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Songwriting game


salmonellapancake

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Hey, guys, I've got an idea for a new game. One person (I will be the first, if any of you want to play) will come up with a concept. It could be as literal or abstract as you like, and everyone who wishes to contribute will write a song or a riff, or even just some kind of melody which is somehow connected to or inspired by that concept. I'll start it off with the first concept (and I will write something soon to go along with it). The concept is "Vices and Vagaries". Do what you like with it :) it doesn't have to be metal, but I know that metal is likely the strongsuit for most of us. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello, everyone. Here's my songwriting contribution for the hook "vices and vagaries":

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2C1fOIUobfyRkdEVnJqQmN5bVE

 

Excuse the inconsistent tempo. I just did this out of the blue without a click.

 

Also, it's alright if this thread doesn't catch on. I just thought I'd do the first part for fun :)

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Pretty murky recording but I think I get the idea. For this game should the next person make something to add to your song (and if so what key(s)/chords are you using?) or make something different but based on the same theme? I hope I can scrape together some recording time on the weekend.

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2 minutes ago, Will said:

Pretty murky recording but I think I get the idea. For this game should the next person make something to add to your song (and if so what key(s)/chords are you using?) or make something different but based on the same theme? I hope I can scrape together some recording time on the weekend.

It's up to you. If you would like to add to it, the key is mainly F#m. The chords of the first part are as follows: F#m, E major, F#m, G major, Dsus2. This is repeated once and the second phrase is as follows: Bm, A major, G major, F#m. This repeats 4 times. That whole section  (comprising of the 2 different phrases) repeats once, finally ending on an E major. There's a bass track in there too, but it mostly follows the roots of the chords, whether it is playing the root, itself, or harmonizing with it. But, hey, it's all up to you. If you like, you can solely use the theme inspire your own piece. I'm open to whatever you're inspired by.

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I put together a vague outline for a song with this theme in mind, tried to record but ultimately it was starting to take up too much time and even after I took a couple hours on about the first 10 seconds just to be ultimately unhappy with the tone. Not my best work (plus I feel a few of my riffs are really unoriginal) but here's what I've got (MIDI export). 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Qig96mjFpaVFZvdXpwenpwekU

The repetitive section near the end was going to be a solo. I think next round of this game, I'll just contribute something small but make sure it's good rather than trying to rush a song in a day :razz:. 

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1 hour ago, Will said:

I put together a vague outline for a song with this theme in mind, tried to record but ultimately it was starting to take up too much time and even after I took a couple hours on about the first 10 seconds just to be ultimately unhappy with the tone. Not my best work (plus I feel a few of my riffs are really unoriginal) but here's what I've got (MIDI export). 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Qig96mjFpaVFZvdXpwenpwekU

The repetitive section near the end was going to be a solo. I think next round of this game, I'll just contribute something small but make sure it's good rather than trying to rush a song in a day :razz:. 

This to me is the problem with this "game".  Can't really see this taking off at all.

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1 hour ago, Will said:

I put together a vague outline for a song with this theme in mind, tried to record but ultimately it was starting to take up too much time and even after I took a couple hours on about the first 10 seconds just to be ultimately unhappy with the tone. Not my best work (plus I feel a few of my riffs are really unoriginal) but here's what I've got (MIDI export). 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Qig96mjFpaVFZvdXpwenpwekU

The repetitive section near the end was going to be a solo. I think next round of this game, I'll just contribute something small but make sure it's good rather than trying to rush a song in a day :razz:. 

Very cool! I like it

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20 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

This to me is the problem with this "game".  Can't really see this taking off at all.

Fair enough. I think that this game still does somewhat have benefit in that it will cause me to write stuff. It kind of has a similar benefit to putting a gun to my head and shouting "WRITE MUSIC", I'm probably not going to write any sort of Magnum Opus, but at least I'll come up with something rather than doing nothing but adding to the ever expanding mass of my waste paper basket until something takes my fancy.

20 hours ago, salmonellapancake said:

Very cool! I like it

Thanks.

Are we going to do another round, wait for possible others or chuck it in (up to you, I'm happy with whatever)?

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37 minutes ago, natassja7 said:

There's no problem with this game or thread, If you guys are happy contributing and being creative keep it going. 

Thanks, Natassja.

2 hours ago, Will said:

Fair enough. I think that this game still does somewhat have benefit in that it will cause me to write stuff. It kind of has a similar benefit to putting a gun to my head and shouting "WRITE MUSIC", I'm probably not going to write any sort of Magnum Opus, but at least I'll come up with something rather than doing nothing but adding to the ever expanding mass of my waste paper basket until something takes my fancy.

Thanks.

Are we going to do another round, wait for possible others or chuck it in (up to you, I'm happy with whatever)?

We can give it a little time to see if anyone else wants to contribute to the first theme. If not, then I say you pick the next them and we go from there! And I absolutely agree about the writing part. My guitar teacher talked to me about how much a songwriting group helped him because it was an obligation.

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  • 2 weeks later...

On 25/04/2017 at 0:12 AM, salmonellapancake said:

Alright, man, no rush whatsoever.

I'll upload what I have now to keep the flow going. The theme is "Malevolence Barely Contained".

