#Frail Autumn,, #GarageBand,, #Lyrics, #music, #Retirement Projects, #songwriting

Lighten up. We’ve got to live for today.

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BELOW. ONE SONG……..EACH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. SO.
TESTING, TESTING ONE…TWO…THREE.

LIGHTEN UP.

YOU’VE GOT IT EASY.

LIGHTEN UP.

YOU’VE GOT TO LIVE FOR TODAY.

LIGHTEN UP.

IT’S BUT A HEARTBEAT AWAY.

LIFE’S BUT A HEARTBEAT AWAY.

IF YOU GET THROUGH THE MADNESS OF THESE THREE LISTENS…YOU THEN REALISE THAT LIFE CAN BE TRULY MANIC, BUT ALSO RANDOMLY FATHOMABLE.

IF YOU FOCUS? THERE IS A SENSE OF REALITY WITHIN. TRULY.

Like Bourbon. Punchy……..

Like Single Malt. Smooth…………

SOMETIMES IT’S NICE TO GO INTO A RHYTHMIC BEAT

………..AND SIMPLY STAY THERE.

JUST START TO FINISH

PLAY THE ‘A’ CHORD, STAY IN THE GROOVE AND DON’T STRAY.

BE THE ONE TO SEIZE THE DAY.

LIVE LIFE IN IMPOSSIBLE WAYS.

SIMPLY BREATHE AND LISTEN TO YOUR HEARTBEAT.

LIKE VIBE DANCING IN THE MOST COMFORTABLE ROOM

INSIDE YOUR MIND.

I COULD BE THE ONE TO SEIZE THE DAY

LIVE MY LIFE IN IMPOSSIBLE WAYS.

THIS’LL DO……..WITH SOME ELECTRIC GUITAR RIFFS DANCING OVER THE TOP WEAVING IN AND OUT.

Seriously though.

Nice to experiment with stuff and nonsense today. Just stayed in a groove and didn’t stray. But the reality of this today is to reflect on how to develop anything that is being recorded. This was made up today on the hoof. Sticking with the one chord base of A and repeating over and over. After finishing, immediately the thoughts of switch to E or D chords to go into another vibe was evident. Also to overlay very small parts throughout this to give a number quirky individual highlights and dynamic change. Especially instruments. Vocals can also be enhanced easily. Again, periodic interventions of lyrical one offs. Let’s see where it goes.

INSTRUMENTS ARE ALL SO FAR PLAYED BY GRAY SUMMERS….BUT NOT THE DRUMS! THEY’RE BEYOND IN ANOTHER GALAXY ALTOGETHER.

DRUMS WERE PUT ON A LOOP.

THREE PARTS PLAYED ON THE GUILD D25 DREADNOUGHT ACOUSTIC GUITAR. OVERLAYED BY PLAYING VARIOUS KEYBOARD SOUNDS. I ONLY PLAYED SINGLE NOTE TUNES ON THE KEYBOARDS. I DON’T DO, WELL ACTUALLY CAN’T PLAY, CHORDS…….

21 thoughts on “Lighten up. We’ve got to live for today.”

    1. It certainly was fun cookie. Usually tempted to change key at every opportunity. Stayed in A for this…. I’ve just replaced the last tweak. I uploaded the wrong one. I listen through decent headphones for recording. So when I send the songs to myself by email, I can determine compression and effectiveness. I wanted this really punchy. Number 3 is okay. I always ask the guys, Steve, John and Bren, to listen through headphones themselves. These downloads sound completely different with them. Thank you cookie. All the best.

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    1. Cheers Sheila. It’s actually a day the penny dropped. I did this in one repetition experiment to get further tunes, harmonies and other breakthrough instrumentation. Like a lead guitar or saxophone/trumpet, etc. I wanted to create a vibe of layering. Those four or five lyric lines can be swapped around, sung over, staggered, etc. Thought it would be a fun vibe.

      But the penny dropped because I have played that page of songs from the blog the other day a few times over, and suddenly I can hear the ongoing way they are going to work. Literally saying to myself guitar here that can do this, drums can do that, sax trumpet, strings, here/there. And the tunes on top too.

      I don’t know if you yourself do this. Hear beyond what is being listened to. You expand the sound in your head into a different sphere. Add dynamics too. Difficult to explain, but it works. Well….in my head it does!

