Keep reading if you are prepared to hear me ramble on and on about how I made these songs, what inspired them, technical details in compositions and in my iPhone7's GarageBand, and other random stuff. This is the first post in a three part series.
Splurge out, BRo!
While splurging, we are expected to render/export the song so that we can listen to it... as if they were the final version.I use Dropbox for this album's export destination. It's fun and easy to share it with my splurge buddy, 
Below is a list of the songs from my Dropbox folder.
I like them sorted by creation date.
🐢 I see progress that way. The file sizes are of the lowest export quality offered in GarageBand. Don't be sad. The final BandCamp uploads will be higher quality.
That list is a tease!
Below is the final album art featuring the song list. This would appear on the back of the cardboard CD sleeve if I made one... when I make them.As I write about these songs, I am listening to them at the same time and asking for my love to chose random numbers.
As I write about these songs, I am listening to things I will change when I do the final splurge inspired balancing mixing and mastering/
As I write about these songs, I am contemplating what album art work I want to use.
Song Title, Key Signature, Time Signature, Tempo, Duration, Date
1️⃣ 1. Jackie Uppercut, G# minor, 4/4, 85 bpm, 02:44, 10/11/2019
Does this song sound like a fight? This is the first song. It's fun. G-sharp minor is weird. Maybe I was aiming for the 6th of B when I selected the key. This feels very long ago, but it was only a month and a week...I used the sampler sequencer for most of this song. This is a technique of simply playing along with the metronome while using the button that plays/records every instrument in the sampler's default column. I'll show you an image of the sequencer below:
When I press on one of the numbers (with a chevron above them) located at the bottom of the image above, it plays all the samples in the column. It's not a bust. I'm making original music. I see some editing with the instrument named "FX." that is the percussion solo near the end. I made that with my phone. I'm changing things along the way and experimenting too. It's authentic... it's easy... it's a splurge... I cut it up, sometimes and make it different... it easy... it's a splurge. You do it.
2️⃣ 2. Drunken Master Can’t Sing, A minor, 4/4, 110bpm, 07:08, 10/12/2019
Dang, it's the second song... already talking shit... ?!? The title has nothing to do with this song or my limited knowledge of Jackie's vocal capability. Jackie is a classically trained singer. I'm not. This song is long and it has a big chunk of space where I never got around to recording something... probably a percussion section... maybe I'll add it later... I'm fine with testing a persons patience. Maybe I'll pay my car insurance.3️⃣ 3. Jumping Off A Roof, C major, 4/4, 196bpm, 01:37, 10/12/2019
The previous songs was long so this one is short. I was aiming for moderate song lengths, 3-4 minute tunes. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but when it's all done, it will probably sound like one GIANT song (if played in order).I played that wacky bass part on an iPhone GarageBand's synth. I'm not sure if I used automation on it... maybe only part of it. I do that sometimes. That bass part needed lots of help. I hate it. If you listen to all everything here you will notice that I never use that approach on this album again.
I like the title "Jumping Off A Roof" more than the song.
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4️⃣ 4. Guitar Stuntman, C major, 4/4, 70bpm, 02:27, 10/14/2019
This is basically an experiment using the GarageBand midi guitar and drums. My experience is limited with the guitar software's functionality and capability. This songs was like an experiment.At this time I was focusing on drums and how I can create with them and make them sound more and more "real." It's a "smart drummer" software instrument.
For some reason I wanted to move the chords in fourths. It was something I was into because I figured it would be the most intuitive approach for a person that doesn't know chord theory... except I created a cadence. The chords were (from left to right as seen in the image below)
In summary, it needs bass. A power trio type sound is not complete without a bass and I probably didn't miss it because I was using my iPhone. I might add bass later. I wish I could play it... that would take longer though... hmm, splurging is hard.
I forgot to include the "world" instruments on this one. Maybe I will add them later... nah.
5️⃣ 5. Kicked In The Nose, D minor, 6/8, 50bpm, 04;48, 10/15/2019
This is the first song on this album that is not in 4/4 time signature.More guitar experimenting, but this time with drums that follow a specific instrument and the "world" instruments that were missing from the previous song. This song reminds me of a Tool/drum and bass/hip hop type of metal... weak metal.
AGAIN?!? I need to add a bass. I also need to thicken the guitar a lot. Not bad for mixed on a iPhone and referenced on shitty speakers.
