Project 2 Composition (teardown) AUM-162
- Roy Fry
- Aug 28, 2020
- 7 min read
DATA
Song title – ‘This is the Life to Be’
Tempo – 136 per crotchet note
Time signature - 4/4
Key - C Maj7
Chord Progression – Jazz Turnaround I – VI – II – V
Verses - start in Major (CMaj7)
Pre Chorus – start in minor (Em7)
Genre style – Traditional Pop. (Refer - sort of like a Michael Bublé song)
The narrative for the song – This is the life to be.
The chord structure was to create a happy ‘catchy’ simple tune that will catch your ear with an old school common jazz chord progression (turnaround).
Lyrics also have to be simple so the listener can catch on to the content of the lyrics and in a matter of seconds feel they know it. The storyline is also simple and non-inoffensive about someone’s thoughts as they walk through a park. With a vibrant happy attitude.
Structure
The song structure is in a basic pop format - ABABCB
Structure of the song in Excel and DAW below.
Excel
DAW screenshots
The Rhythm
Drums
Verses drum pattern: A simple rhythm that swings and supports the vocals and instruments.
Pre-Chorus: The drum rhythm pattern changes to support the guitar rhythm jazz progression and instrument. It also leads into Chorus.
Chorus: Another simple drum rhythm pattern that has the Hi-Hats on 1/8 notes, the snare on beats 2 & 4, and the kick on beats 1a & 3a. This drumbeat has been brought forward to help drive the chorus and it keeps continuing with the swing feel.
Bridge: All the drum kit is playing 4 crotchets in a bar to support a new idea being introduced to keep the song interesting for the listener. It’s played before the beat to give some vibe and tension before going into a relaxed chorus.
The Harmony
Intro
The atmos and the hooky melody/guitar riff sets the song right up from the start. I wanted to catch the listener's imagination immediately with a family park atmos. The hooky guitar riff came to me as I was searching for some cool jazz chords to use for this project 2, jamming and playing around with a simple Jazz turnaround. (I was also looking to create something completely different to project 1.) For this project 2, the guitar riff had to strike a chord with the narrative of the song. Happy and carefree feel
I used Musescore 3 to transcribe the hooky guitar riff.
Verses (Cmaj7)
I used a standard Jazz turnaround, which can be played at the end of a song section to introduce a new section, or as a chord progression to create a section of a composition.
It’s such a common turnaround chord progression that it was hard to find the perfect example to illustrate my idea for this project 2 composition. The Jazz chord progression I used is below.
(Guitar chords - Cmaj7-Am7-Dm7-G7)
Here is an example of the chord progression from a 1938 composer. Hoagy Carmichael titled Heart and Soul which has become a Jazz standard. (some of the sheet music is below)
Pic of Hoagy Carmichael
The guitar picking rhythm feel for the verses, was to give the impression of laying back in the sun relaxing playing the guitar, but at the same time, it still had to have a bouncy vibrant feel about it. For this sort of rhythm guitar vibe, I listened to Bruno Mars song titled ‘The Lazy Song’ as a reference idea and to draw inspiration from.
Pre-Chorus (Emin7)
I called this section of the song below a Pre–Chorus but it’s probably more like the second half of the verse. This is also a stock standard Jazz chord progression. I’ve altered the feel of the rhythm to give the Pre-Chorus a sense of creating some lift and character to set it up for the Chorus. I was keeping in mind that this genre of traditional pop influence would probably draw inspiration from, and the jazz artists from the past, and to recreate fresh new sounding songs, I used standard jazz chord progressions to connect it all together.
Chord Progression (Em7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7)
At the end of this section, I used a C# Diminish chord to lead into the chorus.
Chorus (starts on F major)
For the Chorus I wanted to ease the tension of the Pre-Chorus and give it a sing-along feel. I tried using some more Jazz chords, (but my guitar intonation is so bad that the guitar sounded unfriendly to the ear), consequently I pulled it down in the mix and put some stock standard chords using the midi keyboard control. I actually prefer the sounds of the standard chords for the chorus, as I’m a bit of a commercial song junky, and standard chords sound more commercial to the ear. (I still have a lot to learn about how to make Jazz commercial music on the guitar)
By using standard chords and changing the chord progression gave it a whole new feel and by using Dm7 and G7 help lead it back into a Jazz progression.