I set up a framework for a song designed for the addition of solos (whatever instrument) to try to draw in some of the guys from this forum (wishful thinking), it's in the key of C#Locrian/E Dorian (or D major or B minor) and is at 140bpm. It's designed for eight or four bar solos, but if anyone adds stuff, feel free to do whatever you want.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Qig96mjFpaV1RmUTBRN1d2MEE

The intro solo is one of mine re-purposed from a collab that didn't work out, the tone was pretty boring as he was going to reamp it, so I had some fun with mulab effects (church reverb!). The drone riff sounds worryingly familiar but I can't put my finger on a song it belongs to. Both the backing riffs are a little plain, buy I feel if they were more exiting or complicated, they would be distracting and take way more effort to solo over.

I might add a little more in the way of intros/outros/alternations within riffs and another backing riff as well as actually recording rhythm guitar and stuff if I get some contributions, I might add more solos myself if I get bored.

 

Over to you, salmonellapancake.

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On 4/24/2017 at 8:47 AM, Will said:

 

I'll upload what I have now to keep the flow going. The theme is "Malevolence Barely Contained".

I set up a framework for a song designed for the addition of solos (whatever instrument) to try to draw in some of the guys from this forum (wishful thinking), it's in the key of C#Locrian/E Dorian (or D major or B minor) and is at 140bpm. It's designed for eight or four bar solos, but if anyone adds stuff, feel free to do whatever you want.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Qig96mjFpaV1RmUTBRN1d2MEE

The intro solo is one of mine re-purposed from a collab that didn't work out, the tone was pretty boring as he was going to reamp it, so I had some fun with mulab effects (church reverb!). The drone riff sounds worryingly familiar but I can't put my finger on a song it belongs to. Both the backing riffs are a little plain, buy I feel if they were more exiting or complicated, they would be distracting and take way more effort to solo over.

I might add a little more in the way of intros/outros/alternations within riffs and another backing riff as well as actually recording rhythm guitar and stuff if I get some contributions, I might add more solos myself if I get bored.

 

Over to you, salmonellapancake.

Oh hell yeah I'm feeling that!! Really cool stuff. I'll record a solo or two, and then I'll write my own song for the theme :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey, Will. I added on an 8-bar lead and a 4-bar lead (if I am indeed counting in the manner in which you intended). There's right next to each other but right in between them is a rather dynamic change in rhythm, so i decided that they fit nicely.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2C1fOIUobfyWjBIYlpTTGg1R1k

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And finally, here's my own independent contribution to the "Malevolence Barely Contained" concept. This is a 30-second shitstain of Raw Death Metal.  Major shoutout to Morbid Angel, Incantation, and Immolation. Anyone who would like to contribute: my tuning is D Standard, and the key is E Phrygian. Also, the tempo is 176 BPM.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2C1fOIUobfyMkRxbFhBNnJCclU

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7 hours ago, salmonellapancake said:

Hey, Will. I added on an 8-bar lead and a 4-bar lead (if I am indeed counting in the manner in which you intended). There's right next to each other but right in between them is a rather dynamic change in rhythm, so i decided that they fit nicely.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2C1fOIUobfyWjBIYlpTTGg1R1k

Oh sweet, I like really it, makes me think a little of Dave Mustaine in the feel and patterns, but kinda bluesier. Shows off a little of what's good about the game because I don't think that I would have wrote a solo at all like that, It's cool to see someone else's take on an idea.

 

6 hours ago, salmonellapancake said:

And finally, here's my own independent contribution to the "Malevolence Barely Contained" concept. This is a 30-second shitstain of Raw Death Metal.  Major shoutout to Morbid Angel, Incantation, and Immolation. Anyone who would like to contribute: my tuning is D Standard, and the key is E Phrygian. Also, the tempo is 176 BPM.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2C1fOIUobfyMkRxbFhBNnJCclU

This is also really cool, hopefully I can add a little to it tomorrow night or the night after.

 

 

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7 minutes ago, Will said:

Oh sweet, I like really it, makes me think a little of Dave Mustaine in the feel and patterns, but kinda bluesier. Shows off a little of what's good about the game because I don't think that I would have wrote a solo at all like that, It's cool to see someone else's take on an idea.

 

This is also really cool, hopefully I can add a little to it tomorrow night or the night after.

 

 

Thanks man! I'm looking forward to it. And I agree, that's what I like about the game too. It puts you in the head of the other person and makes you really dig for what sounds good.

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21 hours ago, salmonellapancake said:

Thanks man! I'm looking forward to it. And I agree, that's what I like about the game too. It puts you in the head of the other person and makes you really dig for what sounds good.

Here's your song with my addition. What do you think?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Qig96mjFpaOG92bkdaX25ZWEE

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15 hours ago, Will said:

Here's your song with my addition. What do you think?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3Qig96mjFpaOG92bkdaX25ZWEE

Those are some fucking brutal ass vocals! And I have to say they were put over the music with a masterful sense of rhythm. And the way you multi-tracked it, god damn! How long have you been doing vocals? I could've swore that you took an Old School Glen Benton vocal track and put it over in the right rhythm, upon my first listen haha. Really though, awesome stuff.

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2 hours ago, salmonellapancake said:

Those are some fucking brutal ass vocals! And I have to say they were put over the music with a masterful sense of rhythm. And the way you multi-tracked it, god damn! How long have you been doing vocals? I could've swore that you took an Old School Glen Benton vocal track and put it over in the right rhythm, upon my first listen haha. Really though, awesome stuff.

Thanks, man. I've been doing vocals for around a year and a half. Any improvement in tone since last time I put vocals up on here is probably largly due to advice from FA.

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