Here’s a piece of a break. It’s a half of a verse, so I guess that would make it a quarter break. When I was originally playing with it, I was thinking we’d be playing a bit faster… not sure if it will fit with feel of the rest of the song, but figured I’d tab it our anyway.
Netgrass: Hard Times
Nice break! If you decide don’t like it at our chosen tempo, I’m sure you could modify it a little.
I uploaded a http://www.kompoz.com/compose-collaborate/home.track.project?trackId=245790&projectId=38250 over on Kompoz. I just created a loop with all major chords (I figure we can substitute chords later if we want). It’s a basic boom-chuck, but rhythmically pretty accurate at 165 bpm.
For markers, I stuck in 2 beats of side stick before the start of each of the four verses and 2 beats of cymbal before the break.
What’s that little symbol beneath measure 9 in your break?
Thanks for putting up the scratch track. Sounds right to me. I was humming along with it. It will be fun to start playing with some tracks.
The little mark under the 9th measure is the tail of the 64th note open B string (that gets hammered on to the first fret). 
I meant to grab a 32nd note, but I got the wrong one (not that it matters for this purpose). There might be a better way with Tabledit to do a hammer on that comes a little later than the strum, but I don’t know how to do it. In case anyone is wondering, I wasn’t planning on actually counting out the 64th note
BTW, Larry, do you know of a way to copy and paste from one Tabledit project to another? I tried making a new track in my project and I was going to copy your mando break into it, but it doesn’t want to paste. I figured it would let me do that, but apparently not.
I posted a half verse guitar break onto Kompoz. It’s not quite as I would like it, but it’s enough to get the idea across. I think it could go as the first or second half verse break, although it might need to end different depending on what it butts up against. I could always add a fill for the transition measure if it doesn’t flow well with it’s neighbor. As I mentioned before, I was thinking we’d be faster, so it may not fit in with the style others want to do for the breaks. I use some blue notes and if everyone else wants to keep it happier, it just might not work. If so and it’s a discard, that’s not a big deal. It’s out there nonetheless. Figured it would maybe help get the ball rolling again.
It looks like we might have to fly to Australia to help Ozzie with his water pump so he can get back to work on the important stuff.
Well, All right! I’m glad somebody is working on our project.
I figured it was the flatted notes you were concerned about, but I think it sounds pretty good. I’ll see if I can come up with a mini-mando break that meshes with your guitar.
I’ve been kind of side tracked the last few days, but I’ll try to get some mandolin down before the weekend.
If my math is right, Jesse should be back next week, so we should be able to get this thing rolling by then (assuming we can find ozi).
I was thinking one of these projects we could mix things up a little in the arrangement. It certainly doesn’t have to be this one, but thought I’d get the conversation rolling in case there was something someone thinks of that would work well. Examples:
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Start the mix very minimalist (a capella or maybe one instrument), then add instrumentation through the first verse (and possibly chorus)
Some instrument doubling the vocals and/or harmony vocals in the chorus (fiddle or dobro are good candidates)
Drop everything down for a verse with nothing but mando and vocals (Since this in C, it’s not good for open ringing chords on the mando, but maybe some other song)
Just vocals humming the chord structure under the lead vox for a bit, maybe half a verse
Changing the feel of the rhythm. This could be just changing the bass line from half notes to walking quarters in the last chorus with other instruments emphasizing 2 and 4.
I am generally not a big fan of key changes, but this song we could easily change to D for the last verse
One thing specific to this song that kind of works for me is this: On the last line of the last chorus resolve to Am instead of C. Then tag the last line again changing from the Am back to C on “Hard”, then finish the progression normal. If that needs further explanation, I apologize in advance. I can write it out or record it or something
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BTW, any banjo players out there thinking of jumping in? I think this one could use some banjer.
Those are some good ideas, Mike, but we’d need to reconfigure our scratch track for some of them. I’m thinking maybe we shouldn’t build too many tracks around my purposely vanilla scratch track. Would you want to do a rhythm guitar track? We could save some break space for Jesse’s guitar. I don’t think he would mind our doing that.
