Dad3353

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1503624724' post='3359806'] It is. Everything else comes in the form of notes from the writer or arranger. [/quote] ... as could be done with tab, could it not..? Again, I'm not attacking dots, just suggesting that many folks use tab well (and many not...), and it's not always necessary nor useful to learn Latin terms for many modern idioms that will have to be written up as annotations in any case. If jazzers can get by with just a few scribbled Nashville numbers, surely a tab score could be accepted as being sometimes, at least, legitimate..? It's the 'there is only one true path' that grates. As has been admitted already, some annotations are diagrams, or coloured forms for certain compositions. Why not just accept tab for what it does; limited, certainly, but fit for purpose for many musicians the world over..?

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1503613985' post='3359776'] Good work Douglas, I've missed these pithy reviews. [color=#800080]Cheers; I've missed doin' 'em, too. Here's hoping I can keep it up. [/color] Just for clarification, the "nylon guitar" is my steel-strung Ami parlour guitar [color=#800080]Rats..! Cheated by the style of play again..! Darn these old ears..![/color] The authentic crashes are Paiste 18" thin China, 10 and 6" splash, all Sig series. Well spotted! [color=#800080]Well, I am a drummer (and long-time Paiste player/enthusiast, too..![/color] ). [/quote]

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1503613043' post='3359766'] I think you'll find that it is not actually two persons... [/quote] Well it looks like two people to me..!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1503609171' post='3359726'] As someone who was getting seriously into music whilst Pink Floyd were producing some of their best known works I've always thought that they were mostly "A bit sh*t". [/quote] Lucky, then, that Mr Venom came along to raise the bar, eh..?

Now then, where was I..? Ah yes ... [quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1503237733' post='3356598'] I'm in! Still all done in the box on the R24, not had the time to do the music AND learn how to use Reaper... [url="https://soundcloud.com/julian-moss-511168525/structure-devine"]https://soundcloud.c...tructure-devine[/url] [/quote] [color=#800080][b]'Structure Devine ', from MoonBaseAlpha ...[/b][/color] The clash of an authentic oriental cymbal announces the arrival of a complex effervescence bubbling away over a dramatic bass and strummed guitars, melting into a solid stride. A gentle slow drum beat marks the time for a guitar to solo over, while the bass takes on its more traditional role, accompanied by the strummed guitar. Another dose of the 'ol' bubbly', this time with the 'lead' guitar joining in, then back to the more sedate tones of the nylon guitar taking the fore. A break, or lull, returning us to the introductory 'clash' and a re-affirmation of the theme just in time to allow the bubbles to subside, and silence is restored. We're transported for these few brief minutes into a mysterious world, combining torment with calm, an opposite of sentiments quite in keeping with the contrasts of the picture. A good listen, soundly fashioned, well played with deceptively simple elegance. Nice; very nice. [quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1503409641' post='3357988'] Submitting as an also-ran [url="https://soundcloud.com/alittlebitrobot/senusret"]https://soundcloud.c...trobot/senusret[/url] I've been away from this site, among others, for a while. It's two years since I took part in the composition challenge. I'm happy to see it's still going strong but I. AM. RUSTY. I've named my track Senusret because if you've seen the pyramid of Senusret I, it's a good indicator of my attempt at building a pyramid here. My tracks always seem to come out so quiet. I really need to do some research on compression/limiting or something. If I set the waveform to [i]just [/i]below the point where it's clipping, it comes out quiet. Very frustrating. So this track is of no use to anybody listening on laptop speakers. [/quote] [color=#800080][b]'Senusret', from alittlebitrobot...[/b][/color] There's a very low background noise from the outset; was this recorded in a London Underground station..? An echoey guitar introduces the theme with a strong oriental perfume. A bass doubles the riff, but only for a second; the percussion starts up, the bass taking on a 'dubster' role as the guitar becomes bolder, swaying to each side rhythmically. A distant flute floats behind as the bass is left to fend (admirably...) for itself for a short while. The percussion creeps back in, along with the plaintiff guitar, until all share a protracted fadeout into the desert quiet, with not even a passing camel train to disturb the hush. Eminently expressive, the theme sits well with the picture. The execution is faultless, as is the mix; slightly puzzled by the into; is that an effect, a recording 'glitch' or my ears playing up again (the most likely scenario, I fear...)..? Jolly good, in any case; a worthy entry. [quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1503498487' post='3358739'] My ramblings. [url="https://soundcloud.com/garrycribb/nomadic-adventures"]https://soundcloud.c...adic-adventures[/url] [/quote] [color=#800080][b]'Nomadic Adventures', from lowdown ...[/b][/color] We're straight in to the Arabian Nights, with a wistful oriental clarinet and evocative strings. A discreet soft pattering of percussion adds another layer of Eastern promise. A drum kit brings a touch of modernity, but only a touch; the authenticity remains; the soft drums serve only to push the beat's pulse along. The clarinet holds the limelight with its slightly mournful melody, then retires, along with the rhythm, leaving space for a solo string spot; a calm oasis before the theme returns, shuffling forward, calling upon the desert air, with no reply. A thoughtful, deftly-constructed piece which does well in its short span to cover such wide ground. Bang on target for the theme, of course, with high quality execution and subtle choice of tones to convey the sentiments portrayed. Good Stuff is not high enough praise. If there are any late entries, I'll try to catch 'em as they fall; other than that... Give 'em all a listen, and vote for your choice once the voting's put up.

