Beboy's Music
A Drive Down Memory Lane - July 4, 2024
I recorded the melody first. I am playing a progression with Triads. The chord progression has common movements 4 to 5 and 6 to 3 and 1 to 2 to 3 to 4. I played Seventh chords for the rhythm. When I played the solo it covered over the melody so I focused on the melody for the first half of the song and then I played the solo for the second half.
Chameleon Crawl - June 2024
I started with the opening lick. Then I had trouble creating a chord progression that I liked. Finally I created an unusual progression that starts in a minor key and then shifts to Major. The chord progression is Amin7, D7, Dsus4b7, E7, Esus4b7. It doesn't really resolve but it has a chromatic movement that gives the impression of moving upward and maybe gives the song an uplifting feeling.
Fifties Again 68 - March 18, 2024 Remastered April 26, 2024
The song is based on a 1950's (Doo Wop style) chord progression. 1968 is a special year for me and I played this song in a 6/8 time signature. I played the rhythm guitar twice using different amplifiers and layered them with one panned left and the other panned right. They sound like one guitar but it creates a bigger sound. I programmed the drums and bass through my computer. I used two different amps for the melody tracks, one clean and the other one has overdrive. I've been learning more about mixing and mastering and I used this as practice. I think I got it where every instrument is heard and none of them stick out. It helps when using different frequency responses from different amplifiers, speaker cabinets, and microphones.
Beboy's Etude - Recorded Jan-Feb, Mastered March 12, 2023
I wrote a classical song and played it on electric guitar. I used a classical finger-picking style for this song. The song is easier than it sounds but it is fast. I'm picking 5 or 6 notes per second and trying to keep them ringing out as long as possible. I recorded a lot of takes, took the best parts, and strung them together one after another. I'm only playing one guitar at a time but classical picking can make it sound like several parts happening at once.
The melodies were created by me but I added a couple of classic rock riffs to make a statement. I began learning Classical guitar in 1986 from Mike Fuller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnu9ZM7T29o This was before he became famous by building his own line of guitar pedals used by many famous guitarists. https://www.fulltone.com/artists Mike taught me to play Bouree (hardest song I ever played). I recorded myself trying to play it back then. Scroll way down and you will find it.
I created the following songs very fast. They are more like demos or like a Day-In-The-Life. Basically I would come up with a new idea that I have never played, record my guitar playing, then add drums and bass and I would do all of that in approximately 20 minutes. That's it. Then I would spend 3 hours arranging, mixing, mastering, and rendering. Quick without being thought out. The songs have a flow but not necessarily a structure (verse, chorus, etc). Its like practicing everything at once (composing, playing, recording, mixing, and mastering). I'm self taught at all of it and I need lots of practice.
Africa - May 7, 2022
This is a Jazz Fusion song. I took a complex piano melody (MIDI) but I used a Bass to play it. The beginning Bass melody is similar to a Western African melody so I named this Africa. I used modern progressive drums and edited the pattern. I played a Guitar solo though the whole song and then played another solo in a higher register without listening to the first. I mixed the two solos together and cut out some parts that clashed. In some areas they mixed together nicely even though I didn't know what I was doing. I played one solo using a hybrid Maj/min scale (1-2-b3-3-4-b5-5-6-b7-7) and the other solo using a hybrid Augmented scale (1-b2-2-b3-3-4-5-#5-6-b7).
Blue Sky - May 4, 2022
This is me trying to learn how to solo. I created a 10 minute Drum and Bass groove and then I recorded a Guitar solo along the whole track. The next day I recorded a different Guitar solo along the whole track. I have always been more of a rhythm player and I am still learning how to solo. In this case I was using a secret Eddie Van Halen scale (which I haven't practiced) that sounds really nice. I kept maybe 6 or 7 minutes of the first day's solo and 4 or 5 minutes of the second day. I took out the bad parts but there are still lots of flubs and parts where I am wandering around searching for a lick. What I like is that it is a good representation of me learning how to solo. You can hear me reaching to find the right notes or rhythm, or me struggling while trying to play quickly through the scale.
Slip Shoe - April 30, 2022
This is a Blues Ambient Fusion with Oddness. I made that up because sometimes I don't know what style it is. When I first started recording this I thought I was making a mellow ambient bluesy song that reminded me of the Bayou. But as it matured into a full song it became more busy and no longer slow an ambient. I started with a Drum pattern and added Classic Rock Bass patterns. Then I recorded my Guitar playing while listening to one drum and bass pattern repeat. I played the main guitar melody through my neck pickup and gave it a brighter acoustic sound. Then I played another Guitar track using my bridge pickup.
Whooly - April 26, 2022
Another Metal song. I found a modern metal Drum pattern that sounded brutal. I added a Bass that is chugging very fast but I buried it in the mix. Then I played a melody Guitar line with subtle variations. I played Rhythm Guitar and that was tricky because I am not used playing to this modern metal style. All the chord changes I tried sounded lousy. Finally I decided to play only one chord (A5) over and over through the whole song. I varied the rhythm in 16 different ways but stayed on the same chord.
Twist Tie - April 23, 2022
This is a Funk Guitar Song with Fusion Drums, plus Rock and Reggae Bass patterns. I just made it up as I went along. I liked the drum pattern and added Rock Bass but I needed more so I added sections with Reggae Bass. I decided to use extended chords (Jazz chords with the 9th etc) and a funk picking style seemed to fit. That is as far as I got. I decided to just put it together as-is and call it finished. It has potential but needs more. My goal right now is just to practice and record as I go.
Whatever - April 20, 2022
This is just a mix of riffs. I was playing Guitar and created riff I liked . I thought I would record it so I wouldn't forget it. I jammed for 10 minutes and this is what came out. I chopped up the recording, took out the really bad stuff, and arranged what was left. One part sounds like I am using a wammy bar but I don't have a wammy on this guitar. To make that sound I aggressively slid into the note right as I picked it - I was acting like a spaz. To make another part with high pitched notes one after the other - I just picked the notes quickly and slid up and repeated quickly (then I edited to get the best parts). This is really just a demo of riffs rather than a cohesive song.
