3rd try at an acoustic composition - "Leaving"

[VikingBlues]

Had a few goes the last few days at plying blues. Result??? .... mmmph .... zilch, nada, nil, rien, zero, niente, zip.

I then remembered I have an ongoing project this year - trying to compose "tunes" for acoustic guitar. Four months since my last attempt. So - this is just attempt number three at composing a tune. Done with no theory being applied, because I don't know it - making it up by trial and error. Partial capo fret 4 strings 3,4 and 5 - so that I don't get distracted by standard chords that I do know.

SO - Fair to say I'm still at the musical equivalent stage of Nursery Rhymes, but without as strong a melody. Gotta start at the bottom and work up I guess.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12868249

At least it produced something - even if it's pretty trivial. Worrying how the blues don't come calling on me. I also tried a couple of the electric guitars in those blues attempts I mentioned and they felt really quite alien.

[MichaelRobinson]

Hello Mark

With your permission, I would try to put some other notes to your song. Your song is the backbone of the whole thing and I'll do what I can to hear a melody that fits. I know it is hard for me and it might not be anything.
Anyway, I want to try. Do I have your permission to download the song to me and put my music on your music?
I hear something faintly walk around in my head when you play. A melody I do not get a grip on.

Pleas. Let my try !!

Cheers

[12bar]

You may not know much theory, but it's hard to believe since it sounds so natural, a logic progression of chords. It sounds as if you finally found your musical style where you feel home.
(I hope the Blues will come back one day )

[VikingBlues]

Hello Mark

With your permission, I would try to put some other notes to your song. Your song is the backbone of the whole thing and I'll do what I can to hear a melody that fits. I know it is hard for me and it might not be anything.
Anyway, I want to try. Do I have your permission to download the song to me and put my music on your music?
I hear something faintly walk around in my head when you play. A melody I do not get a grip on.

Pleas. Let my try !!

Cheers

Michael - no problem with me if you want to do that. I like those moments when some sort of idea of a tune starts tickling the brain.

You may not know much theory, but it's hard to believe since it sounds so natural, a logic progression of chords. It sounds as if you finally found your musical style where you feel home.
(I hope the Blues will come back one day )

I hope the blues will come back too ... it almost spluttered into some sort of spark of life in the first couple of minutes - then it all faded away.

Glad it sounded like a logical progression - I suppose because I am relying on just what I hear it's mare likely to do that than if I was trying to arrange it using theory that I didn't understand. It all stems from trial and error and improv and finding which combinations of notes work - then trying to piece them together. But you're right - I do feel happily at home - and it's very odd because it's music I've never really listened to much. Maybe I did in a past life?

It's getting a bit embarrassing posting so many non blues tunes into the blues room - I think maybe that I should start an off-topic thread for my non blues activities.

[12bar]

Regarding theory: music theory is not physics. Although you may find some frequency ratios melodic and others not, it's very much a psychical thing. If it where not, we wouldn't have so many different styles, eastern, western, arabic, classic, pop etc.

All this theory on chord progressions and writing and composing songs is build mainly on experience - what sounds good, what bad? So if you trust your ears there's nothing wrong. The theory might give another idea here and there, but the main theme is pure creativity.

[Blindboy]

Very nice!
It does sound like you've found your comfort zone. Hope to hear more. As for the blues, don't force it... they'll come back when the time is right. If not, don't sweat it, and play what you play.
Look on youtube, or somewhere, for Reverend Billy C Wirtz, "Can't Seen to Get the Blues". Funny song!

[VikingBlues]

Very nice!
It does sound like you've found your comfort zone. Hope to hear more. As for the blues, don't force it... they'll come back when the time is right. If not, don't sweat it, and play what you play.
Look on youtube, or somewhere, for Reverend Billy C Wirtz, "Can't Seen to Get the Blues". Funny song!

Thanks BB.

I've just been listening to the Billy C Wirtz - great song and very funny - got me grinning anyway, which is a good way to start a week-day.

I did think there were signs of the blues stirring for me with "Rambling on my Mind" and "Where's that Teaspoon At" last month, but heigh-ho. Like you say, it'll come along in it's own good time. So many different things I'm trying to look at this year with the acoustic instruments, that there's maybe just not room for it to shoulder its way to my attention.

[CarsickPhil]

My eye caught this on my return visit to 12bar.de as it is acoustic and by Viking Blues. Nice melody. More melodic than most blues and nice chord choices. I think the addition of a few well timed bass notes to the fingerpicking would set out the structure more clearly for the listener and get feet tapping. Nice work.
Cheers
Phil

[VikingBlues]

Thanks Phil - I'm encouraged by what you say.

I'm very new to this composition mullarkey ... it's very time consuming, and I really wish i had more time to spare for it so that I could make better progress.

[benjolin]

+1 to the opinion that the bass sounds a bit dull.

For this song you should try a good classical guitar with nylon strings, it´s bass notes are clearer and have more sustain than the steel guitar.

Oh and the piece is beautiful!!!!! If it sounds right to you, it´s right.