Composition Challenge #1 "Malian Desert Blues"

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

Happy New Year everyone!

So it is a new year and a chance for a new start so what better way then a forum competition! Some of you may have read my original post on the idea and having discussed it with some of you / observed the ideas that were already going in the Studio section of the forum, well we are now ready to rock out the first competition.

The competition:

Every 3 months there will be a competition, it revolves around individuals or groups of forum members composing or covering songs based on a set of rules or guidelines laid out for that particular competition.

The first competition will have a Prize and it is also possible that future competitions may also have prizes depending on donations/sponsors.

The first competition will run from the 1st Jan 2014 and end with the winner being announced on the 31st March 2014.

The second competition will run from the 1st April 2014 and end with the winner being announced on the 30th June 2014.

The third competition will run from the 1st July 2014 and end with the winner being announced on the 30th September 2014.

The fourth competition will run from the 1st October 2014 and end with the winner being announced on the 31st December 2014.

And so on for next year.

Submissions must be made on or before the 15th day of the last month of the competition, for example the 15th March 2014. This is to allow time for uploading all the submissions and for voting.

Purpose

To encourage people on this forum to actually engage in more practical music making and to attract new member's to the forum. Fretboard Challenge should be a fun and productive online community competition.

Entry Requirements

You must be a registered forum member with at least 10 posts to enter the competition.

Submission Details

All recordings will need to be sent via email to fretboardchallenge AT gmail.com

All songs will then be upload to the Fretboard Challenge YouTube channel.

(Competition details will be posted on there soon).

Songs can be submitted in an MP3 format with an accompanying Image (this will be then used to create a WMV to be uploaded to youtube) or you can submit your own WMV file and create a proper video if you wish.

Voting

Voting will commence on the 17th day of the last month of the competition. Unless this forum gets a proper voting system in the next 4 months voting will be undertaken as follows:

I shall post a voting thread on the forum on the 17th, every registered forum member can vote once by simply posting in the thread their vote for best track. Please only post once and do not post anything else other than your vote in the thread (mods could you please police this).

Hopefully no one has a problem with public voting.................

Legal Stuff (because some people will undoubtedly ask)

This is supposed to be a friendly competition so hopefully we don't get into any of this stuff but:

This competition is NOT administered by the administration of www.thefretboard.co.uk and the website takes no responsibility for any content produced or uploaded via this competition.

All songs and videos will belong to the people that created the original track (you), after the end of the competition if you wish for your track to be removed from youtube just let us know and will we do it straight away.

When creating your tracks please do not breach copyright law or plagiarize other peoples work, if you do this you will be removed from the competition.

FRETBOARD CHALLENGE #1

Guidelines

To create a track at least 2 minutes in length in a Malian Desert Blues/Folk style. Think Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen etc etc.

Any number or combination of instruments can be used, vocal layering and sampling is also permitted.

You Do Not have to use guitars if you don't want to.

Deadline

Midnight (UK time) 15th March 2014.

Prize

The prize for this competition will be a brand new Electro Harmonix Knockout Effects Pedal (worth about £50) (unless anyone has major objections)

I shall provide the prize, however If you would like to make a donation to the prize fund please let me know.

Questions

Let me know.

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

Im sure I will have to update this at some stage so let me know if I need to add anything or if I have done anything wrong.

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

I have been informed that the scope for the challenge might be a bit tough which I can understand, so does anyone have any comment on this at all?

littlegreenman · January 2014

Antique_Guitars said:

I have been informed that the scope for the challenge might be a bit tough which I can understand, so does anyone have any comment on this at all?

The whole point of musical challenges is that they're not meant to be easy, clue's in the word "challenge"!

Theme for this one might push us out of our comfort zone a bit, but isn't that the aim?

ddlooping · January 2014

Sounds good to me, nice one Sheldon.

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

Indeed a challenge is the aim I just was waiting to get some feedback to see people opinions.

littlegreenman · January 2014

A little inspiration

http://www.voxamps.com/-ad-wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/tinariwen-vox-02_lrg.jpg

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

littlegreenman said:

A little inspiration

http://www.voxamps.com/-ad-wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/tinariwen-vox-02_lrg.jpg

Lol that is amazing great stuff

ddlooping · January 2014

Has Camel reformed and now on tour?

xHymnal · January 2014

I'm game! I've been sessioning for a dark folk band recently I hope they can give me some inspiration!

