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Andy Broad
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5/15/2008 3:03:58 AM
Naming Instrumentals ...
Always a tricky one for me, how do you think of a name for an instrumental piece? Songs are often easy as they have a subject, or lyric you can hook into, but how to think of agood name for an instro without sounding pretentious....
The subject springs to mind as the last two 'songs' I uploaded were 'tunes' so I had to think of names for them.
The first I effectively gave up on and called it 'Nameless Blues' the second, I thought a bit more about, and eventually called it "Waiting For You", the
inspiration here was that it was in a queue of ideas that I'm sharing with Sally Strawberry for song writing purposes, so I was waiting for her to have time to listen to it. (Guess I ran out of patience :-))
Digressing for a moment, Sally Strawberry and I have just finished our first song together, she took a latin jazz progression I'd come up with and has transformed it into an amazing song. I'm afraid I can't post it just yet though, needs to be recorded properly and stuff, watch this space .....
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RedRobin
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5/15/2008 3:36:55 AM
---- Updated 5/15/2008 3:38:32 AM
....I find that there's always a thought or something in the type of sound in the instrumental song to inspire a title. Or it could be how the song came to be. The reason for your title doesn't have to be understood by your audience.
I often find a title before the song is completed - In fact you have to apply some kind of title just to save the file!
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Andy Broad
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5/15/2008 3:52:43 AM
"In fact you have to apply some kind of title just to save the file!"
but 08_04_23_improv and 08_05_09_blues aren't very inspiring titles :-)
I did name the jazz duo album I recorded with fellow guitarist Phil Jones, after the week we recorded it "The First Week In April" .
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James Triggs
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5/15/2008 4:05:01 AM
"...but 08_04_23_improv and 08_05_09_blues aren't very inspiring titles"
Indeed.
All of my pieces are instrumentals, so maybe I can help you out here. I name mine after what I'm trying to express, or else describe the content.
So, maybe you should think about any appropriate verbs or nouns that sums up the music in words. For example, a Jazz improv could be named something like "Natural Flair" or " Jazz Solace in July," or something. Those were completely random picks. :-}
Imagine if you had to put words to that instumental piece. WHat would those words be? Think of that from those words, or idea of words, just like you would entitle any of your other pieces.
Does that help?
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srm
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5/15/2008 4:15:59 AM
I've done a lot of instrumental tunes, and I usually get a name from a sound ("Snouts in the Trough" has a bari sax sample that sounds hoglike), or after the inspiration for the 'piece' ("Anna"), or sometimes I take the opportunity to throw an odd title into the mix (just because I can- "Luncheonette of Death"). Often, instrumentals will hit different people in different ways, and they really just need a 'handle'. Titling it something memorable can help.
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Hop On Pop
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5/15/2008 4:35:27 AM
What does the song suggest to you?
I have a couple of instrumentals; both are named more by what they suggest than anything else.
I have yet to record either of them, but the first one is sort of a country/klezmer/punk 2-step thing that I thought should be titled "Leo Goldberg's 2-Step" because, you know, it's a sort of a country/klezmer/punk 2-step thing.
The other one I do have a live recording of and -- whadddya know -- that's on here!!! It's called "Dory, Indeed" because it's in the key of D, in the Dorian mode.
Also, if you write the piece FOR somebody in particular, or if it's a certain time of year, or something's going on in your life at that time, you can always take inspiration from that. Because, you know that the piece will always remind you of that time.
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RedRobin
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5/15/2008 5:40:44 AM
....It seems I'm very similar to you on this subject, Hop -
My song "Da Floot" is a slightly funky instrumental in the key of D (minor pentatonic).
"Heidi" uses both my high D minor and low D minor flutes and is a tribute to one of my first girlfriends called Heidi.
"Kathedra" has some very 'churchy' vocables (no words) by Amanda in it.
"Syntheny For Jay" is in memory of my late son of course.
"Where's That Confounded Moose" ? - A bit of a long story!!
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srm
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5/15/2008 5:44:29 AM
The Moose is loose!
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Hugh Hamilton
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5/15/2008 6:06:31 AM
Enjoying my listen to "Waiting For You" - seems like a perfect title - I can imagine a dreary rainy day and a lover waiting endlessly for the paramour who never arrives...
Good luck with the collabs!
:)
H
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My-T-Hi
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5/15/2008 6:59:24 AM
The instrumentals I do take they're name from the original idea, or in some case from a vocal that got dropped "Aozora Ni Teppo" roughly translated to "Gun in a Blue Sky" used to be the lyric. Another one takes it from the style as it's a punky surf kind of thing "My-T-Wave". The place it was written is another one I sometimes use "Kadoma".
Charlie Watts has an interesting CD of instrumentals, he named all the tracks after legendary drummers. I thought that was a cool idea.
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RedRobin
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5/15/2008 7:01:16 AM
.... LOL I hope the Moose isn't too loose, Steve! It could get really messy!
"Don't Mess With My Moose" could be a boogie-woogie song.
"Messin' With The Moose" could be Blues.
"Messin' With Your Moose" - I won't go there!
Perhaps I should make a Moose album :-) Or just an album for Mooses.
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Richard Scotti
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5/15/2008 1:51:21 PM
It seems the most pretentious names for instrumentals are in the new age genre.
Seems like every other instrumental is called Mountain Mist or Ocean Blue or any phrase with the word "spirit" in it.. It's all seems quite arbitrary and a little goofy at times. Some names are just absurd. I think you should find a phrase or hook in the song that is one of the main themes of the song and actually write words to that short phrase as though someone was going to sing it and use that as the title. Then it's the song telling you what it wants to be named rather than just making up a name that isn't really bonded with the essence of the song.
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Andy Broad
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5/15/2008 4:33:41 PM
Well that's quite a few interesting approaches to 'titleing' a facinating read. Thanks
I've thought up a title for 'Nameless blues' but I'm not going to reveal it till after Sam's lips got better and he can record that harp part. I wander if I can get another cat to play the drums on it... anyone seen Superpuss arround?
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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5/15/2008 5:09:56 PM
Names are important----------no doubt!!
we keep our instrumental names short and evocative!
whero------a maori word for a gift
secret------as it sounds
GONDWANA-------I'm sure the name helped sell this tune!
Membrane over liquid velvet-------cos rules are made to be broken!!!!
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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5/15/2008 5:10:58 PM
Names are important----------no doubt!!
we keep our instrumental names short and evocative!
whero------a maori word for a gift
secret------as it sounds
GONDWANA-------I'm sure the name helped sell this tune!
Membrane over liquid velvet-------cos rules are made to be broken!!!!
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Stegor
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5/15/2008 7:30:08 PM
Brian Eno is my favorite instrumental namer. "Patrolling Wire Borders", "A Measured Room", "Another Green World", "Quartz", "Sombre Reptiles"... every title fits the music perfectly.
He's my inspiration when I named In the Shade of the Biliary Tree". Most folks would read that and wonder "Hmm. I wonder what kind of tree that is". A few might know what it is. A few might be curious enough to Google it, only to find out it's not what you'd expect. Then again the picture is a dead giveaway...
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Dick Aven
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5/15/2008 10:35:52 PM
Sometimes I like to write lyrics for my instrumentals and then use the title it creates.
Especially when there is a strong chorus that could suggest the title....
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