A Blues and a not so Blues

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VikingBlues
Posts: 4466
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm

A Blues and a not so Blues

Post by VikingBlues »

I thought I'd posted this yesterday.
Maybe so long away I've forgotten how to start a thread! Or is it just :oldie: ?

I seem to have no time for anything recently but I did manage a bit of acoustic blues of a sort, and with my absence here I thought I'd post it just to say Hello, I'm still around, and i hope you're all well.

A Rob MacKillop arrangement with some amendments by me. In DADGAD. I've added the word "torpor" to his song title as it suits the end result of my playing that to me sounds like someone struggling to wake up and just about managing to open an eye!
:music1: I've always had a problem with the tedious task of practising scales. Just going up and down them is so damn boring. :wall:
Backing tracks provided a solution.
But a suggestion by David Wallimann to just use a drone of the root note of the scale and to practice around that - picking out the right notes etc - is a fun process. :D Great for modes as you hear the character of the mode / scale come through very clearly.

A blank canvas of a single note drone to attract everything else played.
Feelings created by the type of sounds from the notes being selected when used with the drone note.
Establishing a mood. A colour set built from the scale notes.
Minor v Major, the various modes within those, Dissonant v Stable.
Finishing notes in a phrase that are full stops or a comma with the music picking up from it and continuing.
Which notes to play - depends what sort of story to be told.
Something like that! :big_smile:

DADGAD - Capo 2 - Drone note E.
:music1:


Drone E - Phrygian.mp3 - (3.34 MiB)

:music1: Phrygian as soon as the F note is sounded makes you want to slow down and try to bring in darker sound and a bit of mystery.
Then Mixolydian is encouraging a much more upbeat sound, more chordal, and more twiddles.

So that's where I'm at. Better get back to the "fun" of real life again. :wave:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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12bar
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Re: A Blues and a not so Blues

Post by 12bar »

- Just back from my holiday in Italy :big_smile: -

Interesting concept to play around the root note drone, I think I'll give it a try. :dance:

BUT, more important, the Early Morning Torpor Blues is clearly among the best acoustic songs you ever uploaded. Just amazing. :pray:
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VikingBlues
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Re: A Blues and a not so Blues

Post by VikingBlues »

Very kind of you to be so positive about my Torpor Blues! Much appreciated. :D

I was surprised how much fun the root note drone playing turned out to be.
It does give more freedom over timing than a backing track I guess, though it's obviously less musically rich.

I hope you enjoyed Italy - the smiley suggests that you did - whereabouts did you go?
I have been to Italy, but a long time ago - a few visits in my teens if memory serves.
Not that memory always serves so well these days! :roll:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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12bar
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Re: A Blues and a not so Blues

Post by 12bar »

The drone thing reminds me of the intro from Pink Floyd's "Shine on you crazy diamond"... :music2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWGE9Gi0bB0

Italy is fantastic. Time for you to visit it again! :dance:
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VikingBlues
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Re: A Blues and a not so Blues

Post by VikingBlues »

Ah ha - Mariae Nascenti - Milan if I'm nor mistaken! :think:

Though I confess to not recognising anything else. Looks great though, and very mush as i remember it looking in general.
All that's missing from looking at the pictures is hearing the bells ringing. Atmosphere! :thumbsup:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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12bar
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Re: A Blues and a not so Blues

Post by 12bar »

Val Grande, Milano, Lucca, Firenze, Lago Maggiore. :D

Now back to guitar. Too long without one... :music2:
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