March Composition Challenge

[lurksalot]

I’ve bashed mine into something passable now, but my PC is going slow , so I’ll put it up tomorrow.

I was looking to put some words on it, it doesn’t need them this time ….. Shame I hear you cry 😁

[Leonard Smalls]

I done one!

Seeing the pic had someone with a gun in their hand, I thought it best to do a cover of Hendrix' classic "Hey Joe" 😁

 

 

Drums, EZ, bass and rhythm "guitar" , Wal. Vox, me (who else!), lead guitar, bashed up Strat. Bass through Ampeg SVT plug in, rhythm bass through BX Rockrack and Bias amp, Vox through Raum and Nectar, lead through Bias FX, all mastered with Oxone 9.

[lurksalot]

I don't think I can do much more to this so I'll let it loose.

 

I tried to get a feel of a theme/title sequence to a TV show that might have the photographed person as main character.

 

Not much technical really, all bashed out on a digital piano , put together in reaper, smeared with a bit of reverb and rolled in a bit of ozone8 . 

 

 

[NickD]

My contribution to the March round of the Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by the picture chosen by the previous winner...  *checks notes* ... er ... Me.

 

I got a bit of a Bugsy Malone vibe from the pic, which pushed me towards a swing (ish) style. It's a minor 251 going to the relative major for the brief chorus. There are probably hundreds of jazz tunes you could play over the backing, it's such a standard form.

 

Tech wise -  Recorded in Cubase Elephants 10, Bass is the NS EUB with just a touch of compression, Guitar is a Vintage Strat (Vintage the brand, not an inexplicably expensive old shed) straight in to the interface and treated using the bundled effects (amp sim, overdrive and octaver). Drums are the 'toothbrush' kit from Monster Drums and vox are through an SM58, treated with CLA Vocals to mask my wailing. Keys are Cubase VSTs.

 

 

[Dad3353]

Here is my contribution to the March 2023 Basschat Composition Challenge, illustrated with a picture chosen by NickD.
Inspired really after watching the Markus Miller group in concert, playing Miles Davis 'Tutu' stuff. It brought images of this spiv; maybe it's the hat, I don't know.
I started off with the brass lines, all played 'live', one take, on my Xaviere guitar through a Sonuus MIDI converter, into Kontakt brass Vst's, to a drum metronome. Once the three horns were done, I played my Verithin bass, again, 'live', one take, with the same drum track. I then took away the drums and added a new cross-stick rhythm, using Superior Drummer 3. Some fiddling around with tracking the volume faders, a spot of Ozone 8 here and there, and it's done, warts and all.
Thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy.

 

 

[SH73]

The song is about a CO2 air pistol and shooting cans , whatever words I scraped together.

Drums- courtesy of Ez drums

Two electric guitars recorded through Boss DS1 into Marshall clean channel , SM57 off the centre of the speaker into  interface etc etc. left + right tracks

Bass recorded via AmpliTube 4

Two acoustic guitars recorded with a C1 Behringer , left + right tracks

Lastly vocals recorded with C1 Behringer, main vocals + supplementary/backing vocals , mid, slight left and so on

Various mixing, eqs, comps, reverbs, limiter ,......for mix/master

 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by SH73

[Nail Soup]

The gun pic got me thinking of despair at needless deaths in American school shootings and the like. In particular one quote from gun supporter saying that the best solution to a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun - hence the (ironic) title.  So the lyrics went there, and led me to a Dylan-goes-electric musical setting.

 

Technical notes:
DAW: Studio One, Vocals: Beheringer condenser mic, Guitars: Vox Standard 25 and Squier Tele, Bass: Vantage Avenger, Organ: Studio One, Drums: Cheapo snare and floor tom plus a ride cymbal borrowed from the rehearsal room, Mouth Organ.

 

Lyrics in spoiler

  Reveal hidden contents

Verse 1
1 Teacher stands up to explain about the ocean and the rain
2 did not foresee the world of pain from someone with a gun
3 Heads turn towards the door What has that man come here for
4 You'd think there would be a law against someone with a gun
5 School book pages no longer turn When will people ever learn
6 but we reap the due return for freedom of the gun
Ch:    So we lose another soul but don't consider gun control
    Tell us that it could all be solved by a good man with a gun

Verse 2
1 Let the gun men hold their license teach the kids to hide in silence
2 never see the end of violence at the alter of the gun
3 Advocate that school marms should be made to carry arms
4 we can kiss our lucky charms against the lobby of the guns
5 Young white man poor mental heath needs control for himself
6 picks a gun up from the shelf just another gun
Ch:    So we lose another soul but don't consider gun control
    Tell us that it could all be solved by a good man with a gun

