(UPDATE 3/27/2021: New Rev A with a stronger bass guitar).

YouTube link: 2020 Lament

This is my first published tune created using Band in a Box, dedicated to all who have suffered during the current pandemic. (I've had friends and family who were seriously impacted by the virus).

This tune started out as an experiment, where I borrowed a chord progression invented for a country-style waltz I recently co-wrote with one of the members of a contradance band I'm in. I had a feeling those chords would work equally well in a country-style 4/4 ballad. I think they certainly do.

The style chosen for this instrumental was _ALLISF1.Sty Medium Country Ballad w/ Fiddle, at a tempo of 120 bpm.

Real Tracks used in this style:

~519: Bass, electric
~522: Acoustic finger picking guitar
~405: Acoustic strumming guitar
~618: Fiddle, background (Wanda Vick I believe)

Real Drums: Nashville Even8

I had planned on adding my own fiddle melody to these tracks, as a way of practicing improvisation, but the fiddle background track proved sufficient. I spent quite a bit of time piecing together fiddle phrases generated by Band in a Box into a quasi-melody. I'm not sure I could add anything of my own that would substantially improve the music.

Nice chords, fiddle sounds good.

My only thought is that adding some rests might have been good.

Thanks for posting!

Excellent tune. Very nice listen. Welcome to the forum

Thanks guys for listening!

UPDATE: I changed the name of this song to "The Lost Year", which is more general, and means if I ever getting around to writing lyrics for it, they don't have to be about 2020 specifically.

I also slightly tweaked the audio and video, and here's a new public link in case any one is interested, (the changes are not substantial).

YouTube: The Lost Year

I was going to change the link in the original post, but just discovered you can only do this for the first 72 hours of that original post's existence.

No biggie, the new video is not much different than the old. The old link to the old video will still work, but it is considered "unlisted" by YouTube.

Nicely constructed. Nice band selection.
Rob4580

Thanks Rob4580.

Many, many hours went into selecting just the right phrases in the fiddle track to bring out the outline of a melody that I knew was lurking in there.

I know there are lyrics out there was well, just waiting for this tune.

Hi BryMusic,

Nice composition with Biab realtracks. We feel that you have done a real research work to get the best sounds of realtracks. But your piece could have been enriched by orchestral quarted or cello realtracks. And this to give some variations that could have enriched the song. But in summary, it is a very pleasant instrumental composition.

Kindly regard
Derochette
alis JaniJackFlash

Derochette,

Yes, you're right, some cello or other string tracks could enhance this, and for sure some more variations would help flesh this out.

Think of this as more of a "proof of concept" of the song.

I do know a professional musician (fiddle/cello), well-connected in Nashville, who happens be a former teacher of mine back in the day. I'd love to see what she could do with this piece, and have sent it to her. Who knows ...

Anyway, thanks for your kind comments.

This is an excellent first! Everything fits like a glove. I liked the chord progression and the violin lead. Great work on the mix.

Personally I wouldn't change a thing.