Back to School - April 16. 2022
This is a Groove Metal song. I Chose a drum pattern and made up a Guitar riff based on the drums. Then I just added more riffs. I played everything twice and panned them hard right and left (like the Djent bands do). Then I duplicated the guitar with a gnarly Bass sound. Quick and easy.
Jazz 123 Sometime 4 - April 16, 2022
This is a Jazz progression using the first four 7th chords of the Major Scale: CMaj7, Dmin7, Emin7 & FMaj7. I played two Guitar tracks. I used a pick for one and played fingerstyle for the other then panned them to the left and right channels. I added bass patterns (not played by me) and I altered it to match my chord changes. I started this with a metal drums pattern - and why not - there are no rules against it.
Double Tap - April 15, 2022
Quirky Metal. I'm just playing riffs again. I'm eager to record so I just made a quick demo. I found a neat drum patter and played Guitar along with it for approx 15 minutes. I took out the best parts and strung them together. I double the guitar tracks and changed one track to sound like a Bass. This went quick and took me approximately 5 hours from start to finish. That equates to 1 hour for each 1 minute of music. This song has the quirky essence that is a part of my style.
Riffage - April 5, 2022
I'm back on guitar. This is a Groove Metal song. Its really just me making up riffs and string them together.
I have been playing keyboard for the past couple years and now I am back to guitar. I also completely changed my picking style. I went from a blues style with an open picking hand and regular sized picks to using tiny Jazz III shaped picks and I closed my hand into a loose fist. I also learned to relax my picking hand and my speed improved dramatically. For this song all I did was play a repeating drum groove and I made up riffs for 12 minutes or so. Then I chopped them up, threw out the bad stuff, strung them back together, and added a variety of drum patterns. METAL LIVES!
REVISED 4/8/2022: The song needed Bass and I did it the lazy way. I doubled my guitar tracks and played them clean, without distortion, then I used an effect to lower the pitch one octave to give it a bass sound. I drove the Bass signal and added a tiny bit of distortion to give it a bite. Although the bass doesn't add variety to the music it makes the song sound more full.
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Fruit From Labor - February 15, 2022
I started with a classic rock Bass pattern but I sped it up and added effects to the sound. Then I composed this by hand, typing in the notes, as MIDI, for the rest of the instruments. I added a Piano playing chords that strike at different times and added melody notes. I duplicated it on Acoustic Guitar and Caisa Drum. I used a synth for the atmospheric sound and added Drums.
Uplift - January 29, 2022
This is a gospel song, sort of. I started with a gospel bass groove and added Guitar cords (played on keyboard). I added a second guitar that follows the bass and a Hammond B3 Organ. Then I played two vocal tracks on my keyboard. They have lots of effects on them so you won't recognize it as a vocalist.
Beethoven Sonata 1 - January 19, 2022
This one was super simple. Just 4 tracks. Two Pianos and two Synths. This is a slightly eerie version of the original.
Beethoven Sonata 9 - January 19, 2022
This is another classical song where I got the music notation from the internet and I chose different instruments to play the different parts. I used 3 different Pianos (one plays harmonics and sounds broken), 2 Guitars, a Horn section, and 3 synths. The music is broken into 4 sections, I am calling them: Melody, Solo, Mid-Range Accompaniment, and Low-Range Accompaniment. I played each section on all of the individual instruments and then mixed them together to create my own interpretation of the song. As I weave the instruments in and out of the song there are 10 to 20 instruments playing at once.
Start The Party - January 16, 2022
This is a funk song with Salsa horns. This is another song where I didn't know what I would end up with. I found a nice funk Bass groove and I added Drums. From there I wasn't sure what to add so I played chord stabs on a Piano. It sounded thin so I added an ensemble of 66 Trombones playing arcs (a slow sound that swells). Then I added Trumpet phrases played by Colombian salsa players. These were short phrases that I chopped and mixed together so they overlap. I created some interesting movements with the horns swirling around. It took some trial and error to turn it into a melody.
Moonlight Sonata Strings - January 15, 2022
I decided to make a more traditional version of Beethoven's amazing sonata using strings. I used the same music as the song below (Moonlight Sonata - Beboy's Orchestration) but this time I used 15 string players: 2 Violins, 3 Violas playing one style and 3 Violas playing another style, 3 Cellos, and 2 Classical Basses. They each play differently and it mixes together well.
Moonlight Sonata - Beboy's Orchestration - January 11, 2022
This was a monster song. I found the music online and it was separated into 4 simultaneous parts that form the song. I took those 4 parts and played 7 or 8 different instruments for each part. There are 30 instruments that I weaved in and out throughout the song. Each of those parts is 21 minutes long. That's 10 hours if you listen to them one at a time. Deciding how to orchestrate those 30 instruments took lots of time and intense listening. What a beautiful song. I can hear why this is one of the best songs ever composed. I used 8 Pianos, 4 organs, 6 Zithers, 4 horn sections, and 8 synthesizers. I orchestrated it without knowing how other music producers handled this song and I think I did a good job at bringing out the beauty in Beethoven's amazing piece of music.
El Paso Jam - January 1, 2022 Happy New Year
This is kind of a Country Song. I played a variety of chord progressions on Dobro Guitar (on keyboard) using different strumming and picking patterns. I added disco Bass grooves and I played the chord changes on keyboard. Then I added folk drums.
Beboy's Lullaby - December 25, 2021 Merry Christmas!
--I added a guitar melody on December 26, 2021.
This is a super simple song with Guitar and Cello (played by me on a keyboard). It is a CMaj-Emin-Dmin-Gmaj (1-3-2-5) progression played with broken chords (play half the chord notes then the other half) and an arpeggio (one note at a time). Then I played 3 Bass patterns and added similar patterns on Cello playing quarter note pulses. I chopped up a bit of the melody and reversed some of it so it plays backwards. Later I added a guitar melody played on keyboard.
The Long Game - December 18, 2021
This song is a fast chaotic melody using arpeggios (playing chords one note at a time). I used a program to create an arpeggio pattern that is 16 notes (one after another). Then I tweaked it by making the sound of each individual note slowly shift between lasting longer and then sounding for a shorter amount of time. I also put it through a filter that fades between highlighting the high tones and then the low tones. I played a chord melody CMaj-Emin-Dmin-GMaj but I used inversions so it gives the impression of descending C-B-A-G. Sometimes I played CMaj-Emin, CMaj-Emi-GMaj, and C-B-A-G. I added the Augmented 5th (#5) to all of those chords to give it forward motion. Then I played a modern Bass Drum (mix between a Bass and a Kick Drum used in cinematic music).
