Work progressses on sketch8-1 with the audition of some new guitar riffs and a synth solo. The lyrics are still just a disorganised collection of scribbles and musings at the moment though, and I really want to get those beaten into shape a bit before I get tied into too much of a musical structure that doesn’t match were the lyrics want to go.
To that end, I’ve decided to put the guitars down for just now and work on shuffling some words around a bit to see what I can make with them…
Half of the month has now gone, and I am not really sure if I am halfway towards my goal or not. I have one song completed (which is 25% definitely accomplished), with two more in a fairly complete state musically, and another couple of musical ideas in development (and few more in the form of scribbles on bits of paper).
For one of the songs, I have a page of lyrics (which weren’t actually written to any particular music, so they need reworked considerably) and a page of notes for where the rest of the song can go – so that seems like real progress lyrically for one song. For another I have just written four lines so far (but they are a fairly good four lines!) and for the fourth I have one line, which I may well not use!
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Because I worked on Friday, I was still off work today, which was nice. Nonetheless, I didn’t get a great deal done. In the afternoon I felt highly uninspired and, even after listening to some incomplete tracks a couple of times, I couldn’t get in the mood to do any work. Rather than trying to force it, which only produces rubbish anyway, I gave up and did something else.
In the evening I did find myself in the right frame of mind to make a little progress. Consequently, a little progress was made. Here’s a short snippet from the evening’s session:
tinysnippet1
I’ve also been scribbling down lots of notes for a lyrical idea I’ve been playing with. It is still completely unformed, but may well become the words to go with the musical idea I posted the start of yesterday.
I hadn’t really intended to write any big epic pieces this month, largely due to the time constraints I have placed upon myself. However today I had an idea for a complex multi-part introduction which I had to record. The introduction is more than a minute long and, with the (rather short) verse and bridge I have added to it the piece is already more then two minutes long when it gets to the point where the chorus would probably be if there was one.
I actually feel that the verse, at very least, needs to be longer (although, as usual, there are no lyrics yet, so it is hard to really structure things properly anyway) so clearly this isn’t going to end up as a three minute pop song. As for whether it will be five minutes long or twelve? Who can tell?
sketch8-1
It stops somewhat abruptly at the moment. This is because I haven’t written any more. As I already mentioned, there might be a chorus next, but I may still do something else instead…
I’ve got quite a long way with a new idea this afternoon. I think this is by far the most progressive piece I’ve written so far this month, moving between heavy sections and lighter sections, with an unusual structure. The whole recording is about five minutes long, but I’ve decided just to post a taster from it just now.
There are no lyrics yet (so no vocals!) but I do have an idea that I’m thinking about so they may come soon…
sketch7-1
Day 10 has been thoroughly unproductive, unfortunately. I have driven to Liverpool, fiddled with a computer, then driven home again, all in the name of work. That has left me feeling distinctly unmotivated (and anyway, Red Dwarf is on soon), but on the upside, I don’t have to go back to work until Wednesday, so I should be able to get something useful done over the next few days.
In my post on the 1st April, I posted four ideas I had recorded, but not developed at all. Today, I decided to go back to some of those (sketch2 and sketch4, specifically) and make something out of them. The result is quite a bit heavier sounding than my other recent posts have been, although there is a little bit of respite when the organ comes in about a minute into the recording. This is roughly the introduction to the end of the first chorus, although, since there isn’t any more on the timeline in ProTools and there aren’t any lyrics yet, it is arguably a bit early to start pinning things down with terms like that.
sketches2-4
I think this is probably the result of listening to a lot of Metallica and Rainbow on the same day.
It’s been a busy couple of days and work always makes me less inclined to do anything remotely worthwhile when I get home. I had a mostly wasted day yesterday (actually I did scribble down a little guitar riff but I’ve been too lazy to record it – and I fully intend to continue that laziness for the rest of the evening!), so I was determined not to let today go by without another post. To that end, I have a shortish piano recording for your listening pleasure.
sketch6
This reminds me a bit of the short and quiet piano pieces that sometimes crop up in otherwise really heavy albums (listen to “Train of Thought” by Dream Theater and “Monday Morning Appocalypse” by Evergrey to hear what I mean – in fact listen to them anyway: they’re both great albums!)
Just because of that association though, I might have to try to do something else with this idea…
And the first song is complete. ”Horizon” – formerly known as “sketch5″ – is complete in the form of a fairly decent sounding demo. It ended up with a pop-rock sound and some folky elements – particularly the acoustic opening.
Horizon
I finished writing the lyrics today. I still think they are a bit cheesy (although they could have come out much worse if I hadn’t rejected so many ultra-cheesy lines!) but they do somehow seem to fit the song so I’ve let them stand. I’m quite pleased with what Mike Portnoy would describe as the “little Queen things” in the middle 8, and the electric guitar part in the second bridge is quite cool.
I posted part of a song earlier this afternoon. Now, two guitars, one mandolin and one bass guitar later, it is sounding much more complete. I wanted to share another excerpt; this time from a more built-up part of the song, so this is the second bridge and chorus.
sketch5_sampler2
