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12 Bar Blues Cross Challenge #1


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Hi Gang

 

Ok, there are two parts to this challenge:

 

Part 1. Write lyrics for a 12-Bar Blues song

Part 2. Collaborate with a musician / music writer to get your song recorded (even a simple vocal and instrument will do)

 

This challenge, like all other challenges, is intended to broaden experience for songwriters taking part. Part 2 of this challenge is to help you to work with other members, or non-members for that matter, to create finished songs. The point here is not to have a beautifully produced song (although recording quality is important!). The point is to create and present a finished song, not a finished recording.

 

To help, I will run a parallel challenge in the music challenge board.

 

Each part can result in your work being selected for featuring in our newsletter. So even if you cannot complete Part 2, please still take part. Part 1 can see your work being selected as lyrics on their own.

 

Deadlines

 

Deadline for Part 1 is 29th October

Deadline for Part 2 is 5th November

 

The links below will help you understand the structure of 12 bar blues and to understand the various blocks involved. As ever, use the challenge topic itself to fine tune your ideas

 

Useful Links

 

http://www.songstuff.com/song-writing/article/song-form-overview/

 

http://www.songstuff.com/song-writing/article/song_building_blocks/

 

http://www.songstuff.com/song-writing/article/aab-song-form/

 

Cheers

 

John

  • Like 2
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Hi John

A great way to take my mind of things as I sit here with a hot wheat bag on my back. :-)

Here is my go at a 12 bar lyric.

 

Cheers

 

Gary

 

Window Shopper

© Gary Yeomans 2016

 

Find me the doorway I gotta get out of here

Find me the doorway I gotta get out of here fast

She was a window shopper, liked to shop around 

I was so easily fooled, selfishly used  

 

Promised me passion, steamed me then put me on ice

Promised me passion, steamed me then put me on ice fast

She was a window shopper, looked but never touched

I was so easily fooled, selfishly used  

 

 

I tried to buy her, she cashed me in then sold out 

I tried to buy her, she cashed me in then sold out fast

She was a window shopper, bargain hunting girl 

I was so easily fooled, selfishly used  

 
Here is the basic tune no intro no lead break etc. 
its private so you gotta press this secret link
Edited by snabbu
Link to demo
  • Like 3
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17 minutes ago, snabbu said:

Hi John

A great way to take my mind of things as I sit here with a hot wheat bag on my back. :-)

Here is my go at a 12 bar lyric.

 

Cheers

 

Gary

 

Window Shopper

© Gary Yeomans 2016

 

Find me the doorway I gotta get out of here

Find me the doorway I gotta get out of here fast

She was a window shopper, liked to shop around 

I was so easily fooled, selfishly used  

 

Promised me passion, steamed me then put me on ice

Promised me passion, steamed me then put me on ice fast

She was a window shopper, looked but never touched

I was so easily fooled, selfishly used  

 

 

I tried to buy her, she cashed me in then sold out 

I tried to buy her, she cashed me in then sold out fast

She was a window shopper, bargain hunting girl 

I was so easily fooled, selfishly used  

 

Mate I was just gonna contact you to see if you would do some music to a lyric for this challenge! But i wont now of course as you have posted.

i like this and got a melody straight away, glad too see you joining in on the challenge.

Good luck

Les

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Ok heres mine, had an idea the day before the challenge an adapted it.

I hope I'm on the right track. 

Please feel free to challenge me with this as I'm no musical guru and I hear this old style with the repeats  after listening to a cd I bought.

D-Day is the meant to mean divorce day.

Cheers

Les

 

 

It's D-Day  © Lesile Serive 2016 Blues Challenge

 

It's D-day

We signed the papers today

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

It's D-day

We signed the papers today

There's nothing more for us to say

We signed our love away

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

It's D-day

We signed the papers today

 

 

I gave that women _ that woman

My every breath

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

I gave that women _ that woman

My every breath

She gladly took it all

Now I'm standing like a fool

Yeah I gave that woman

My every breath

 

It's D-day

We signed the papers today

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

It's D-day

We signed the papers today

There's nothing more for us to say

We signed our love away

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

It's D-day

We signed the papers today

Edited by Skin
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Hi les

you got to leave room or the lead guitarist will not be happy. I think they get about 45 to 50 percent of the bar space for their blues riff. 