Hickory Stomp - December 13, 2021
I used a program that takes Guitar patterns and randomly creates rhythms that are unique. I layered 3 guitars and created more than 30 different rhythms. I strung them together in an order that made sense (to me) and added many different drum patterns. I played 3 different patterns on Bass to give the song a structure.
The Hermit - November 29, 2021
This is a slow somber song. I played bells and atmospheric sounds. I added a Theremin (sounds like a choir singing Ooh, its also the sound from the Star Trek theme). Then I played a simple solo on violin. I played the solo with different phrasing each time. Its a quiet slow song. The end needs work. Sometimes I just make these quickly for fun and then I move on.
Blurred Reality - November 27, 2021
I started out making a spa style song. Then I played some melodies that sounded a bit deranged so I decided to shift back and forth between pleasant sound and deranged. Whatever it is, it turned out interesting. I played all of the melodies on synthesizers. Then I created beats for ethic drums and reindeer bells and I added fusion drums.
Two-Toed Sloth - November 26, 2021
I don't know what style this is. Avant-Garde Cinematic Spa? Modern sound design for music is always looking for new sounds. The newest trend is to use ordinary sounds we hear around us, such as city sounds, nature sounds, people, machinery, etc. Then chop up or mangle and morph those sounds into the music. In this case I used some of the newest sound design that will soon be heard in movies and TV. I took nature sounds from the Amazon Jungle, which has bird sounds, insects and night jungle sounds, etc. I chopped it up and changed the pitch to match the melodies of the music. Some of it, like the night sounds, is just a twinkling sound that tickles the ears and adds depth and interest to the melody. I used different synthesizers to play the music and layered them together.
Inch Worm - November 23, 2021
This is a silly song in what I call Nursery Rhyme Style. I played 3 different melodies that were short and very simple but were different from each other. Then I mixed them together without anything else except drums. I wanted to see if I could weave silly melodies into a song. I played all 3 melodies on 3 different instruments (played on a keyboard): Rhodes Piano, Gibson SG Guitar, and a Synthesizer. I added Funk drum patterns to round out the groove. Part of this reminds me of Ring Around the Rosie.
Night Shift - November 20, 2021
This is an RnB Fusion style (I made up that term). I was playing piano and came up with the first melody. Through the magic of MIDI editing I created a second alternate version of the melody. Then I played a slower melody that has sections. That's it. I took that MIDI and played different instruments: Rhodes Piano; Gibson SG Guitar tuned down one octave so it sounds like a Bass; SG Guitar regular tuning and I added effects that give it a subtle flutter; fuzzy sounding Bass Synth; and the Upright Piano I started with. Then I added drums played in a ballad style. I arranged the drum patterns and added fills. It is a simple song but the sounds combine in complex ways. Its hard to come up with interesting melodies that sound unique. I am happy how this one turned out. Night Shift is dedicated to some night-time bakers. Thanks for the bread.
Leech - November 16, 2021
This is a quick one, I played piano and added synths. Its just a few melodies and I change the orchestration. There are 5 different tracks and I played in 4 octave ranges (very low notes up to very high notes). Then I used low, high, or middle octaves for each for each of the 5 tracks. When the octaves are mixed in different ways it really changes the way it sounds. It helped me learn how to use octaves for individual instruments to enhance the melody.
Thinking Too Much - November 13, 2021
I'm playing a Rhodes Piano in this one. I used the Call and Response technique - one phase sounds like it is asking a question and the next phrase answers it. It is a popular technique, used forever, especially in Blues and Jazz. I'm a guitarist trying to learn piano on my own but I don't know many of the patterns yet. I stumbled on this: I played 5 to 4 in the bass, while playing 5 I ascended playing licks with 1-2-3-4-5. When I played the 4 I descended 1-7-6-5-4. Both had the 5 &4 at the end so it made it easy to solo and use Call and Response. I'm an elementary level soloist, and this was my first take, I made it up as I went along, so some parts are off; but overall I like it.
Hodgepodge - November 11, 2021 - Veterans Day
This is just me experimenting with Arpeggiators. When I play a note on my keyboard the Arpeggiator repeats the notes in a pattern. It can play intervals (higher or lower notes) to make the pattern more complex. The Arpeggiator can be manipulated in endless ways. I played some arpeggiator patterns on keyboard and added other synthesizer melodies and bongos. It sounded horrible but I kept messing with it until it was almost like a song. Think of it as an experiment.
The Warm Up - November 7, 2021
This is a Guitar and Brass Horns song. I played all of the instruments on a keyboard. I played an arpeggio with 3 notes on guitar then changed the highest note and started messing around with the pattern. It was a challenge to find lots of ways to mix up the pattern with only 4 notes. I think the chords are G13 to A6. I added an 80s synth, and several different Hip-Hop Brass Horn sections, along with an 808 Drum and Bass pattern. Then I added Shepherd Tones to enhance the build-up. Shepherd Tones are an audio illusion. The sound gives an illusion it keeps going higher but in reality it doesn't. It uses octave tones, one above and one below, that alternately increase in volume; the low note increases then turns off when the high note increases, they switch back and forth and our brain hears constant rising. I used Shepherd Tones 4 times in the song each with a different sound.
Tick Tock - November 2, 2021
I was playing around and found a Bass sound I liked, so I recorded a few grooves. Then I played a Pad melody (Pad is a drone sound - like holding down a chord on a synthesizer). Then I found some whisper vocals with a tick tock theme, so I played some melodies with them. Then I added clicky-clack percussion sounds that reminded me of clocks. I added funk drums and some Cinematic Pulses (repeating phrases that have a pulsating sound). I had no idea what I was making when I recorded the Bass but this is how it turned out - completely different than I imagined. Sometimes I just go with the flow and see what develops.
