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Topic: So, how would you make this sound? |
Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 5:40 am |
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A sound that might give the impression of a falling leaf, landing in a river, and slowly drifting away? I'm doing a long-range recording project, and the singer suggested this. He wasn't very specific, how long and exactly where in the song he wanted it. It's in the key of D. I've tried a bunch of sliding runs, starting in the higher D positions and moving down. I'm thinking that the key factor would be getting a sort of irregular vibrato as I move down. But so far, nothing sounds right to me. Also, the song doesn't seem to have a good spot for this type of thing. Anyone have any ideas?
Bill |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 5:59 am Re: So, how would you make this sound?
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| Bill Moore wrote: |
| the song doesn't seem to have a good spot for this type of thing. |
Major problem; probably why nothing seems to be working. Also, the natural gliss of a steel isn't really suggestive to the pattern of a falling leaf. Of course, our ears automatically hear the piano of "Autumn Leaves," and associate that with a falling leaf visual.
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.
http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html
(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/ |
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Gary Lee Gimble
From:
Fredericksburg, VA.
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Franklin
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 6:23 am
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Bill,
I'm assuming this is a ballad............I would start with a few descending chimes...... try chiming them and sliding the last notes down the scale as you lower their volume......Try less notes first.......If he says its sound is too hard.....take your picks off and pick the same option offering him the new sound........He obviously wants the steel sound and descending melodic lines or slides indicate the emotion of the word "falling"
The suggestion of "A leaf landing on a river and floating away" indicates to me a soft fading away process at the end of the fill.....Chances are, if you involve him offering up these few options he'll guide you towards what he will accept.......
Paul |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 7:09 am
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Hold your bar in your right hand, tip down. Mute the strings with your left hand. Use the tip of the bar, in a circular motion on the first 4 strings, starting around the 24th fret, swirling around as you move the bar down the neck. Fade out with the volume pedal.
I don't know,,, first thing that came to mind!
Instead of swirling around, you can tap the bar on the strings in a similar motion. That's how I used to to R2D2.
Last edited by John Billings on 27 Nov 2010 7:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 7:11 am
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| Gary Lee Gimble wrote: |
| Maybe Susan Alcorn can help? |
haha. I bet she could actually.
first thing that came to my mind was harmonics.
or theres that thing using two bars and no picks where you kind of swirl the tip of one of the bars over the strings with your right hand.
at least they didnt say something like, "make it sound more purple"...huh??? 
(edit)dang John, great minds think alike it seems. I guess we were typing at the same time there. |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 7:52 am
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Great ideas from everyone. I think I have something he can use now, I'm probably a lot more critical then he is. I did a bunch of takes, some harmonics, some swirly bar things. I did some simple strums, trying for a kind of harp sound, as it descended. I don't think any of this fits the song, but I'm just going to give him a lot of options, and let him decide where they might fit.
I think it's amazing that I could ask a question here and receive a response from pros like Paul and Mike. Thanks again to everyone. 
Bill |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 8:04 am
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I just tried the swirling the bar trick high up the neck, with another bar over the 5th fret.
It didn't sound much like a falling leaf, but if anybody ever asks me how to sound like Dick Dastardly's dog, Muttley, I now know how to do it  |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 8:09 am
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| Don't use the 2nd bar. Mute the strings with your left hand. A lot less cacophonous! |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 1:40 pm
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| Bravo Paul. |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 5:40 pm
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| I don't have my guitar here with me at this moment, but in my mind's ear I hear two notes, (e.g. E & F) a half step apart picked alternately as the bar kind of drifts randomly up and down while simultaneously moving toward the peghead. The speed of the picking is synced to the speed of the drifting of the bar. The drifting bar would be the falling leaf at the mercy of the wind …… Somebody tell me if this works, or if it's awful. |
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