The Get-Up

And “Now”… The Moment That Doesn’t Exist

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I have blogged a few times about my tenure as bassist for The Get-Up – a band that re-forms once a year for a weekend of playing a mixture of original songs and covers. The originals are mostly songs that have been written by an individual band member and fleshed out as a band.

Band setting up
After 10, yearly gatherings, our keyboardist, David Husted (aka “Dave”) got the idea in his head that maybe we should write and record a new song as a part of the 2018 band weekend.
In preparation, he suggested that we each submit a song for inspiration and some lyrical snippets.
(YouTube playlist of the songs submitted)
I had recently seen a headline via New Scientist‘s twitter feed, (“Why now doesn’t exist, and other strange facts about time.”)
I jotted some things in a Google doc and shared it with the band with the thought of a theme of people/time passing & making the most of the time we have.
We were able to get past a “philosophical disagreement with the theme of this song” by drummer/guitarist Alan Schwartz – citing “Some would say that ‘now’ is the only moment that exists.”

Friday night is usually practice for an audience-less “concert” early Saturday evening. While we did practice some songs, we also worked on some chord progressions for the new track. I believe Alan and Bill O’Driscoll were instrumental in this phase. (Memory can be a little spotty as the sampling of craft beers is an integral part of these weekends.)

Ed, Bill & Dave on Friday Night

The Saturday concert was replaced by a recording session during which Dave donned the mantle of recording engineer as Alan, Bill and I, separately, sang and played the various pieces. We did not attempt to record drums as a part of this session due to time constraints. Alan played acoustic guitar and some tambourine, with Bill supplying the electric and myself dribbling in some bass guitar – all under Dave’s super “vision.”

Alan had had a bit of an epiphany which resulted in the chorus and we worked the chord progressions practiced the previous evening into a dough that we were able to shape into verses and chorus with an interlude. While Alan was recording some of his parts (vocals on the chorus, I think), Bill and I scurried down the hall to complete the verses. We mostly ended up singing what we wrote, but there was some overlap.

Alan being recorded by Dave
Alan Contemplating “Now”

After we went our separate ways (some Head East – others Journey), Dave went to work on taking what we had committed to bits and working it into a viable song. We were all quite impressed with what he was able to accomplish – adding drums, keyboards, other midi sounds & some signature Husted backing vocals. He also rearranged things a bit and made Bill’s verse into a bridge. After some suggestions from each of us, Dave tweaked, then mixed and mastered what we have deemed our single.

And “Now”…

The Moment That Doesn’t Exist
Written & performed by The Get-Up

Featuring:
Alan Schwartz: Acoustic guitar, lead vocals (chorus), background vocals, percussion

Bill O’Driscoll: Electric Guitar, lead vocals (bridge)

David Husted: Keyboards, midi madness, drum programming, background vocals, production, mixing/mastering

Ed Bejzak: Bass guitar, lead vocals (verses), background vocals

Spotify:

iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-moment-that-doesnt-exist-single/1451132968

CD Baby:
https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheGetUp1

Making the Debut Record

Midi Weekend

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After listening to what I thought was pretty decent when I recorded it last weekend, I realized it wasn’t good enough. I toyed with some midi drums midweek – which improved the situation.

This morning, I downloaded a midi keyboard app for my Android tablet (in the picture for this post). I added some simple keyboard notes and toyed with the reverb settings on the vocal tracks. I also removed the scratch acoustic guitar and the box drum I recorded.

Here is the first verse.

I will be re-recording the vocals for this one.

Making the Debut Record

Fool Played Again

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All analog in the dining room this morning (I did plug the bass in directly).

There are parts of this that have the feel I want. I started with a scratch acoustic guitar track to put down the song structure (which may be a bit too long), then I did the vocals – two tracks panned. Then some box drum and finally bass.

I may add/subtract/fix/re-record from this to finish this track as I need to get this record going. The second album will be better!

