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You forgot the vocal track…

That was right after I forgot to get a mike. Or lyrics. Or a voice worth recording (though “Buzz and Drone” might be the appropriate place for it).

I’ll get around to vocals of some form, some day. But not anytime soon.

You’re welcome.

Heh heh, the pressure seems to be on for vocals. I liked the bridge, though. There was a lead guitar that came in there pretty convincingly too. If I ever did vocals there would have to be some hellacious frog-correcting software available. There probably is.

I dunno about your main() but I guess you’ve cast your variables OK…

Couldn’t resist an obscure C language comment.

// hackish but fun
main()
{
buzz(“drone\n”);
}
// loop as needed

I don’t think you should be worried about “real” musicians hearing your stuff. It actually reminds me of stuff I used to do on my own with a guitar and tape recorder when I was starting out, or early band rehearsals which usually ended up being extended jam sessions. Since I’m self-taught I had to give myself a lot of space to figure out some pretty basic things like riffs and melodies and rhythms and not-so-simple things like how a song works. When you’re starting out you have to experiment. That’s a lot better than just copying stuff you hear on the radio which is what a lot of people do when they start out with music. If you’re just doing it for kicks then it just has to be pleasing to you. The reason I’m enjoying learning to draw and paint is precisely because there’s no pressure on me to do something that is “good” in a commercial sense; I only have to do something that looks good to me. There’s something cool about discovering these amazing, revolutionary things about the medium on your own, even when you find out later that they’re pretty entry-level, mundane things. You personalize and integrate it in a way that can’t happen if you’re just following somebody else’s instructions. Besides which, I really think it does pay dividends in other creative work. And in a way what you’re doing is exactly what makes music cool – putting yourself into something and having fun with it without regard to commercial considerations.

(wince)

Guess I didn’t bury that link deep enough.

“I don’t think you should be worried about ‘real’ musicians hearing your stuff.”

Too late, eh? It’s an admittedly odd worry, and obviously, it hasn’t stopped me. Like I said, it’s a matter of creative respect, combined with an awareness of how primitive this stuff is. You should see me around the house, hiding from my wife, who plays a real piano.

In fact, I’ve been reminded of the story Elton John told about meeting Leon Russell in the early 70’s (probably because I’m working on a version of “Spanish Harlem” inspired by listening to Leon’s version). He was scared to death, and certain Leon was going to shout at him “you sit down and I’ll show you how to play the pie-anna, boy!”

Of course, that didn’t happen, Leon was very kind to him. And I didn’t really expect you or Pat or others as-yet-unnamed to show up at my door to kick my ass. But the creative portion of me that knows and respects how much hard work goes into making something that seems effortless … well, it was prepared for that ass-kicking.

“The reason I’m enjoying learning to draw and paint is precisely because there’s no pressure on me to do something that is ‘good’ in a commercial sense; I only have to do something that looks good to me.”

And that’s exactly why I quoted what you wrote, because I feel like I’m in that same place with regards to music, and it was good to hear it echoed back to me in that form.

And as you said, it really does pay dividends in other ways. For one thing, it humbles you. It not only points out the limitations of your natural creative abilities, it shows that you can stretch and improve them. Even at the age of 47.

And for me, most importantly, it proves there is still a child inside of me who loves nothing more than to play for his own enjoyment, that can still be relatively fearless when faced with a new creative frontier.

I like this. Very nice. It’s soothing to the ears. A melody and a groove.

“A melody and a groove.”

That’s all I aspire to with these things. Thanks for the kind words.

There will probably be a new tune or two before the end of the week.