A steel string guitar improvisation I did last night before bed called “A Nagging Thought“. The piece prominently features a V+ to i (augmented dominant to minor tonic) movement. I usually don’t care for the sound of an augmented tried but in…
A steel string guitar improvisation I did last night before bed called “A Nagging Thought“. The piece prominently features a V+ to i (augmented dominant to minor tonic) movement. I usually don’t care for the sound of an augmented tried but in…
A steel string guitar improvisation I did last night before bed called “A Nagging Thought“. The piece prominently features a V+ to i (augmented dominant to minor tonic) movement. I usually don’t care for the sound of an augmented tried but in…
A steel string guitar improvisation I did last night before bed called “A Nagging Thought“. The piece prominently features a V+ to i (augmented dominant to minor tonic) movement. I usually don’t care for the sound of an augmented tried but in…
I'm surprised I forgot to post this collaboration with Norm and Char.
Char performs the reading
Norm performs the percussion
Chris did choir, sax, bass, FXs
Poem - Edgar Allen Poe
Annabel Lee
It was many and many a year ago…
I'm surprised I forgot to post this collaboration with Norm and Char.
Char performs the reading
Norm performs the percussion
Chris did choir, sax, bass, FXs
Poem - Edgar Allen Poe
Annabel Lee
It was many and many a year ago…
A homage to Steve Hackett (who wrote this piece)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hackett
This is played using John O'Sullivan's Blue JI tuning. Pianoteq and Kontakt didn't play nice together so I had add 4.81 cents to all of the flute notes.
With Frank Miller on drums and bass as the band "2" - a rescue of a late 90's song grabbed from 4-track.
No Place
I'm lost, you're lost
Ships at sea
There is no place
We can be
I'm lost, you're lost
In this world
There is no…
A homage to Steve Hackett (who wrote this piece)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hackett
This is played using John O'Sullivan's Blue JI tuning. Pianoteq and Kontakt didn't play nice together so I had add 4.81 cents to all of the flute notes.
A homage to Steve Hackett (who wrote this piece)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hackett
This is played using John O'Sullivan's Blue JI tuning. Pianoteq and Kontakt didn't play nice together so I had add 4.81 cents to all of the flute notes.
With Frank Miller on drums and bass as the band "2" - a rescue of a late 90's song grabbed from 4-track.
No Place
I'm lost, you're lost
Ships at sea
There is no place
We can be
I'm lost, you're lost
In this world
There is no…
A homage to Steve Hackett (who wrote this piece)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hackett
This is played using John O'Sullivan's Blue JI tuning. Pianoteq and Kontakt didn't play nice together so I had add 4.81 cents to all of the flute notes.
With Frank Miller on drums and bass as the band "2" - a rescue of a late 90's song grabbed from 4-track.
No Place
I'm lost, you're lost
Ships at sea
There is no place
We can be
I'm lost, you're lost
In this world
There is no…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Five
An animated score is below. Ironicly this is scored for a quintet - piano, guitar, bass, sax, and drums. Probably one of the more famous 5/4 time songs.
these are the dronishness effects going thru my mind at times..
I have the midi files saved if you would like them? although some of this is performance midi records If I can say that? ;)
A composition for 3 piece jazz band, tenor sax, fretless bass, and drums in 14 equal divisions of the octave and 5/4 time. This was realized using Garritan Jazz and Big Band sample set and Sonar X1.
I'm going to put this in my profile if it will fit.
the question of how microtonality is perceived and why is a hotly debated one on the tuning list. There seems to be, in general, but not in all cases, shared intervals around the world, like the 5th. However non-western cultures use, in general, microtonal tunings. !2 equal notes to an octave is a relatively recent invention in the west. 300 years ago it was common for what would be now called a microtonal tuning to be in common, everyday use. As best as can be determined the push for 12 equal was all about changing keys in a single piece of music. If you take the tuning of the middle ages, Pythagorean, you find you can't play in any key despite having 12 notes because the intervals between the notes are not equally spaced. As a result when you take a pure chord and move it up or down the octave with the same distance between the notes it could become something hideous. 12 Equal solves that problem at the expense of detuning all notes, some more than others.
A composition for 3 piece jazz band, tenor sax, fretless bass, and drums in 14 equal divisions of the octave and 5/4 time. This was realized using Garritan Jazz and Big Band sample set and Sonar X1.
Hi Ricard, thanks for the listen and comment. It is probably hard not to hear 14 edo as out of tune since it so close to 12 but not quite there. I think then your sense of it being flattened and less bright is the result of the tuning.
On the three GR-20 pieces uploaded 6/8/11 this is how it works. In a nutshell - my guitar replaces a keyboard - but can do more.
Everything you hear is driven by me playing my Fender Mustang in one improvised pass. Now, for each song the Fender Mustang by itself (or through an amp simulator) is heard - this sound comes from the traditional pick ups on the guitar. Besides that I have installed a Roland GK-3 pick up on my Mustang. This pick up has 6 tiny picks ups - one for each string and connects to a fairly large switch and then a 1/4" cable with some 11 lines - regular guitar output and 6 outputs for the GK-3. This cable connects to the GR-20 synthesizer / midi interface. The GR-20 first decodes, almost instantly, the note each string is playing. It then converts that to midi pitch information and shoves that out the back. More on that later. Also, since the GR-20 is a synthesizer besides, it takes the pitch information and routes it to an internal sound (if desired). The really interesting part is what happens when I route that midi output to my computer. At my computer Sonar lets me assign that midi data to any number of synthesizers / samplers/ what-have-you all at the same time. So, if I want a voice or strings or piano - no problem. As for drums - Kontakt has a really neat groups of sampled drum sets that are a combination of "one shots" and smaller loops. So for instance on one of the pieces when I played the C below middle C I got a snare roll, play the B below it I get the accent that finishes the roll. So, by playing many notes I get a complex assortment of drum sounds that are in time with my playing. I've used this technique before - I am learning how to control it better - and the response is different for each of the dozen or so drum kits packaged with Kontakt - and then consider the effect of different tempos - the result is a fair amount of variety.
Well Reg is a touch concerned about his new love Lorraine who has been missing for last two days and she's not answering his calls and his getting a little touchy about it ....a little insecure to be truthful........................
Who do…
So I'm back at Caffe Lena on Thursday night gearing up for my two songs and a band called "Driftwood" takes the stage (banjo, acoustic guitar, fiddle) and blows everyone away.
Kinda gets me thinking...
And writing...
"Driftwood"
Coming down…
Good one! You have a way, like The Boss, of touching something about life in your songs that just resonates. And judging from the comments -- resonates with pretty much everyone who hears.
I wanted to see how much "music" I could get out of one chord and four notes. Sorry that it has a sort of cheesy 80s sound at times, but that's when I started playing guitar and it's hard to reprogram your brain. The chord is Bsus2 and the solo…
Fulfilling a request by Acid
The video is the whole point / show here. Please put into the comment section what you think the occupants of the car you see at 1:00 where thinking. Or alternately the kid on the bike at 1:20.
Can't Stop Myself by Chris (Vaisvil) and the Clones - Gothic Techno-industrial metal - ISDN stereo => from 1996
Can't Stop Myself
the thoughts they in my head
spinning around
the thoughts they eat my head
and rip me down
they want me to do…
This is a recording of Norm and me playing together a few months ago. I didnt have any percussion instruments so Norm was on a Roland electric trap set and I had a cello. I looped some of the stuff we did that night, and retrofitted the rest…
in a cool darkened lounge
floors above the cityscape
quiet laughter, clink of ice in glass
D min looks into the eyes of G min
a quiet romance begins
sometimes the best things in life are quite simple
(lots of rough sound on this,, not sure…
Comments on vaisvil's stuff
I love the steel!!! You got a great sound here and the playing is fantastic!
Fantastic, inventive stuff.
yes, sounds lovely to me. That poor little chap in the nappy. No wonder he looks so embarrassed.
Good stuff. Something I was in the mood for. :) --Jake
love it!
love it ......
still excellent ....love char's v
Chris, this is truly wonderful work! And this is my 2nd attempt at telling you!
Hackett and this one are a big fave of mine, nice take on a beautiful melody.
This is great!!! I'm loving the chorus.
That's some extreme baroque!
Smooth, real smooth.
Wow! This is going on my website. Thanks Chris. http://www.johnsmusic7.com
Wild indeed!
Brilliant!
That was nice!
I like that 'Careful with that axe Eugene' scream at midway. nice!
Ha ha, great! I prefer it to the original and I love the music. I like the way you used instruments for the harmonies.
We had this tune played at my dad's funeral. Nice arrangement Chris, lovely and jazzy! No, hold on .... Wow! it's great!!
Wonderful music to accompany such an emotive photo.
Comments made by vaisvil
Reg - he did do something like that one day - and yes it was great!
and the excellence of the music should be overlooked too.
Reg - you are one heck of a story teller! Have you considered writing a novel or short story?
Hi John, I like this one.
you should be creating music for sci-fi films!
I wish AT had a repeat button. I'm downloading this - great piece Norm!
I'm going to put this in my profile if it will fit. the question of how microtonality is perceived and why is a hotly debated one on the tuning list. There seems to be, in general, but not in all cases, shared intervals around the world, like the 5th. However non-western cultures use, in general, microtonal tunings. !2 equal notes to an octave is a relatively recent invention in the west. 300 years ago it was common for what would be now called a microtonal tuning to be in common, everyday use. As best as can be determined the push for 12 equal was all about changing keys in a single piece of music. If you take the tuning of the middle ages, Pythagorean, you find you can't play in any key despite having 12 notes because the intervals between the notes are not equally spaced. As a result when you take a pure chord and move it up or down the octave with the same distance between the notes it could become something hideous. 12 Equal solves that problem at the expense of detuning all notes, some more than others.
Hi Ricard, thanks for the listen and comment. It is probably hard not to hear 14 edo as out of tune since it so close to 12 but not quite there. I think then your sense of it being flattened and less bright is the result of the tuning.
This is beautiful! I love the bluesy feel. Would it be ok if I try to add to this?
On the three GR-20 pieces uploaded 6/8/11 this is how it works. In a nutshell - my guitar replaces a keyboard - but can do more. Everything you hear is driven by me playing my Fender Mustang in one improvised pass. Now, for each song the Fender Mustang by itself (or through an amp simulator) is heard - this sound comes from the traditional pick ups on the guitar. Besides that I have installed a Roland GK-3 pick up on my Mustang. This pick up has 6 tiny picks ups - one for each string and connects to a fairly large switch and then a 1/4" cable with some 11 lines - regular guitar output and 6 outputs for the GK-3. This cable connects to the GR-20 synthesizer / midi interface. The GR-20 first decodes, almost instantly, the note each string is playing. It then converts that to midi pitch information and shoves that out the back. More on that later. Also, since the GR-20 is a synthesizer besides, it takes the pitch information and routes it to an internal sound (if desired). The really interesting part is what happens when I route that midi output to my computer. At my computer Sonar lets me assign that midi data to any number of synthesizers / samplers/ what-have-you all at the same time. So, if I want a voice or strings or piano - no problem. As for drums - Kontakt has a really neat groups of sampled drum sets that are a combination of "one shots" and smaller loops. So for instance on one of the pieces when I played the C below middle C I got a snare roll, play the B below it I get the accent that finishes the roll. So, by playing many notes I get a complex assortment of drum sounds that are in time with my playing. I've used this technique before - I am learning how to control it better - and the response is different for each of the dozen or so drum kits packaged with Kontakt - and then consider the effect of different tempos - the result is a fair amount of variety.
your vocal control amazes me - excellent story and song!
Good one! You have a way, like The Boss, of touching something about life in your songs that just resonates. And judging from the comments -- resonates with pretty much everyone who hears.
I'm liking this!
this is a cool rocking piece - but didn't you use B maj as a resolution of B sus in there?
yes I am. With *lots* of rosin on the hair.
naw, I have nothing to do with NMC or DJNS. I was a part of 2 star man and that was enough for me!
excellent - and great solo!
more than just paulstretch I'd say - or different. in any case a cool idea!
I like the groove you two get going on this.
and a lovely romance it was.