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      2. It was a weird sing-along to myself. My head was saying No! My heart was saying Yes! Just belong to the ‘Fun times matter’ slant of life. And additions to this weirdness of a song will definitely continue. Mindfulness goes pretty much hand in hand with this need to focus on the present. Four minutes of playing repeated three note melodies. Albeit within a Twilight Zone atmosphere of ‘What will the end of the story turn out to be?’ Or does this particular song, born here in the UK, belong to the very equally weird phenomena of the very culturally related English ‘Tales of the Unexpected?’ 😊 Cheers Sheila.

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      3. Ah, yes, Mindfulness, Gray. That’s why I like this experiment. Those three notes over and over keep us focused and in the moment.
        I would like ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ I bet. I sure love The Twilight Zone! We used to have a show called, Tales from the Crypt. It was spooky fun.

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      4. I want to overlay some random electric guitar riffs today. It is a strange little excursion into a style. Ever seeking a melody, one chord is a challenge. But not an impossible one. The Beatles, Harry Nilsson, The Stones, all wrote a song with just the one chord. Coconut by Harry is amazingly catchy. Harry is probably the greatest singer of all time though. So could bring a mesmerising performance to whatever he had presented to him musically. But, yes, I found the Insomniac song and this one very therapeutic to be honest. Trapped in two moments of time. Whether well spent for results? Who knows….but certainly well spent for my well being. 😊 Cheers Sheila.

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    1. Cheers Danny. I agree now you’ve said it. I now have a fair bunch of songs in really rough form. So can now completely re-record them and arrange them all properly. The good thing with digital individual instrumental tracks is can record something for a guide line, then delete it when you have a real musician playing. Like the drum tracks are from GarageBand. So when a real drummer plays, I just either delete or ‘switch off’ the track from any final mix.

      Next year I would love some songs on Bandcamp and YouTube. Also, do some supporting quirky videos/films. Get the VeeDub involved first aesthetic inclusion. People like a VeeDub hippy/bohemian vibe it seems.

      I may change this song here and go up to a D chord about 2/3 of the way through. The dynamic will lift it completely. And the vocals here are buried deep in the mix. So need to lift them………and sing them properly!

      All the best Danny.

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    1. When you suggested a harp, I did look. But there was that which key note to consider. I had no clue, That’s why you have so many harps I suppose Shep. And in a tidy A to G set up? Admirable in reality. But trying to choose a specific key? Is really difficult.

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      1. I mostly play in cross harp (second position – using the circle of fifths) that’s why a ‘D’….first position is the harmonica in the same key as the song….have to have the lot as Benoit plays in all different wild & wonderful keys…I have two low harps – C & F# then a bottom G and all the keys in between to a high G, three country tuned (better referred to as major seventh tuning) in A, C & D and of course my mini bass harp that’s on Ruffled Feathers….expensive hobby! 💵 🥃🥃🪗🎺

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      2. I have one of those Circle of Fifths dial ins Shep. I still don’t understand its concept fully. But it does give logical guidance when playing the chords in the windows. Synergy and harmony amongst each other. So can understand your harp ‘notes and the songs’ requirements for your individual harp choices. Luckily I have four simple machine head keys to turn and try to keep in tune. So no where near your expense outlay. I can’t read music at all. I could never be a 6 string guitarist who detune their guitars from standard set up for certain songs. I had to read basic music at school playing recorder and trumpet. But even that little mini skill has long gone from memory. Cheers for your explanation Shep. I will look into harp buying choice again. Finally. No bourbon for me tonight. I get too maudlin and write epic length blogs. With lots of spelling mistakes! 😊🫸🏽🥃🥃

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  5. all 3 sound great, Gray….but I’m taking the first one lol….when I played it , it felt so opposite to my mood… made me smile…uplifted 😁(if it makes sense )
    thank you 🤍🙏

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    1. Lots of local people here have been saying they like this one. It was only a little experiment too. I wanted a Mantra of repetition. It wasn’t a Mantra that was really thought out. It just evolved from a few past one line ideas I’ve had for a while. I like the first one now.. so pleased it made you feel good. Yes. It does make sense because I felt the same as the song developed. I was ‘Dad’ dancing (if you know what that is). Basically……enthusiastically, but badly 😊 🙏🏽

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      2. Yes. The good ones creep up and tap you on the shoulder. When least expected. Or a faerie is sitting there on said shoulder and whispers the little inspirational dust spells in your ear. Dust then transforms into the magic. 😊

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