I've got Stuff happening right now, and for the next week or so at least, so I'll get this in whilst I can. Here, then, is... [color=#800080][b]The Return Of 'Play Of The Day'..![/b][/color] In order of appearance... [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1501782636' post='3347365'] I'm in... [url="https://soundcloud.com/gxmix/pyramids"]https://soundcloud.com/gxmix/pyramids[/url] Found inspiration from it quite easily & tried to take it from a camel rider's perspective. [/quote] [color=#800080][b]'Pyramids ', from xgsjx ...[/b][/color] Straight in with an oriental feel. The plaintif voice wails over a drone, until a 'wah' rhythm establishes a tempo, to be joined by a 'big beat' tub-thumping bass drum. There's a menacing grumble of bass in the background, and various arial pads floating around. The 'big beat' retires, leaving space for a soft, rocking bass riff and distant percussion; a sanctuary of calm. It couldn't last, the thumping resumes, the voice is more to the fore than ever. A joyous fiddle steps forward with authentic-sounding licks, bringing a touch of humanity into the electronica swirling around. A climax is built up, but cuts off, leaving simply the drone, the wah and, of course, the wailing chant reaching resolution just in time to fade into distant reverberation. A mix of cultures here, with the picture ably represented by the forceful vocals. There is modernism in the use of heavy disco, and an almost Gregorian, monochordal feel to the underlying harmonies. There is relief from the relentless, insistant pressure when the break arrives, with a more tunefully -present bass line, but it's back to the grind when the thumping picks up again. The fiddle is a nice touch, giving the ear welcome distraction from the unrelenting lamentation. It all ends neatly, almost tied with a bow. Good contruction, aptly fitted to the theme, and cleanly, faultlessly executed . Good Stuff. [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1501813017' post='3347528'] Here's mine, too, equally inspired by the beast's progression ... [url="https://soundcloud.com/dad3353/inexorable-what-goes-up-must-come-down"]Inexorable (What goes up must come down...) ...[/url] Something of a tone poem, really, or atmospheric piece, rather than EDM. I was looking to create a sense of both the immediate and yet the eternal; the ephemera and the timeless. A touch of human in an insentient landscape, an incongruous passage past the immobile monuments. There's a couple of 'jokes' in there, too, in both the form (a pyramid waveform...) and the repeated rising and falling of both the 'melody' and the key; some may recognise the Circle of Fifths being once again abused. Incidentally, the scale used is not authentic Egyptian, despite its familiarity; it's really the Hungarian scale, which better serves my purposes, being symmetrical (the twelve semi-tones are spaced 1-3-1-2-1-3-1...), as is a pyramid..! Kontakt 'World Percussion' for the darbukas (playing in 7/4 and 4/4 time...), a Ruby acoustic bass, Kontakt Pearl piano, a snatch of Desert Song and some home-generated samples of oud snippets, all sanded down with some slightly complex desert winds, made up of three instances of the Wind module by Xoxos (Sounds Of Nature...). Thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy. [/quote] [color=#800080][b]'Inexorable (What goes up must come down...) …', from Dad3353 ...[/b][/color] Wind (or is that water..? No, surely wind...), through which penetrates a plodding string bass and a derbuka. There's a rising and falling scale from a piano, and occasional interspersed phrases from an oud. As the scales themselves rise and fall, a plaintiff song wafts across the plain. The solid gait of the bass continues imperturbably, punctuated by the oud. The music plays, the caravan of one passes. The picture is complete. The few moments are glimpsed, then lost in the wind as eternity reclaims its space. As things ever were, so they ever shall be. [quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1502569714' post='3352283'] I went for what I think is quite an appropriate feel to match this month's pic. I approached it by thinking of a middle-eastern feel, which immediately made me think of The Fifth Element. I never got my Doom array into this one (aww shucks you all cry!) but I think the Epic Tech kit from Damage gave it a little bit of the feeling from the Diva Dance from the film. Feyron's Flute (a freebie instrument from here - [url="http://vstbuzz.com/freebies/feroyns-flute/"]http://vstbuzz.com/f.../feroyns-flute/[/url]) provides the melody. Synths are from Massive mostly and vocals from Ethera 2 and Ethera Soundscapes. The calabash and djembe percussion instruments come from West Africa from Komplete. [url="https://soundcloud.com/mornats/ta-seti"]https://soundcloud.com/mornats/ta-seti[/url] [/quote] [color=#800080][b]'Ta-Seti', from Mornats ...[/b][/color] A drone, a lone flute, suspense... A patter starts up with a splutter, with a grunting didgeridoo, followed by a haunting voice, playing against the flute. The pace seems to quicken, become more urgent... A solid shuffling beat imposes its presence, introducing slicing violins to join th growing throng... The heat wavers; a short pause. No respite, the beat comes back all the stronger, the flute is twinned in disonant harmony, complaining shrilly to no-one's ears in the wilderness. The throbbing violins bring the piece to the boil, only to relinquish hold and allow the flute and low percussion to have the final word. A fine evocation, taking us on a journey beyond the frame of the picture, landing us gently back to where we left, slightly wiser. [quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1503169883' post='3356239'] Ok then, for my sins I am in, there is a schpeil and the lyrics on the soundcloud , and when I get my new credit card through I will pay the subs on there , it seems only fair [url="https://soundcloud.com/lurksalot/es-a-giza-master"]https://soundcloud.c...s-a-giza-master[/url] enjoy [/quote] [color=#800080][b]'E's A Giza', from lurksalot ...[/b][/color] A slightly swung drum intro, an enthusiastic squeal and we're off at a modest rolling, hopping gait. Funky 'chic' guitars riff cleanly back and forth as the song proper starts up. Spoken, more than sung, the tale unfolds, and the band plays on. A decent rollicking bass line, sometimes less, sometimes more, underpinning the relentless rhythm guitar stoicly strumming away as the lead wails away, the drums plodding along. Altogether an honest backing to a well-constructed storyline, perfectly in harmony with this month's theme, culminating in one of the most darned-awful puns I've heard in many a Basschat Challenge. Full marks even for considering such a thing, let alone pulling it off. Horrendous; well done. To be continued...

