30 Minute Lightning Track

[Belgerum]

After some intense chatting/music making/goofing around with some of my fellow musicians from the "Lesser Knowns" album on Skype chat, we made some contest/challenge up where we would dare each other to make some crappy AMAZING music in short time periods. Eventually, we got down to 30 minutes for some, an hour for others as a time span. While some musicians failed to make tracks in this time frame, and other made enlongated, repetitive low-quality stuff. Overall, everyone agreed it was fun to do.

Here are some tracks we made in 30 minutes through 1 hour:

http://www.mediafire.com/?7lbfdk8ju3r0vfz
http://soundcloud.com/belgerum/dont-have-time-1
http://www.mediafire.com/?w035gbba604yvfd
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?n3tsa57b83jq7av
http://bmo-thirteen.tumblr.com/post/233 ... yomore-mp3

Are there any on MLR who dare to take the challenge and COMPLETE A FULL TRACK IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES? (1 hour is for FOALS)

IF YOU GET MUSICIAN'S BLOCK
SHOW THEM THAT YOU ROCK
IN CANTERLOCK

NOW GO OUT THERE AND MAKE ME PROUD



EDIT:

Due to some debate, I can understand that some of you may be put off by the definite "DO A TRACK IN 30 MINUTES" label. This is not a contest. This is not a definite set of rules. The point is to challenge yourself time-wise. If making a track in only 2 hours is a real challenge for you, and 30 minutes is IMPOSSIBRU, then keep the challenge to a manageable level, and just do your best!

Secondly, there has been some argument over the use of improvisation VS composition. In my opinion, improvisation is a real challenge to the musician, but it takes nowhere near as much time to complete a track as a full electronic song. There definitely is a difference. However, I will let this slide. Improvisation is it's own field of music production, and it should be welcomed here, so I will accept it. However, the point of this challenge, as stated above, is to be a CHALLENGE, not a cakewalk. If improvisation makes the 30 minute challenge too easy, try for 20, 15, or even 10.

And last but not least, please try not to put others down if this challenge conflicts with their stlyes, and they end up making a not-so-great track in 2 hours VS your 20 minutes. This is a challenge for the individual to grow, improve, and have fun. NOBODY IS COMPETING AGAINST ANOTHER. (Unless you guys really want to, and the competitive spirit will drive you to better musicianship.)

THIS CODE IS MORE WHAT YOU'D CALL "GUIDELINES" THAN ACTUAL RULES


JUST KEEP CHALLENGING YOURSELF AND HAVING FUN

[Belgerum]

Acoustic musicians have a HUGE advantage of improvisation.

There should be a rule against that.

How about just NO NOODLING, IMPROVISING OR ANYTHING. Live instruments acceptable, but no improv?

Otherwise, we could just BAN LIVE INSTRUMENTS

[LFP]

^noone can beat my cutest house song of all time song.

btw I know you really love me but I'd like my other crappy dubstep song to only be linked once. ;l

[Belgerum]

Oops, sorry.

I guess I just suck at this.

[Belgerum]

I was joking, Kyoga

But seriously, I think we should say that no improvisation is allowed. That makes it fair for those who make electronic music.

[Belgerum]

Then let me hear what you propose will make it fair to those who write out every note of their song, and put effort into it's velocity, pitch, multiple oscilators, filters and such. You could write a song through improvisation of higher quality than many electronic songs in 5-10 minutes. That makes it too easy.

Which makes me think... If you really want to do noodling around, and you're really determined to improvise, then I'll give you a challenge. I dare you to make a song in 5-10 minutes. I know you can. You're the legendary Kyoga.

[Overkillius]

how can you ban improvisation? how do you know what is improvised and what isn't xD?

[Belgerum]

It's not unfair in terms of musical talent. it's the time limit. 2 minutes of improv could take 20 minutes to write up in electronic music, while it'd only take 2 minutes to record.

[Belgerum]

how can you ban improvisation? how do you know what is improvised and what isn't xD?

This isn't a judged contest. It's a CHALLENGE. It's meandt for you to drive yourself to the limit. You'd only be cheating yourself by cheating, so personally, I don't care if I can't tell whether it's improvised or not.

[Belgerum]

This isn't a judged contest. It's a CHALLENGE. It's meant for you to drive yourself to the limit.

Try something new for a change then. It's fun to do so! Or you could try for 5-10 minutes.