Wondering - October 10, 2021
I don't know what style this is. It reminds me of nursery rhyme style but with crazy drums. Its a simple melody because most of the excitement is in the percussion. I took 4 different drum and percussion styles and layered them into a wall of drums that constantly changes. Each of the 4 styles has 12 patterns (48 in total). Then I played simple melodies on Cimbalom (like a large Dulcimer played with mallets - but I played it on a keyboard). And I added swells from a Bazantar (one of a kind upright bass that has 39 strings most of which are inside the body and resonate sympathetically with the notes I play). Its simple song but the drums are interesting. It has my bit oddness I like to add to songs. Part of my playing style is to oversimplify and focus on chord tones because I think that makes a catchy tune. Since my playing is sophomoric, I clutter it up with noises like crazy drums.
Martha's Goodbye - September 18, 2021
Today our wonderful cat Martha went to heaven. She was 19 and had lived with us for 18 years. She was an important part of our family. We love her like crazy. several hours after her passing I was taking a break and decided to play piano. I found a nice sound then played a Dmin chord with my left hand. I found a few notes with my right hand that sounded good, so I decided to improvise and record it. This song is what came out. I'm a beginner at piano so holding a stationary chord with my left hand while playing a simple melody with my right, is as good as I can do. But I think this song has some emotion to it. Today was a long hard day and I can hear all of that day condensed in this song. I wasn't trying to do that. Its just what came out of me because of the emotions I was feeling.
Babalon Working - Hubbard and Parsons - September 17, 2021
This is a spooky one. It features ancient instruments, chanting and post-rock drums. I played the Lyre melodies (a small harp plucked and strummed) on a keyboard. There's also a Didgeridoo, Fujara Flute (55 different phrases), Overtone Flute (95 different phrases), Tagelharpa, and Modern Bass. The Post-Rock style drums are only played in the middle of the song. I recorded this a few months ago but didn't mix it until now.
Down Spiral - September 11, 2021 (20 year anniversary of the horrible 911 attack)
This is a sad song with a bit of Jazz. I played it on keyboard but it has a guitar sound. I improvised a melody and tried to make it unpredictable. There's no song structure, it just flows like our thoughts. This was a 4 min improv then I repeated it. I duplicated the melody using different sounds and weaved them in and out. Its very subtle because the sounds fit together tightly.
Lets See What Happens - September 5, 2021
I would call this a Progressive Trance Metal Fusion style (I made that up). In this song I played a digital instrument (computer) that had guitar phrases. I played a bunch of those phrases on a piano keyboard. Then I mixed them together by weaving parts in and out while I repeated other parts trance like. I call it fusion because I added Samba Reggae drum patterns played by 33 Colombians on a drum called a Batucada. When you hear one drum hit it is actually 33 players in an ensemble playing that hit. Who knew that Samba drums would work in a metal song. This song has some nice Beboy oddness.
Tempestas - August 21, 2021
This is a Classical song with Middle Eastern and Latin vocals. I'm learning how to mix orchestral instruments so I took Upright Bass, Cello, Viola, and violin, and I played different patterns on each. I also added two layers of guitar effects (played on a keyboard). I played all of the instruments and I played the melody for the Latin vocals. I spent time on the sound design so that everything fits together. There are some neat sounds and frequencies in here. This is an unusual melody. I think it is E Lydian Mode. I use the tones of the C Major Scale but the focus is on the E note. The melody I made up is: E-D-F-E-G-C-E-F-D-E-A-B. I managed to fit all 7 tones of the scale in my melody.
Hangzhou - August 13, 2021
This is a Chinese song but I am not familiar with Chinese song structure, so I just mixed the instruments and melodies together so they would flow. I made up my own patterns, note by note, for the gongs, cymbals, wind sounds, crescendos, and bass. The Chinese instruments are: (plucked) Guzheng & Pipa (wind) Chinese Flutes (bowed) Erhu (percussion) Ju (low drums), Temple Blocks (clickity clack), Kuai Ban Er (tick tock), Cymbals, Gongs, & Bells. The melodies can get complicated but I think they weave in and out nicely. I'm not sure if this is similar to traditional Chinese music or if it is a Beboy fusion mashup.
Long Day - July 24, 2021
This is a simple sad cinematic song. I was experimenting with new software instruments to see how they work together. I played a simple piano piece: two chords with left hand and a melody with the right. I improvised the melody and used the first take (its a simple melody). Then I added an ensemble of 66 Cellos playing arcs (swells), and I added pulsing staccato strings (1/4 note and 1/8 note). Then I just mixed them together to see how they interact.
Feel Love - July 17, 2021
This is a Modern Gypsy Jazz song. I took a bunch of audio clips and twisted them into a new creation. I did lots of slicing and dicing. It a fast moving fun song. Here is the original version before I messed with it https://soundcloud.com/uvi-official/gypsy-jazzy-palam-pam?in=uvi-official/sets/gypsy-jazzy-uvi
Fiesta Cue - July 4th, 2021 INDEPENDENCE DAY!
This is a Flamenco style but soft like a relaxation spa song. I arranged the audio clips, played by pros, but I didn't do too much else. Except there are places where I added bits played in reverse, that sound like it is building up to the next note. I made this right after a fun workplace barbecue party that featured a Mexican flavor. In honor of that I named this Fiesta Cue.
Melty Fudge - July 3rd, 2021
This is a funk song. I made this real fast by just mixing up a bunch of audio clips. I did some of my little tricks but nothing too fancy. Sometimes its just fun to play with these audio clip sets to see what I can create. Its like playing with a set of legos and seeing what I can make.
Hot Day - June 26, 2021
This is an RnB song that I twisted into something different. Today was a hot day and this song reflects that. It gives me the impression of heat waves rising off the sidewalk. I used song clips but I changed them from the Key of A# Major (happy) to D minor (sad and mysterious). D minor is a beautiful key. Then I completely changed it by reversing copies of most of the music then alternated and mixed them with the regular clips. It created new melodies because the beats are also reversed. It is a big mixture of clips with as many as 22 tracks playing at the same time. Most are subtle and hard to notice but they enrich the sounds
Stuck in Kingston Groove - June 20, 2021
This is a Reggae song. It is one groove played by pros (not me). I chopped their parts so the play one bar but not the next. It builds to the middle where everything plays smooth. Then I chop it up again but using an opposite pattern as the beginning.
