Arranger/Composer challenge

Don’t know when I’ll have time to get back to it but I will. May get some time on the weekend. Not sure what to do with the bridge. It is just a C#7 with a quick C7 and a slide back to C#7. I definitely need to play around with that. I need to add some space in places as well.
 
TVvoodoo said:
I actually changed a couple chords in my own version yesterday, was reminding me a little too much of a Tracy Chapman riff, still kind of bugs me how close it I came to it, without me realizing until it was pointed out to me.
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I’ve been working a song for weeks then a couple days ago I realized it was Tom Petty’s Breakdown. Different tempo but exact same chords for the verses. Have to start all over.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
As fun as it might be, I save all my ideas right now for my one band. Our first EP might wind up an album so I am selfishly hoarding any ideas I have.
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Completely get that. I often wonder about those prolific professional songwriter folks, who can write even several songs a single day. And sometimes they are DAMN good ones too.
I think this writing thing is a muscle, at least in my time doing this, over say about 30 years, I've written maybe 50 complete songs, mostly in spurts of three or four over a month or two.
Kind of depends where the family is, or what I've been doing as a career at the time. Sometimes long droughts between songs.
While I had two kids over eighteen years, I think I wrote three or four only, squandered a LOT of great "life story" opportunities but I just had no time, or inclination.

But I can tell I am getting slightly better at it with each few I finish, and it gets a little easier too. You learn how to just focus like crazy and pull it out of yourself. That's the hardest part.
Years ago, I would come up against a block, and put the guitar down and go do other things. Four months later I'd realize i have another half-written song I don't care to complete anymore. It's lost.
You have to strike while the inspiration is HOT, and don't give up. At least that's me anyway. Spit it out, get it on paper even if it's bad. You can totally fine tune it later. Often it's better when you do.

I think it's kind of like painting. You have to do it, over and over and over to get good at it, for more satisfying results.
 
TVvoodoo said:
Completely get that. I often wonder about those prolific professional songwriter folks, who can write even several songs a single day. And sometimes they are DAMN good ones too.
I think this writing thing is a muscle, at least in my time doing this, over say about 30 years, I've written maybe 50 complete songs, mostly in spurts of three or four over a month or two.
Kind of depends where the family is, or what I've been doing as a career at the time. Sometimes long droughts between songs.
While I had two kids over eighteen years, I think I wrote three or four only, squandered a LOT of great "life story" opportunities but I just had no time, or inclination.

But I can tell I am getting slightly better at it with each few I finish, and it gets a little easier too. You learn how to just focus like crazy and pull it out of yourself. That's the hardest part.
Years ago, I would come up against a block, and put the guitar down and go do other things. Four months later I'd realize i have another half-written song I don't care to complete anymore. It's lost.
You have to strike while the inspiration is HOT, and don't give up. At least that's me anyway. Spit it out, get it on paper even if it's bad. You can totally fine tune it later. Often it's better when you do.

I think it's kind of like painting. You have to do it, over and over and over to get good at it, for more satisfying results.
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I am not prolific. Thus the hoarding.
 
COOOOOOL!!!

I think you improved on the first version in many ways! Re: vocals... I get the feeling you're reciting lines as you read and record, more worried about not screwing them up, instead of "feelin" or trying to "sell" any possible emotional content that could be behind the line. Would that be accurate?

Please don't take that the wrong way KB, 100% trying to be constructive
 
TVvoodoo said:
COOOOOOL!!!

I think you improved on the first version in many ways! Re: vocals... I get the feeling you're reciting lines as you read and record, more worried about not screwing them up, instead of "feelin" or trying to "sell" any possible emotional content that could be behind the line. Would that be accurate?

Please don't take that the wrong way KB, 100% trying to be constructive
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No sweat. I was reading the lyrics :) I was still concentrating on the music. I have to play a song many, many times before I can hear the lyrics and get into them. My mind seems to focus on the music to the exclusion of the lyrics.
 
I don't want to seem like I know what I'm doing, when it comes to recording music... I don't. But many years as a director for television commercials, taught me when some people are delivering "lines" sometimes you have coach 'em out of recite mode, get them to take "ownership" of the delivery, and to perform it somehow. It's just a form of "acting" In my opinion... and... I'm not so great at it myself.

Then there's Ronnie James Dio, who (RIP), made "overselling" it a little bit kind of his thing.
 
feeling it---- and MAKING the audience FEEL it too -- is the key

no offense to opera lovers -- but -- hey them folks can SING ----and hit notes I didnt know existed.....
but ya know what ------ it dont make me MOVE like a James Brown Tune does................

"selling it" is 90% of the gig ----
 
Ok, this is what I am now calling a "finished" song, but are they really ever? I print this out, and stick in in my growing "song binder"
because if i don't six months from now I'll forget the whole damn thing.

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And, if you're feeling it, give it a try with what I show here, see if you can "get it". Don't take my chord names as correct, but the fingerings are. I am terrible with the whole theory thing. And I design my own chords sometimes, more for ease of playing than for harmonic structure LOL. It's kind of a light and bouncy bluesy swing, sort of along the lines of Tracy Chapmans "Gimme One Reason" sort of flavour, at least in the verses.

Beat is built here, you might want to slow it to start
Lost Without My Blues Beat Build

I promise to post a run through vid of my version, once I feel comfortable enough with it. Still having some trouble transitioning between sections, but I like the song and chord structure as I have built it here. This does not nullify what work you have going into your version. I still want to hear what you guys are coming up with, your interpretation has a every chance to be far better than mine, because frankly I am known far and wide a :poo: musician!
 
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No complaints here. Its lively and raw and frankly better (than) some bar bands who play every night. I wasn't expecting the blues harp.

My only critique/suggestion would be to re track the vocals with more of a sense of urgency. There are sections in the vocal passages where you just nail it, so i know you are capable.

Other than that, its got a great live bar-band feel and I wouldn't "polish" that aspect any at all.

Good job!!!!
 
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