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1503601794' post='3359636']...the famous Abbey Road technique to EQ the reverb... [/quote] Not so famous that I'd heard of it, so thanks for the tip. The fellow does an excellent job of demonstrating it; I'll certainly be trying it out. I'll have to start using Fx sends even more, it seems.

(G[i]asp..! ) [/i]I've just noticed that there are [i]two [/i]people on that camel..! Will I have to re-write my whole month's work..? Darn these old eyes..!

Already recounted [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/307866-gas-poverty-what-a-crock-of/page__view__findpost__p__3325610"]here...[/url], we once lent our bass to Rodney Curtis for a festival gig, as his own was faulty.

Someone needs a box for shipping a bass, maybe..?

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1503523717' post='3358974'] Album #1 Joy Division - Substance Album #2 Joy Division - Substance Album #3 Joy Division - Substance Album #4 Joy Division - Substance Album #5 Joy Division - Substance [/quote] Well, I looked 'em up. I skipped across the Youtube tracks; there's no way I'm going to waste a whole hour of my life giving [i]that [/i]the works, not at my time of life. And to think they actually blagged record deals with that..! Amazing salesmanship. I did appreciate the irony of the title, it being spectacularly devoid of it, in my view.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1503569816' post='3359225'] Skream! - Skream - 2006... [/quote] It's amazing just how long four minutes can become.