Grange Night - June 19, 2021
This is a Country song played by pros (not me). I chopped it, arranged it, and did a few tricks. I don't have any country vocals so I used a soul singer instead. It fits okay but would be better if it was country. I used a more proper structure for this song (verse, chorus, bridge), unlike most of my other songs.
Freq Mod - June 12, 2021
Since I am a musician, I tend to listen to the little details in music. I really enjoy listening to the different frequencies made by instruments and their tones. I listen to individual frequencies and I listen to how they interact with each other. For this song I used Modular Synthesizers, recorded by professionals (not me). I chopped them up and mixed them together. I made it a bit aggressive in the beginning and then more mellow in the middle. In some parts there are so many frequencies swirling around that they cancel out other frequencies and that makes it interesting for me. I guess I am a Freq Freak.
Antici-Syncopation - June 6, 2021
I chopped up beats and mixed them into interesting melodies. The musical term syncopation is when notes don't fall on the 4-4 beat. This song sounds odd and has a feeling of anticipation, so I called it Antici-Syncopation. I widened the stereo spread so all of the instruments are separated and stand out.
Nap Time - May 29, 2021 (Memorial Weekend)
This one is silly and fun. Its also kind of a kids song, so play it during their nap time. You may think its too lively for nap time, but so are kids. I began making this song by chopping up audio clips so lots of instruments each only play a tiny part and they mix together into a melody. I kept the stereo spread tight so they would better blend together. The song is in sections that are repetitive but slowly change, which makes it sort of meditative, and made me think of napping. The music was a little dull on its own so I played flute on a keyboard and added silly vocals also played by me on a keyboard. Sweet Dreams.
Willing To Serve - May 22, 2021
A military song. I have a collection of sounds for military songs. I took 5 of those songs, only because they were in the same key (A Flat), and strung them together. Then I added military radio chatter and battle sounds from different collections. I arranged it all together into this ode to the military. Thank you for your service.
The Disco Effect - May 15, 2021
This song is kind of like Disco, and has some Funk to it, but this song is half the speed of a typical disco song. I tried to give it the Beboy treatment (make it a bit unusual) and the second half I really mixed up the parts. These are audio clips played by pros (not me) but I arranged and mixed them into something new.
Hip Kat Lounge - May 9, 2021 (Mother's Day)
I really like the kitchy koctail lounge music of the late 1950s, although I am not very familiar with that style. I took approximately 120 sounds clips from a lounge song, chopped them, arranged and re-layered them, in a progressive music style. The instruments were played by professionals (not me). I really changed the 4 minute section starting at 6 minutes; it is like a completely different song. At 16;35 I quickly go through the Bridge, Chorus, Middle 8, and Verse. Then at 19:00 I make it progressive for the end. Its a fun song. Lots of twists and turns.
Wolf Speak - May 1, 2021
This song is in the style of Industrial Spa Music (I made that up). I don't know what styles mean anymore; they are just flavoring that is added to the composition. This one is heavy but easy going, its primal and meditative, and modern with ancient South American Flutes. This song makes me think of wolves gently howling in an active night. I created the rhythm by taking sounds and changing how they play. I recreated some sounds like the shh shh sound (a hi-hat I slowed down to half speed). I changed their patterns and the layered them, then I chopped them up and re-layered them throughout the song. The rhythm has 10 layers but you only hear the full 10 layers, un-chopped, during the last minute. Then I added ancient South American Flutes, played by a pro.
Machinations - April 25, 2021
Another heavy song. I created the rhythm by selecting lots of bass and percussion patters, changing how they play, and layering them on top of each other. In some parts there are 7 layers of bass and percussion. Designed chaos. Then I played 3 guitars on a piano keyboard (one screeches, the other is fuzzy and the last is less fuzzy. I created all of the melodies and layered them. Then I added a guitar solo not played by me but I chopped it up and arranged it. Machinations is a machine and its schemes (a pun).
Kotzebue Conspiracy - April 20, 2021
This one is heavy and kind of industrial, I guess. The first sounds (clicky clacky) were not played by me but I arranged 20 patterns into a sequence. The focus of the song is on that sound. The nasty rhythm section was not played by me. I played the melody sounds (3 guitars) on my piano keyboard. August Von Kotzebue was a hero. The bad guys killed him and used it as a reason to restrict the rights of German citizens.
Clear Your Mind - April 11, 2021
This one came from my head. I played two pianos; one is normal and the other has effects that make it sound atmospheric. I played the song in the D Dorian Mode (which means it is in the Key of C but the focus is on D), the chords I played are G to Am and and the bass is playing Dmin. There are 15 drum patters and 10 bass patterns (not played by me) that I wove thru the song. I added 2 lead guitar tracks (not played by me) that I chopped up changed some of it to play backwards. The guitar is played through a wah pedal which gives it that warped sound.
Heidi Gets French Toast - April 7, 2021
There's nothing better than a carefree morning with Mom making french toast for breakfast. This is a simple song. I just took music clips and mixed them in different ways. But for the last two minutes I chopped up the melodies and mixed those fragments in different ways. This is dedicated to Heidi's parents who not only care for Heidi but they serve to protect our community as well.
Slow Strut on a Sunny Day - April 4, 2021
I took a set of audio clips and slowed them down to almost half speed. Then I arranged them to bring out the different melodies. I added audio clips of guitar slides to liven it up a little bit - because, I may have slowed it down too much :)
Downup Side - April 2, 2021 re-mixed April 29, 2021
I arranged and produced this one but didn't play any instruments. I arranged the so it shifts back and forth from melancholy to happy. Then I added and arranged vocals from an unrelated song. The vocals are in a different key but it is the Dominant key of the music so they mostly fit.
Boppin Along - March 27, 2021
I played all of the instruments except drums. The instruments were the same brands and models the Beatles used and recreated the same sounds from their recordings. Each sound was a single note and I played them and made a melody. There are 2 Guitars, a Harmonium, a Sitar, and Bass. The drums were not based on the Beatles. I started with the Bass line and added the guitar melody. At that point I thought I would make a jazz song, but I ended up mostly playing the Pentatonic Scale, which made it sound more like pop music. I tried to play different melodies and mix them together, so sometimes its a mess. I left some of the sour notes, bad timing, and sophomoric melodies in there to give it a little character. Life is not perfect and music is a reflection of life. Enjoy!
