From: someone@anywheret.net   
      
   "JimD"  wrote in message news:2018090511532179377-email@nowherecom...   
      
   > We made four yesterday, I did two more last evening, and one this morning.   
   > We need at least 10, maybe 12 sd tunes before we have to start these   
      
   I was wondering about square dance tunes, aren't they basically all the   
   same, particularly considering what they're about? ;)   
   Or are there some tunes intended not to have calls?   
      
   > I'm making " backing tracks " for each song.  These consist of the bass   
   > line, and a plain rhythm guitar track, and a short intro.  The " tracks "   
   > are basically replacing having to take a live bassist.   
      
   I just solved that problem with my left hand, and no fakery ;)   
      
   Of course, enough of those 'tracks' can replace having an entire band ;)   
      
   > We could have gone that way, but why ?   Just added complications.  As it   
   > is, we have band girl doing the calling, I'm playing various instruments   
   > live, guitar, keys or fiddle,  and we have a live drummer. So a three   
   > piece gig.   
      
   Maybe you could do manual bass too, or pedal bass - I've always been   
   interested in trying that too, uses heel for the 'natural' 'keys', and front   
   of the foot for sharps and flats...and The (Young) Rascals' keyboard player,   
   Felix Cavaliere, who usually played a B3, used bass pedals with it,   
   eliminating the need for a dedicated bass player.   
      
   > The deal is, two square dance songs, then 4 regular dance tunes.  Repeat   
   > that pattern all evening, with some special dance things thrown in as   
   > needed.  It's 3 hours, and should be lots of fun.   
      
   I think I'd get bored, even if it's not Malmsteen material ;)   
      
   > On a square dance like this, the songs all have specific structure.  So   
   > far that seems, a 4 bar intro, then a " square " which is about a minute   
   > long pattern.  That pattern gets repeated three more time to move the   
   > dancers completely around, then a short ending.   
      
   > Boring if you're into being a show off musician. In our case, not so   
   > because the three of us have A LOT to manage to make it work.   
      
   I'm very much into being a show off musician - but *qualifying* that, I mean   
   that I'm into showing off each song, our material, Not myself.   
   That means that I really dig it when an audience *listens* and pays   
   attention!   
      
   > Not the thing for a musician who wants to " wail ".   
      
   Depends on what you  mean by 'wail' ;)   
      
   To me, it means being totally turned on and tuned into the Love Vibe, which   
   is reflected in playing to even further Move an audience into that Vibe   
   along with the band...which is what it's all about for me - a totally   
   psychedelic Awesome Experience!!!   
      
   > We're doing a specific job. Playing music so the dancers can dance.  We   
   > play, they dance, they pay us, all are happy.   
      
   They may pay, but they don't pay attention!   
      
   > Since the tracks I'm making are so basic, I have room to play all sorts of   
   > things live. I'll change instruments, or keyboard sounds as any particular   
   > song goes. Songs are 6 or 7 minutes each, so I might play keys for two   
   > squares, then guitar for two. Or whatever.   
      
   Those are long tunes! To date, I've written only one song that's over 7   
   minutes, by 10 seconds, the  title track of the Through The Eons   
   album...although I do have several songs longer than 6 minutes.   
      
   > So two SD tunes, then we play 4 regular, whatever we want, songs for   
   > normal dancing. " da da ... dada  ....... my baby loves the hanky panky "   
   > comes right to mind :-)   
      
   Sounds kind of 'party'.   
      
   > We'll throw in some slow dance songs, and maybe a waltz now and then.   
   > Then back to turkey in the straw :-)   
      
      
   Jim   
      
   Sounds like quite a mix.   
      
   Ouisie   
      
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