I've struggled with...but more and more I'm finding that listening back, I mean really listening in to the music is a good way to see what sort of feeling is being established.
It's all just a journey, I guess. I dunno where it'll lead, but I'm not really worried. The following song is really little more than me tooling around on a keyboard and producing some bleeps and bloops by ear. It's not great, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon. The way I see it, this will only help me improve, and produce better songs in the future. With that said, I think I've said quite enough. It's time to get to the song!
PS - The song is called, "Synth Disaster." It seems worthy of that title.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A New Beginning, Sort Of.
I've been away for awhile.
I've been pursuing interests outside song-writing, and as a result, it seems things have become a little bit of a mess here. Apparently, the site that previously hosted my songs (mp3tube.net) has been all but eliminated. It has been replaced by what I can only guess is a free flash-based games site (the site is in Spanish). I've been spending the better part of this morning trying to find a solution to this problem, and I've yet to be fully satisfied by any of the solutions. Here are just a handful of the sites:
filefactory.com
opendrive.com
youshare.com
esnips.com
...and the list goes on. After finally stumbling on a useful guide on how to do it in GooglePages (http://tinyurl.com/nht4zc), the day was more or less saved. One other blog (http://tinyurl.com/mf6wcg) set me up with the player you'll see later in the post, so a big thanks to them (or he / she / it) as well. Of course, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have some new music to share, so here it is:
The song is called, "Burned," though the file name is called "Quickie, 2." The reason for this is that the song started life as a way to get out some musical ideas. Really, I just wanted to get my "juices flowing," again. In that regard, I think it turned out pretty well. I just used the line of reasoning that nothing is too silly, stupid, or dumb. To me, censorship would be a greater failure than putting out a song that was, "less than perfect." I've also been doing a little reading about song-writing, a nd I'd like to think I've improved, if only a little bit. The song has more structure than some of my past works (ABAABA), and it tells a story from beginning to end. I think my voice has improved (or at least my control over it), and the fact that I have a bass guitar again has really bolstered my confidence (truth be told, this all started as a 12-bar blues based ("bassed," lol) rock riff). All in all...I'm looking forward tow improving my skills, and writing more songs!
---
The Lyrics -
Stan was a real corporate man
Working for his company
They were keen on puttin' out fires
And so was he
Then one day he caught a flame
And things were never the same
Burn it down...
Flint and tinder, sticks and matches
All were brought to work, you see
All had a place within his cabinet -
He smiled with glee.
Then one day his bosses came
And things were never the same.
He wouldn't wear his suits to work
Or finish his cover sheets
Then they found his fire-starters
He started to weep
That was the day he took the blame
And things were never the same
[mini-solo]
Burn it down...
His eyes grew wide and his hands grew sweaty
He was canned, simply un-hired
The job was his life, and how it was over
He was fired
That was the day the firemen came
And ended in insurance claims...
[outro]
---
Side Note 1 - I seem to have a thing about writing songs about people slowly coming off their rocker...lol.
Side Note 2 - I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the older posts. I'm not going to delete them, but I'm not sure if it's worth it to try and find all those tracks again. I may set up a jukebox of "oldies" on a separate site; if I do, I'll make note of it in one of my upcoming posts.