Myanmar: Back in 2004 Myanmar suffered the devastating tsunami that caused massive death and destruction to 6 countries. A few years later Laya Project went to those countries and recorded authentic folk musicians. I purchased these recordings years ago (they are short clips) and decided now is the time to make a tribute to Myanmar. I used only the clips that were recorded in Myanmar, which wasn't much: Bells, Gongs, a neat Myanmar Harp (look it up), and 3 vocals - Myanmar Monks chanting, a young boy (looks age 15), and a woman. I purposely put these together without knowing the way Myanmar music sounds, and I hope I stayed somewhat true to their style, but this is my take on it. Here is Laya Project's video showing the monks and the boy. Their song is much different than mine, which is happier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW6aq-xnZiA
Laya Project: https://www.layaproject.com/
Myanmar Celebration - March 20, 2021
Picture a group of people at a gathering and they decide to play music and have fun. The woman sings beautifully, but the band is being silly. Just a bunch of friends goofing around.
Myanmar Sun Rising - March 19, 2021
This one is a beautiful harp song with monks and the boy singing.
Lowrider Cruise - March 14, 2021
I played all of the instruments and created the melodies, except the drums. I took 15 drum patters, slowed them down, and linked them together. I played evolving patterns on the bass and guitar (via keyboard). I played chord stabs on a Clavinet, added a couple other instruments and a vocal instrument. Its different.
Chanupa of the Iroquois - March 13, 2021
This is a basic song based on Native American vocals. There are three vocalists, an old man, a grandma, and chanting, each singing a different song. Hopefully it is okay that I mixed them together. I played the drums myself, and added traditional flute.
Celtia's Joy - March 2, 2021
This is a simple one. I was learning how to play a vocalist instrument using a piano keyboard. All of the melodies were played by me. I played a melody on a Langeleik (guitar like instrument), added the female vocalist (played the notes she sang) and played some ambient background music. Then I added a male opera singer (not played by me but I arranged it). I like these best when I create the melodies myself, even though my keyboard playing is beginner level.
Ancient Nightwind - February 27, 2021
I play melodies on ancient instruments (Tagelharp, Elderwood Flute, Fujata, Pictish Pipe, etc. I played the vocals like an instrument. Some of it is also audio clips that I didn't play. This one constantly changes but it mostly stays the same, so it may sound repetitive and long.
Isolation - February 20, 2021
Classical meets space travel. This is based on 9 music clips. Each is 15 seconds and is meant to be used for separate songs. Many are in different keys that clash. So I figured why not mash them into one piece of music. Some parts I really chopped up and mangled but others I left close to the original music while weaving the melodies in and out. I had a tricky time at 19:30 - the switch from Cm scale to Am scale clashed too much - my music theory didn't help - so I decided to descend chromatically using two melodies (Cm to Bm - Bbm - Am). It sounds nasty, but when it is done, you'll notice your ear is prepared to hear the Am part. The song is 39:00 long but after 30 seconds of silence I included the 9 original 15 second clips and 1:45 ending (which I also used at the start - but if you compare my mixed up version with the smooth original, you'll see how much I mangled it).
Up in the Clouds - February 15, 2021
This one is dreamy, odd, and a bit disturbing. It is a Dream Pop (aka Shoegazing) song at its core but instead of a rock beat I made it ambient, experimental and progressive. I completely changed the genre of the music. I also broke all the rules. The song structure is sometimes off and its made up of 10 different melodies in 10 different keys. I took it as a challenge to see if I could blend 10 key changes, that often clash with each other, into one song.The keys are based on the tones in C Pentatonic and C minor Pentatonic scales (with Db thrown in) and I arranged them alphabetically. This causes some drastic changes as they transition from one to another. The parts are: 1 A, 2 Am, 3 C, 4 Cm, 5 D, 6 Db to Dm, 7 E, 8 Em, 9 G, 10 Gm. Its a mess of experimentation and trance-like-dreaminess.
Surprise Funk - February 6, 2021
I created this song in one day. Its easier when I start with audio clips that I rip-apart and re-stitch together, rather than playing the melodies myself. I'm still learning new ways to manipulate the audio clips and that is what I did at the beginning of this song. I took the last two notes of the song and duplicated them. I also re-pitched them to create the melody. I wanted the second set of two notes to reverse direction so I switched them (1st to 2nd). It didn't sound right so I added another layer with the audio played in reverse and I switched the notes again. That how I made the first 1:20 of the song. Other than that I chopped the guitar solo and found hip ways to mix the normal audio clips.
Old Dog New Tricks - January 31, 2021 (revised end 2/3/2021)
This is a Latin Afro song that I arranged in my own way. I split it apart and let the pieces shine through and then I took it in a new direction toward the end. Working on this song was like making a creation with lego building blocks. I begin with pieces from a set but I don't know what they sound like until I start putting them together. After some assembly I start to hear how the song was intended to sound. Then I look for ways to twist it and make it my own.
Vamp at Sunset - January 29, 2021 (revised Beboy section 2/3/2021)
Vamp is a musical term meaning a repeated segment of music. It is common in Jazz where the players will take turns soloing over a vamp. Its is a way to explore and see how many different ways one segment can be played. That is why this song songs repetitive in places. This song makes me think of a Spanish Jazz band that is relaxing on the beach among friends at sunset. This song has 5 parts, almost like individual songs. You can hear them at: 6:35 - 13:35 - 19:45 - 23:30 This is where I experimented (my style of odd) - and a nice uplifting final piece at 28:00. I didn't play any instruments - I just chopped it up, mangled parts, and arranged it. This one goes out to my Nephew Bevin and the time he spent in Spain.
Syrian Freedom Call - January 26, 2021
I put this together using audio clips from a few different unrelated sets of music. The first 6 minutes is from a cinematic rock set in the key of E and I added a Syrian vocalist in F# (if I programmed it correctly). Then I modulated to the key of A with a different rock set and a different set of Syrian singing also in A. The last part is a repeat of the first part. I created the vocals phrase by phrase and even though they were unrelated to the music, which I also pieced together using many tiny pieces, it seems to fit together. This one sticks in my head.