I like the scratch track as vanilla. It allows you to do whatever you have in mind on top of it. I guess we would need to modify or replace the scratch track if we decided to do something like a key change or the Am on the ending (Am7 actually sounds a bit darker and I think that was what I was playing when I thought about it). If we do the ending change, we could just punch that in on the existing scratch track. On the key change, I am not real big on doing it (I heard enough key changes in the 80s to last a lifetime), but I just threw it out there for consideration. If we decide we need something different, I don’t mind doing a rhythm or scratch track. If we do figure we need to change the basic structure and we are pretty close to Jesse’s return, I’ll just leave the rhythm GTR for him. I think he is hankerin’ to get involved in this one, and I’d like to give him the opportunity to do as much as he wants.
The only idea I particularly like is the substitution of the Am7 for the C before the tag. Have you hummed through that and have any thoughts? Any other ideas?
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do you know of a way to copy and paste from one Tabledit project to another?
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I didn’t see this earlier. The only way I can figure to do this is to open up both files simultaneously in Tabledit, and the only way I’ve figured out how to do that is to drag both files from my desktop into Tabledit. Then I can toggle between the projects, and copy and paste seems to work.
The Am (or Am7) at the end sounds pretty good, and it shouldn’t be too much trouble to just play the change right over top of the C on my scratch track until we get it replaced.
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so we should be able to get this thing rolling by then (assuming we can find ozi).
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You can recall the search parties! I finally have a day at home alone so laid down a bass track to go with Larry’s scratch.
Already thrown it onto the Kompost pile. If you decide to reconfigure no sweat, I’ll just redo it as required.
Hope the quality is ok - I’ve lined in my new toy from the US. It is an fdeck hipass filter that cuts everything below 34db to get rid of the random lows that muddy up the bottom end. Was designed and built by Francis Deck specifically for double bass - I got it to use with the Ubass both to clean up sound and act as a pre-amp for the piezo pickup.
People have commented that my sound is better (and I hoped I’d actually improved 
)
BTW installed the pump - drilled out and retapped mounting holes and hasn’t fallen off yet - thanks for the moral support!
Just listened to Mike’s guitar impro - sounds great, fits fine, can’t wait to hear more!
Search party recalled!
Glad you got things working again, ozi. As soon as the basketball game I’m watching ends, I’ll grab your bass track and have a listen. I’m interested in sampling your new sound.
I’ve been putting new strings on my mandolin while I watch the game, so once I get your bass track dropped into the mix I’ll be ready for some practice.
The bass sounds great, ozi. Less muddy is exactly how I would describe it, too.
I did a quick http://www.kompoz.com/compose-collaborate/home.track.project?trackId=246905&projectId=38250 with the bass and Mike’s mini-break.
Decided that while I had the gear connected I’d do some other catchups.
Bass track for Lonesome Fiddler - also now out on the Kompost pile. Figured you’ve probably moved on but maybe would like to revisit it and add some bottom end.
Was also partway into doing WBB when I realised there was already a DB track that hadn’t come through on my laptop speakers - only heard it when I plugged the good ones in 
Anything else I’ve missed?
Sweet! I like the hi pass filter/pre-amp. I think it changed the tone significantly. I am going on memory, but I think it smoothed out the attack too. Nice playing too!
Can’t wait to hear the mando once you get the new knocked off the strings.
I haven’t been receiving email notifications for these forum updates. Is anyone else experiencing the same?
So Larry have you restrung the mando with lights this time?
If so does it make much difference to playability and tone? Though I assume it will not be as loud.
I’ve still got Elixir mediums on it. I wanted to try lighter strings, but I’ve still got a couple of sets of mediums here, and it was easier to use them than go out and buy a new set. Plus, it’s not as much of a priority since I sanded down the bridge. I’ve already played an hour or so today with no pain at all.
Larry, Thanks for the suggestion for cutting and pasting with Tabledit. It’s quirky, but I got it to work. The tricks for me were to 1) not have the TEF file maximized within the application (hard to explain, but I can post pics if anyone wants them) and 2) have some unchanged edits in one file while opening a second file.
The funny thing was, once I got it to work, I had forgotten why I wanted to copy from one TEF to another. Eventually I remembered. I put the two breaks together in Tabledit, and I think Larry’s original half break and mine are kind of interchangeable. Either one could go first or second. The new one is attached.
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there was already a DB track that hadn’t come through on my laptop speakers - only heard it when I plugged the good ones in
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My laptop speakers have no bass either. I doesn’t matter how much I add to the mix.
I just remembered your LFB track, ozi. I http://www.kompoz.com/compose-collaborate/home.track.project?trackId=247125&projectId=37367 it in this afternoon. It’s starting to sound pretty good. We just need some more instrumental breaks to fill it out.