Background

Happy New Year to all my PG Music friends and collaborators!

This is an experimental song (truth be told, everything I compose is experimental and a work in progress). So comments are welcome.

Based on helpful comments on past songs I've tried to deliver a bit more "melody" especially in the verses.

This song began its life as Apples and Apples, as in a man and woman very compatible with each other. But then when searching for a voice for the intro I stumbled upon a bells/glass voice that seems to work; hence Apples and Bells.

Technicals
Song Structure: Intro-A-B-A-C-A-B-A-C-Outro
80 BPM

BiaB
RealTracks in style: 1410:Piano, SynthLayer, Rhythm Soul70sA-B Ev16 100
RealTracks in style: 1401:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Soul70sBrightA-B Ev16 100
RealTracks in style: 1404:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Soul70sWarmA-B Ev16 100
RealTracks in song: 3230:Guitar, Electric, Background CinemaHeldLowDarin Ev16 090
RealTracks in song: 4252:Organ, Rhythm BluesSlowFunkyLHComp Ev 085
RealDrums in style:Soul70sPercEv16^1-a:Snare, Closed Hihat , b:Snare, Busy Kick
RealTracks in song: 1950:Piano, Acoustic, Soloist PopRootsyJohn Ev16 100 (Bluesy)
[If John Jarvis happens to be on this forum, all I can say is sir, you are absolutely masterful on the piano!]

Me
Bass Guitar
Played on the Korg: Bells (Gliss Tree), String Pads, Grand Piano (Outro only) and Accordion

Apples and Bells

Again the bass is the strong melodic element. Yes the piano plays a melody of sorts and the strings etc harmonize but the melody lies in the gentle but insistent bass.
Your playing moves ahead by leaps n bounds as does your writing.

Many thanks Ray, your words are inspiring.
I think I'll be a student of melody for quite some time to come. And this subject could easily be a topic for an entire thread.
I've gotten something from this video but to fully exploit this info in a song I would need to invest valuable time to improve my keyboard skills; time that is needed to continue moving forward with the bass, BiaB and chord progression writing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7xLWByiKMM

I have also dabbled with the Melodist in BiaB but haven't been able to produce anything meaningful with it yet. The melodies it produces seem too busy for my ears.

I watched al of that series of vids a few years back. Simple, easy to follow but VERY conventional but that does make for comfy, pleasant melody.
I'm barely able to write a melody with the chord tones. One day perhaps.

I like it.
At first I thought it would become kinda boring without any vocals, but it didn't.
Amazing what some melodies can do


I just double-checked, in your language there's no idiom "apples and apples", but there is "apples and oranges".
Think about it

Many thanks B.D., glad you liked this.

As for the idiom, you are right. I've used "apples and oranges" many, many times to express incompatibility or something that doesn't fit. So I thought "apples and apples" might make a good song title . . . then the bells came along

Bass Thumper

Very nice composition of atmosphere at the beginning of the year. Nice progressiveness in the soundscape. It's pleasant. My best wishes for the year 2023.

Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash

A smooth relaxing, pleasant soundscape.The piano does suggest melody: I wondered if a less busy instrument might make it clearer... but then I know very little about instrumental composition.


Robert

This is nicely mixed.
I can imagine a vocal.
Speaking as a bass player you did good on that part too.

Vic

Excellent bass lines and a good composition.

IMHO it needs a lead line during the verses. The piano leads were just fine.

Here is how I use the Melodist and Soloist. Have one or the other or both generate a complete song using your chord structure. IMHO you will not get a complete song using this method BUT there may be sections that you can extract and use as a basis for your leads. Sometimes you may be able to cut and paste said sections into a complete song. Other times you will get an idea from one or more sections. Just my 2 cents.

Best wishes for you too Derochette and thanks for the positive review.

Nicely done, the bass was the highlight.

A pleasant listen.

