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BackgroundHappy 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. TechnicalsSong Structure: Intro-A-B-A-C-A-B-A-C-Outro 80 BPM BiaBRealTracks 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!] MeBass Guitar Played on the Korg: Bells (Gliss Tree), String Pads, Grand Piano (Outro only) and Accordion Apples and Bells
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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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.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Again the bass is the strong melodic element 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=m7xLWByiKMMI 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.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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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.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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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 Apples and Apples, as in a man and woman very compatible with each other. I just double-checked, in your language there's no idiom "apples and apples", but there is "apples and oranges". Think about it  
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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 Apples and Apples, as in a man and woman very compatible with each other. 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 
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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
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
Kindly regards
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash
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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
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This is nicely mixed.
I can imagine a vocal.
Speaking as a bass player you did good on that part too.
Vic
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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.
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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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 Best wishes for you too Derochette and thanks for the positive review.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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Nicely done, the bass was the highlight.
A pleasant listen.
Peter
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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 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.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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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. 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.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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Nicely done, the bass was the highlight.
A pleasant listen.
Peter 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
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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This is nicely mixed.
I can imagine a vocal.
Speaking as a bass player you did good on that part too.
Vic Vic, so you're a fat-stringer too? Great Thanks for the positive comment.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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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 ;-)
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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!
www.soundclick.com/firesongBiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10 You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
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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.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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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! 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.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 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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