#Frail Autumn,, #Frankie the Fella,, #GarageBand,, #Lyrics, #music, #songwriting

Back to the First. And how the other songs followed on.

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One of the first photographs of the new system.

THERE HAS NOW BECOME THE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE SONGS PROPERLY. THE ADDITION OF ‘FRANKIE THE FELLA’ CAT HAS SLOWED DOWN INTENTIONS. EXPLANATION BELOW. SO I QUICKLY ADDED SOME OF THE SONGS TO BE WORKED ON AT END OF THIS BLOG. THERE ARE OTHERS TOO. SOME FLOATING AROUND IN MY HEADSPACE AWAITING TO BE RECORDED TOO. BLOGS WILL SLOW DOWN NOW IN FREQUENCY. SO THOUGHT IT APT JUST TO PUT A FEW SONGS IN ADDITION TO GIVE A BIT MORE INTEREST TO THIS WRITE UP. MAY BE A WHILE BEFORE ANYTHING INTERESTING CAN BE WRITTEN UP. CHEERS. Xx

A little whet the appetite toon.

Simple is as Simple Does…….

I happened upon the first song recorded onto the Apple Mac Mini M2 home studio recording system. A very basic and naive 44 seconds short first attempt recording in the GarageBand app that was completely new to me. Listening? An enormous self conscious state of singing a simple short vocal performance very much evident.

Technology is a very alien concept to my abilities. And all this was brand new and frightening at the time. Played a couple of finger pad drum beats on the AKAI MIDI Professional keyboards and strummed an acoustic guitar into the Shure MV5 microphone. Then a basic keyboard choice for a simple melody followed by a single track vocal.

What was the purpose of today’s quick experiment? It was to revisit the little ditty quickly and do a few enhancements. It is now hopefully the start of trying to alter many other tracks since recording this one below. To either add, drop out or lengthen inherent sounds that exist in lots of the songs from this basic one.

No strings attached. Like the recording. Basics (left) to more interesting additions (Right?). Yup….Right. .

I can’t record with true intent and sit at the screen recording for long hours at all nowadays. I’m afraid the new acquisition of Frankie the Fella cat is far too demanding. He needs attention most of the day. Not a calm and chilled out cat at all when awake. He simply can’t keep still other than when sleeping. Roaming back and forth continually. And Bengal/Maine Coon cats are vocal if no attention is applied. Very loud too. I can’t see any way around this presently. It’s exhausting to be honest. And yes, I have tried a multitude of introductions regarding various activities and interventions. YouTube advice giving so many ideas and hopefuls. However. Now he knows outside in the garden spent on a leash and lead? Suddenly that’s where he wants to be most of the day. A few hours spent outside, with myself half freezing, is simply not enough. I can’t let him be on his own and off the lead. He’d be off like a shot.

So I had to half-smile at my past prophetic lyric, albeit sardonically, how apt it was for this current situation.

Anyways. First recording followed up with today’s quick add ons. Another naive harmony vocal. And two keyboard extra overlays. Levels of all instruments tweaked. Took about twenty minutes to add the three of them on.

Got to be fast nowadays.

First ever recording using the new system. Well. First ever time recording at this level ….ever.
Added three overlaps.

And the very latest song recorded for comparison with the very first one above. I suppose progress is evident.

TADA…….instrumental tweaked.

Have different vocal melodies currently working on. So this here is the base track of a few little keyboard tunes I wrote and played on the AKAI MIDI Professional keyboard. Drums, rockabilly style, were from the GarageBand library. Added bass guitar run using my Fender Jazz straight into the audio interface. Then played and added a skiffle riff playing the Vintage SG electric guitar and a Guild D25 cherry dreadnought acoustic guitar with a flowing strum. As said, needs vocals and lyrics cementing and vocal harmony’s too. Not an intentional song of note at all. Very much a muck about experiment. Who knows….I may even recite poetry over it! Kidding.

Best heard through headphones. 🎧

TADA Instrumental.

FIRST FEW SONGS TO BE REVISITED AND WORKED ON DURING A BREAK OF A FAIR FEW WEEKS. MAINLY….REDO THE VOCALS, NEW BRIGHTER MIX, NEW ARRANGEMENTS, ADD LITTLE EXTRAS, ETC.. . THERE ARE MORE SONGS. ALTOGETHER THERE SHOULD BE ABOUT TWELVE TO FIFTEEN SONGS ALL IN ALL.