Peter

Thanks for the kind comment Robert, I will think about your suggestion about less busy. I'm not sure if this can easily be accomplished but I agree, sometimes less is more.

Mario, thanks for the kind comments. I'm essentially using the Soloist as you suggest and have tried the same with the Melodist but with less luck.

Hey Peter, many thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. Being new on the bass I seem to be slowly developing a style that seems to be leaning towards emphasizing the melody (or a melody) but hopefully not at the expense of de-emphasizing the rhythm. I've got much learning to do to get this balance right

Vic, so you're a fat-stringer too? Great
Thanks for the positive comment.

Hi Steve
Good song
Has a nice melody
Is very well composed as an instrumental song
Great bass work
Was fun to listen to
Good work Steve
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

Very smooth and relaxing piece...the piano lines are very nice and your use of them was very tasteful (they could have been a bit louder for me)...the bass line does do the heavy lifting here and is very nice...I'm not sure I like the the glass bells in the background during the song (a bit distracting to me as they are not tuned well to the other instruments IMO)...but that's just me...I liked the choice of instruments you used...nice piece!

It was very good, I enjoyed listening to it. Normally my ear does not pick up on what the bass guitar is doing unless I make a conscious effort to hear it. But in this case, the bass stood out well and I was able to follow it easily. (It was prominent but not too loud). I think you are making good progress and it is a fun trip to listen to what you are doing musically. Keep on keeping on, as we used to say in the seventies.

Thanks for your inputs firesong. I did struggle a bit with how to construct the arpeggio for the bells, perhaps I didn't get the pattern quite right. I'll think about this.

Thank you for your positive review TM. And glad you enjoyed this.
There is so much to explore in music in general and BiaB in particular.

I really like the chord progression here, so mellow and nostalgic mood. I have many "almost finished" songs with just the progression, but it and the BIAB instrumentation almost tell together how the melody should be. I can almost "hear" it in your song too, so it is like letting the listener build it in his/her mind. The ending melody part strengthens the effect I had, so I guess it would be quite straightforward to fill in the rest of the melody also.
Lovely instrumentation, too. Effective bassline. The held guitar and the piano are highlights. Bells are nice addition.

Janne

I echo all the comments made about the bass line. Engaging composition. Yes, John's piano is splendid.

Nice composition on this one, held my interest throughout the piece.

My favorite part is your bassline, very melodic, definitely the star IMHO.

Good work!

"One bad apple" can ruin the whole relationship. Apples and Oranges might actually be better. HaHA.

Man, I really love the bass in here. The whole song is an excellent "work in progress" as you say. I like the exchange between piano and organ. I really enjoyed the whole composition, Steve.

Well done!

Really a nice relaxing composition.

My (Bud) years on the bass was supporting vocals/instrumental melodies with the notion of never competing. My rare solos were not particularly melodic ... mostly just some slap walking. All meaning I like your movement toward a melodic bass. My absolute favorite guy in that arena is Jack Bruce on his fretless.

Pardon the babble .. we enjoyed it.

J&B

Janne, Storm, Dave, Marty and Bud, I admire the talents of each of you so your words mean a lot.
Thanks so much and keep your music alive

Pleasant major 7th-y sort of progression.

The bells are distinctive, and interesting.

The tradeoff between the various instruments with the lead melody going from a slow synthy instrument to the piano was a nice contrast.

And... more accordion, please!

Loved the instrumentation on this BT. Also love experimental tunes. Put up some chords play with some styles and out pops a very cool original tune. The software is so inspirational. All my songs are done this way. Loved the bass lines. Well done

Thanks David, as you can tell, I really like 7th chords and the accordion

Hey Scott, glad you liked this.

And I totally agree, this software is very inspirational and when coupled with external instruments and MIDI the possibilities are endless!

. . . so much music . . . so little time

The bass lines are great in this. Nice use of the real track you’ve chosen. Good mix. I really enjoyed my listen,Tom

Hey Tom, I appreciate your listen and review.