[quote name='itsmedunc' timestamp='1503518842' post='3358928'] BF Midgets. Phenomenal light little things. [/quote] My fault, I misread that. I thought the suggestion was for [i]MG[/i] Midgets. Sorry; as you were.

[quote name='giamma' timestamp='1503563629' post='3359116']...seems I'm looking for something that simply doesn't exist [/quote] Welcome to Basschat. ...

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1503563760' post='3359117']...recommending drum'n'bass. [/quote] ([i]Shudder[/i]...) Perish the thought..!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1503552188' post='3359046'] Yep, but I'm one of the good ones ... [/quote] Who's the other one..? ...

Good morning, Nick, and ... [sharedmedia=core:attachments:167528] Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Advice..? Look for a bass tutor in your area (I see you've found our 'Tutor' section already..? Good show...) and see about a few 'starter' lessons, to get you on the right track..? What kind of music do you want to play..? Any favourite tunes you'd like to learn..? They'll be the first questions to answer, I suspect.

[quote name='Avi14' timestamp='1503512268' post='3358861']... Recently, I have covered 'Locked Out of Heaven' by Bruno Mars. Do let me know if you are finding any improvement... [/quote] You're doing fine (although still playing stuff I've not heard before, what with me being old 'n all..! ). As comparison, see and listen how this fellow plays that same piece, using a pick, as you are.. [media]http://youtu.be/pePw8WDw1Eo[/media] Compare to the 'live' videos of the band, too. It's worth trying, as an exercise at least, playing 'finger-style', as an alternative technique, or playing using the pick 'up and down', instead of just down-strokes. These are just variants; what you're doing is not wrong, but having several options is usually a Good Thing. Any chance of teaming up with some buddies and playing along with drums and the like, 'live'..? It makes all the difference, playing with other folks. It's not always possible or easy, but brings a whole new dimension to one's playing. Just sayin'. Keep it up; it's working. Only another forty-odd years to go..! ;-)

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1503527871' post='3359007']...I hope it sounds ok to you! [/quote] Master of the understatement, eh..? Mmm, well, alright, OK it is, then. ... No, seriously, this is a worthy sequel to the (deservedly...) winning composition of last year; and hopefully a prequel to a trilogy..? It's going to be a challenge, too, writing the script for the film that this (and its predecessor...) conjures up..! There's a sparse nature in the paradoxically rich tapestry which unfurls relentlessly before us, and a grim undercurrent of foreboding in the rapid pulsation. One is tempted to lend reconnaissance to the 'lyrics'; images are evoked from some mysterious, unknown depth of psyche, temptingly familiar yet totally foreign. I imagine that a fair amount of time was spent on the vocals; that time has paid off handsomely. Not to neglect the rest of the orchestration, with some surprising dissonances in the piano, keeping us on edge, helped in this by the edgy strings and industrial 'noises off'. A nice echo back to the previous piece in the slight calm, only to take off once again, up to a restrained crescendo. Excellent work; thanks for sharing.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1503523717' post='3358974'] Album #1 Joy Division - Substance Album #2 Joy Division - Substance Album #3 Joy Division - Substance Album #4 Joy Division - Substance Album #5 Joy Division - Substance [/quote] I think I perceive the inklings of a trend creeping in here... (No, I've never heard of 'em; I'll look it up. One never knows, I might even like it... )

[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1503511540' post='3358855'] Is this Prat Bass in Spain?... [/quote] He's said (above...) that it's coming from the States.

Jack Casady. Any and all of it.

Our singist has had, for the past decade or so, the habit of ending just about every one of our numbers with a rather laconic 'Thank you', whether or not there's any reaction from the attendance. Looking back at the videos, it looks suspiciously like taking the pee, although that's not his nature. I think it's more of a nervous tic, really.

Ooo look..! A bee..!

And..? And..? ([i]sounds of fingers drumming, foot tapping, room being paced a-pace, nails being chewed, the wringing of hands .[/i]..) And..?