I HAD A THOUGHT TODAY. I’VE BECOME SO FOCUSED UPON THE LITTLE TINY THINGS AND CONUNDRUMS IN LIFE……..I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO DANCE. OKAY, IT’S NOT EVEN DAD DANCING ANYMORE. IT’S GRANDAD DANCING!

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ENLIGHTENING STEPPING STONES I HAVE WRITTEN TO MYSELF. HOPING YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY.

To put this song in perspective. It’s simply an experiment on GarageBand layering. It has no purpose other than that. It’s been a fun experiment. And it’s been valuable to learn so many more little tidbits.

I sang random lines in the lyrics knowing that I need to mix up the harmonies. The synergy involved in this is pretty complex. I have no idea yet what to bring down below base level to let the sung notes influence the main tune. So have left each one on the same volume level. If people were in the room with me, you can say ‘softer/quieter/louder/express more on these individual words, etc.

The other conundrum is with the question ‘What is the key this song is sung in and played in?’ In every one of the GarageBand recordings so far, I have ignored the prompt from the start to put this information into the set up window. I leave it at C major. Thing is, this song here is played on guitar in Am, E, F and C. So next learning curve is to see if this ‘is always a wrong start up choice’ in this adventure. Which has led to mucking up the whole subsequent recording process. Inherent MIDI instruments, I played on the keyboard, may be not matching and working alongside external microphone uses on acoustic guitar and main/harmony vocals. Who knows? No clue….

Basically what I am trying to say is that the more you include….there is more of the ‘you need to control this mess’ idiocy. I have no interest in overblown Phil Spector type attack at all. But even the learning to balance the sound in a four piece band of actual human musicians, can include at least 5 vocal harmonies, 3 to 10 six string electric guitar parts, multiple mics around the drum kit, keyboards and their harmonies, additional desire for organic human extras of brass, woodwind, strings, etc. and me on my singular bass guitar played part contribution.

You know? They take the Micky out of bass players. However….We are the rock that cements the whole caboodle. Alongside the drummers who are the most essential part. Drop us both out of the basement and you get an airy ethereal eclectic mind warp of fantastic music, but with nothing to ground it to the heart of inherent gut rhythms. It’s the story of human basic soul rhythms of core sound being visited by the angelic choir of ethereal sound from above. Drums and bass are the ones that make you dance with abandonment. And Shamanistic sound that transports oneself to the other side/realm is said to be based on drum rhythms. I argue. Within those drum rhythms there has to be a bass sound equivalent to an either a chanting rhythmic voice or Buddhist wind instrument of haunting insistent sound producing either perfect or harsh melody that mesmerises the soul. Which also mesmerises the other side/realm too. They let you in. Because they wish to learn too.

Nonsense lyrics, and just no attempt to mix at all. Just a bit of instrument levelling on the individual Fade bars of each instrument so nothing dominates or crowds out the others.

We saw him on the dance floor

Loved the moves

Eddie dancing the Rhythm of Life

He owned the mood

Just strut The Groove.

Eddie loves to rock and roll.

But he’s stuck in the blues.

You’re with him

Coz he’s divine

You’ll be good

And he’ll be fine.

Tomorrow’s just a heartbeat away

A heartbeat away.

We’re going through the motions

Going through the motions of our lives

Going through the motions of our lives…….

Of our lives.

(‘The Smoke’ is an old name for good old London Town)

WHAT WOULD BE TRULY WORTH WHILE IN THIS LISTEN? IMAGINE YOU YOURSELF HAVING TO MIX THIS MESS OF SOUND. EVERY SINGLE SOUND ON THE SAME BALANCED LISTENABLE LEVEL. AND WITHIN EACH SOUND, YOU HAVE TO SEEK A DYNAMIC TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL SOUND TO CREATE SOMETHING PLEASING TO THE EAR. NOT JAR AND SPOIL THE PARTY. YOU THEN HAVE TO MUCK ABOUT WITH LEVELLING EACH SOUND PRODUCED TO WORK ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER. THERE ARE FIVE ORCHESTRAL INCLUSIONS IN THIS. FOUR BRASS AND ONE WOODWIND. ARE THEY ALL AT THE SAME LISTENABLE LEVEL AT THE MOMENT? NOPE. HOW TO GET EACH INCLUSION WORKING ALONGSIDE OTHERS IN ORDER TO GET THEM ALL DANCING TOGETHER IN SYNERGY. THAT’S WHAT I HAVE TO ATTEMPT LATER DOWN THE LINE AND IT’S CURRENTLY BEYOND MY REACH WITH MY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE GLEANED SO FAR. DIFFICULT TASKS ARE STILL AWAITING. AH WELL, I GUESS I GOTTA KEEP ON TRUCKING……

So …… please…….let’s realise life’s reality…….and let’s all dance.