Song Evolution::Electrification

Learning to play an electric guitar is not exactly easy, especially when one has never played an electric guitar before. The difference is akin to driving a manual versus an automatic shifting vehicle. The principles of driving are still the same, only one is different that the other. Thankfully, ‘62 (the name of my new guitar) and I had recorded a song previous to this one and had become somewhat acquainted.

The latest installment in the evolution of Nothing To Lose revolves around a similar theme as Adding Blue only this time with an electric guitar. However, a very important step is taken in the latest version.

There is only one song that I have written that has not had a place allotted for a guitar solo. Every other song has that space integrated into it. A guitar solo, in my songs anyway, is not meant to showcase any special abillities or show the listener how fast I can play. The purpose of layering different instruments in succession is to gain an effect of the song becoming bigger and more full of sound; each new section is building on the section previous to it. The solo is the culmination of that build. It is the time when the listener (hopefully) is “there” and feels the highest sense of what the music is trying to accomplish. Afterall, music isn’t just about verses and choruses, it is about dissonance and resolution, melody and chord structure. This solo in particular is like the end of a concert before the encore. It occurs right at the 2:00 mark, which is only half way through the song, lasts for only 30 seconds, and lets the song rebound for that “encore”.

Besides the solo, ‘62 shows up during the verses and first 4 choruses and then she drops out allowing other (and as yet unrevealed) elements to shine. She is humble like that.


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Song Evolution::Adding Blue

For those of you who don't know, a friend of mine from College named my guitar the Blue Ox (I just call her Blue). I think he was trying to do a British accent and call it the Blue Ax, but butchered the accent and made it sound like Ox.

Anyway, Blue is my main girl. She is the magic that makes it all possible. All my songs are written on her and she has been my instrument of choice for every musical endeavor. She supplied the next bit of music added to Nothing to Lose (NTL).

However, I decided that, for this song, she would not take a role in the forefront, but become more of an accent. Most of the songs I write are rhythm guitar driven and I wanted this song to be less dependent on that kind of force.

If you listen to the difference between this stage in the song versus previous stages, you'll notice a lot more meatiness. Only two parts were added for the majority of the song and I decided to layer three more guitar parts at the end as a crescendo to accent the end of the song. The intent is to keep building and building throughout the course of NTL.

Take a listen and pay attention to the latter minute of the song to hear Blue shine.


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Update

Well, I am pleased to report that "Nothing To Lose" is near the finish line. I have one more set of vocals to record (if my parents and sister will obilge). Tomorrow, my CD changer will house the rough final edition for my ears to shred to pieces as I drive to work. I am nervous and excited at the same time.

This is the most different song I have ever recorded and I am anxious to have it complete. Knowing that a song is not finished is a gnawing annoyance that plants itself in the back of my mind and doesn't allow for things such as harmony and peace. Hopefully, this weekend will bring all of those things.

Song Evolution::Breaking Monotony

There is definately something here but it needs more. It needs distinction. It needs something to break the monotony and give listeners a little more for their money. It needs…something.

So I was sitting with my guitar, messing around and listening to the song as it stood and just happened to play two chords that caught my attention. Those two chords turned into four and those four new chords happened to have a laid back jazzy/blues feel, something I am into right now. I turned the recording off and played the song with my guitar having added the new chords at a place that seemed appropriate. As soon as I did, the little light bulb over my head started shining like a 10,000 watt spotlight. Something missing? Not anymore. Infact, the song had a different sense to it. It sounded more complete. The structure was just how Goldylocks would like it; just right. The fact that they were in a different key (something I’ve never really been able to do) made the addition of these four chords even more perfect.

I had barely spliced in the new bass line when a thought hit me like a ton of bricks. I said to myself, “Self, this section could use some horns,” to which I replied, “Self, you could be on to something.” So I tried trumpets; not quite right. Then I tried an entire horn section; still missing the mark. Finally, I tried trombones. Trombones you say? Yes, trombones.


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Update

Lyrics are always hard for me to write. Even after I have a theme or a direction, getting there within the confines of the melody is often difficult. There are many considerations when creating a lyric. Not only does it have to explain the point of the song, it has to flow well. Everyone can attest to hearing a song with awkward lyrics that "just didn't fit". The chorus is always the first thing I write. It is a central part of the song and directs me in the writing of the verses and bridge. In this case the chorus lyric started as:

"Everybody wants somebody to love them the way I do
So go ahead and love, you've got nothing to lose"

In the metamorphosis of the lyric from page to recorded track, the chorus has changed slightly.

Old: ...So go ahead and love, you've got nothing to lose
New: ...So go ahead, let go you've got nothing to lose.

The change is due to my growing dislike for the word "love" in music. It is well over used and, in my opinion, has become cliche. Besides, the lyric as it is now written lends itself to the theme of the song in a better way.

The lyrics could've taken the song in any direction, but when I thought about what that lyric meant to me, I was drawn to what seemed to me to be a very logical end point; God is the only one who can love in such a way and the only one with the authority to tell people to give that same love to their fellow man. Basically, this lyric is God telling Man that everybody needs the love that only God can give. He is also explaining how he uses Man as His means to that end. Certainly there is room for one's own interpretation within these few words. I merely offer my sentiment.