This looks to me to be 12 bar blues half measure which is six bars, it's a variation but I think it's ok to do that. 

 blues has an a and a b part but it's not like we normally mention parts because it's all part of the verse / refrain section. So you can say the verse has motive A and motive B and if you want you can do a B section like in Bluberry Hill. But if your doing half measures you gotta do 6 verses or 4 verses a  6 bar B part and a 6 Bar coda. 

Im hearing it like this which is 12 bar half measure. 

Well its D day, signed the papers today

Yea it's D day. Signed our marriage away 

there's nothing left for us to say

we signed our love away.

 

if you want to check 12 bar half measure you can sing it to Lennons Yea blues 

which from memory is that. 

 

What your doing is 8 bar and that ain't a variation of 12 it's it's own thing I think. 

 

Also in the blues there there is a refrain line that's the same in every verse and it can be any of the lines 

 

so it's like it's D day, 

I gave that woman every breath

it's D day ( desolation baby)

i gave that woman every breath

 

hey the BVs just stole the lead break space 

but you get the idea 

 

cheers

 

Gary 

 

 

 

 

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17 hours ago, snabbu said:

Hi les

you got to leave room or the lead guitarist will not be happy. I think they get about 45 to 50 percent of the bar space for their blues riff. 

This looks to me to be 12 bar blues half measure which is six bars, it's a variation but I think it's ok to do that. 

 blues has an a and a b part but it's not like we normally mention parts because it's all part of the verse / refrain section. So you can say the verse has motive A and motive B and if you want you can do a B section like in Bluberry Hill. But if your doing half measures you gotta do 6 verses or 4 verses a  6 bar B part and a 6 Bar coda. 

Im hearing it like this which is 12 bar half measure. 

Well its D day, signed the papers today

Yea it's D day. Signed our marriage away 

there's nothing left for us to say

we signed our love away.

 

if you want to check 12 bar half measure you can sing it to Lennons Yea blues 

which from memory is that. 

 

What your doing is 8 bar and that ain't a variation of 12 it's it's own thing I think. 

 

Also in the blues there there is a refrain line that's the same in every verse and it can be any of the lines 

 

so it's like it's D day, 

I gave that woman every breath

it's D day ( desolation baby)

i gave that woman every breath

 

hey the BVs just stole the lead break space 

but you get the idea 

 

cheers

 

Gary 

 

 

 

 

Cheers I will look at this some more tonight.

Thanks 

 

Les

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5 hours ago, Skin said:

Cheers I will look at this some more tonight.

Thanks 

 

Les

Well Ive done my basic structure now just got to tart it up a bit write the riff and do some harmonies.

I put a link on the post.

 

Cheers

 

Gary

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Just my opinion but I thought the " put me on ice" seemed rushed? Like you tried to cram it in?

You know I'm no musician but thats what I thought.

 

I think I might be out of my depth with this challenge as I dont really know blues or much else for that matter when it comes down to music styles and how they should be structured I just put pen to paper and hope it comes out right.

 

Cheers for your comment and always appreciated as you know.

 

Good luck

Les

 

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  • Noob

Hi everyone

this is my first participation

we (frenchies) like to play blues as it lets lot of place for guitar players

hope it will get some interest

here are my lyrics

 

 

 

Commuter

 

I’m a commuter
commuting two hundred days every year
commuting from nowhere to downtown
by the train
i commute from nowhere to downtown

 

i’m a commuter
spending my free time in the train
celebrating all my birthdays
in my wagon
i commute from nowhere to downtown

 

i’m a commuter

living in a small village from nowhere
working in the biggest town of France
to earn my life
i commute from nowhere to downtown

 

[soloing]

 

I’m a commuter
commuting two hundred days every year
commuting from nowhere to downtown
by my train
i commute from nowhere to downtown

 

 

Edited by Sylvain Charlier
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15 hours ago, Skin said:

Just my opinion but I thought the " put me on ice" seemed rushed? Like you tried to cram it in?

You know I'm no musician but thats what I thought.

 

I think I might be out of my depth with this challenge as I dont really know blues or much else for that matter when it comes down to music styles and how they should be structured I just put pen to paper and hope it comes out right.

 

Cheers for your comment and always appreciated as you know.

 

Good luck

Les

 

 

Hey Les I thought that too Probably drop the  "then" , "Promised me passion steamed me put me on ice"

 

You can't be out of depth with blues structure its pretty simple.

 

Use the university of the radio, go and get a 12 bar blues song like hound dog and rewrite the words then the form will click real quick.

 

I did that the other week to write sonnets I just got some old William stuff and started to rewrite it and I got the idea fairly quickly.

I found they took a long time to do once I worked out how it was done, because of all the restrictions of the form. But once I had done the rewrite 

I was able to do a couple that I need to do for this play thing. So I say go print out hound and rewrite to that structure. 

 

The point of the exercise is, I guess, to understand what the form is then fiddle with it.

 

I actually was surprised at the result music wise because forms like blues can be pretty same same, so I deliberately didn't resolve the chord sequence 

like a traditional blues thing. I think I finish on the V chord instead of the I, and I thought this is going to sound hanging there and weird but it didn't. Now i see from looking at blues derivations that Lennon McCartney did this 50% of the time. I also chucked in an extra chord. 

The straight sequence is first, fourth, first, fifth, fourth, first.

I       I      I      I 
IV    IV    I     I
V     IV     I     I

So In the key of D which mine is.

Its D G D A G D 

But I chucked in an extra chord F#m and finish on the A instead of the D and I've got Em in my B part which isn't standard either.

 

What is important about learning a form is then looking at the way good song writers then muck with the form, some of them so much that unless your paying close attention you don't know it's the form. 50 Years on I have just realise a song "The word" I think off Revolver is 12 bar blues. 

 

Cheers

 

Gary

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I'm game, sounds like a great exercise!

 

Don't Let 'Em Rock Your Roll

 

Do you wanna know me woman

Know what makes me blue

Wanna know me woman

Know what makes me blue

That list goes on for miles, lord

Just from missin you

 

Ya' gotta raise my child woman

Raise him up and strong

Won't ya' raise my child, woman

Raise him up and strong

He don't know the world yet

Try'n a do him wrong

 

I'm up here in this jailhouse woman

Time gonna take it's toll

Up here in this jailhouse woman

Damn sure take it's toll

But don't let nobody rock my baby

Don't let 'em rock your roll

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8 hours ago, McnaughtonPark said:

I'm game, sounds like a great exercise!

 

Don't Let 'Em Rock Your Roll

 

Do you wanna know me woman

Know what makes me blue

Wanna know me woman

Know what makes me blue

That list goes on for miles, lord

Just from missin you

 

Ya' gotta raise my child woman

Raise him up and strong

Won't ya' raise my child, woman

Raise him up and strong

He don't know the world yet

Try'n a do him wrong

 

I'm up here in this jailhouse woman

Time gonna take it's toll

Up here in this jailhouse woman

Damn sure take it's toll

But don't let nobody rock my baby

Don't let 'em rock your roll

Now thats a cool blues lyric

 

Cheers

 

Gary

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Cheers Gary you are always helpful much appreciated.

 

Tom I got a melody and this sounds just like I wanted too in my head of course.

I guess this is a good structure like Gary was saying to emulate for this challenge or similar.

 

Nice write and I bet it will sound real good.

 

Les

 

 

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Out of curiosity guys does this qualify? Still experimenting and reading stuff but your thoughts appreciated. Needs work and the 3rd line 2nd verse does not rhyme as in the 1st verse with the internal rhyme, does it matter?

 

 

Its D day we signed the papers today
Yeah its D day we signed the papers today
We signed our love away now theres nothing to say
Yeah its D day we signed the papers today
 
I gave that woman my every breath
Yeah I gave that woman my every breath
She gladly took it all now theres nothing left
Yeah I gave that woman my every breath

 

Cheers

Les

 

 

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2 hours ago, Skin said:

Out of curiosity guys does this qualify? Still experimenting and reading stuff but your thoughts appreciated. Needs work and the 3rd line 2nd verse does not rhyme as in the 1st verse with the internal rhyme, does it matter?

 

 

Its D day we signed the papers today
Yeah its D day we signed the papers today
We signed our love away now theres nothing to say
Yeah its D day we signed the papers today
 
I gave that woman my every breath
Yeah I gave that woman my every breath
She gladly took it all now theres nothing left
Yeah I gave that woman my every breath

 

Cheers

Les

 

 

It's kinda up to you about whether it qualifies les.  If you're tapping your foot and it sits on top of it you're probably on the right track.   Can you make the first two couplets questions?  

