Musically speaking...
Apr. 9th, 2013 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
halloranelderSome questions for my musically inclined friends.
My brain has started writing again, not a bad thing, and the story it's decided to latch on to is one that has been wandering around my head for many years. The original idea came to me well before I moved from Brisbane to Melbourne (the story is set in Brisbane as a result), and back then I probably was up with music enough to know the things I want to know.
Unfortunately, nowadays I don't keep up with music anywhere near enough so I'm really not sure of a number of things.
In the story, a group get together to form a band (rather cliché, I know). The type of music I envision them playing is somewhere in the prog rock to heavy rock spectrum. I have a lot of Muse in my music collection (blame Sim) and I've been listening to them a bit lately, and that's along the lines of what I'm thinking of. My first question is, what else should I be listening to, and also, what have they been listening to, to get them into playing that style in the first place?
At one point in the story, the protagonist tries out for the band as lead vocals, and wants to impress. He's got the talent, he knows what they want, and he really wants to be part of this band. What song would he choose to sing? As I said, he's got the talent and the voice and all the rest. What one song should he do to make the rest of them realise that he's the one they want?
My final quest is one of band composition. The band will end up being eight people. I know there are 2 drummers (don't ask), a keyboard player, and the protagonist will be lead vocals and will probably play some instruments at times. What other instruments/roles should be in the band? There will probably be a lead guitar and a base guitar, but what else? (There will actually be a ninth member, but he'll end up being the manager, etc, not because he's not musically talented, but because he's still new at all this.)
If this ends up getting written and if it ends up getting published, etc, anyone who helps out will probably end up in the acknowledgements, and probably even a signed copy, etc. There's a lot of ifs there, but that's writing for you. :)
Big thanks in advance if you can help.
My brain has started writing again, not a bad thing, and the story it's decided to latch on to is one that has been wandering around my head for many years. The original idea came to me well before I moved from Brisbane to Melbourne (the story is set in Brisbane as a result), and back then I probably was up with music enough to know the things I want to know.
Unfortunately, nowadays I don't keep up with music anywhere near enough so I'm really not sure of a number of things.
In the story, a group get together to form a band (rather cliché, I know). The type of music I envision them playing is somewhere in the prog rock to heavy rock spectrum. I have a lot of Muse in my music collection (blame Sim) and I've been listening to them a bit lately, and that's along the lines of what I'm thinking of. My first question is, what else should I be listening to, and also, what have they been listening to, to get them into playing that style in the first place?
At one point in the story, the protagonist tries out for the band as lead vocals, and wants to impress. He's got the talent, he knows what they want, and he really wants to be part of this band. What song would he choose to sing? As I said, he's got the talent and the voice and all the rest. What one song should he do to make the rest of them realise that he's the one they want?
My final quest is one of band composition. The band will end up being eight people. I know there are 2 drummers (don't ask), a keyboard player, and the protagonist will be lead vocals and will probably play some instruments at times. What other instruments/roles should be in the band? There will probably be a lead guitar and a base guitar, but what else? (There will actually be a ninth member, but he'll end up being the manager, etc, not because he's not musically talented, but because he's still new at all this.)
If this ends up getting written and if it ends up getting published, etc, anyone who helps out will probably end up in the acknowledgements, and probably even a signed copy, etc. There's a lot of ifs there, but that's writing for you. :)
Big thanks in advance if you can help.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-09 05:07 pm (UTC)Depending on how heavy you want the band to be, here are some other melodic bands to check in order of metal/thrashiness:
1. Mars Volta
2. Awolnation
3. The Birthday Massacre
4. Absinthe Junk
5. Mudvayne
6. TOOL (10,000 Days or Lateralus)
7. The Human Abstract (this one is not for the meek - may take more than one listen to even get right with it)
Of your other four musicians, here's what I've seen both recently and in the past:
- Violin
- Djembe (probably your second drummer, tho)
- Two bass players - one on 5 string, and one on a 12-string bass (if you've never heard a 12-string bass, check it out - very different sound altogether)
- Harp Guitar
- Chapman Stick
- Hang Drum (could be the second percussionist, although it plays like a percussive tonal instrument, not unlike steepan)
no subject
Date: 2013-04-11 06:45 am (UTC)You are one of the people I was hoping I would get an answer from.