Composition Challenge #40

stratman3142

INTRO

Time for round #40 of the Fretboard Composition Challenge.

Every few months there'll be a composition challenge. It revolves around individuals or groups of forum members composing and recording music.

No prizes for this challenge. It's just for fun, a spur to creating, sharing, discussing music/recording and learning. Plus a way of testing the water with your creations and getting some feedback.

GUIDELINES - THEME

In an attempt to encourage more entries, there's no theme for this one - so it's freestyle

You can specify your own theme or the genre you're aimimg for.

Compose a tune, or recycle something you've composed previously. So you can treat it as a creative exercise or just vehicle to get you music heard and commented on.

Picture: In addition to the music, try to create your own picture that relates to your selected theme/title. This isn't mandatory.

DATES AND VOTING

The submission deadline is midnight 15th April 2024

Voting will start soon after the submission deadline and run for about two weeks, with each voter selecting their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice.

First choice gets 5 points - Second choice gets 3 points - Third choice gets 1 point

The entry with the most points wins.

The order and scores of the three people with the most votes will be announced soon after the voting ends.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

All recordings and pictures need to be sent via email to Compositions@theFB.co.uk

Songs to be submitted in mp3 format.

Pictures to be in jpg or png format.

ENTRY PLAYLIST

Entries will be posted in a playlist below as they arrive.

https://soundcloud.com/thefretboard/sets/composition-challenge-40?si=f81721a0b9e640e192b4a6c045e1ac10&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

stratman3142

One from @Habanero in the playlist. Off to an early start.

Habanero

Thanks @stratman3142. It could be argued that it's more of a late finish, as it was intended to be in the last round, but was delayed by a family bereavement.

The back story of the track itself is that it was inspired by events on another non-music forum where two users are merciless trolls. They bullied one bloke until he reacted, and got himself banned. Neither of them seem to have any boundaries. At one point I did plan to put some spoken quotes in the background of the bridges, but decided they were too vile.

thecolourbox

So it's a nice uplifting one then?

Looking forward to having a listen 

Petepassion

I’m gonna have another go, last time rushed it, spur of the moment on New Year’s Day with a stinking hangover

stratman3142

One from @midiman1962 in the playlist.

We're getting off to a good start for this Composition Challenge.

midiman1962

Thanks @stratman3142 ;The song was written as a response to an event that occurred whilst busking during the Covid epidemic. As folks were only allowed to go to the shops and out for 1 hour a day my pal and I started doing a Saturday morning busk outside our village Co-Op. This went down really well and we could collect £60-£70 on a sunny day. Another Co-Op 2 miles away was reopening after a refurb so we were asked if we’d like to a busk outside during the opening.

So we turned up on a freezing Wednesday morning in April, played for 90 mins and collected £11.79 !

Anyway I wrote the song , managed to tell the story and get it played on Radio Derby.

The recording was a “rustic” effort trying to capture the basic drums ,bass, guitar 50’s ,60’s vibe.

It’s nothing special being a 12 bar in E. i programmed bass and drums and played the rest.

I’m not one for multiple takes. Guitar was my trusty budget Yamaha Pacifica and DAW was Cubase 9 Elements.

In the end we were able to donate £2500 to Doorways Derby homeless charity.

TTony

I've spent a few hours, days, weeks, years, decades working on my next one.

Lyrics again provided by a teenage girl (Sally) to a teenage me back in the long, long ago days.  This song has been through various iterations in school/Uni bands though the years, and I've kept tinkering with it.  

It's really simple, 3 chords, but not in a Status Quo 3-chords sort of way (you might be glad to hear).

I've applied some of the tips posted by others here (thanks!) to tinker with it again.

Just the vocals to finish, then it'll be on its way.

TTony

Just emailed my entry.

As posted above, I was gifted these lyrics 40+ years ago by the same teenage friend who gave me another set of lyrics for my entry on the previous challenge.  Sally, from Sandbach in the Seventies, where are you now ...

Recording kit;

DAW - Studio One v5
Guitars - all on my Taylor T5z
Drums - tapped in on my Akai MPD218 using the BFD plugin
Strings - played in from my Akai MPK mini, using the (excellent) Spitfire Audio LSO plugin

A little bit of IRs (via Helix Native) plus some of the Eventide UltraReverb and Recirculate plugins on the guitar tracks.  CLA Vocals plugin on the vocals.

I remember I'd been listening (a lot) to the Doors, Absolutely Live album around that time, and the basic tune is the same today as my original messing about from way back then.

stratman3142

TTony said:

Just emailed my entry...

It's in the playlist.

TTony

Giving this thread a bump to - hopefully - prompt some more entrants / entries

Habanero

There's rarely many entries. I finished a composition last week but am holding it until the next round for that reason.

thecolourbox

I have one written but need to do second verse lyrics and record it - currently only sketched out a bit with basic chords to singalong to on Cubase. I should get it done in time I think

stratman3142

TTony said:

Giving this thread a bump to - hopefully - prompt some more entrants / entries

Thanks. I'd better get my finger out as well

stratman3142

I've got the basic recording done, so I'm nearly there.

TTony

stratman3142 said:

I've got the basic recording done, so I'm nearly there.

Where I've got the basic recording done, I'm definitely there & finished!!

stratman3142

TTony said:

stratman3142 said:

I've got the basic recording done, so I'm nearly there.

Where I've got the basic recording done, I'm definitely there & finished!!

I need to take a break and come back to it, before I finalise things. Not that it will necessarily make it sound any better

stratman3142

Mine's in the playlist.

I set myself the challenge of only using major chords, which has resulted in a happy cheesy little ditty. Next time I might go for all minor chords and make it less jolly

TTony

stratman3142 said:

TTony said:

stratman3142 said:

I've got the basic recording done, so I'm nearly there.

Where I've got the basic recording done, I'm definitely there & finished!!

I need to take a break and come back to it, before I finalise things. Not that it will necessarily make it sound any better

But you forgot the vocals @stratman3142 ;

Sporky

I've submitted mine. It doesn't sound much like any of the others.

The Sprinkles Of Castle Despair.

Presenting the soundtrack to a boss fight in probably the greatest computer game ever lost without trace. "Sprinkles" because it sounds like an ice cream van in places. 

1. DAW - FL Studio
2. Drums - NS Kit 7 running in Kontakt 7 (specifically the tight kit with some substitutions)
3. Synths - Plucked and 3x Osc (both included in FL Studio)
4. Effects - Fruity Blood Overdrive, Fruity Compressor, a few instances of Helix Native, Maximums, Soundgoodizer, and Reeverb 2

TTony

Sporky said:

I've submitted mine. It doesn't sound much like any of the others.

@stratman3142 - at the risk of being called a masochist, I was curious to experience the submission from @Sporky - did it fail the suitability test?

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