I've been pursuing interests outside song-writing, and as a result, it seems things have become a little bit of a mess here. Apparently, the site that previously hosted my songs (mp3tube.net) has been all but eliminated. It has been replaced by what I can only guess is a free flash-based games site (the site is in Spanish). I've been spending the better part of this morning trying to find a solution to this problem, and I've yet to be fully satisfied by any of the solutions. Here are just a handful of the sites:
filefactory.com
opendrive.com
youshare.com
esnips.com
...and the list goes on. After finally stumbling on a useful guide on how to do it in GooglePages (http://tinyurl.com/nht4zc), the day was more or less saved. One other blog (http://tinyurl.com/mf6wcg) set me up with the player you'll see later in the post, so a big thanks to them (or he / she / it) as well. Of course, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have some new music to share, so here it is:
The song is called, "Burned," though the file name is called "Quickie, 2." The reason for this is that the song started life as a way to get out some musical ideas. Really, I just wanted to get my "juices flowing," again. In that regard, I think it turned out pretty well. I just used the line of reasoning that nothing is too silly, stupid, or dumb. To me, censorship would be a greater failure than putting out a song that was, "less than perfect." I've also been doing a little reading about song-writing, a nd I'd like to think I've improved, if only a little bit. The song has more structure than some of my past works (ABAABA), and it tells a story from beginning to end. I think my voice has improved (or at least my control over it), and the fact that I have a bass guitar again has really bolstered my confidence (truth be told, this all started as a 12-bar blues based ("bassed," lol) rock riff). All in all...I'm looking forward tow improving my skills, and writing more songs!
---
The Lyrics -
Stan was a real corporate man
Working for his company
They were keen on puttin' out fires
And so was he
Then one day he caught a flame
And things were never the same
Burn it down...
Flint and tinder, sticks and matches
All were brought to work, you see
All had a place within his cabinet -
He smiled with glee.
Then one day his bosses came
And things were never the same.
He wouldn't wear his suits to work
Or finish his cover sheets
Then they found his fire-starters
He started to weep
That was the day he took the blame
And things were never the same
[mini-solo]
Burn it down...
His eyes grew wide and his hands grew sweaty
He was canned, simply un-hired
The job was his life, and how it was over
He was fired
That was the day the firemen came
And ended in insurance claims...
[outro]
---
Side Note 1 - I seem to have a thing about writing songs about people slowly coming off their rocker...lol.
Side Note 2 - I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the older posts. I'm not going to delete them, but I'm not sure if it's worth it to try and find all those tracks again. I may set up a jukebox of "oldies" on a separate site; if I do, I'll make note of it in one of my upcoming posts.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sound Collage
---
This is actually the second piece I've made called sound collage, but it was the one that was actually turned in for credit (for my music class). I'm not entirely satisfied with the way that it turned out, but I have no doubts I will receive full credit on the assignment. (Full disclosure: it's a pass / no pass assignment that is graded on two criteria - 1) does it have sound over time, and 2) does it last 1-2 minutes.) I would have liked it to sound more "spacey." Also, though I think it has a weird, somewhat intense atmosphere, this is more a novel occurrence than anything I directly created. If I had more knowledge of musical theory (and honestly if I had put more time and effort into this project), I feel I could could have made a song that wasn't just weird...it was weird and it made some semblance of musical sense.
---
Here are my notes about the song that were turned in as a part of the project:
This song is composed of 5 tracks. There are two guitar tracks, and three “vocal,” tracks. The main vocal track is an extended poem. It is distinct from the other vocal tracks because it uses several voice modifications (male to female transformer, transposition down a fourth, and a touch of reverb and echo). The “bottom-end” track is supposed to be a mumble to keep the beat. It was also highly modified from the original source sound (tuning down, echo, and heavy treble reduction). The final vocal track is distinct because it uses phaser and echo, and is the only track out of the three that isn’t voice modified. It is meant both to emphasize and play off the main vocal track. Both the guitar tracks are meant to add color to the track as a whole, and use a few chromatic lines to do so. I also tried to harmonize the guitar tracks in a few places to add emphasis to what was being said, and to the emotion the track was meant to convey. In closing, the two primary influences this song drew (or tried to draw) upon were, “Ray Bradbury,” (the musical entity, not the author), and Saul Williams.
Here are the lyrics (the /'s are placed arbitrarily, each section is divided by the "feeling" and rhythm I was trying to create):
The universe is a lonely place / full of stars, planets, and hearts, / Each trying to look past themselves / To find peace of mind, / Or at least someone to share the emptiness with.
For what is light but a star’s fleeting message / its call for company, for a companion? / What is gravity but a planet’s embrace, it’s humble greeting to arriving guests? / What is a heart of not a beacon, a target / for both slings and arrows, and fate’s gentle caress?
