Looking to compose For TV and Film. Using Mac and Digidesign.

Record songs structured for vocals so some of these can seem quite repetitive; I arrange so they can be performed by a four-piece and try to vary the sounds of the instrumentation so hopefully I can retain your interest until lyrics enter the picture.

I'm working on it; just finishing up a new tune with, lo and behold, LYRICS.

Guitars by Breedlove, Yamaha, Epiphone, Martin
Bass is Ibanez
Drums are sequenced beat for beat into ReDrum in Reason.
Mics from AKG, AT, Sennheiser, Shure, JTS

Latest News

Ungnome made the Progressive Rock top 10
@ #8. Right on.

Bagra is on the World/Celtic top ten @ no.6.

Uploaded my 1st. song with a vocal track: Outside.

Bagra- top ten World/Celtic

Nice surprise to see "Bagra" show up in the World/Celtic top ten for a short time. Left me a little confused as to how that happened considering it received so few plays but maybe there's some other process I don't understand that determines that. In any event it was nice to share that small triumph with my family and has encouraged me to spend way too much time inside recording some more. I'll take it.

My Process

I generally come up with a riff on GTR, find a tempo, and start recording that into Protools to a simple beat programmed in ReDrum. I can usually find an extension to that initial idea fairly quickly once I'm recording and I'll loop those two ideas, ( or 3, or 4... ), over a couple of times so that they will act as bed tracks.

Once bass lines, melodies or other rhythm parts are layered over and drum tracks become more defined, the "song" may follow the same path I started with or it can change entirely from what I originally started with. In this way I follow an organic path where I don't really know what is going to come out the other end, good or bad.

My Music

Some of these pieces are meant as small ideas, others were meant to form part of larger pieces, (and still might); while others are complete song ideas waiting for lyrics or lead instrument lines. I wanted to get a few examples of where I come from as a musician on here. Instrument-wise I am clearly a jack of all trades and master of none but hope these ideas come across as intended.

Playlists

This Artist has 7 Playlists

Comments

Author
Ian Graham
over 30 days ago to Dave Sumner

Hello Dave, I've now uploaded a new, longer version of Clock On, which you reviewed a while back. Thanks again for your comments. I like Outside. You have a good, soaring voice. Reminds me a bit of Clapton. Cheers. Ian



Author
Johnny Blackburn
over 30 days ago to Dave Sumner

Congrats on making the Progressive Top 10! Enjoyed the song you just posted, can't wait for vocals!

1 Replies
 
Dave Sumner
over 30 days ago

Hey thanks man. This little bit of recognition we're receiving feels pretty good doesn't it.

Working on lyrics for 'Caravan' and 'Ungnome' now. Have a weeks vacation coming up so I may rent a rehearsal space and blow my voice out on some trax.

Listened to 'Sit Alone Orchestra' last night; really impressed. Sounds like you have some musical training or band experience. That arrangement sounds really professional. Great textural choices; wouldn't have thought of a sitar with that arrangement but it totally works. Submit that to the right opportunity and you're probably going to have some success with it. I'm going to have to try to stretch myself out of my comfort zone and try something along those lines. Kudos.



Author
Johnny Blackburn
over 30 days ago to Dave Sumner

Nice slide solo addition to Outside. Are the lower vocals new, or mixed a little higher too. Cool little sitar sounding thing.....or was that the slide guitar? Again dude, this is a great song.

1 Replies
 
Dave Sumner
over 30 days ago

Thanks again man. Yeah I felt a bit of a remix was in order. I think the slidy thing you can hear now is a combination of my Martin Backpacker and a mini classical gtr. It's a little out of tune but, it just sorta had that weird quality I liked. And the Bg vox were there before too but didn't cut in the first mix. Just worked on some subtractive EQ and it seems to have helped a lot. I have it submitted to an opportunity and the old mix was tanking; now with the new mix it's completely turned around: just goes to show the difference a better mix can make to a song that was failing.
Hope your head's feeling better; I had a friend whose abscess got infected and he looked like the elephant man there was so much swelling. Sounds like you're coming around now. Good stuff. Gotta keep that awesome music coming.



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