BUMPS, SEGUES and INTERLUDES.
Having uploaded a little throwaway ditty a fair number of weeks ago, called The Be-Bop Song’, it got me reminiscing of vinyl additions in the past. In between some of the album’s songs, or start and end of albums, little ditty tunes/songs were present. Just tunes for tunes’ sake. Known as bumps, segues or interludes.
This ditty above was the Be-Bop Song. It was simply a little exercise of learning GB experimenting.
A few days ago, I was adding a tune/lyrics to it (on GarageBand) that was one I had hopeful grander designs for. I just sang in a quick ‘jolly’ way. I wanted to see if the guitar layers interfered with a chosen vocal tune. Or, if it did, then just to re-record later down the line and add further layers for a further fuller song choice.
Here is the little ‘Fun Times’ instrumental. With simple vocal. I tried it on a megaphone choice in GarageBand, but it sounded nothing like a megaphone. Was thinking of the strange English vocal presentations from the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and the New Vaudeville Band. So dropped the idea. And……no. I will not get a real megaphone anytime soon either!
The vocal result above made me smile. It was a lightweight ‘Fun Times’ incidental file away. But…….I got to thinking of my love for little incidental tunes like these bumps, segues or interludes when I was growing up and listening to vinyl. Those 30 seconds to 1 minute tunes that came in between the main songs. Faded in then faded out. Just extra one offs.
BELOW: ANOTHER SMALL SEGUE TUNE….WITH/WITHOUT VOCALS.
Other little songs like this were recorded on a Pentax Optio camera a very long time ago. A cheap low pixel camera. But the video option meant capturing vocal sound, so I had a few songs captured on it. These remind me of those little incidental album inclusions too.
When I had a little Pentax Digital Camera with Video capabilities on it, I recorded little 1 minute videos into it. Just very basic music. So was thinking of the ‘Fun Times Throwaways’ again. I may re-record these again and do them later down the line. Call them the ‘Oddity Inclusions’.
Gray Summers 
those lo-fi videos are gems. I didn’t recognize your voice in the second, like at all at first. it’s cool to listen to the GB experiments, too, each reveals something different and new, like the way art can change in different lighting.
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Cheers cookie. I don’t know if you yourself record all your ideas. Even a few lines of lyrics sung out on their own capture the birth of ideas that can disappear after an hour or two if not caught on mic. On iPad I have the Shure MOTIV audio app. It is a free app, so great to have. I can just pick up the iPad, open up the app and use it on the internal mic too. MOTIV is also iPhone friendly. When you have listened to those little chats to the guys I do, regarding ideas to songs, and sing them alongside the chatting? That’s all the iPad captures. GB, so far, are experiments.
Marc Bolan (T.Rex) has an album of about 180 songs. They are all experiments of songs and capturing ideas. Fascinating to listen to when you have heard the singles’ and albums’ results. He sits and simply sings with his acoustic or electric guitar. Rough, but amazing insights.
Last night I got to thinking about the obvious differences in my natural sounding voice/vocal on the iPad to unnatural results in GB. Today I am going to do a little experiment of capturing voice through the few different mics/mediums/devices I have. Narration and singing. I may share them here in WP if they are enlightening.
These little excerpts of songs on this particular blog are either just little learning experiments of how equipment, mics, GB, iPad, Pentax camera video, etc. works. Or just to capture an idea in case of forgetting it. I often forget little ideas. Thanks for your amazing contributions as always cookie. Much appreciated.
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I save little parts in Voice Memos on my phone. I will check out the Shure app, it sounds cool.
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That is such a great idea. I did have a look on my iPhone a while back as you keep that pretty much on you when out and about. The Shure app itself is fantastic. The addition of the MV88 microphone that uses it properly is expensive and now needs a converter because it has the old lightning plug on it. I have a converter into the USB C modern system. They are unbelievable quality microphones for recording onto iPhone or iPad. Lots of podcasters were using them when out and about.
I recorded chat songs though with no external microphone. So…The app is still very useful. Cheers cookie.
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I use that too, cookie, the iPhone voice memo app. I used to record little melodies that came to me, but haven’t done that in ages! Thank you for the reminder.
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Late last night I had a tune for the new song. Three hours later? It’s gone. Even the two lines of lyric I had in my mind. Tiredness crept up on me. So, yup, get them on to a recording asap is great practice.
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Forgot to add. Fantastic last words regarding art and light. You’ve hit the nail on the head, because that is exactly this whole music listening theme in a nutshell cookie. Brilliant.
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That little be-bop tune is fun, Gray. It reminds me of 1950s music for sure!
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Hi Sheila. I like this one too. Want to expand on it. Currently looking at choosing a new project key for when you are recording a new song on GB. I’ve been ignoring the choice option when the window opens to give the info required. Of course that sends my songs into a mess of weird results. I never really knew that it is super important. 🙄 So I realise now why they sound all over the place in many cases.
I’m in the infancy of looking at this. Been up since 03.30 (now 04.30) early hours. Bit annoyed really. The whole MIDI internal system choices are snapping into that key choice. And my guitar and vocal played externally on the mic are as they are!
Technophobia is a pain in the butt. When the guys start playing into GB I don’t want the key choice to affect tonality, brightness and drive. Stupid is as stupid does. I am so annoyed with this. But, staying logical and positive, at least these songs are only experiments.
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Yep! Learning all the time, Gray. I know it’s frustrating, but I believe all the annoyances will payoff in the end for you.
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It is very complicated when you check out this ‘What key is this song in ‘ process. Apparently really important for creating the right vibe, brightness, emotional response, etc. Of course, technology has changed the ball game. Back when you simply recorded onto tape, it did what it did. Now the inherent technology is messing with the soul. Interestingly, if I listen back to some of the songs at different times a day they sometimes ‘separate’ out. It’s been confusing me for months as to why. Almost like my brain can change the music to what I expect to hear……then catches me out. Only happens on my own self written music in GB. Not listening to music in general. So I know I’ve completely messed up over the months.
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I don’t know if anything here will help or not, Gray. And I know you already have a lot of GB helps, tutorials, etc. Just thought I would look up “why project key important for GarageBand.”
https://producersociety.com/editing-tips-garageband/
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Thank you Sheila. Just had a Quick Look. I will check it out fully later. I do read a lot of these guidance/advice pieces. They actually make me really confused at first. Then I get to understand a tiny bit where they are coming from and that is a few weeks down the line. But I literally am at 5% of learning. I’m coming to realise that to get a really decent recording, an expert is required. It’s far more complicated than I thought. I want a simple clean and bright sound with how it sounds here in the room when I play guitars, sing with voice, etc. GB is taking the vibrancy completely away. So is the MOTIV app on the iPad. Thought it was the microphone use at first. It is so difficult to explain. I get really happy with the recordings at first, my headphones when recording hears very clear results and then, once all recorded, I begin to spot weird synergy.
Oh for analogue again. I’m going to write a blog on this later today. Cheers Sheila. Thank you for looking. Much appreciated.
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PINK HEARTS. LIGHTER VOCAL. Is super adorable, Gray!
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I do love the little ditty songs I do. They are chirpy. Changing from the lighter D to more sonorous A chord made the mood different. I just replied to your first comment about key if songs and choosing the key option on a new project. I never do….🫤🫣
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