And on this day
I was today years old when I found out about galloping as a rapping flow. O_O
Now I just need to find a video that explains it for especially thick people (being me atm). Which seems to be harder than it sounds (no pun intended, but I'll leave it in).
Another thing on my mind lately about my voice is that I often sound sarcastic or even snarky (the 'ar' pronounced as the posh long 'ɑː' and dropping the 'r'.). Generally speaking, I like the way I sound. However, it can create certain misunderstandings, when I meant what I said genuinely at face value, but my voice twists it into an unintended irony.
Which also means I'm creating awkward situations for my own self when practicing rapping. As it generally prolongs the sound, so I need to either select a different word, or pull the phrase (or line) out into its own rhythmic thing.
Anyway, saving this link for my own future ref: The Science of AESOP ROCK: Galloping Rap Flow?!
My Playlist 27
I have a playlist with songs for vocal inspiration. As I practice spoken word stuff, it mainly consists of rappers and melodic speaking examples. However, it also includes Sisters of Mercy, Rob Dougan, and Peter Gabriel.
I don't know how else to say this
It's easy to get from F minor 1st inversion to F minor 7 chord and immediately go for D minor 7b5, but then what?
subject beatGiveaway
Bandmate: I wrote this bass line today **plays**
Me: wow, that’s a fun one, I like it.
B: yes, I like all the sounds in it. Oh btw, I can give you this drum beat if you want. **plays**
Me: yes, please! **listens some more** yes, yes, yes! I have a [Bitwig] project for it!
B: good. It doesn’t go with this bass, but I thought you might want it.
Me: totally!
Music has sheets, and sheets need stands
My new hobby has now escalated to the point where I need a music sheet stand. So, I opened my favourite local music related thing shop and found the section for notové stojany.
I did not expect that this is going to spiral into a whole new research I need to do. So many options and details that I had no idea about. How does one choose!
Btw, I am also a proud owner of a Shure mic since the beginning of last month. Which seems to have impacted my blogging frequency. So, here's a snippet from a conversation I had with my Bandmate the other day:
Bandmate: I had a lot of fun creating this **plays me some new music**
Kae: **listens carefully** would you be surprised if I said that I have a poem for this?
Bandmate: No, not at all.
So, after the washing machine has finished the cycle, I need to record this particular poem. Until then, I'll get back to the new world of music sheet stands.
Today
On days when I'm composing, my favourite track / song is the one I'm composing now. I might think it's utter rubbish the next day, but that's tomorrow's problem.
Musical inspirations and the results
I was playing my newest 2 synth piece to my bandmate tonight.
Bandmate: very jazz-ey!
Me: I know, and I don't even like jazz.
Bandmate: so, you listen to techno dude youtube music production lessons, hip hop music for inspiration, and end up composing jazz!
Me: I know, I am disappointed in myself.
* this is the 3rd time I have heard him referring to my (different) piano-synth compositions as "jazz-ey".
Tink tink pum tink
Kae: Soo, here we go. I haven't even finished the first composition, I already have an idea for another one!
Neighbour: Well, what did you think that you were going to be a one hit wonder?
Kae: It's not even a hit, it's an unfinished mess.
Neighbour: OK, one mess wonder?
Kae: But I'm not even close to finishing it. And now I have this idea that wouldn't be triad based. It would be la note based and go like tink, tink, tunk, then pumpum, tink.
Neighbour: Yeah, that's how I make my idea notes as well :D In my email or Bitwig or wherever :D
Phone shortcut to DND mode
Today's voice recording session.
I often enough practice sitting down, especially whilst figuring out what am I doing here with my voice. Kitto had just woken up, doing her afternoon little tasks. She likes to wake up, eat a bit, and do some kitto stuff, before going back to sleep before the evening.
As I stood up to record, kitto went under the bed.
When I stopped recording, she came back out. She's sitting here next to me and demanding attention. So, I'm going to do that now.
I need a holiday to spend with my piano
As a long time music listener, first time composer, I find myself going through stages of:
Ooohh, there's something there, fuck wtf was I thinking, ah, I'll just record this as a note to self, hmm, there's really something, but not it there, arrgh, no, just no, well, I'll give this idea a go.
All nicely balanced with the stubbornness that all I have to do is practice, practice, practice.
I knew I needed a new tag
Designer:
!
Do you still have your mic on 'n you're taking requests?
I need the sound of crumpling of paper, that's what I need here!
Something slow, well, not too slow, but not crumple and done. :D
Kae:
Yeah, sure. Do you want a process of this, or crumpling for a result.
Also, what kind of paper?
D:
Process that leads to a result, I guess? :D
And not too sure, maybe a newspaper could do.
K:
OK, let me try.
[10 mins later]
Will this do? Or should I adjust the mic settings to make it louder?
I need a new tag for the blog now
Because I got myself a new MIDI keyboard.
This event is not entirely unexpected, nor it is really a beginning of me being interested in sound. As some might know, I've been recording my voice for a while now. Which lead me to learning voice support breathing, which then lead me to watching some music theory explanation videos and such. I have also found the most convenient metronome app on my phone.
And when my designer got his MIDI keyboard, which is actually a mini one, I was increasingly consumed with the thoughts of how much fun it could be to play the piano again.
I don't have the space (nor the budget, including upkeep) for a piano. I quickly realised that MIDI keyboard vs synth is an obvious choice, and after weeks and weeks of drowning in research I ordered a Nektar MIDI keyboard.
The challenges of the delivery of this item are a separate story.
I have found a tremendous amount of joy playing it. Obviously, as I hadn't played anything for over 20 years, I am now immersing in playing exercises designed to get the key layout in the muscle memory of my fingers, and also some free sheets of traditional kids' songs.
And I think I am ready to attempt playing an exercise or two whilst having the metronome app.
However, this has lead me to a conclusion that 3 speaker setup, is just inconvenient. Things sound wrong, sound feels a bit displaced at times. Especially Re chords, btw. Even the Re major triads.
Before all of this, I would have gotten Edifier music speakers. Those are good. But I currently have Edifier headphones. And the (once a tester always a..) tester in me says that I should diversify and get a different brand. Which makes me think of the next weeks and weeks of research.
Anyway. I'm going to have some coffee, and then I'm going to see if I can record a poem today (just voice, no piano). Or, at least some sound samples for my Designer.
Be brave, spiral into your hobbies.