 

Its D-day we signed the papers

How do I let her go

its D-day we signed the papers

How do I let her go 

 

and then answer the question

 

judge says boy don't worry

shes got the Camaro

 

then like

 

It's  D-day got my freedom

how do I make it last

D-day got my freedom 

got my freedom at last

she may have got the car boys

that thing ain't got no gas

 

 

talk about the blues, poor bastard goes through a divorce and still can't get rid of her.  So that sets up the B section,. What's he going to do now? If I was him I'd start pushing.

Edited by McnaughtonPark
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this is cool John, I'll see what I can come up with

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Ok Been listening to some blues while driving and I think Ive got the an idea of this but and most likely I am wrong.

Here's an A section, am I on the right track? Needs work lyrically but more on the way its written and you hear it thats what Im after.

 

Its D day, we've signed our love away

Yeah its D day baby, we've signed our love away

You've taken everything I own

Now I ain't got no, place too stay

 

Cheers most knowlegable ones you are my mentors.

 

Les

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Les, the vernacular and expression are getting closer, but I'm not sure this is fitting in the 12 bar structure still.  I mean, I don't know how you're singing the first two lines, but the last two lines fit nicely  in with a 12 bar scheme.   This is how I understand it, please someone correct me if I'm wrong because the last thing I'd want to do is misdirect Les here.   I hear the downbeat where I have numbered

 

  1             2          3         4                      3              4               1         2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4  = 4 bars

You can take me to the water,  1, 2,    you can't make me swim    

 

  1             2          3         4              2          3               4               1     2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4  = 4 bars

Take me to the water lawd,  1,     jus so you don't make me swim  

 

  1           2         3         4         1     2     3        4             1         2      3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4   = 4 bars 

 I'd sink faster than a crocodile,      with a mouthful of Big Jim    

 

Having this as a basic structure, you can tap your hand on the desk or table or tap you foot while counting beats.  I don't know much about it Les, although, when listening to blues, if the first two couplets repeat, I know I'm listening to some variation of the 12 bar blues style.  In this case, above would be one A section, adding one more A section, and then a B section while paying attention to the refrain there to include the song title.  In the song above, I might stick with the crocodile theme since it catches my eye/ear.  A hook with an enormous bite.  Somewhere along the lines of fear being a crocodile I suppose, or addiction, or some affliction which needs resolution you know.  To me, the B section represents that resolution or solution in an AAB 12 bar song. 

 

Tom

Edited by McnaughtonPark
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4 hours ago, McnaughtonPark said:

Les, the vernacular and expression are getting closer, but I'm not sure this is fitting in the 12 bar structure still.  I mean, I don't know how you're singing the first two lines, but the last two lines fit nicely  in with a 12 bar scheme.   This is how I understand it, please someone correct me if I'm wrong because the last thing I'd want to do is misdirect Les here.   I hear the downbeat where I have numbered

 

  1             2          3         4                      3              4               1         2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4  = 4 bars

You can take me to the water,  1, 2,    you can't make me swim    

 

  1             2          3         4              2          3               4               1     2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4  = 4 bars

Take me to the water lawd,  1,     jus so you don't make me swim  

 

  1           2         3         4         1     2     3        4             1         2      3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4   = 4 bars 

 I'd sink faster than a crocodile,      with a mouthful of Big Jim    

 

Having this as a basic structure, you can tap your hand on the desk or table or tap you foot while counting beats.  I don't know much about it Les, although, when listening to blues, if the first two couplets repeat, I know I'm listening to some variation of the 12 bar blues style.  In this case, above would be one A section, adding one more A section, and then a B section while paying attention to the refrain there to include the song title.  In the song above, I might stick with the crocodile theme since it catches my eye/ear.  A hook with an enormous bite.  Somewhere along the lines of fear being a crocodile I suppose, or addiction, or some affliction which needs resolution you know.  To me, the B section represents that resolution or solution in an AAB 12 bar song. 

 

Tom

Thanks Tom, heres a link to my idea of how it should sound or similar anyway.

 

Les

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