Taking a Stroll - January 16, 2021
For this song I was the arranger. I took a one minute funk song, comprised of 60 different audio clips, and I chopped and arranged those clips into a new 12 minute song. Hopefully I was able to insert some of my personality into this one even though the grooves were made by someone else. I included the one minute original version of the song so you can hear what it sounded like before I operated on it.
Neural Network - January 14, 2021
I mixed 27 audio clips into 10 tracks. This song is the essence of daily life in smart cities with a neural network and the Internet of Things.
Hypnotic Beijing - January 10, 2021
I mixed 21 audio clips and arranged them into a song that is unusual and hypnotizing. Listen to all of the different sounds that fade in and out.
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Happy Forest - December 7, 2020
I played all of the melodies on this one except the background rhythm, which you can hear in the fist 18 seconds. Then the didgeridoo comes in and I played all of the instruments from there. Even the chimes have a melody but it is hard to hear. The solo is a music box which I played on a keyboard. There are as many as 11 separate tracks playing at once.
Your Majesty 1690 (1 of 4) - October 14, 2020
An epic tale. Catchy melodies, space-out moments, ambient movements, and classical cacophonies. I wanted uncommon drums so I used drums and drum patterns from India, and a tiny bit of Hip-Hop. I didn't play any instruments. I just combined lots of different sounds and made it into a song.
Majesty 1200 (2 of 4) - October 31 ,2020
Another epic tale; the second in a series - two more to come. I was the arranger, producer and engineer on this one. I did not play any instruments; I just took recorded sounds and tweaked them then mixed them together. Lots of layers. In this case I just followed the music and went where it took me. I followed the flow of the music and ended up with a 41 minute song (gulp!). The first 7 minutes is an Overture (a preview of the song parts that will be expanded later). The next part is what I call a "space-out" section in 3 movements. The Orchestral section starts at 18 minutes, and a violin section starts at 24:30, with a 5 minute dueling violins solo at 28:30, then back to the orchestra at 34:50. At 38:00 is a reprise then the ending. Even at 41 minutes it holds my interest but maybe that is because I created it.
Majestic Score 1580 (3 of 4) - November 15 ,2020
It seems I don't know when to end a song. This one is an hour long. Think of it as a movie. Sit back and enjoy, or listen while folding laundry. I'm the producer, arranger, engineer on this one. I didn't play any instruments, but I did chop up and reinvent some of the melodies. I created some of this on Halloween so expect a hint of creepy in some parts. This song still needs some work but it takes so long just to listen to it, let alone figure out what it needs.
I made a Classical song: The Journey - September 10, 2020
(my 40th Anniversary as a musician)
All of the instruments (including the drums) were played by me on a piano keyboard using computer software instruments. Clarinet, Cello, Trumpet, Pipe Organ, full Orchestra, and various percussion sounds. It is another long one. The first 5 and 1/2 minutes are sparse but it gets interesting after that. .I may need to mix it some more, so it might change over time.
Amber Dawn - August 23, 2020
I decided to create a song and this is what happened. I've had some stress lately so I guess that is why it came out as a meditative ambient relax song.
Hopeful Memories
This is a big one - 17 minutes. Some parts are gloomy but there are lots of interesting (non-gloomy) parts. I made this song by mixing audio clips, mostly from a music producer software program that is made for the movie TV industry (drama and mystery music). I took clips from 12 or so different songs, slowed them down, changed some of their pitches (to Key of Fmin), and added some clips from other sources. I mixed them together into a swirling ambient progressive epic mind trip. Try listening on good stereo speakers, otherwise some of the sounds might not be heard.
New Instrumental: That's Not Music - July 2020
I'm playing a synthesizer keyboard with a Zither sound for the melody. Then I added Harmonium sounds and used a drum machine for bass and percussion sounds. At its heart it sounds like music but it is a bit odd and may not make musical sense in some places, so I called it, That's Not Music.
Beboy's Sound Design Songs
I started learning how to do Sound Design in 2019.
Sound Design allows me to take a sound and manipulate it in any way imaginable, and many ways unimaginable. Here is a sampling of my first attempts at Sound Design.
I Dont Mind: Gypsy Jazz Hip-Hop. Why not? I didn't play any instruments on this song. Instead I took a bunch of short sound clips and mixed them together into a beat. The process is similar to putting together a puzzle - I re-arranged the sound clips until I liked how they fit together. Near the end of the song I really crammed a lot of different sounds together, filling every little crevice.
Off Center: This is an odd one; spa music mixed with jazz tones. I dialed in an interesting synth sound, and I was just experimenting with my keyboard - I recorded one pass through just goofing around. Then I decided to turn it into a song. The melody through the whole song is that one recording I made playing synth on a piano keyboard. Then I added odd drums, and many other sounds: Tibetan Flute, Japanese Flute, Didgeridoo, a Gong, and Stringed Instruments (Violin, Viola, etc). Its eclectic and fun.
Atmosphbable: This entire song was created by me playing a keyboard, except a small nature sound at the end. I started learning how to play keyboard less than 3 months ago so the tracks are basic. I recorded myself playing 12 keyboard tracks separately, without listening to the other tracks. Then I chopped them up and assembled the pieces into an 11 minute song.
Curry On Bombay: I took recordings of classical Indian vocalists, I chopped them up into little bits then re-assembled them into a background rhythm. Then I duplicated them a bunch of times with different EQ settings and mixed them into an ensemble. I created a melody with solo classical vocalists, added traditional Indian percussion, and a sitar solo at the end. 3/29/2020
Darkdrum: This was just me playing keyboards along with music clips (drums, bass, noises, not recorded by me) that I manipulated. There are three sections of the song where I played simple keyboard parts. I've only been playing keyboards for two months at this point.
Fanta Dyst Pop: I took music clips (not recorded by me) and heavily manipulated them. These music clips were already made into a short minute and a half song by professional sound designers. I chopped up the pieces and rearranged them into something new, while still keeping some of the original song in places (mostly toward the end). So this song was half created by professionals and half created by me.
More
Music
Below
Beboy's Lost Classics
These are old recordings from the 1980s and 1990s. Almost all of these are cassette tape recordings that sat in a box for decades. Most of them (as I add them in the future) are just me turning on a tape recorder and jamming on guitar. I was a kid so I played things too fast and made lots of mistakes. But still this is a good snapshot of my guitar playing at that time.