Verse 3
1 Now that history does record a price that we cannot afford
2 peace of it's own accord will not come from a gun
3 TV cameras gather round with the dead still on the ground
4 Parents sorrows cannot be drowned just another gun
5 we look forward to the day when the bullets will not spay
6 Guess we will just have to pray there's not another gun
Ch:    So we lose another soul but don't consider gun control
    Tell us that it could all be solved by a good man with a gun
Ch:    So we lose another soul but don't consider gun control
    Tell us that it could all be solved by just another gun

 

[Nicko]

OK, Here is my entry.  I went through several genres but ended up going back to my initial idea which was to do something befitting a Tarantino sound track because the photo reminded me of his films.  Not sure if I got there - its somewhere between the Shadows and a Spaghetti Western but that's the right ballpark.

 

Recorded in Cubase 7 Elements.  A Fender Telecaster was used for all guitars because I don't have a Jazzmaster (a Trem would have been handy though) and the guitars are through Amplitube using Fender Amp simulations with loads of reverb.  The lead guitar also has a bit of tape echo. Bass is my usual Squier 70s CV through a Amplitude Ameg SVX 15 simulator.   Drums are MT Power Drums.

[Wolfram]

Wow, some great stuff here! I'm going to be right up to the wire with my effort this time... if I make it at all. Fingers crossed - it's in no state for sharing right now.

[Dad3353]

  On 24/03/2023 at 13:20, Wolfram said:

Wow, some great stuff here! I'm going to be right up to the wire with my effort this time... if I make it at all. Fingers crossed - it's in no state for sharing right now.

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That's never stopped most of us; do as Lenny and I do, and just 'roll it in glitter'. 

[upside downer]

"Hands up! Nobody move! Hey, you! I'm Mrs D! Do a tune that has no chance of winning 'cus my fella won last month and now he's had the sweet taste of victory he wants more!"

 

"Fair enough, but you don't have to wave a gun in my face for me to come up with something barely adequate and eminently beatable. I do mediocre most of the time"

 

"Just get on with it, wiseguy"

 

"Can I put my arms down, please? It's a little hard to play, otherwise"

 

"Don't get smart, or you'll get this, capiche?"

 

BANG!

 

"Oi! You shot my bagpipes!"

 

 

 

Gear - Spider cheapo brand bass, unbranded cheapo Strat-copy guitar, Epiphone guitar, Yamaha keys, Apogee Mic+, MT Drums, all mushed together with Ableton, Wavepad and Audacity.

[Doctor J]

I concede defeat on this one, I'm not going to finish in time. Ambition exceeds ability, as they say 😂

[Wolfram]

I made it... just! I've never produced anything remotely like this before. Lots of firsts for me in this track; I hope it hangs together. It's been emotional.

Drawing some inspiration from the Godfather and the late great Coolio, I had two ideas for this one and couldn't decide, so ran with them both. Most definitely a song of two halves: an introduction from the hills of Sicily followed by a little story straight from the Valley of the Shadow of Death. If you don't have the time to listen through, do click to the second half to get the gist.

I give you "Godfather's Paradise".
 

 

The tech stuff:
DAW: Cubase 12. Bass is a new-to-me Dingwall 6-string that just arrived on Thursday, recorded with Line6 Helix. My vocals were recorded with a Rode NT1 straight into the interface; all the backing vocals are synthetic, as are all the other instruments. LOTS of VSTis in this one, too many to list.
 

[lurksalot]

  On 24/03/2023 at 17:10, upside downer said:

"Hands up! Nobody move! Hey, you! I'm Mrs D! Do a tune that has no chance of winning 'cus my fella won last month and now he's had the sweet taste of victory he wants more!"

 

"Fair enough, but you don't have to wave a gun in my face for me to come up with something barely adequate and eminently beatable. I do mediocre most of the time"

 

"Just get on with it, wiseguy"

 

"Can I put my arms down, please? It's a little hard to play, otherwise"

 

"Don't get smart, or you'll get this, capiche?"

 

BANG!

 

"Oi! You shot my bagpipes!"

 

 

 

Gear - Spider cheapo brand bass, unbranded cheapo Strat-copy guitar, Epiphone guitar, Yamaha keys, Apogee Mic+, MT Drums, all mushed together with Ableton, Wavepad and Audacity.

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Extra points for shooting the bagpipes I reckon 

[lurksalot]

You may all find something odd happens in a minute , I tried to compose the voting thread on an iPad , and have put it in the wrong forum !

i will post it then move it so hopefully not too much hassle 

hold tight ……….

 

I think it worked 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by lurksalot