Phil_aka_Pip · January 2014

ddlooping said:

Has Camel reformed and now on tour?

Now for 2014:

Holland - Amsterdam, PARADISO Sunday, 2nd March 2014
Holland - Eindhoven, MUZIEKGEBOUW, Monday 3rd March 2014
Belgium - Gent, VOORUIT, Tuesday 4th March 2014
Germany - Filderstadt/Stuttgart, FILHARMONIE Thursday 6th March 2014
Germany - Cologne, THEATER AM TANZBRUNNEN Friday 7th March 2014
UK - Sheffield, CITY HALL, Sunday 9th March 2014
UK - Birmingham, TOWN HALL Monday 10th March 2014
UK - Cambridge, CORN EXCHANGE, Tuesday 11th March 2014
UK - Warrington, PARR HALL, Thursday 13th March 2014

Dates not yet confirmed:

Portugal - Lisbon, AULA MAGNA, Sunday 16th March 2014
Spain - Madrid, TEATRO NUEVO APOLO, Monday 17th March 2014
Spain, Barcelona, BARTS THEATER, Tuesday 18th March 2014
Italy - Turin, HIROSHIMA, Thursday 20th March 2014
Italy - Vincenza, TEATRO COMUNALE, Friday 21 March 2014

ddlooping · January 2014

I guess they have.

Phil_aka_Pip · January 2014

Antique_Guitars said:

Indeed a challenge is the aim I just was waiting to get some feedback to see people opinions.

A challenge such as a fugue with six fully invertible parts would be a pleasant pastime for the likes of JS Bach and an impossibility for the rest of us. Similarly asking for a particular style of music. I could recommend a more open-ended specification such as compatible with a certain kind of subject matter (eg theme for a film/radio/tv subject). More acheivable technical specs might include to have a number of key or time changes, or to have a minimum number of bars containing a minimum number of single-note parts in harmony.

Grunfeld · January 2014

Antique_Guitars said:

I have been informed that the scope for the challenge might be a bit tough which I can understand, so does anyone have any comment on this at all?

I like this. I have no idea what to produce but I'm making a deal with myself to have two minutes of something by the deadline.

daveww · January 2014

Me too. Never heard of "Malian Desert Blues/Folk" but gonna give it a go

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

To be clear to everyone there is no pressure at all, if near the deadline you find yourself with 2 minutes of synth raga with whale sounds don't be alarmed you will still be entered in the competition, In fact you might win :-)

There is not definitive outcome lots of the stuff from Mali is pretty varied anyway. This is about having a go taking part and having fun, im totally up for some comedy entries as well (and I don't mean the kind you get in soho).

Just give it a go and see you might surprise yourself.

Fretwired · January 2014

May I suggest this thread gets moved and a section setup for forum-based music creation [please mods]. We have had a few forum challenges which petered out - I think out own section under Studio & recording could be in order.

This challenge is right outside my comfort zone but I'm up for it. My only comment is the length of time between challenges. Perhaps it could be a tad shorter .. I don't intend to re-record tubular bells ... :-)

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

Well it is in off topic to encourage people that don't hang about in the other parts of the forum to get involved in music making really so I would quite like it to stay here personally. But I agree there should be a music a making section.

As for time scales I was going to originally do it every 3 months so I could change it back to that

TTony · January 2014

I shall move it ...

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

I really DON'T want it to be moved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

can you move this back now seriously the whole point is that its in off topic so that people see it is there and that people who only post on off topic or guitars can see it.

As Fretwired said all the other competitions fizzle out and that i because they are in a sub section that not many people will read!

TTony · January 2014

Antique_Guitars said:

Well it is in off topic to encourage people that don't hang about in the other parts of the forum to get involved in music making really so I would quite like it to stay here personally. But I agree there should be a music a making section.

As for time scales I was going to originally do it every 3 months so I could change it back to that

OT is quite busy - this thread will get lost in 2 days.