That said, here is this morning’s effort – I certainly had some fun doing it:

Making the Debut Record

Edformational Purposes

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As I was waking a new song idea was in my thoughts. Started jotting down bits & pieces of lyrics while hearing a sound like Devo or Oingo Boingo, then it morphed into ska (think Specials, Madness, English Beat).

The theme, our information, is large one in scope of course. For some reason I’m focusing on the negative aspects of “big data.” I thought I had brilliantly come up with “Big Datty” (a play on Big Brother), but an internet search quashed that. 🙂

I know there are positive aspects for healthcare and in other areas, but it seems someone’s always trying to sell you something using it or use it for some ill purpose.

I recently saw Maple Mars (maplemars.com) and they covered The Five Stairsteps’ “Ooh Child” with lyrics… “It’s gonna get brighter.” That one can be a tough “sell” these days.

The Five Stairsteps – Ooh Child

Lyrical ideas below.

Here’s me “thinking out loud”:

-Ed

 

Informational Purposes
Our information
How will you get it
What will you do with it (our information)

My information tells you
Our records show

We’d like to inform you
Your account is overdrawn
You’ve expired
Actuarially

You think it’s hidden
You think it’s Protected
You can Encrypt it
Might as well project it

You think it’s yours
Struck gold
Your data? Mine

——-
Data mining
In the “I’ll show you” mine
What’s mine is yours

Social
Secure
Media
Hype
Data
Process(ed)

Big datty
Store/storage

Block
Chain
Link

It’s a Steal
Id theft
Who am i
To tell you

Making the Debut Record

Step Back to the Sketching Board

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I needed to go back to the sketch “pad,” if not the drawing board, for Fool Play. I was trying to make an album version of a song that wasn’t fully fleshed out.

First I looked at the lyrics – I cleaned out some and tightened it up. (One change came from a mistake while singing. Changed “I’m perfect for the part.” to “Imperfect for….”)

I picked up my acoustic guitar and as I started play the bass part, an intro for the song appeared and a little different way of playing the chorus. I also reinstated the bridge that I had, accidentally, removed in my efforts to lay down the “real” bass track for the song. I so wanted to march forward with what I had, but in my attempts to sing over the bass with the drums I programmed, I just wasn’t feeling it.

Therefore, I submit a step way back to a sketch version. I think I can use this as a blueprint for the song.

Intro
Verse
Chorus (perhaps instrumental the 1st occurrence)
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
End

Here is the audio sketch (updated lyrics/chords below.)

Getting up and back – right on track (kinda terrible video, but I did some of my best dancing to this – back in the day)
Breakfast Club – Right on Track

-BustEd Move

Fool Play
G A
Stop your quiet
Stop, stop your quiet
Mmmmmm, mmmmmm
Stop your quiet
Stop, stop your quiet
G A D A G
I’ve had these original thoughts
G A D
You’ve heard them before
G A D A G
Imperfect for the part
G A D
Cast in stone, a natural
B C
Stop your quiet
Mmmmmm, mmmmmm
E D
Fool play
C B A G
It could be quite melodic
G A D A G
I know what I like
G A D
How I want it to sound
G A D A G
Even though I think I know
G A D
How can I put it down?
B C
Stop your quiet
E D
Fool play
C B A G
Even if it’s quite Quixotic/chaotic
D E A
Afraid of playing the fool
D E E
Scared straight and narrow
D E A
Shy of making my mark
D E C
Afraid of what I don’t know
G A D A G
I’ve been putting it off
G A D
Now I’ll attempt o pull it off
G A D A G
The notes are in place
G A D
A-chording to me
B C
Stop your quiet
E D
Fool play
C B A G
Even if it’s quite Quixotic/chaotic

Making the Debut Record

Celebratory Thankful Welcome

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Friends, Romans, Countrymen…

I return to this blog after a long hiatus with the plan still being to move forward with creating the album of songs for which I have created “demo” versions.

However… As I meditate on the words I will say to our guests in my upcoming role as Father of the Bride, the themes of welcoming, thankfulness and celebration (good times… come on!) are much on my mind. And while I have had thoughts and seeded other potential new songs that I have not mentioned “in this space,” I decided to share the thoughts of a new song, “You Are Welcome.”

