Brighter Days (gospel-tinged type of ballad) on Tascam DP-03SD

[ButchA]

What do you think so far? No vocals (yet), as I'm still working on getting the lyrics worded correctly so they don't come across as preachy or way too lame sounding...

1) Mandolin (intro) all by itself.
2) Built-in percussion (drum machine) from my Yamaha DGX-505 in a basic simple 4/4 tempo ballad at 73 bpm.
3) Yamaha DGX-505 in "Church Organ" mode (sound #28), along with the Split Keyboard function, so the lower F# below middle C, and beyond, transform into an Electric Bass.
4) Alvarez 6 string acoustic, strumming along in "D".
5) Fender Stratocaster, on the clean channel of my Boss Katana Artist amp, but yet with an MXR Phase 90 pedal effect programmed in.

 

[Arjan P]

Sounds promising, I'd say. Obviously I can't comment much on the audio quality since its played back through a guitar amp (and then the mic of your video device) but it's something to build up from, like you say is in the works. Good effort!

 

[ButchA]

Thanks, Arjan.... I need to really look into a nice pair of RCA input style Studio Monitors, so I can always hear exactly how the tracks will sound.

 

[ButchA]

Update... Update... I decided to re-do "Brighter Days" and delete the organ-mode Church Organ track and/or idea. I tried this, tried that, and discovered that the folk tune was, what it was. It was NOT meant to be Gospel injected... No offense to Hymns or Worship/Praise Bands...

Here's what I love about Tascam units. Record something. Record something else on another track. Don't like it? Erase it and try a different approach! Over and over and over. No harm, no foul. It is such an incredible tool to work out musical ideas!

Anyway... Here is the latest development of "Brighter Days" (rough mix):

1) Mandolin intro (I can't re-do this. This was "lightning in a bottle" and I doubt I could play it correctly ever again. As soon as I strum that last D major chord (roughly 25½ second mark) on mandolin, everything else strums the same D major chord or D note (i.e. bass) right in beat.
2) Drum machine (this is at 73 bpm 4/4 tempo, straight from my Yamaha DGX-505 keyboard. I might delete this later, after I play my Alesis e-drum set for real, and add a "human" type of drum sound, versus computerized/electronic drum machine type of sound. I don't know...
3) Yamaha DGX-505 keyboard, playing in CP-80 electric piano mode, at the same time, I have the keyboard "split" so the lower register from F# on downwards, becomes a Fender P-bass. In a nutshell: My right hand is playing chords and arpeggios, while my left hand is playing the bass line.
4) Alvarez 6 string acoustic guitar, strumming along playing the chords for rhythm.
5) My old Ibanez Mandolin again, strumming along playing the chords for rhythm.

What do you think? Anyone want me to upload the individual tracks to Google Drive, so you can take them and remix it, tweak it, use it for something?

https://soundcloud.com/butch-ammon/...d&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

 

[shredd]

Hey Butch!
NICE piece...but I'm a little disappointed...it doesn't sound like RUSH at all.
Juuuuuust kidding...I think it's a really nice arrangement and has tons of potential and could go in a lot of different directions. Will PM you about it.

 

[ButchA]

Thanks @shredd !!!

Two major influences: Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones on the song "Going to California"). They taught me that it's okay to tone it down and play acoustic guitar and mandolin.
Ray Manzarek (of The Doors) played keyboards/organ & a Fender Bass Keyboard (sitting on top of his keyboard) with separate hands. I used the "split" function on my Yamaha keyboard and made the lower register a Fender P-bass, while the upper register was a Yamaha CP-80 electric piano.

 

[shredd]

I always had a thing for “Battle Of Evermore”…for the same reasons: all acoustic instruments; but with an intensity to the song, a killer vocal, & of course Sandy Denny doing those great backup vox.

Speaking of influences: the Wilson sisters (Heart) were major Zeppelin junkies. They did a cover of B/O/E that just crushes it!!!

 

[ButchA]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mgWpEbtkyjgZDB_8RUFKg549QbyiqYRm?usp=share_link

 

[BazzBass]

Hey Butch I really like this better than the church organ version.

