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Key of A 65BPM and I was thinking to use an F#m pentatonic melody/solo. I was also considering changing the Bm6 chord to Bdim then inserting an F note in the F#m pentatonic melody. This gets speeded up to 75BPM when everything is finished.
This also has 20 measure phrasing which may be a bit strange.

https://soundcloud.com/planobilly/b-minor-testwav?si=8cea75d443cf4ae99f78023a54eeb1d4&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

| A | A | Bm | Bm|
|Bm | A | F#m | Bm|
|A6 | Bm6 | F#m | A |
| Bm | Bm | F#m | F#m |
| Bm | Bm | A | A |

I am trying to write the melody now and looking for feedback/ideas.

Thanks,

Billy

Last edited by Planobilly; 12/10/21 06:25 AM.

“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Billy that is a lovely sequence and if you played it, fantastic playing!

I think the guitar track has lots of melodic phrasing in it already and that could be why you might be struggling to think of any melody that isn’t already being led by all of the passing phrases in the guitar track as it is right now.

If that’s a real track backing track, maybe something with simple strumming instead of the finger style and my guess is you’ll have a little more space open up for a melody.

If it’s not a backing track and that is you playing, well you have most of a very listenable melody already there, in my opinion.

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Originally Posted By: rockstar_not
Billy that is a lovely sequence and if you played it, fantastic playing!

I think the guitar track has lots of melodic phrasing in it already and that could be why you might be struggling to think of any melody that isn’t already being led by all of the passing phrases in the guitar track as it is right now.

If that’s a real track backing track, maybe something with simple strumming instead of the finger style and my guess is you’ll have a little more space open up for a melody.

If it’s not a backing track and that is you playing, well you have most of a very listenable melody already there, in my opinion.


Thanks for the feedback. As I let this sit for a while and came back to it, I am beginning to think this does not need anything else except for the vocal. Once the vocal is in place some "melody-like" fills could perhaps be added.

The issue is that I don't have a vocalist setting here beside me all the time...lol

Most of this is a Real Track from BIAB.

Billy


“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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This is pretty man. What real track are you using?

smile

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Originally Posted By: David Snyder

This is pretty man. What real track are you using?

smile


Sorry David, somehow I deleted this. PG Music was helping me solve an issue with saving files.

It was Acoustic Folk w/2 guitars in 12/8 as I remember.

This I think.

All RealTracks. Duo. Tempo=75 (60-100)
Instruments: Ac.Guitar, Ac.Guitar
** N/A ** RT2552: Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Songwriter16ths Ev16 075 , Joe Robinson
** N/A ** RT2553: Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Songwriter16thsHigh Ev16 075 , Joe Robinson

I have another version where it went to the B dim....I think it is the same style.

I also like the sound of it.

Billy


“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Billy, I have to agree with Scott's comments. The musical is already extremely melodic. Adding a melody might make it a little crowded, if you know what I mean. Although that's not a helpful answer to your question.
Trev.


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Well hi Trev. Actually, it is helpful. It reinforces what rockstar said.

I don't think it is logical to proceed forward until the vocalist and I get together to work on it. There will obviously be a Top Line writer, me or Jenne. That is to assume we find some lyrics to fit the style.

I like the sound of it well enough to proceed...but have not had the conversation with Jenne. It is as David said a "pretty" sounding start of a song.

Also, no one has been throwing tomato across the stage at my F#m pentatonic comment...lol

Everyone is tied up in the Christmas thing from now till after the New Year. Actually a good thing for me.

The logistics of what I want to do is pretty complex and a lot of work.

Cheers,

Billy


“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Hi Billy...

This piece is so pretty... so VERY pretty. In my mind I wouldn't change a thing.
Very nice work.

/Bobby

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That is a pretty arrangement. Putting a vocal melody on that should be extremely easy once you write the words.

With vocals, you should have structure in the song.... Defined verses and choruses that are the same musically, each time they appear. I heard an outlier chord in there that was brilliant.... However, unless you repeat it in the song according to the structure it doesn't work well. However, that outlier chord could be used easily and to great effect in a bridge, and just used once.

This is a good start to what can easily be a beautiful song when completed.


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The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Thanks, Herb. I am still having issues with finding a vocalist. I also have some other health issues that are causing me to put things on hold.

Billy


“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Sounds great just like it is...

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