Fate will whisper in our ears: let the emptiness come. / Let it fill our souls with inaudible sound / may it make us question / who we are, and what we want of this world.
What we need to survive in this place / Is the ability to wait. / Patience can overcome time itself, can overcome / the pain lying dormant in our minds / crying, screaming to see the light of day / but left to rot just below the surface.
Below the streets, below the sweeps / lives a man with just one dream / to be accepted as himself, his arms / outstretched toward the noisy roads above / falling short because he was to weird / for anyone to let him call this world home.
So he left, disappeared to build a new life. / He’s built a house, with cupboards for his things / He’s built a bed, to rest his weary bones.
So ask yourself the next lonesome night / when your skin shivers in the frozen air / after all others have turned you away / will you share his home, / or will your body be left to press against the door?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Recent Round-Up
I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. Here are a few instrumental pieces I've done recently.
Rhythm In Motion -
Hypno-sis - Rhythm In Motion (Working)
Note - This song ended up being a giant backing track for me to solo over. I don't think it turned out as well as some of the ideas in, "Sound Collage 1," but I still had fun with this work. I tried to make sure that each section lead into the next somewhat fluidly, but listening in again (and a bit closer) shows me I have a lot I still need to improve on.
"Sound Collage 1" -
Hypno-sis - Sound Collage 1 (Tentative)
Note - The one started life as a small piano riff. After I settled in with a two handed riff, I transposed it into a few different keys, and tried to improvise a meaningful guitar part over everything. I think I was more successful in some sections than others. If nothing else, I'm happy with the fact that at least the four sections sound reasonably distinct.
"Voices In Motion" -
Hypno-sis - Voices In Motion
Note - This one was inspired by the Music class that I'm taking right now. The initial concept was to play off 3/4 and 4/4 beats off one another, but in the end it ended up more like an exercise in looping certain sounds and trying for specific audial effects. For the record, the lead guitar part's tone is done with a pedal called a "bronzer," and I know that it sounds somewhat like the "Dramatic Chipmunk." This was not done intentionally.
"Hello, Madness."
Hypno-sis - Hello Madness.
Note - The title came from two places. One was the front of a torrent site, "Demonoid." The other was from the fact that this was basically a mash-up created by a few new plug-ins I have for Garageband. My two favorite parts are the bass and the little bit of talking at the end. There are lyrics, so listen carefully (or just turn it up).
Rhythm In Motion -
Hypno-sis - Rhythm In Motion (Working)
Note - This song ended up being a giant backing track for me to solo over. I don't think it turned out as well as some of the ideas in, "Sound Collage 1," but I still had fun with this work. I tried to make sure that each section lead into the next somewhat fluidly, but listening in again (and a bit closer) shows me I have a lot I still need to improve on.
"Sound Collage 1" -
Hypno-sis - Sound Collage 1 (Tentative)
Note - The one started life as a small piano riff. After I settled in with a two handed riff, I transposed it into a few different keys, and tried to improvise a meaningful guitar part over everything. I think I was more successful in some sections than others. If nothing else, I'm happy with the fact that at least the four sections sound reasonably distinct.
"Voices In Motion" -
Hypno-sis - Voices In Motion
Note - This one was inspired by the Music class that I'm taking right now. The initial concept was to play off 3/4 and 4/4 beats off one another, but in the end it ended up more like an exercise in looping certain sounds and trying for specific audial effects. For the record, the lead guitar part's tone is done with a pedal called a "bronzer," and I know that it sounds somewhat like the "Dramatic Chipmunk." This was not done intentionally.
"Hello, Madness."
Hypno-sis - Hello Madness.
Note - The title came from two places. One was the front of a torrent site, "Demonoid." The other was from the fact that this was basically a mash-up created by a few new plug-ins I have for Garageband. My two favorite parts are the bass and the little bit of talking at the end. There are lyrics, so listen carefully (or just turn it up).
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