128 days left to finish my new album. To stay on schedule, I need to complete 6 more snippets and 7 more lyric brainvomits by the end of the month. That boils down to one of each per day, which is pretty ambitious considering my pace so far. Here are the three latest snippets:
Sliding Into Obscurity wins the award for most notes in a single snippet. Rest assured the vocals won’t be so frantic. I’m envisioning a series of sustained notes against a moving backdrop. I’ll probably reinforce the higher line with another synth or two joining in at key accent points.
Hoover Slam is my take on the mid-tempo R&B ballad, with double-time vocals over a slow groove. Needless to say, it won’t sound like R&B when I’m done with it! I’m thinking of going into the bass “slam” at the end of the chorus, rather than the beginning.
Calamity is in 5/4. I keep telling myself I need to write in odd time signatures, but I’m never happy with what comes out. Note to the musically illiterate: most pop music has four beats per measure (count “1, 2, 3, 4″). This snippet has five, which makes for a 25% improvement from a purely mathematical perspective.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Sliding Into Obscurity saw Canyon jump out of his stool and dance, oatmeal spoon in hand. He was Tap Dancing Into Obscurity. It’s not too busy because the piano holds it together.
#2 makes me want to slow dance. Way more interesting than ordinary R&B. In the soundtrack to the movie of my life, I’m picking up the pieces of something here. Hopeful because the tragedy is behind me?
Calamity was well-named…of course my taste is for simple, poppy rhythms and sing-songy melodies. So I too struggle with the odd time signature. Maybe put Calamity towards the end of the album? =)
Go for the gold, Brian. You can do it!
Tap Dancing Into Obscurity is a much more interesting title! Calamity definitely won’t be on the album, but I hope to salvage an element or two, or a production technique. Of this batch, Hoover Slam holds the most promise for me, at least for now.
Thanks for the encouragement Britt!