Welcoming new family & guests will be part of the wedding, but I look to incorporate welcoming of immigrants and “all good people” (most of us? YES!) in the song.
As I am vacationing, I have only my ukulele & Stylophone, so I’m not sure how far I’ll get with the melody, but here are some lyrical thoughts/snippets/ideas:

——————————————————————
You Are Welcome

(You)
You may not be welcome there
but you are welcome here
unless you cannot control your hate
master it and not those to which you direct it and maybe we can talk

(We)
We are grateful
– for you(r) – company –
– to know you, celbrate with you

(They)
Though some may attempt to bar you

(Us/All)
[Lyrics TBD :)]

– No thanks to me (in the vein of Jack Nicholson’s character in “As Good as It Gets” – No thank yous – no thanks necessary)
– loving (the best I/we can?)
– bring your unique gifts/talents
– join us/the family/the celebration
——————————————————————

My hope is that this is a welcome return.

Thanks.
-Edvark

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Drumgramming

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After a good spell away from recording, I returned with a mission to make progress on a solution to my drumming problem. In this installment I make my first foray into drum programming with the help of How to make a drum ‘n’ bass beat in Ableton Live (from http://www.musicradar.com/computermusic).

I followed along the step-by-step, non-video (by choice) tutorial (which assumed a little more knowledge than I had), figuring things out along the way – for example, how to add a “Simpler” track (a feature of the Ableton DAW for using samples) – and placing the ‘hits’ of the various pieces of the drum rack as instructed on the appropriate notes/beats.

It lost me at “Insert an EQ Eight after the Simpler and set the first band’s setting to high-pass..” I can add an Equalizer, but down know what an “EQ Eight”is – therefore, it would be difficult to modify the “first band” setting.  More research and tinkering is required, but I managed a beat.

The non-human beat is a task master and unforgiving. I discovered I am not always perfectly on time when playing bass 🙂

This track’s demo was an early one and perhaps not as complete as some of my other demos. I am tinkering with the song while continually learning the ins and outs of home recording.

Here are the results with another vocal attempt (includes some ugly splicing):

-Bejzak Out of the Box

 

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April Fool’s Play

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Had thoughts of really digging into drum programming, but I had read something that said to start with just a cymbal. So I did just that.

The singing needs work, but I think I am starting to get the feel I want. Layering some background vocals with the new “Oooh, ooh” part will be nice – I think. And I’m pleased with the “Stop, stop your quiet” line I added to the chorus.

I also reintroduced the bridge/chord-change & tried out a couple of lyric ideas (though I sang “yet” as “wet”). I’m thinking this song could segue nicely into “What Say You” on the album.

There’s a couple of ugly cut & paste splices, but I think you’ll get “the gist.”

I’ve tinkered with this website a bit – adding my Album Reviews and Music pages. I’m thinking of adding “Links” and “Contact” or similar.

-FoolEd Again

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Feel Better

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As I mentioned in my last post, I felt that my attempt at the rhythm section for “Fool Play” resulted in plodding along instead of having a desirable groove.

Today I attempted to get the groove back and find the “feel.”

I decided to just play the bass along with the metronome (115 bpm for those “scoring” at home). I then sang, first with hand claps – which were overbearing and not always quite on time, then alone – though you can hear my hand slapping my thigh if you listen closely (a special treat).

I attempted to add some cymbal, but was experiencing the delay I sometimes get after recording analog parts. So, when I struck the key (in this case just using the computer keyboard), the cymbal sounded a bit later. This was extremely unhelpful to someone who was already finding it challenging to keep the beat. I tried quantizing and moving cymbal hits and got close, but did not achieve “cigar.”

Here is the vocals and bass with some effects applied. I am “feeling” better – though I am thinking of putting this one on the back burner for a little bit and moving on to another. Perhaps my muse will guide me.

-Edbeat