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Squandered Sunlight


by

stephendavis

 Genre: Ambient
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Description
Something i put together a while ago - revisited and revamped it today. I'm pretty new to music and I'd appreciate constructive feedback. (No idea what genre...)
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Song Stats
Hits: 835
Comments: 32
Fans: 8
Plays: 114
Downloads: 34
Votes: 4
Uploaded: Feb 26, 2008 - 10:37:41 PM
Last Updated: Feb 24, 2008 - 01:42:07 PM Last Played: Jul 24, 2009 - 01:31:36 PM
Song License
Creative Commons License:
PublicDomain

Creative Commons

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Comments
dirigent said 638 days ago (February 27th, 2008)
Squandered Sunlight
Very nice uplifting tune. There is a lot of energy in the melody and in the sound. Enjoyed listening, made my day :-)
Check out my latest song called Autumn
stephendavis said 637 days ago (February 27th, 2008)
thanks
appreciate your comment. your music is pretty amazing... especially your vocal stuff.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
ledebutant said 637 days ago (February 27th, 2008)
Coolio
I really how happy-melancholy this is...I guess that makes it happycholy :-). The bass work is really VERY nice and I'm trying to figure out if you're getting that lead guitar sound from a guitar or a keyboard. You said you're new to music, but if that's you on guitar, you're a scary fast learner. The overall feeling, the arrangement and the tightness of the playing, all of it is really good.

Welcome to macjams, stephen. Great first post!



Check out my latest song called Black Star (MJ Live Aid w/jgurner)
stephendavis said 637 days ago (February 27th, 2008)
thanks
heh heh, no, that's not my guitar playing. maybe in 20 years or so... actually it's made in GarageBand - 100% software instruments. which isn't always good... kind of a flat sound. i did mess with the pitchblend sliders a little though to get the slides. yep, happycholy is the sound i was going for. thanks for commenting - i really like your stuff.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
SinJimMusic said 637 days ago (February 27th, 2008)
Sunlight
Nice job with the piano here, it caught my attention from the beginning. The guitar is great as well. Good song altogether, thank you for posting!
Check out my latest song called - When the Smoke Clears -
stephendavis said 636 days ago (February 28th, 2008)
piano
Thanks man! Your piano playing is really good. I actually barely play - that was all done with a mouse. I know you can get much better sounds from really playing... I just haven't learned.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
Kruizer said 636 days ago (February 28th, 2008)
Awesome!
Hey great work Stephen. I do not see any areas where you need improvement.
stephendavis said 636 days ago (February 28th, 2008)
improvement...
Thanks! I appreciate your praise... but I'm sure I could improve a lot. I see this is your first day and I look forward to seeing your work soon.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
jiguma said 636 days ago (February 28th, 2008)
Welcome to MJ Stephen!
I'm listening in snippets because the MJ downloads are taking forever today for me.

First impressions: good sound, and lots of good ideas for someone "pretty new to music". Especially impressed with the way you "think bass" - unless you've been a bass player, the basslines you've made are quite nicely placed against the melody and rhythm. I am hearing an upbeat pop song hiding in behind this. Some areas you might like to think about: the rhythm sounds like it's been quantised pretty much totally. For more lifelike (or "real") sounding keyboard rhythm you can use (I think they're in GB) the more "human" quantise options which allow a little movement from the rigid beat. Secondly, it sounds like all the notes are the same velocity which makes me think you either pencilled all the notes in from scratch or that you have a non touch-sensitive keyboard. Again, there are digital ways of improving this - in Logic it's the "humanise" option or a random velocity change - and you'd notice the improvement almost immediately. Finally (and I'm hoping I'm not being too negative here with all these suggestions) I think this would take a good drum track very easily. You can use the standard tracks within GB for some fairly real sounding drum tracks.

Anyway, as people have said, a great first post - lookng forward to seeing more.

