CalvinDude.com

An ode to YouTube.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a musical piece. This time, I wanted to do something that would be both joyous as well as unique, and I figured that doing a techno song in 3/4 time would accomplish that!

Since our culture is so used to having our modern music in 4/4 time, it can be a bit of a stretch to fit into the meter of this piece. However, I think by the end of it, it really takes off.

The song actually only has four chords throughout, and they’re repeated in the same order. However, the texturization and melody are different, and I double them in the “slow” middle section. (It’s not really any slower, but doubling the length of the chords makes it seem that way).

Likewise, the song starts off at 140 beats per minute when converted to 6/8 time. 6/8 time is useful because it can sound like either 4/4 or 3/4, and in this case I chose the 3/4 sound. Anyway, after the slow section, I hold just a fraction on the “missing” note by slowing the tempo for that silent section down to 80 beats per minute. Then, I push the tempo just a tad bit faster while transposing the chords up 3 half steps. I repeat the 3-half-step transposition at each modulation, although I didn’t increase the tempo any at that point (it still feels like it a bit–I think part of the “rushed” feeling is the fact that it’s in 3/4 time, which is already one beat less than the expected 4/4 time).

In any case, I like the 3-half-step transpositions, because the octave is divided into 12 half steps, so after four modulations you’re back to the original key (although an octave higher). I ended it by playing in the original octave too rather than having it an octave higher.

I hope you enjoy. And if not…well, it’s not like it cost you anything to listen to it!

I didn’t make this video. I’m reposting it here for one of my friends who has turned away from the faith she once knew and who thinks her old friends hate her.

I’ve had this on YouTube for a bit, but forgot to link it here.

The photographs in this video were all taken by my mom. I think she’s got the best photographs in the world, and as I looked at several of them I got the theme from the hymn “Oh the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” in my head (especially on the picture of the bridge in the fog). So I wrote a song with that theme and set it to my mom’s pictures. I’ll call it an early birthday present for her :-)

Oh, and yeah, I always wanted to make her cry. Figure this will do it. >:-D