But I agree with the sentiment of getting more people involved.

2 mins of Malian-influenced something-or-other might not be the best encouragement though. It's a bit adventurous for a first challenge. Personally, I'd be more inclined to go with something more mainstream, and make it easier for more people to jump in.

And yes to the 3 month timescale.

And I really hope that this works out ...

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

Thanks TTony, don't worry I will keep bumping it ha ha!

Enough people have expressed interest in the Malian challenge for me to think it will work.

OK I shall move to a three month timescale and edit the first post.

Thanks

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

I think some people are expecting that they have to produce 2 minutes of concert grade Malian music but in reality its not about that at all, it about giving it a go and testing yourself/experiencing new music. The outcome could be anything!

Fretwired · January 2014

Antique_Guitars said:

can you move this back now seriously the whole point is that its in off topic so that people see it is there and that people who only post on off topic or guitars can see it.

As Fretwired said all the other competitions fizzle out and that i because they are in a sub section that not many people will read!

It really won't work down here .. people will get fed up with you bumping it. Maybe a sticky at the top .. without a dedicated section this won't work. We don't have one now. People will want to ask questions, will need help etc and many of the real musos don't visit off topic. It may have most posts but basically it just a small group of people talking bollocks. I hang out on other forums that do this and they all have dedicated music creation and production sections. This will just die down here ...

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

I would go for a sticky at the top!

The problem with this forum is that the music expert people are small in number to the off topic people and we have to go to them as they will not go to a music creation sub forum.

However as I said I do 100% support the creation of a sub forum like that.

Fretwired · January 2014

Antique_Guitars said:

I would go for a sticky at the top!

The problem with this forum is that the music expert people are small in number to the off topic people and we have to go to them as they will not go to a music creation sub forum.

However as I said I do 100% support the creation of a sub forum like that.

A dedicated section [please mods] will probably attract new people interested in music creation and production rather than discussing whether feminism is bad for men ... :-)

That would get my vote ..

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

I agree that there should be a music creation section, but at the moment not that many would use it and it would always be the same people. Like I said I am trying to encourage people that don't usually participate to come forward, and posting in a sub forum that will mostly be inhabited by experienced musicians will probably scare people off.

I think that section should be made and after a while if it starts to kick off then I would think about moving this thread there, but not at the moment. Exposure is key at the moment and pretty much most people visit off topic a little bit.

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

Not sure what the mods have done there but I like it! its a good idea and compromise.

TTony · January 2014

How about ...

Under the "Playing" section, we create a sub-section, called "Making Music".

In that section, you keep the rules for the challenge stickied at the top. You can then have as many Q&A discussions as you like.

When the challenge ends, the thread is unstickied, and a new sticky replaces it for the new challenge.

You can plug the challenge in as many other sections as you like, as often as you like, in as many different ways as you like ... Without gettingin the way of the serious chat about the challenge itself.

@Fretwired is right ... Anyone reading OT is generally in OT to *avoid* music-related chat. It might look busy, it *is* busy, but it might not be the best place to generate interest and participation in the challenge.

I really do want the challenge to succeed. I'd love for the forum to be supporting, enabling, encouraging this sort of thing.

Antique_Guitars · January 2014

TTony said:

How about ...

Under the "Playing" section, we create a sub-section, called "Making Music".
In that section, you keep the rules for the challenge stickied at the top. You can then have as many Q&A discussions as you like.
When the challenge ends, the thread is unstickied, and a new sticky replaces it for the new challenge.

You can plug the challenge in as many other sections as you like, as often as you like, in as many different ways as you like ... Without gettingin the way of the serious chat about the challenge itself.

@Fretwired is right ... Anyone reading OT is generally in OT to *avoid* music-related chat. It might look busy, it *is* busy, but it might not be the best place to generate interest and participation in the challenge.

I really do want the challenge to succeed. I'd love for the forum to be supporting, enabling, encouraging this sort of thing.

OK deal! that way people get their making music sub forum as well. I will then just post a link in Off Topic so that people know it is there as I know a lot of people are still off with their families at the moment.

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Composition Challenge #1 "Malian Desert Blues"

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Now for 2014:

Dates not yet confirmed: