Recording Challenge #3 (Write a song in the ' Raga None' Scale)

[Tadpui]

Thanks for clearing that up, Wikipedia. It all makes sense now.

JD could have just led with that and this would have made much more sense.

shuddha madhyamam,

Also known as Shuddha Wuddha Cuddha.

Hahahaha

Actually I did sit with this scale over lunch break (working from home today, so the studio is within easy reach). I can't say that I ended up with anything inspiring yet. The sharp 2nd and major 3rd don't resonate in my brain very well. I just haven't found any satisfying melodies in there yet.

[Greg_L]

How long have you known me now, and how many discussions have we had about music? I must have told you a thousand times that my musical brain just doesn't work like that. I have zero (perhaps even less) interest in knowing what chords can be built with different bits of a scale. Far from it being a way of releasing your creativity, I think it just funnels you down pre-determined, well-trodden paths. It's the musical equivalent of pressing flowers in a book, to me. I don't wanna know exactly where I am, where I'm going and what is coming next, Where is the fun is that? I want to be surprised and delighted coming across something accidentally.

I respect the fact that you like scales and chords and analysing everything but I hate it. I hate it as bad as Brexit.

I hope this has sunk in, now.

Yes, that.

[JD01]

Scared bubs?

How long have you known me now, and how many discussions have we had about music? I must have told you a thousand times that my musical brain just doesn't work like that. I have zero (perhaps even less) interest in knowing what chords can be built with different bits of a scale. Far from it being a way of releasing your creativity, I think it just funnels you down pre-determined, well-trodden paths. It's the musical equivalent of pressing flowers in a book, to me. I don't wanna know exactly where I am, where I'm going and what is coming next, Where is the fun is that? I want to be surprised and delighted coming across something accidentally.

I respect the fact that you like scales and chords and analysing everything but I hate it. I hate it as bad as Brexit.

I hope this has sunk in, now.

So you're not sure and think you'd prefer the Ethiopian scale?

[Armistice]

If you really want to upset people, do a recording challenge to cover a Steely Dan song...

I'm with [mention]Bubba[/mention] and [mention]Greg_L[/mention] on this one. Just no.

[SweetDan]

Poopy pants, all of you! Not wanting to play JD's game!

(Granted, I'm probably not going to do this one either. But I didn't do Recording Challenge #1 yet, probably never will, and my entry in #2 is full of...what did you guys say that one guy did in all his recordings..."placeholder tracks"? A track wherein you get the idea, but the quality is lacking....my life is full of those. But I digress...)

Music theory is great for describing a piece of music that already exists, but it's pretty bad at prescribing what a yet-to-be-or-still-being-created piece of music can and should become.

Of course, it sometimes inspires creativity to arbitrarily constrain what tools or techniques you use to create art.

Maybe if we had some examples of music in this strange scale to listen to...

[WhiskeyJack]

The notes used in this scale are shadjam, shatsruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam, shatsruthi dhaivatham and kakali nishadham. As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampurna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Rasikapriya, which is the 72nd (last) melakarta.

Thanks for clearing that up, Wikipedia. It all makes sense now.

I have run this through google translate and i am still no further ahead than i was this morning. if ever there was a recording "challenge" JD hit the jackpot here.

[JD01]

The sharp 2nd and major 3rd don't resonate in my brain very well. I just haven't found any satisfying melodies in there yet.

I've found that they the sharp 2 never works over the 1 chord.

I did come up with an outline structure for this last night though.

The reason I thought of this challenge was that I have written a few songs purely 'cos I selected a scale at random and decided to try and turn it into a song. That's how "It Isn't Easy" was written. I had no idea what Hungarian Minor sounded like, but I like Gulaschesuppe and I like the minor scale, so I chose to learn it and write a song using it... it turned out pretty well actually.

[vomitHatSteve]

I'm definitely gonna take a stab at this one at least. Just gotta find some time.

Edit:

Alright, written. Now let's track if for real.



I didn't really verify that the vocal parts are all technically in key. They sound good, and the guitar chords are all correct.

Edit 2: Whoops. That C#maj was not in key. Updated

space panopticon - scratch.mp3

Also, chord chart if anyone wants to check my work.

Code: Select all

Space Panopticon
words and music by Stephen Smith

D-standard tuning
D raga scale (

Gs4 A' C2 C4 C#t
 x  x  0  5   x
 3  0  3  3   x
 2  4  2  2   8
 2  0  0  0   7
 0  2  0  0   6
 x  x  0  0   0

Intro

Dmaj Dmin

verse

F F F# G     Dmaj
       I see all
     Gs4          A'
I'll cleanse your soul
F F F# G       Dmaj
       From my throne
 C2  C4
Above

I'll wipe you clean
In thought and deed
Isolated in
Love (in the)

Chorus - if full chords are desired, As4, D2, Emaj, and Gmaj fit
G  D    E        C
Space Panopticon
Space Panopticon

Interlude (intro)

Verse

Clean food and drink
You'll sit and think
Reflect on your fell
Deeds
Then with your peers
You'll wile the years
'til proved you can go
Free (from the)

repeat chorus

Bridge

D           C       G    C#t
No cage can hold me long
I am above your petty human concerns
I am much too strong
And I will laugh as this prison burns (with its)

Chorus

D Amaj    C      G
Space  Panopticon

Outro (intro)

[musicturtle]

Will give this a go...probably won't get me fired! Ha Ha

[Armistice]

I'm definitely gonna take a stab at this one at least. Just gotta find some time.

Edit:

Alright, written. Now let's track if for real.



I didn't really verify that the vocal parts are all technically in key. They sound good, and the guitar chords are all correct.

Edit 2: Whoops. That C#maj was not in key. Updated

space panopticon - scratch.mp3

Also, chord chart if anyone wants to check my work.

Code: Select all

Space Panopticon
words and music by Stephen Smith

D-standard tuning
D raga scale (

Gs4 A' C2 C4 C#t
 x  x  0  5   x
 3  0  3  3   x
 2  4  2  2   8
 2  0  0  0   7
 0  2  0  0   6
 x  x  0  0   0

Intro

Dmaj Dmin

verse

F F F# G     Dmaj
       I see all
     Gs4          A'
I'll cleanse your soul
F F F# G       Dmaj
       From my throne
 C2  C4
Above

I'll wipe you clean
In thought and deed
Isolated in
Love (in the)

Chorus - if full chords are desired, As4, D2, Emaj, and Gmaj fit
G  D    E        C
Space Panopticon
Space Panopticon

Interlude (intro)

Verse

Clean food and drink
You'll sit and think
Reflect on your fell
Deeds
Then with your peers
You'll wile the years
'til proved you can go
Free (from the)

repeat chorus

Bridge

D           C       G    C#t
No cage can hold me long
I am above your petty human concerns
I am much too strong
And I will laugh as this prison burns (with its)

Chorus

D Amaj    C      G
Space  Panopticon

Outro (intro)

Ha ha... awesome. I think we have a winner already!

Next challenge?

[Tadpui]

Nice job, [mention]vomitHatSteve[/mention] ! Lyrics and everything. Damn!

I started feeling the mojo a bit with this hate-worthy scale tonight. Maybe I can cobble something together this weekend.

[JD01]

Steve, excellent song. Lyrics are good too.
Are you going to do a full mix of this with all the usual Regdar stuff?

Also, if you're interested in weird scales and stuff - do you want me to scan and send you a load more presented in the same format as this? I have an excellent book.

[vomitHatSteve]

Thanks folks. Yes, I'll definitely be giving this a more full treatment. It's a busy month tho, so it might take some time.

I am interested in alternate scales, but I'm rarely likely to actually do anything with them unless something comes up that I feel like there's a special reason to write in one. (e.g. challenges like this)

[vomitHatSteve]

Steve, excellent song. Lyrics are good too.
Are you going to do a full mix of this with all the usual Regdar stuff?

Also, if you're interested in weird scales and stuff - do you want me to scan and send you a load more presented in the same format as this? I have an excellent book.

As I'm trying to figure out how to sequence the randomized parts of things, I'm noticing that I already coded my system to support:
The Hungarian Minor scale (1,2, minor 3, sharp 4, flat 5?, minor 6, major 7)
Hungarian Aeolian Sharp 4 (as above but minor 7)
Ukranian Minor (as above but major 6 and minor 7)
Phrygian dominant (1, flat 2, major 3, 4, 5, minor 6, minor 7)
Acoustic scale (1,2, major 3, sharp 4, 5, major 6, minor 7)

Not that I use them

[JD01]

I actually really like Hungarian Minor and don't mind Phrygian Dominant either.

[vomitHatSteve]

I've got a great piano riff my brother and I wrote in Hungarian Minor. It's fun to duet with children on it because it's so strange and dissonant that anything they play more or less matches.

[vomitHatSteve]

Also, now that we've driven everyone else away, what dastardly deeds are we gonna plan that we can't allow anyone else to know of?

[JD01]

I've got a great piano riff my brother and I wrote in Hungarian Minor. It's fun to duet with children on it because it's so strange and dissonant that anything they play more or less matches.

I find it really fun to play in. As when I learned it I immediately wrote a song using the scale 'cos I found it immediately inspiring! In fact, you've heard it - I remember you commenting on it once... but you probably thought it sounded just like one of my normal songs.

The #4, 5 and b6 together make for fun riffs!

Also, now that we've driven everyone else away, what dastardly deeds are we gonna plan that we can't allow anyone else to know of?

I've actually considered this - I propose a one minute instrumental, made up entirely of melody lines that are well known cliches (invent your own harmony) I was thinking of starting with The Streets Of Cairo and segueing into Happy Birthday

[WhiskeyJack]

Also, now that we've driven everyone else away, what dastardly deeds are we gonna plan that we can't allow anyone else to know of?

[Bubba]

Also, now that we've driven everyone else away, what dastardly deeds are we gonna plan that we can't allow anyone else to know of?

Harry Potter convention?