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IanD

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Posts posted by IanD

    New Original Song: You (Final Recording)

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    4 hours ago, CapM said:

    Is this a makeup for that previous song about murdering a spouse?  In the words of Monty Python, "Alright, we'll call it a draw!"

    Ha ha, I realised that most of my previous songs have either had fairly dark lyrics or been about break-ups. This was a deliberate attempt to lighten the mood ?. Good memory by the way, that song was 6 years ago! (and for the record, was completely fictional!).

    Ian

    New Original Song: You (Final Recording)

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    Hi everyone, 

    A couple of weeks ago, I shared the first draft of a new original song I'd been working on, called 'You'. I got some great feedback and comments, primarily observing that it just had two chords alternating throughout the verses and choruses. It was only the bridge where I got adventurous and added two more chords! Well, I went away and played around with it and tried to add in more chords or different chords but I just couldn't get anything that felt right, other than substituting a Dsus4 for part of the D chord parts. So, I decided to just go ahead and record it and try to add some interest and movement through the arrangement.

    Here's how it ended up.

    Ian

     

    • Like 5

    New Original Song: You

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    Thanks Greg. It's all good. The feedback from everybody has really inspired me and I've had great fun the last couple of days playing around with the song: adding chords; taking them out again; adding a few sus chord variations; playing around with rhythm/phrasing/words... and that's before I even start trying to arrange a multi-instrumental version.

    I'd always intended to add interest and let the song build via other instruments, including electric guitar but I'd quite like it to stand up on its own with just an acoustic in a live setting too. 

    Funny you should mention the looper. I do have a ditto looper pedal already, but I haven't used it much. I've been watching quite a few live videos of Ed Sheeran and KT Tunstall, they both use loopers very effectively and both can deliver songs well with just an acoustic guitar and no band.

    I saw a clip of Ed Sheeran the other day, he said he used to write as many as two songs per day to 'get all of the bad songs out of the way' so he could start writing some good ones. I heard someone else on the radio (I forget who) say a lot of people try writing songs and stop because the songs are not very good, but it's actually like everything else... you have to practice, make mistakes and learn.

    I appreciate every single comment from this community, it's all helping me to learn. Oh, and I have lyrics ready for four more songs already... trying to get all the bad ones out of the way ?.

    Ian

    New Original Song: You

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Six String said:

    Hey Ian,

    I really liked the song, and though I have no skills in songwriting, only in listening, I don't think I'd advise changing it much. 

    Songwriting is no easy thing, especially the lyrics and I think this is a really great effort.  Also, there is no sin in taking a simple progression and making an interesting song of it.  Tom Petty was a master of it and the band had a saying "Don't bore us, get to the chorus".  Many of the lyrics I've looked at by evolving song writers are closer to a novel than a song.  The genius of songwriting is the paring away of the unneeded until every word carries meaning and the whole is more than the sum of parts.

    I think you have a really nice song here that works. My two cents, for free.

    Thanks @Six String, I really appreciate that. 

    I did try to deliberately keep it simple, but did wonder if I was just being lazy instead. I've already started playing around with some harmonic embellishments, I'll try a few variations but will use your post as an 'ok' to come back to the simple version if the others don't work!

    Ian

    New Original Song: You

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    5 hours ago, CapM said:

    Hey Ian!  Mr. Love Song Extraordinaire!

    I'm always hesitant to use the same progression for the verses as the choruses.  It has been done by many famous songs, but there are too many ways to change things up.  Musically, I have some ideas that could help you.  I'll send a PM in a sec.

    Lyrically, it's always nice to add some tension, then release that tension in the chorus.  You added some tension in the verses (like explaining what it's NOT in V1, then mention "pain" in V2), but didn't try to build on that tension.  I view songwriting like poker - don't give away your hand too early.

    Anyhow, have fun doing a full production on this one!  I look forward to hearing where you take it.  Vocal sounded great btw.  Cheers!

    Great, thanks @CapM!

    Ian

    New Original Song: You

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    On 8/27/2018 at 12:33 PM, Oldjock said:

    Well done Ian, enjoyed the song. What are you using for the percussion track?

    Henk

    Thanks @Oldjock, I use Apple Logic for doing multi-track recordings and it comes with a 'virtual drummer'. I just set something up quickly on that as the percussion track. I've also used a cheap and simple app called 'DrumBeats' though on occasion for noodling or practice with a slightly cooler sounding metronome.

    Ian

    First Time On Stage...

    in Guitar Open Talk

    Posted

    Wow, Neil this sounds fantastic! Well done to you for just getting out there and doing it. It sounds like you really enjoyed it and it will undoubtedly have helped both your confidence and your playing generally.

    Next time, let's see some recordings of you in action ?

    Ian

    • Thanks 1

    New Original Song: You

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    I just finished writing a new original song, called 'You'. Here is just a rough recording of me playing it 'live' with a percussion track running in the background. I hope you like it, but I'd really welcome any feedback or comments before I start to record and arrange a multi-track version.

    Ian

     

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1

    New Original - "Alright"

    in Guitar Playing & Technique

    Posted

    Cap, I love this one!

    I really like the beautiful simplicity of the piece. Dare I say that the vocal line feels a little more melodic than usual and this is a really attractive aspect of the song. I love the way you introduce the keys and, again, their subtle beautiful simplicity. 

    They do say that sometimes "less is more" and I think you really proved it with this piece... superb!

    Ian

    • Like 1

    Got my band together!!!

    in Guitar Open Talk

    Posted

    Aww Ron, that's great! I love the concentration on all of their faces. I love that Malene politely apologises when somebody knocks at the door. You know Trygg keeps better time than a lot of pro drummers, right?! And Torunn just looks so serious!

    I can't wait to see their first band performance with grandad as band leader.

    Cherish these memories.

    Ian

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