[Overkillius]

Oh? I misunderstood the situation then!

Regardless I'd need atleast an hour to write a decent track. I've tried challenges like this before and it just isn't possible unless I'm composing on instruments and recording. xD

[Belgerum]

I have argued this point before, and I will again. Though improvising is challenging and requires much skill, it is a much faster process than writing the notes electronically or on notation, then recording it/making synths and playback devices.

If you are challenged by the electronic media aspect, you can always pick up a guitar and come up with a song in your head, but you have to actually THINK about it, and REMEMBER it like you were writing a song, not an improv session. That takes about the same amount of time, but straight noodling around isn't the same as composing. This is similar to the Instrumental music contest here, and that little rule I remember in there.

I'm willing to allow that, because it's actually writing a song, and it shouldn't be too different from improv that you're completely unable Kyoga.

Then again, as overkillius has said, you could give me the love and tolerate finger, and defy the rules and cheat. If you want to improvise and make music with no constraints or challenge, feel free to. nobody's forcing you into this.

[Overkillius]

maybe the challenge should be to do something radically different than what you usually do, (what ever that means to the musicians taking part) and there should be more time.

Yes I know I'm kinda changing the initial idea significantly, but that's just what came to mind .

[Belgerum]

This is merely an open idea, Overkillius, and you are free to deal with the challeng however you want. If you want to go extremely out of your comfort zone, go for it!

Plus the time limits I have posted here are just the challenge. If 2-3 hours is a challenge for you, go for that first, if it's more comfortable.

[Belgerum]

THat's completely changing the purpose of this challenge. If you want to make an "INSTRUMENTAL IMPROVISATION CHALLENGE OF EPICNESS" thread, and challeng others to make tracks entirely improv, that's a whole different story than making a time-consuming track by hand with a time limit. In fact, if you want to go improvise with people, then I ENCOURAGE you to mke an improv contest. Just not here, because this is a compositional challenge, not an instrumental playing challenge.

And once again, YOU ARE FREE TO BEND THE RULES IF YOU WNAT TO.

[Belgerum]

Being the Fluttershy I am inside, and hating this arguing, I am very tempted to just let you win. VERY TEMPTED.

However, as I have stated many times, this is an optional challenge. The time limit is up to you to decide. i can't determine whether or not you're improvising.

In other words, this is not meant to be constricting to everyone in the same way. If you think improvisation is challenging, and you'd be hard-pressed to make a track in 30 minutes, go ahead. I'm not preventing you. Neither am I totally in charge of this challenge, as it was developed by those on the "Lesser knowns" album. I just posted the topic here. I'm no dictator.

The point of this entire ordeal is to make a compositional track as fast as you can, optionally within 30 minutes. There are no judges except yourself. Post what you like, but I'm being as lenient as i can with everything.

[Belgerum]

edited the OP. Take a look. Are you satisfied?

[Belgerum]

Good. No go off and do whatever it is the alien species of Kyoga does. Just make sure you challenge yourself time-wise somehow! That's the whole point!

[Belgerum]

okay then. Post when you are ready.

[ChromaticChaosPony]

I'll just play a solo over a clean guitar track since I don't have drums.

[Applejinx]

Gosh. I think my fellow guiterponies ain't quite getting the concept of this...

Fine- 'god mode'. I'm gonna play my two solos for the guitar improvisation thing (not to a time constraint- it takes a lil' time setting up the amp and all that) and then I'm gonna do a 30 minute electronic track WITHOUT usin' the MPD pad. That's the thing I usually resort to for musicin' quickly because I can improvise in things like aftertouch using pad pressure- did that last toastbeard. I'ma go full Skrillex- use only the laptop trackpad. I am gonna use my default 2buss setups and such, though- that's built into my project templates.

[Belgerum]

Gosh. I think my fellow guiterponies ain't quite getting the concept of this...

Actually, I think it's mostly my own fault for so judgementally going "NO IMPROVISING ALLOWED HERP DERP" so prematurely. I'll take all the blame for the previous arguments, and I'll be writing to Celestia about it. Hopefully we can all be happy and have fun with this.

[ChromaticChaosPony]

Who said a solo has to be improvised?

[ChromaticChaosPony]

I can just compose it over some simple chord changes.

[ChromaticChaosPony]

Or I can just scrap the solo and sing over the rhythm guitar instead... Or do both...