Yeah, I too am a Zep junkie and my love for mandolin stemmed from those two songs you mention. Battle of Evermore was one of the first songs I learnt with my guitarer mate John back in 1979 when all I had was a rudimentary knowledge of the major and minor scales and the Led Zeppelin complete and Black Sabbath Vol 4 songbooks lol, of course no bass tab or notation, just piano.......

 

[BazzBass]

Speaking of influences: the Wilson sisters (Heart) were major Zeppelin junkies. They did a cover of B/O/E that just crushes it!!!

WOW ! nailed it, thanks for sharing

goosebumps

 

[shredd]

goosebumps

I KNOW, right? I've always loved Heart...for plenny o' reasons...but they just crush that tune.
Being such Zep devotee’s, it’s no big surprise that they were chosen to perform Stairway To Heaven when Zep was inducted into the Kennedy Center honors.
STH really isn't exactly a song to be covered...but - once again - they nailed it...
It's a fun video 'cuz JPage is practically p'ing down his leg with joy, while a very stoic, almost grimacing RPlant (who is on record as absolutely detesting STH) even cracks a smile.

 

[Mark Richards]

...the individual tracks...remix it...

Since you uploaded the tracks, I took a shot at mixing and mastering the song for you. Hope you like it (and it's okay to say so if you don't. You won't hurt my feelings. ).

 

[ButchA]

Wow.... @Mark Richards

That was amazing! All my tracks easily uploaded into a DAW right? You added EQ and reverb and excellent balance. Thank you!

 

[shredd]

That was amazing!

Agreed. VERY nicely done - track placement, sound enhancement, even the reverb. NICE work @Mark Richards !

 

[Mark Richards]

Wow.... @Mark Richards That was amazing! All my tracks easily uploaded into a DAW right? You added EQ and reverb and excellent balance. Thank you!

You're very welcome. Glad to help.

Yes, tracks were uploaded easily to Harrison Console's Mixbus D.A.W.

The FX is a combination of multiple reverbs and delays with differing parameters; targetted compression on drums and the bass/piano track; and targetted wide-Q EQ.

Working with the combined bass/piano track was "interesting". In the future, if you have the available tracks, it would be better to separate them.

 

[ButchA]

Everyone knows I am a horrible lyricist, but this is what I came up with (so far):

Mandolin intro in D
D, D, G, D, G (strumming rhythm intro)

"(D) Sometimes you feel like you've (G) had enough
You just (D) want to give up
But (A) that's not the way"

"(D) You know that you (G) gotta be strong
Might be (D) time to move on
And (A) take the higher road (A7)"

CHORUS
"And look towards (D) brighter days
(Bm) Sunny days
Not (F#m) cloudy days
(G) Brighter days (A-abrupt stop) (quick A,B,D,B riff)
(D) Brighter days"
D, G, D, G, D, A, D (strumming rhythm again)

"(D) Seems there's too much (G) discontent
The good times (D) came and went
But (A) what can we do?"

"(D) We can look towards (G) tomorrow
Where there's no (D) sorrow
And (A) just never give up (A7)"

REPEAT CHORUS

 

[shredd]

Working with the combined bass/piano track was "interesting". In the future, if you have the available tracks, it would be better to separate them.

This...

Everyone knows I am a horrible lyricist, but this is what I came up with (so far):

I'm afraid the "World Heavyweight Champion Of Horrifyingly-Bad Lyrics" title has been claimed - I have DOZENS of songs I've written (some that I think are pretty decent songs!), usually with the intent of having vocals...that ended up recorded WITHOUT vocals because the lyrics I came up with were so cringe-worthy, that I didn't even try, to avoid frightening children and causing civil unrest...

 

[-mjk-]

Wow.... @Mark Richards

That was amazing! All my tracks easily uploaded into a DAW right? You added EQ and reverb and excellent balance. Thank you!

Your tracks are clean and yes, they import and line up just fine.

 

[-mjk-]

I've written (some that I think are pretty decent songs!), usually with the intent of having vocals...that ended up recorded WITHOUT vocals because the lyrics I came up with were so cringe-worthy, that I didn't even try, to avoid frightening children and causing civil unrest.

Try using ChatGPT.

 

[-mjk-]

I've always loved Heart...for plenny o' reasons....

The Wilson sisters were raised partly in Taiwan