The Challenge April 2013

Renesongs · 2013-04-10T21:35:39+00:00

"With a Bullet" The challenge this month is to write a song or piece of music specifically to be commercially successful: i.e. something poppy and catchy, but otherwise in any popular style. Up to three minutes long. Please remember to include skill category (B, I or A - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) and your forum username in the filename, so we can vote easily. Entries to be PM'd to Rene by 23:59, 30 April 2013 For more info see the standard Competition rules

DonovanB

evolucian wrote Will have to bow out gracefully. My friend doesn't wanna do the vocal as he thinks it'll make him gay. Sooo, good luck guys... I'll go find some new friends in the meantime.

Bru, don't do that. Find a famous speech on line and auto tune the life out of it.

Chocklit_Thunda

Donovan Banks wrote
evolucian wrote Will have to bow out gracefully. My friend doesn't wanna do the vocal as he thinks it'll make him gay. Sooo, good luck guys... I'll go find some new friends in the meantime.
Bru, don't do that. Find a famous speech on line and auto tune the life out of it.

This isn't the Ultimix @ 6 and you aren't DJ Euphonik ?

FruitarGeek

Ok, another Question for you Alan. As we are expected to write a studio equivalent of a radio pop song, will the 4 instrument restriction still apply? Cause in a real setting, the producer will use as many instruments necessary to get the song to the top.

PeteM

Got my computer operating properly again... I should be able to do a full mixed track this time.

AlanRatcliffe

Adrian Rogowski wrote As we are expected to write a studio equivalent of a radio pop song, will the 4 instrument restriction still apply?

Yup, rules still apply - remember they are there to level the playing field for the less studio-oriented folk. Plenty of great simple pop songs out there and in essence any good pop song can be broken down to a single instrument and voice. I started with a four track recorder and it teaches you to get creative with limited resources. ?

Remember, vocal tracks don't count to the total either. So McFerrin's version of Don't Worry, Be Happy would have a total count of 0. ?

Chocklit_Thunda

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Adrian Rogowski wrote As we are expected to write a studio equivalent of a radio pop song, will the 4 instrument restriction still apply?
Yup, rules still apply - remember they are there to level the playing field for the less studio-oriented folk. Plenty of great simple pop songs out there and in essence any good pop song can be broken down to a single instrument and voice. I started with a four track recorder and it teaches you to get creative with limited resources. ?

Remember, vocal tracks don't count to the total either. So McFerrin's version of Don't Worry, Be Happy would have a total count of 0. ?

Say I used a 12 string and a 6 string, does this count as 1 (because theyre both guitars) or 2 because its two separate guitars?

And where do you stand on double necked guitars or Guitar/bass combo's? ?

AlanRatcliffe

Chocklit_Thunda wrote Say I used a 12 string and a 6 string, does this count as 1 (because theyre both guitars) or 2 because its two separate guitars?

As two. As would two guitar parts recorded on the same guitar.

And where do you stand on double necked guitars or Guitar/bass combo's? ?

Play both necks at the same time and it's one instrument. Otherwise two.

And before you ask, guitar synths or hybrid guitars count as one as long as their separate outputs are from the same performance.

You planning on studying law? ?

Chocklit_Thunda

Alan Ratcliffe wrote You planning on studying law? ?

My dad actually wanted me to :roflmao: He once said that with the amount of rubbish I can talk, I'd never fail at it... ?

V8

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
V8 wrote What's the feeling on covering non pop tunes reinterpreted in a pop style?
Cool idea, but we generally try to stay away from any covers in comps as, strictly speaking, you need the copyright holder's permission to re-record a copyrighted work...

Since it wasn't a outright no, I went and did some sunday afternoon reading - A mechanical license for a original cover version would be easy enough, but since (as you alluded) the comp version would be a derivative of the original as I've re-arranged it and changed the lyrics...I'd need the aforementioned permission, a bit of a pita for the comp.

As I understood though, one could always do a Weird Al style parody which would be considered fair use. Always wondered how he got away with that ?

FruitarGeek

V8 wrote
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
V8 wrote What's the feeling on covering non pop tunes reinterpreted in a pop style?
Cool idea, but we generally try to stay away from any covers in comps as, strictly speaking, you need the copyright holder's permission to re-record a copyrighted work...
Since it wasn't a outright no, I went and did some sunday afternoon reading - A mechanical license for a original cover version would be easy enough, but since (as you alluded) the comp version would be a derivative of the original as I've re-arranged it and changed the lyrics...I'd need the aforementioned permission, a bit of a pita for the comp.

