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#718823 06/02/22 04:59 AM
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Hey folks,

Here is my latest A Summertime Long Ago

Comments welcome.

I'm self-taught, been playing bass for 6 years, working with BiaB for about 2 years, writing/arranging for about 1.5 years and I "graduated" to Studio One from Audacity 6 months ago so please be somewhat gentle; I have much to learn but it's been fun.

BiaB:
Percussion
Guitar 1
B3 Organ
Sax

My buddy Marty:
Guitar 2
Piano 1
Piano 2

Me:
Thumping on my bass

Mixed in Studio One Artist

If nothing else, we can agree that Eric Marienthal knows his way around his Alto Sax. If anyone is in contact with him, let him know that this is one newbie that really appreciates his talent . . . world class for sure smile

Last edited by Bass Thumper; 06/02/22 05:09 AM.

https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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Bass Thumper,
A bit repetitive, but meditational & listens well. Good, clear mix. Nice playing! Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

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Hey Misha,
Thanks for the kind words. I would not have thought it is meditational but upon meditating on it, I guess it is smile I was going for melancholy/sad.

As far as the clear mix, that is credited to Studio One. Audacity could never have produced anything nearly as crisp or dynamic.

Can you elaborate a bit on the repetitiveness ?

Do you think the verses were too repetitive (too many, 5) or the vamping on Am when the sax kicks in on the outro?


https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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Bass Thumper

That's a really pretty melodic song! It would make a great track for someone to put a vocal on! Studio One is a great product! It's so user friendly and very intuitive! Nice work!

Thanks, Torrey

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That is exceptional backing band for either a vocal or and instrumental lead, except of course when the sax starts.

Great use of RTs and very good bass playing.


Love is grand.
Divorce is twenty grand!

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
It would make a great track for someone to put a vocal on! Studio One is a great product! It's so user friendly and very intuitive! Nice work!


Thanks Torey,
Adding vocals never occurred to me; probably because I don't sing. If anyone is interested in that, let me know.
And I agree about Studio One, it's a wonderful tool that I'm just scratching the surface of.
Is it an exageration to say that we are in the golden age of computer assisted music creation?
It certainly seems golden to me smile


https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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Originally Posted By: MarioD


Great use of RTs and very good bass playing.


Thanks Mario, I'm still a newbie on the bass (and BiaB) and I notice that for me there is no substitute for strapping on my Fender and spending time playing.


https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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Hello Bass T,

I really liked the transition from the guitar to the band!
It's a very nice melody, full of surprises, like that sax.
I wasn't expecting that when the song began.
I find it very entertaining, a bit jazzy and not meditational.
And your tumping on the bass was delightful, although I would have taken a fretless bass guitar here(for the extra mood).

Enjoyed it!
Hans


Hans Berkhout
(Birchwood)
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BT,
I listened to this as a bass study/exercise...the other bits are nice but it was your bass progress I listened for.

The spot at 3.30 was the pay off.
You've stuck to and consolidated your choices and timing with the groove but at that spot, and after, you slipped in some nice walks, and
in betweens".
You're making excellent progress.
In terms of serving the song. I would revisit this piece and use a slightly different pattern alternating "verse" & "chorus".
Tight, tidy and terrific bass playing.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Originally Posted By: rayc

"The spot at 3.30 was the pay off.
You've stuck to and consolidated your choices and timing with the groove but at that spot, and after, you slipped in some nice walks, and
in betweens".
You're making excellent progress.


Hey Ray, many thanks. It's clear you are a step up from just a "music critic" and are perhaps the best form of a "music analyst".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_analysis

In addition to being drawn to the emotional and fun aspects of music I too am drawn to its intellectual and cerebral characteristics. When I listen to a high quality arrangement I try to understand and appreciate the "topography" of the piece as it unfolds over time and try to create a sort of topography in the stuff I work on; maybe one day I'll get close.

Regarding my playing beginining around 3:30; I'm basically playing what I feel which is reaching/walking up an octave and then sometimes walking back down thereby adding some variation and energy towards the end of the piece.

But I was remiss in not pointing out Marty's great keyboard work. He provided me 2 e-piano tracks that I think are each very melodic yet mutually different. Much of what he is doing may be hidden at times but you can catch a good glimpse of his work during the fade-out.

Alternating the verse and chorus bass lines is an advanced concept for me but I'll try to keep that in mind going forward.

Btw, and along the lines of cerebral popular music, one of my favorite artists is Al Stewart. This guy knows how to marry intelligent lyrics with masterful melodies. Check out this "history lesson" for example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlfVNu2FFzE

Pax vobiscum smile


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BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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Originally Posted By: Bass Thumper
[quote=rayc]
Btw, and along the lines of cerebral popular music, one of my favorite artists is Al Stewart. This guy knows how to marry intelligent lyrics with masterful melodies. Check out this "history lesson" for example.

Ah, I've been a fan of him since 1976...I was introduced to, for me, his best album during that year:Past, Present & Future.
Brilliant song craft, brilliant musicians and - well BRILLIANT.
Roads To Moscow is my favourite despite the lazy cross fade edit of the intro into the body of the song. Each track essays an aspect of history as seen by Al. pity he's writing about wines these days. He's an old bugger though so retirement in France, vineculture obsession is forgivable...though not particularly listenable from my point of view.
This is cool though not a great advert for Ovation's plugged in tone in the late 70s, (a mate of mine bought an Ovation in 77...he'd traded his Ibanez Hummingbird 12 string & paid a heap of cash to get it. He traded back & lost a bundle less that 6 months later & had his Hummingbird again - still does actually)...


Cheers
rayc
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Another connection I have to Al is that these songs were the ones I learned to play on the bass resonably well [entirely with NO chord sheets]. Five years ago this was a HUGE milestone and allowed the "shakles" to be removed allowing me to play with much more freedom. It took a lot of effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8O4NWBYgwg

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


https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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