I am not really finished with this song. Many of my songs move on to the ‘finished’ shelf when there is a lot more to be done with the song and/or recording. Being the jack-of-all-trades singer-songwriter/engineer-producer and all the rest means I can generate decent versions of my original music without waiting for band mates, schedules, funding and studio availability.
I realized long ago I cannot make them commercial or ‘radio-play’ worthy on my own. But here you can see early versions of a song or two developing or maybe ones I pushed out into the lime light too soon. I’m OK with that because most of my songs are not ready for prime time. Still, I think I have a bunch of great tunes posted on this blog. Some of my tunes are progressive folk, some lean towards alternative, some are a bit on the soundtrack side. Maybe not your style of music, but there’s something for everyone.
I hope you enjoy an early glimpse of “When In Doubt“.
Opposing views of the same situation. What we might see as precious others see as ridiculous. Each of us blind to the cost of ignoring the obvious. Lessons learned by so many are forgotten to apathy. Shared knowledge replaced by broadcast propaganda.
I put lyrics I posted earlier to a new piece I am working on. This song also originated as a mathematical idea. Based on rhythm or patterns this time. Specifically: drumming my fingers on the top of a dinner table. Percussion is so deep in my history it is hard to separate it from the real world. So I tap out a rhythm that is slightly difficult until I get it consistent. This drum pattern is short and repeated with slight variations over time. As you might imagine from listening to music, even drums are ‘tuned’ for specific songs or projects.
Each tom in the drum kit is tuned to a specific pitch (the good drum techs will match the tuning to the current song/project/session). Now transfer those notes to a piano staff and you can play ‘melodies’ on the drums. My finger tapping pattern became the basis for an arpeggio of sorts when I used it to play different chord formations on my Korg Nautilus keyboard. That meant that I would use the repeated pattern for each chord in the song progression. Then I added new parts and changed a bunch of stuff until presto-chango! A new song!
I got out my cheapo 5 string bass guitar and added a back up feel for the keyboard melody. I like to add guitars to most of my recordings and used my brother’s Martin 6 string to add the chord structure and main rhythms throughout the song.
Once the arrangement was settled for the most part I started to write the drums. This gives me the opportunity to match or follow the accents and rests in the guitar parts. I can make sure the drum beat is matching my song and not the other way around. I often add rhythmic nuances to each verse and chorus. I use a MIDI drum pad to trigger sounds in software I have in my recording suite and created each segment’s drum track. After way-too-much-editing, I got a reasonable drum track with good balance and lively feel.
You guessed it. I do all of this myself so now it is time to come up with a melody and try to do the best I can to sing it. Most often the melodies I write reflect my limited vocal range and power. I would have a real vocalist sing what they were able to and felt inspired to sing. Same with all the other instruments I play as well. I get out my Audio Technica 4033 microphone to work out melody, timing, phrasing and harmonies. It takes me a number of practices just to find where my voice can fit in and what notes I can (and can’t) reach. All prepared and organized it still takes me an hour or so of trial and error to record what you will hear even though it is not quite right.
Package it all up with solid mixing levels and some processing or effects added to individual tracks and I have a quick mix ready for you. I might not add anything else to this song personally. As usual, I will play this song for friends and see if they feel like adding to or replacing my tracks.
There are so many ways to create music. Take your MIDI melody line and make it the bass guitar part. Use any drum pattern to trigger piano notes or other samples. Play with the rhythm by starting the drum pattern on beat 2. Listen to birds chirping or wind chimes in the breeze. Make it easy to get started and see where things go, but rule number one: don’t wait for the vocalist to show up!
When in Doubt Throw it out When in Doubt Stand up and shout When in Doubt Just do without When in Doubt What’s it about? When in Doubt Kick them out When in Doubt Prepare for drought.
When in Doubt Figure it out When in Doubt Follow the scout When in Doubt Take another route When in Doubt Go in or out When in Doubt Sit there and pout When in Doubt Hold your snout.
When in Doubt Better to be stout When in Doubt Follow the crowd When in Doubt Say it out loud When in Doubt Pretend you’re proud When in Doubt Hide in your shroud When in Doubt Water the sprout.
When in Doubt Open the spout When in Doubt Time to head south When in Doubt Shut your mouth When in Doubt It’s not allowed When in Doubt Fields should be plowed When in Doubt Do a recount.
When in Doubt Always in doubt When in Doubt Always in doubt
When in Doubt Close your account When in Doubt Pay any amount When in Doubt Prepare for draught When in Doubt Follow the crowd When in Doubt Say it out loud When in Doubt Shut your mouth.
I really love the twist in these lyrics. They have a push-pull effect as you go through each verse. It reminds me of the excitement and fear sharing the same space as you find yourself in a new relationship….. each new step scary and thrilling. Afraid to share too much or hold too tightly.
A look at the industrial machines all focused to make you feel better. Food, drugs, music, sports, gambling, and sex are just the start of the list. Does more money make this go away? If money doesn’t stop you from doing anything you want, what will?
Maybe I’ve been lookin’ for the wrong thing. Searching for the perfect harmony, When I can’t even sing.
Maybe I am way out of my depth. Thinking; just another minute Right when I lose my breath.
I have banged my head against every wall: Waited for anyone I know to call. Listened to the righteous, but above all Followed those thought of as weak or small.
Independent, courageous and defiant; Yet I can’t seem to help myself. Beat the dumbest giant.
So sure of myself all those years ago. Put everyone that I love on hold. Places I’ll never go.
I can solve everyone else’s problem. Yet can’t even see my own. The Wrong Thing lives again.
I have banged my head against every wall:
Waited for anyone I know to call.
I have banged my head against every wall:
Waited for anyone I know to call.
The Wrong Thing lives again. The Wrong Thing lives within.
These lyrics are a sister version of Deep Inside. Writing the song I think I had too much to say so I ended up writing two songs with similar themes and lyrics. Neither is what I had planned and I am not convinced it worked out for the best, but I like the lyrics for each. The meaning is too complicated to get into details. We all hold a lot deep inside. Life is a journey full of traps with no signs to tell you how to get out.
A spin off from an afternoon contemplating how many people get the basic premise of evolution wrong. I often hear descriptions as if the organism intends to branch off or enhance a trait or feature. Anyway, I wondered what was the first emotion and how quickly did the others develop. While I am at it, in what order? Did humans and other primates have dreams before experiencing emotions?
MidiMike 