OLD MAN……
18 YEARS WAS 50 YEARS AGO.
EDDIE LOVES TO MOVE……TO THE GROOVE.
MOVE INTO THE RHYTHM OF LIFE.
STOP THIS HEARTACHE.
YEAR ONE.
NOVEMBER, THE STEREO AND YOU…..MY FRIEND.
NO LONGER HAUNTED OR ACHING WITH THE MEMORIES.
TO BE TOTALLY RE-RECORDED.

16 thoughts on “Back to the First. And how the other songs followed on.”

    1. Do you know how that speed up/down/play backwards magic is done on new digital modern stuff Shep. I have no idea. Tape was so easier to control. Like rpm and rewind type technology wasn’t it? I never got involved in that recording malarkey. Should have paid more attention.

      Interestingly, if I record guitar first, it’s really difficult to set a GarageBand library drum tempo afterwards. Impossible even. I would love to get the electronic Yamaha drum kit up and running and use it instead. Play all the drumming bits on separate tracks. Kick drum, snare, tom toms, high hat, cymbals all played separately and afforded a recording track each. Build on build. Then it means I wouldn’t have to learn how to play the drums. My brother Kev was handed down the drumming gene from my Grandad Green. AKA Billy. Me. No coordination.

      The TADA instrumental isn’t going anywhere Shep. I need to get song melody ideas out my head first. And a chosen few of the ones end of last year. Cheers and all the best. And 🙏🏽 ….you’re a legend.

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    1. What happens in GB Shep is that anything recorded externally on a mic or guitar plugged into an interface can’t be altered tempo wise. All the inherent computer instrument stuff from the library choices can be altered. So not a marriage made in heaven. Mind you, I’m going more simple from now on. Time is tight.

      My brother has finally got a Mac Mini computer with GarageBand ready and waiting to receive. So I can send him all the difficult guitar bits to play. You may sit on the toilet Shep, but you’re still a legend. Just a lighter legend than before you sat on the toilet. 😉

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    1. Cheers Sheila. It will be slow though. He works full time, a fair few weekends goes to his lodge near the sea or shops with his wife on weekends. He also looks after his daughter’s dog at times too. So, no way am I under the illusion he has plenty of time on his hands to focus. But it is now a possibility to send him a GB total file to put something down from time to time.

      I’ve been thinking about simplifying every song now. Just drums, (if I can sort out the Yamaha electronic kit I’ll do my own), the acoustic and bass guitar. Maybe a tiny bit of electric guitar to add a riff or two. I’m not stressing about things out of my control now. It’s just not worth it. Shep was talking about speeding up/slowing down songs in his comment. We’ve been exchanging about how bands used to do this to add specific instrumental dynamics. The Beatles did it on a few songs. He gave me an idea. In my head this ‘My life has changed’ tune has developed into a faster song, with tentative additional lyrics and with new chorus now. It can be a new beginning as a ‘first simplicity trial idea’ to start afresh.

      Not in the best of places mentally with my ‘music making in life’ suddenly blocked. All the best Sheila.

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    1. My brother Steve played in our very first band. When punk hit he wanted none of it. So formed a rock band. My brother Kev came in as a drummer with me. We needed a guitarist quickly, found one and The XCerts (a three piece) were born. Now, Steve is still working in retirement and wants to carry on a while longer. So works a full Monday to Friday week of working at a high level. A fair few weekends he goes to his mobile home near the sea. So little time to apply to the music.

      Now we have the cat, it is high maintenance and noisy. Won’t keep still either. Large for his age of 6 months as he is part Maine Coon. Bengal the other half. So very noisy. I’m on my own virtually all day for many days of the week and it’s a bit intense now. Can’t focus on much at all. He’s always on the go. So it feels really claustrophobic now. Hopefully he will settle, but this can go on for years with the type of high maintenance nature Bengal and Maine Coon breeds have. And over the last three months of being busy moving my daughter for weeks on end, followed by vertigo for weeks on end too and then twice catching the full on flu has floored me. I reckon I might take a few months off from WP to rebalance. The garden is now the cat’s fascination having been out a fair few weeks back. So he yowls at the door and windows everyday to get out. I spend a lot of time in the cold garden with him on a long lead of 50 feet. It isn’t Springtime yet and the garden is not really welcoming. Feels a total mess and drab.

      Always end positively. I am trying to spend an hour or two with songwriting and a tiny bit of recording. Have some ideas that are back to basics. So at least I have an aim outside of cat country.

      Cheers Sheila.