My Early Melodies
These are melodies that I wrote when I was very young but they stuck with me. They show what my style of playing was at the time, even though I mostly listened to heavy metal. But I also listened to many other styles of music.
Signature Melody: This was one of my favorite melodies that I wrote. I used to play this all the time when I was younger.
My Melody: I never named most of these melodies, so My Melody is what I named it for this website.
My Melody Two: I was maybe 16 when I wrote this. I thought it had a jazz fusion quality because I slide a C Major chord up two frets and it becomes an odd jazz chord. I used to call this C-Slider. I later turned it into a song called Sea Slide (which you can listen to down below in my Songs of the 21st Century playlist).
My Melody Three: This one reminded me of growing up in my neighborhood and reminiscing on the good times.
Smiling: This is a fun fingerstyle melody I played a lot. I recorded this in 1986. In the early 1990s I was in a band and I added a variation of this melody to the end of one of our songs. The band would end this song rocking out full force, then everyone would stop, I threw my pick on the ground and starting playing this melody in a classical style, while the band watched and I tried not to mess up. It was fun for me.
Classical Style
These are songs played in a Classical Style. This style is much different from traditional playing. The way you use your hand to fingerpick is completely different. I am glad I learned this style when I was 18 years old.It adds variety to my playing in a style that not many guitarists pursue. These were played on an electric guitar which doesn't work well for classical music. Thee strings on an electric guitar are too close together making it hard to let other notes ring through. Also the electric guitar amplifier sounds harsh and janky rather than warm and smooth like an acoustic classical guitar sounds.
Ode To Joy: From Beethoven's 9th Symphony. This is just the first part. I'm hoping to find a recording that has more. I played this on electric guitar so its a bit janky sounding.
Moonlight Sonata: By Beethoven. This is one of the prettiest songs ever written. Unfortunately the chords are hard to finger on the guitar (while easy on piano). My fingers were playing a game of twister while trying to keep the other notes ringing. You can here where I struggle with this. I only played the beginning of this song.
Classical Study: This is a piece of a classical song I used to play as an exercise when I was learning classical guitar. I recorded this in 1986. My picking hand is going so fast you can hear my fingers hitting the strings. At the time I got very lucky and found an excellent guitar teacher. I am mostly self-taught how to play guitar but sometimes I would use a private instructor. I went down to the big local guitar store and asked if they knew any teachers. The guy I asked said he was a teacher so I started taking lessons out of his tiny little apartment. He is aa great player who plays many styles: rock, blues, jazz, traditional classical, and fingerstyle (such as the guitarist Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits). My teacher is Michael Fuller. He specialized in paying very close attention to the sound of his playing so that it was perfect with very good classic guitar tones. I only took lessons from him for a short while. A few months later he moved to California to start a business manufacturing his own specialized guitar equipment https://www.fulltone.com/pedals . Now he is world famous. He makes gear that gives guitarists that classic 1970s tone. His equipment is used by the biggest bands in the world (Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page (former Led Zeppelin), Tom Petty, Keith Urban, Robin Trower, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Metallica, and many more). Here is a video of Michaeel Fuller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnu9ZM7T29o
Small Chord Arp: I was 16 whe I wrote this melody. My guitar teacher at the time, Evan Groom, taught me how to play with small chords (only 3 notes at a time). So I took the idea and fingerpicked it using a chord progression I made up. Arp is short for Arpeggio, which kind of means to play a a chord one note at a time, rather than all at once.
Other Lost Classics
This is a random sampling of my other lost classics that sat in boxes for decades.
My Promised Land: This is the newest of these old recordings. I created this in 1998 I think. It is the only song I recorded on a digital hard drive multi-track recorder (Roland VS-840). At this time I was mostly a rhythm guitarist and I didn't play solos much. I knew which notes are in the scale but I didn't understand how to use the scale. In this case I got lucky and most of my soloing is not too bad. This solo was recorded in one take. There are mistakes, and places where I get off track but overall I was impressed that I was able to play all the way through as if I knew what I was doing. The solo wasn't practiced. I just made it up while recording. The song has 3 rhythm guitar tracks (hard to hear the 3rd track except on the second half of the song), a solo guitar track, and a drum machine on a track. My inspiration for the song was Queensryche's song Promised Land.
Beboy Rainsong: This is me playing Led Zeppelin's The Rain Song. Here is a video of Jimmy Page playing a modernized version (My version is more like the 1970s album)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeDylD8dV7U
I recorded this sometime around 1985. There are a few goofs and one spot where I pause so I can grab a tricky chord but its not too bad. This was recorded using a normal portable cassette recorder. I restored it using modern mastering computer software.
About to Die: This is the first song I ever wrote. I was 15 when I wrote it and I am guessing 16 or 17 when I recorded this. It has an ominous sound, and I was 15, so I imagined it was about a prisoner sitting in his cell who is sentenced to die the next day. This song reflects that man's troubled thoughts as he waits. This is a dark one but notice that almost everything else I record has a happy feel.
On Top: This is a happy song. I wrote this when I was 17 or 18 and recorded this soon after. I use a technique at the beginning where I rake my pick slowly over the strings as I pick fast. This gives the chords a sound like there is more than one guitar (kind of). As the song plays on it might start to sound too repetitive. I was trying to play the phrase slightly different each time through, but it sounds like I just keep repeating myself. I kept them all in there for myself so I can hear all the variations.
Echo: This was played with a guitar footpedal that makes the sound echo. They are fun to play with but you need to make sure your playing keeps in time with the echo effect. This is just me goofing off rather than writing a song.
Beboy's Songs of the 21st Century
These are songs I recorded during 2018-2019. These songs were recorded on a laptop computer using a guitar interface called Helix. In addition to my guitar playing I added computer generated drums and pianos. All bass sounds were played on my guitar through the Helix.
Beboy Experience (Songs of the 1990s)
These are songs I recorded in the late 1990s on a little 4-track cassette recorder in my bedroom.
The only instruments on the recordings are guitar, guitar synthesizer, and drum machine. This is from the early days of home recording and the equipment is not very good. Plus I have no idea how to EQ, mix, and master recordings. So some of the recording quality is not very good.