OK, the half-done song first....
For a long time, I've wanted to write a blues that really sounded like an OLD blues song, but something I could do myself, just me, voice, acoustic and slide...was messing around in open G, came up with a little riff.......you can play it on the unchanged D G and B strings, but it's better if you can add a little bass.....went something like this....
B 0 0 2p0 3 2p0 5 0 3 2p0 12
G 0 0 2p0 3 2p0 5 0 3 2p0 12
D 0 0 2p0 3 2p0 5 0 3 2p0 12
(for the "12" I was trying to play harmonics....2nd finger on all 6 strings at 12th, let the harmonics ring out, you can see how well (OR NOT!) I did from the mp3.....
Anyway, I've come up with lots of lyrics, again looking for an authentic bluesy feel....thinking devil, hoUnd dogs, lost souls, --- put them together, and got something like this.....
"Devil's On The Loose"
(Vic Lewis)
Better watch your step now, better not get in his way,
Better watch your step now, better not get in his way,
Devil's on the loose now, gonna be hell to pay.
Hound dogs are barking, howling at the moon,
Hound dogs are barking, howling at the moon,
Better watch your step now, he could be coming soon.
Looking for lost souls, no quarter, no mercy,
Looking for lost souls, no quarter, no mercy,
Could be after you, he could be after me.
I tried to record this last saturday night....well, I did manage to get a very rough first draft done.....but oh the problems!
First of all, I'd only just written it, hadn't really reehearsed it enough....there are a few guitar mistakes on there, especially on the harmonics.....
secondly, Saturday night was Bonfire night....the noise outside was truly horrendous, fireworks going off all night, as they had all week before and still going on well into tuesday.....the only headphones I have are airline give-aways, not too great for keeping extraneous noise out....
Thirdly, voice was still suffering from Halloween, had trouble with the high notes, the low notes and the in-between-notes.....
But I managed to get a really rough demo done....I am not the slightest bit happy with it, but it might be interesting to see how it develops....I've had a few run-through's every day since, it's getting better.....may have another go tomorrow, but for now, the demo is here....
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=225059
Right....part two, the half-baked idea (as yet!).....
I've had an idea for a while, want to do something slightly similar to "Sunshine Of Your Love" in that the melody line follows the vocal, as of this moment in time I've got half a riff....sort of a hybrid Roy O/ Cream riff, I've got exactly 5 words, half a line of vocals....this'll need two guitars. one playing the melody on lead, the other sort of filling in on part chords on rhythm....I sort of know what I mean, but I can't explain it as yet.....BTW, the 5 words are "I woke up this morning"....seem to fit the melody line, but like I said,I haven't the faintest idea where this is going yet....
Looks like a busy day tomorrow.......
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
OH YEAH....Happy SSG New Year, everybody!!!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Happy New Year Vic,
This reminds me a little of Led Zeppelin's version of
Traveling Riverside Blues. So if you are going for a
Robert Johnson feel I would say you came real close.
In haven't found any inspiration yet except to
try an Eb tuning.
John
Hey Vic,
I love what you've got so far for the blues piece. Has a real delta feel to it. Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Terry, I could hear this by any of them. Nice start to a new year.
-- Scratch 8)
"...if heartaches were commercials, we'd all be on TV" -- John Prine
42
I really am having trouble with those harmonics, what I was trying for was a similar feel to "Little Red Rooster" or "In My Time Of Dying", where most of the riff's played between the nut and 7th frets, then there's that slide up to the 12th....I thought it might be fun to just strum a harmnic at the 12th instead of sliding up to it....
So far I've failed miserably......
But hey, I can't do worse, right?
This might make a good song for SMOKINDOG to do....he's a lot better at this than me....well me, and almost anyone else I know.....are you out there Ken?
Might need a proper bluesman, instead of a wannabe....I sincerely wish I hadn't posted that song, I could weep....just shows up how god-awful my slide playing is....but look on the bright side, it can only get better, can't it?
The hell with the pub tomorrow night....I'll have another couple of goes at this, see if I can't get it better.....
Anyway, thanks as always for the encouragement.....cheers lads!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Hey Vic,
I sincerely wish I hadn't posted that song
why do you say that ?, blues is all about feeling, I reckon there was plenty in there, and it made me feel good. Stick with it, I think you're on to something good.
This might make a good song for SMOKINDOG to do ooooh yeah.
I woke up this morning where would the blues be without that line ?
As far as the second half is concerned, what are your thoughts on the plot of the song, we know the devils out there lookin for errant souls and youve just woken up ? What now ?
I like it so far, look forward to the next installment
cheers
pbee
ah, no, 2nd part of post is a completely different song.....got a sort of bluesy riff, but in a sort of Roy Orbison way....I've got the riff, I've had a couple of ideas for the verses - thinking three verses, no choruses, based on three incidents that happened within a short space of time a few years ago.....
1 - Bleary eyed, going out to work for 6-2 shift after a good night's uninterrupted wailing from kids, tripped over cat on way out....had several stitches in chin....
2 - Thinking about strike at ame workplace, though that was a couple of years earlier....
3 - To compound the misery, thinking back about the time I got home from empty house, no wife, no kids....no furniture either.....
Part one of post , "Devil's On The Loose" is as yet unfinished....got several permutations of lyrics I want to try yet, not to mention getting my own bloody guitar riff right....hmmm, not much hope for me on "guess that riff" is there.....If I posted "Paranoid" somebody'd say "Goodbye to Love"........
I need sleep - what time's that off-license open? Hell another five-and -a-half hours.......
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Hi Vic
Regarding Devil's On The Loose, I think it's fine as is. If you're going to be putting in instrumental verses and solos (and what's an old blues (or any blues song) song without them?), three verses should do you fine.
I'm going to have to do something about getting better connections here because I'd love to hear the MP3s that people do. I'd even like to listen to mine! :wink:
Happy New Year, good sir!
Peace
Vic,
Way too hard on yourself man. I think it sounded good! I know what you we're trying to go for with the harmonics at the 12th fret, and you pulled it off a few times, maybe mix it up & do harmonics every other time, & slide up the other times? Just a suggestion. I like it though. Good job. Don't give up!
Dan
"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge
hey mate, sorry for not replying earlier. by now you have posted hwo many songs this week? :wink:
yes, I, too, think you're too hard on yourself, I mean listening to the first two lines I was wondering where the bad voice, the mistakes in guitar playing and the noise from outside were. it sounds good, it does! as it went on, I finally noticed that your voice may have suffered a little, BUT that doesn't need to make for a poor singing, you know, I feel like it adds to the song, like being more passionate.... As my guitar playing is miserable I can't really judge on yours, but it sounded good as well.
don't regret posting, I sincerely enjoyed this:)
cheers,
bluenightangel
"oh, eventually it will break your heart" - anders wendin