As I understood though, one could always do a Weird Al style parody which would be considered fair use. Always wondered how he got away with that ?

As long as your work is original, it will be rightfully yours. That is the law with regard to copyright atleast. So change a few things here n there, and it should constitute sufficient change to not warrant a copy/paste, and it will be your own work

deefstes

There's another important issue, separate to that of copyrighting, to consider when contemplating a cover; Will it get my vote? (I can only speak for myself but I suspect others would feel like I do).

The purpose of the challenge is to see if you can come up with a ditty that might make it on the radio, not how skilled you are at adapting someone ele's song that has already made it on the radio. Consequently, I will probably not vote for a song that is an obvious adaptation of an already successful song.

AlanRatcliffe

deefstes wrote There's another important issue <snip> Will it get my vote?

A truly excellent question which equates to the very real one you always need to keep in mind when creating or producing pop music: will it sell?

domhatch

think i've got the perfect thang for this. now to find the time to put it together. and hope like hell you people forgive my voice...

jt

Oh my sack, This challenge is kicking my ass!!!!!!!!!!

Its so difficult!!!!! i have got some synths going, sounding like Mr chinwag at a rave, but the guitar, eish, she cant belong.

*pulls hair out*

doc-phil

I'm not sure whether winning this challenge would mean you are really good, or really bad.

There isn't much guitar in pop music these days... and what there is is stuff like Maroon 5 and Bruno Mars.

Pop singers occasionally try their hand at guitar. Case in point Lil Wayne (some of the most atrocious guitar playing ever heard by the human ear), but if he can get paid millions and 'play' in front of tens of thousands of people every night then I suppose that is what people are into these days.

Generally speaking, pop music is driven entirely by the vocal. Those of us not possessed with a voice and/or Antares AutoTune may struggle in this one.

AlanRatcliffe

doc-phil wrote Generally speaking, pop music is driven entirely by the vocal. Those of us not possessed with a voice and/or Antares AutoTune may struggle in this one.

Poppy and catchy. I'm not saying create a Britney song, I'm saying take something you have with some commercial appeal and try make it as radio-friendly as possible in an attempt to get airplay.

Anyway, there have been plenty of non-vocal hits through the years - Apache, Vyfster, Green Onions, Peter Gunn, Pink Panther, et. al.

Great vocal performances are not always key anyway - Dylan settled that one (and without Dylan, Hendrix would never have sung and would probably have remained as Little Richard's backing player). Think Bands like REM.

Also, get creative - think "songs" like Tequila, Dah, Dah, Dah, O Superman, etc.. If all else fails, muck about with voice samples: Nineteen, et. al.

doc-phil

But as I understand the topic, we're talking radio friendly today, 2013? Bob Dylan most likely wouldn't make the radio if his music was released in 2013, as much as I hate to say it.

I understand what you're saying, but the songs you mention are fairly old. I am thinking more along the lines of Nickelback for this, alternatively dance style/David Guetta type stuff.

AlanRatcliffe

Whatever you want to do. My briefs are always wide open (as it were :-[).

They're not old - they are retro, dammit! ? I can only give examples from my frame of reference, but in my experience good music tends to be timeless and crosses generation gaps with ease.

doc-phil

Alan Ratcliffe wrote They're not old - they are retro, dammit! ? I can only give examples from my frame of reference, but in my experience good music tends to be timeless and crosses generation gaps with ease.

Agreed ? pity none of that sort of stuff makes it to the radio anymore.

Squonk

Alan Ratcliffe wrote Whatever you want to do. My briefs are always wide open (as it were :-[).

They're not old - they are retro, dammit! ? I can only give examples from my frame of reference, but in my experience good music tends to be timeless and crosses generation gaps with ease.

Was thinking about this. In 2000 Gabrielle sampled Dylan's "Knocking on Heavens Door" for her hit "Rise" and it was the structure of her whole song and it made UK number one!

Gangsters Paradise and all the songs since that have sampled it. My kids were horrified to hear that this was all borrowed from Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise( Which he borrowed from Bach) from 1976's Songs in the Key of Life.

And there are plenty more.....

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