Bridge
I used the bridge to create a different feel and to set up the intro as a pivoting point back into the last 2 choruses. I wanted to keep the listeners' ears from getting bored and keep them involved with the song until the very end. (A huge influence for this bridge and inspiration was the Beatles). I was reflecting on the Beatles songwriting expertise and how they developed Sargent Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band.
The Melody
The melody is easy to sing, it gradually rises and then drops to a comfortable chorus for a good old fashion sing-along idea. Simple happy lyrics with a story lined (narrative) helps the melody flow and makes this song feel connected to the music. The melody is written so simple that it makes it easy for everyone to sing along too.
Verse
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Bridge
Atmos sound sample I recorded with my iPhone microphone.
Home fountain for pup’s foley sample.
Reflection
General thoughts
My original idea was to do a modern country song that I could use to develop more skills and learn from. When project 2 had to be a different genre to the first project, I had to rethink want I was going to do in a hurry, and strategizes a plan that would fulfill the criteria. What can I say? it’s been a great experiment and it’s allowed me to learn and use more skills with midi, sampling and sound designing which is cool.
The midi drums took me a few hours to work out. (Where’s Philly when I need him) They still need more work done in different areas, but the ‘feel factor’ is nearly there. Anyway, the clock is ticking down and time waits for no one. (yes, there is more work to be done.)
It never ceases to amaze me, just how much one can create in the DAW. I’m just taking baby steps at the moment with midi, sampling and sound designing, but I can see the potential, and how versatile the DAW is. I will be exploring EDM and how to marry it into country music asap.
I’m still working on the lyrics at the moment, trying to get a real natural flow happening. Lyric flow is really important, and the punter who is listening to the song will instinctively know when a word doesn’t sound right. If I’ve have some time, I will experiment with the lyric facture. (I’ve already heard some lyric problems, damn it!)
Atmos
Had a lot of fun with creating and finding online samples that I could use as a feature in this song. The main inspiration for the atmos vibe was Cat Stevens song titled - Remember the days of the old schoolyard this song is a classic in how to melt atmos with a hit. The atmos has been a fantastic way to learn more about sampling and creating my own sounds and recording with different mediums like my iPhone microphone.
I will be using a lot of atmos in the future. I started a side project with Philly when we were buddied up a couple of trimesters ago. I’ve been slowly developing projects titled – DRAK”S EMPIRE. A short animated musical film.
The Jazz
Learning and using basic jazz chords to create a song with, has been an awesome learning curve too. OK I had to get used to playing Jazz chords quickly and rehearse the crap out of them, plus, get the feel in the rhythm right. However, I think they sound cat cool man.
The guitar intonation is way out, so that’s the next job, fix the intonation before it drives me batty. Rehearsing parts correctly before tracking is so important. My theory on tracking:
1. First take is a rehearsal,
2. Second take is the real deal and
3. Third Take should never ever happen, because you don’t know your part well enough.
Keeping the song interesting
I wanted to keep the song structure interesting right from the beginning. Being the last trimester, I had to put something together that would show my own personal skills as a songwriter/creator. I know I still have so much to learn, but know I’ve been given the tools to do my own research. So, with better knowledge, I will become a better creator.
My main inspiration is Michael Bublé.
I want to create a song that I could pitch to him and he could see himself singing. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen by any means, but it gives me a goal to aim for.
· Challenge myself to write songs for another artist.
· Learn what people like and
· adapt to the artist and the market.
Videos to aspire too for – This is the Life to Be
Reference
ITubeNL, I. (2013, January 30). Bea Wain, Larry Clinton - Heart And Soul (1939) - YouTube. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsIL07eOqOU
Buble, M. (2009, October 2). Michael Bublé - Haven't Met You Yet [Official Music Video ... Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA
Mars, B. (2011, April 15). Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song (Official Video) - YouTube. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLexgOxsZu0
Phamhagov, P. (2007, July 3). Remember the days of the old schoolyard - Cat Stevens ... Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFwDEqLQ0bA
Beatles, T. (2018, June 19). Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remastered 2009 ... Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtXl8xAPAtA
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