Now I had to match that sentiment with lyrics for two verses. Both verses speak to the same theme; the need for Christians (And non-believers who "pray") to tell God about all of their problems and expect Him to provide a fix immediately. "They speak about little things, big things, everything in between and how it brings 'em down," speaks of personal frustrations in a non-specific way.

"They cry about lack of signs, lack of time, lack of their peace of mind," is more of a specific complaint that we all use when we are angry with God for "staying silent" in the midst of hard times. But He is always telling us "...let go, you've got nothing to lose." In other words, "Accept My Love, He is the only thing that is going to connect you to me. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain." God isn't condemning people for complaining, He is simply offering a solution to their problems. It is interesting that His answer to everything always seems to be the same and something that we need to hear but don't want to hear.

So that's it! That's my explaination of the lyrics as they apply to me. I hope God blesses you through the words that He has given to me.

Update

The song has full lyrics and a title. Before I get to them, however, I would like to conduct a little experiment.

There is something that has always kept me curious. When a person reads lyrics and then hears the song for the first time without vocals, how much does his own placement of the lyrics in the song deviate from what the musician has written?

We are through the creative process to the point that the lead vocal part could be recorded (although that is probably one of the last steps in the engineering of this song). Now that lyrics have actually been written, I thought I would post them and see exactly how the melody you create for them differs with the written melody.

So, play the song while you read and see what your mind creates:

"Nothing to Lose"

Some people try to tell me

about the way everything should be

they speak about little things, big things, everything inbetween

and how it brings 'em down.

So I tell them...

Everybody wants somebody to love the the way I do

So go ahead, let go, you've got nothing to lose.

Some people try to swing me

when they tell me 'bout all they do

and cry about lack of signs, lack of time, lack of their peace of mind

and how it brings 'em down

So I tell them...

Everybody wants soembody to love the the way I do
So go ahead, let go, you've got nothing to lose.

A lyrical explanation is forthcoming.

Song Evolution::Beginnings

The idea had been born; there was a solid skeleton on which to build my song person. At this point however, there was no certainty that any effort would produce something worth listening to. There have been times when hours upon hours have been spent just to realize that the idea wasn't going in a positive direction and that abortion was the only viable alternative. This is a scary feeling, especially in this case; the song was only four chords, not exactly a lot when trying to sustain interest for what has turned out to be a four minute song. Besides, it was in my head; a place where things like this tend to be squeezed out and replaced in rapid order. If this idea wasn't put to paper soon, it would be no more.

I had a beat and needed some way to record the music playing in my minds ear in a way that allowed me to forget the idea itself and focus on its development. A bass line was recorded as an outline because the no nonsense nature of that instrument makes the creative process easier. It is kind of like choosing a color scheme when trying to decorate a room in a house. Two or three good color choices open up a designer's options when thinking of furniture, fabric, and other choices.

I could rest easy now, the idea had been cemented into place and a solid foundation had been poured. Now to frame the house on top. More was needed but my creative energy had been exausted. Or so I thought. The drive to keep trudging was too overwhelming to ignore. So, I looked through the hundreds of instrument choices available on my keyboard and finally settled on one organ and then another. The style of each was unique and afforded me the qualities that appeased my instincts, so I did what any red-blooded musician would do; I recorded them.

It was at this point that I realized that the song was not organized traditionally; it was the same four instruments playing melodies of the same four chords for four whole minutes. Too many fours for my taste. The song needed structure. The problems were, where would the verses and choruses go and how long should they be? Would one organ be in the chorus and the other in the verse? Would the beat stay constant throughout?. An educated guess and gut feelings led me to the structure that you hear now. Again, this idea was a shot in the dark. It could pay off or have disasterous consequences.

Also, keep in mind that all of this, including the development in the next post, happened within a 30 or so minute period; light speed for this brain.


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Update

Well, I have officially written melodies for chorus and verse. I also have lyrics for the chorus. The verse lyrics are going to take a few more days. I hope to have them finished by the end of this weekend.

And, the song has a name, though I'll reveal that a little later down the line.

Song Evolution::Inspiration

The chronology of a song's birth is always an interesting experience for an artist. This is the time when the unknown becomes reality and ideas never before expressed or even created are born into song. Some of these ideas are fantastic; others will never make the final cut.

Musicians seldom give their audiences a glimpse of this process until it is over. But, just as appreciation can be gained from the finished song, appreciation can be gained from the process of its birth.

Each song starts with an idea. For me, a song traditionally starts with a few guitar chords and a chorus melody. This time, and for the first time in my creative experience, I have gained inspiration from a drum loop. This experience has been quite a departure from the norm but has proved to be the single most exhilirating creative burst I have ever been a part of.

As of this writing, the song is not yet finished and the two verses have no words or melodies. Please, join in the discovery as a song is created from one moment of inspiration.

Listen to the beat that started this musical journey and tune in as it winds and climbs and becomes something totally unexpected.


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Enjoy!

Welcome

Musical creation is a curious experience for a musician. There is always an element of the unknown; a path kept dark but for the immediate tread of our feet. A song may start in one genre only to adapt and morph into a completely different one. The song may have been conceived as a fast song and end as a slow song. Strange and wonderful things happen when instrument and microphone meet.

The goal of this musician's experiment: to share in an experience that is beautiful and frustrating but always interesting. Whether this site chronicles the making of thirty songs or one, it is guaranteed that something will be gained through its observation.

So check back when you can and experience this adventure with me.