The solo instrument is an Erhu. It's too loud. I played it on my iPhone 7 with the scale set to play in a harmonic minor scale. It's way too loud. I made adjustments already. Instead of blabbing on more about the songs, I made some changes. Still not bass though. I might be too lazy this time around. The drums are better now in version 2.
Other instruments include the Koto, two tracks worth of Guzheng, two different guitars, two different drummers, and an empty bass track.
That reminds me of the next step.
Don't forget, these songs were created, mixed, and then uploaded to dropbox as if they were finals.The next step is to refine the balances and the mixes a little without going "too far." I'm already far outside of the splurge rules, but I still want to maintain speed over perfection.
My approach will be minimal, to listen to each song and take three or four notes on things I really want to change. Save my fragile ego and make more entertaining or less annoying. Not all songs will get fixes. I might just leave some of the endings unfinished. I may decide idgaf if the grand finale of a song was a tease. I hope to be able to listen to the album from start to finish. (Future albums will be this way as much as possible.)
For example that song above, where I say "thicken the guitar." My approach will be to simply duplicate the current track there more times and then set the pan on each of them to be separate. Then I will give two of the lots of reverb and a more delay then the other two. Yup, for of the same guitar tracks. If I put the bass in the middle it should be cool. Ugg bass... i love it, but I can't record my irl instrument. I use the fake bass in GarageBand. Let's lower our heads and hope that baby Steemsus gives me a recording interface for christmas.
Let's get back to talking about a few songs and then stop at song 10.
6️⃣ 6. First Parkour Master, D major, 4/4, 110bpm, 01:25, 10/16/2019
Maybe not the first, but the first I had ever seen. He jumps all over obstacles in his movies.I added sound FX to this song. Can you understand what the guy says at the end? He says, "Nice Orbit." The rest of this song has midi software instruments for the Bass, Guitar, and Erhu. The drums are the smart drums. This was supposed to sound like a small band with one guy playing one traditional Chinese instrument. I was going for something more organic sounding.
7️⃣ 7. Jumps Through Shopping Cart And Hits Your Face, C major, 4/4, 185bpm, 01:02, 10/16/2019
I secretly want to be able to do this. The bloopers at the end of his movies are fun to watch. Speaking of bloopers, this song has a large gap in the beginning because I fucked it up and I need to unsolo the drum track. CRAP!!! I thought I was done!!! It's missing lots of tracks. One of the drum tracks were soloed when I exported it the first time.That is a good splurge lesson. Be sure to unsolo or unmute the correct tracks before you export. Look more tracks.
Okay, I created a proper version. Note to self, the new version has a "2" at the end of the title.
8️⃣ 8. I Would Eat Cats With Jackie, C major, 4/4, 83bpm, 01:09, 10/17/2019
I'm not really a fan on the title. It's almost... It's kinda... wrong. I am open to changing the title, but if I have already created the art work... meh.The song is short and has a few altered sounds, spliced up and reversed loops. There are a total of seven tracks. It has a beat, but it's an ambient tune. Sounds like it has cats in it, right?
9️⃣ 9. Man Crush On Chris Tucker, G minor, 4/4, 240bpm, 00:48, 10/17/2019
This song is the shortest. It was an accident. I think I was trying to make another drum and bass song. WOW the tempo is 240bpm. I was trying some weird stuff with tempo...This songs has lots of loops and I performed three different Koto software instrument tracks to create the sounds stringed instrument sound you hear. Yes, the Koto is detuned again. I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry that I like the way it sounds. I still have lots of respect and I've done research and learned stuff. Have a nice day.
1️⃣0️⃣ 10. Kicks A Chair Into Everyones Nuts, D minor, 4/4, 80bpm, 05:36, 10/18/2019
I like this title. I like the song too. Jackie is famous for using props in fight scenes. I guess that is just what you do when you are constantly out numbered. Does this songs sound like the title? It would be cool to see a slow-motion music video with lots of closeups of a chair slamming into people crotches. Yeah, lots of slow-motion and Matrix looking rotations n stuff. Let me know when you get that done. 😬I played the solos with the Pipa software instrument in GarageBand. This song also has Koto in it, but it's been detuned. I wouldn't mind if it disappeared from the last part of the song.