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      1. Oh, I thought something else had happened, Gray. Yes, totally understand about Frankie. I thought he might be too much for you long term. I know we couldn’t handle a pet anymore. (But that’s me overlaying our self views onto you and not fair to do). I also hear you about your health situation, the backyard garden, etc. I know we haven’t been outside in two weeks due to the bitter cold temps here and snow.
        Well, music can fill in what available time you have, Gray, and be a joy whenever. No need to push it.
        Sending our best!

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      2. Sorry for the misunderstanding Sheila. As you know, the music takes time. If you have to totally focus on another need, i.e. cat, then you just can’t concentrate or apply attention to it. It’s just how it is Sheila re: amount of time spent with an active cat. So your comment makes sense.

        It’s been a weird past three months. Very unsettling in many ways. And wintertime is pretty grim isn’t it. Spring and sunshine will be much welcomed. For you too it seems. I always imagine your USA winters where you are as gloriously fairytale snowy film land.

        Be nice to get out here more when the weather warms up. The VeeDub Bus is stuck in limbo though presently. Need to try to get it up and running again and get out! That’ll be a real positive.

        Cheers Sheila.

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      3. Yes, yes, Gray about the weather, Frankie, and getting out in the springtime. I look forward to seeing VeeDub pics again at some point. (I’m sorry to hear it’s in limbo.)
        I will probably take time off WP in the spring when we can get out more and also go to the lake. I am dreaming of taking the kayak out more after learning how to handle it last summer.

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      4. Just been in the garden Sheila. Looking around at the drab winter’s aftermath. So a few ideas of how to develop some improvements. I was thinking of buying one of those hen houses with the attached tall metal netted enclosure for Frankie to be outside when the gardening comes back into life. I’ve seen a large 12 feet one that would be perfect. He keeps yammering at the birds in the trees and would be after them in a shot. Can’t have that. We have a wren nesting in the dry hedge/branch enclosure and it is really vulnerable. Robins, blue tits, woodpeckers, etc. all visiting from the surrounding woodland and fields. He’d even be after the butterflies and bees I reckon.

        The VeeDub isn’t keeping its tick over and cuts out continually. I can’t chance it on the road currently. Oh for those old fashioned knowledgeable mechanics that went around in a van performing ‘engine timing’ procedures. Now it’s all computers and still scratching their heads in a rural set up as to whether they can fix certain problems. No wonder I’m a vintage fan. Far simpler days.

        Sounds like a plan with your kayak ambitions. Seeking a brighter outlook this year in being at one with nature is probably a fantastic change of direction. Music continues too. But this seems to be kayak and cat presence determining a change of lifestyle away from the conundrums of others influences on our lives. Would make great blogging subject themes too. Cheers Sheila.

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      5. You are sooo right, Gray, about great blogging subjects.
        The enclosure sounds like a good plan for Frankie. I wonder much fun he can have climbing it (until he figures out he cannot escape it)?!? Ha!!!
        The little birds sound so wonderful. I can almost imagine.
        And yes, I hear you about the simplicity of vintage. We also had a problem finding RV techs, especially during that first year of COVID. That and the whole off grid debacle was what pushed us to sell it and rent again. I really thought we would live out the rest of our lives in that RV and I miss it sometimes.

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      6. In the garden he climbs the Silver Birch trees which are really, really tall. So if I didn’t have a roof on the enclosure he would be up them. It’s the best place to put it as it is top garden corner. If I self made one he could have a large 15 foot square space in the corner area. Put loads of interesting things in there too. Like climbing frames, etc. Cheers.

        I suppose we have lived in a fair few different places and some were perfect for us. When left behind we can miss them. Especially when the children were part of them.

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      7. Ah, so true, about past homes. And Frankie! Years ago my two Shih-Tzu doggies chased a neighbor’s cat up a very tall tree and it took them hours to get it down! I felt so bad. They knew I had dogs though and my dogs bumped open my screen door when they stopped by to say, Hi! So my dogs weren’t on a leash. And they had their kitty on a leash but were so shocked by the dogs escaping that they dropped the leash!
        What a memory!

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      8. That must have been frightening. I have seen a dog chase a cat in that way. But the dog was really large. The cat was okay, but it wasn’t a large tree. It was a large shrub type bush. It was all the dog owner could do to hold it tight on the lead. Went on for a few minutes, but seemed longer. Dog refusing to be pulled away. I can imagine your scenario being fraught. Definitely impactful enough to be a harsh memory!

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