Cheers,
Neil
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
stephendavis said 636 days ago (February 28th, 2008)
from you
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really, really appreciate someone taking the time to tell me how to improve. Yes, I agree that it's very stiff sounding. I don't know of any humanizing tools though. Are you sure they're in GB? And yes, I penciled in all the notes. *Sigh* One of these days my instrument-playing skills will skyrocket... or do you have to practice? Maybe it would sound good with a drum track. I was kind of holding off on that. I'll try. Again, thanks. I love your music!
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
Feter said 636 days ago (February 28th, 2008)
Squandered Sunlight
nice pop theme my friend ..welldone !
stephendavis said 636 days ago (February 28th, 2008)
thanks!
Thanks for the comment! Do mean you think the genre would be pop? (Like I said, I have no idea...)
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
rsorensen said 635 days ago (February 29th, 2008)
hey
a great first post with some wonderful ideas and performances. Especially like the basslines. well done!
Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up
stephendavis said 632 days ago (March 3rd, 2008)
thanks
appreciate the compliment. hopefully i can do some more work on it soon.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
Pete_NB said 635 days ago (February 29th, 2008)
Music
Great start to your Macjams experience! Being new to music may be working for you, you've got lots of ideas coarsing through this. Great melodies!

Welcome to the greatest corner of the interweb!
Check out my latest song called First of Fall - Slide
stephendavis said 632 days ago (March 3rd, 2008)
oh no!
i'm not really gonna run out of ideas am i? just kidding. i really liked your new one. thanks for commenting.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
twolvefan8 said 635 days ago (March 1st, 2008)
instruments and hardware
what instruments did you use to make this?
Check out my latest song called random beat
stephendavis said 634 days ago (March 1st, 2008)
instruments
I didn't use any real instruments, just software. I used the Electic Tremolo and Fingerstyle Electric Bass from the default set in GB, and then the Boldt Andre Grand Piano, the Boldt Accordion 1, and the Boldt Roland Bassoon from the Boldt 24-Pack volumes I & II (benboldt.spymac.com/instruments.html).
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
twolvefan8 said 634 days ago (March 1st, 2008)
cool!!!
thanks dude!!!
Check out my latest song called random beat
Godchaser said 633 days ago (March 3rd, 2008)
Feedback!
I love the title of your piece.This is a fine firsty.The overall mix is good,as is your use of various instruments and your sense of song structure.Just needs some refinement to make it less robotic feeling and predictable and that will all come in time.Technology for musical creation is practically limitless...have at it!

Blessings,
Check out my latest song called As i Walk
stephendavis said 632 days ago (March 3rd, 2008)
right back at ya!
thanks for stopping by! yeah i feel a bit limited right now with just GarageBand and not really any instrument playing skills, but i am only 18. i guess i've got enough time to collect some. thanks for your post!
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
said 632 days ago (March 3rd, 2008)
Great
Good chords... I like hearing the piano plays... It's so much peaceful.... Good guitar... Great upload... Thanks for sharing...
stephendavis said 632 days ago (March 3rd, 2008)
thanks man!
appreciate the compliments. i really like your voice and piano playing.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
brebell226 said 631 days ago (March 4th, 2008)
wonderful
Hey there, this made me so happy to hear! It's the kind of music i like to listen to in general. The rhythm and chord progression was wonderful. The undertones and overall mood of the song is really mellowed out, but none the less it put me in a great mood, which is a great start. I'd love to hear more :) keep it up... i really hope you find some time for music, you clearly have something here.

-Bre
Check out my latest song called Sleepless Nights
stephendavis said 631 days ago (March 4th, 2008)
thanks a bunch
so... if putting you in a great mood is a great start, what's my goal? jk. thanks for the encouragement. i just recorded part of a new one today that i'll be adding to and tweaking a bit before posting. you know i like your music. keep up the good work.
Check out my latest song called Didn't See
joemitz said 630 days ago (March 5th, 2008)
nice
Yeah, very cool tune, nice groove it gets me in. I can def hear the potential, keep it up! Maybe a little reverb will help blend the piano and guitar tracks in.
dajama said 630 days ago (March 5th, 2008)
Very nice track
There is a great mood to the track, and you arrange it very well. I think there could (and perhaps should) be a drum track, and I think jiguma has some excellent suggestions in his comment about sounding more natural. The key thing is that musicianship can be improved, instruments can be learned, and software can be mastered. Having the initial idea, though, requires some kind of spark, and I would say you most definitely have that spark! Very cool. I hope you find time to continue making music. I look forward to hearing what you come up with. Nicely done. Peace.
Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)
sschedra said 627 days ago (March 8th, 2008)
Bravo!
Great first post. Music begins in the soul, not on an instrument. The ear is of course important, but you show with this piece that your soul and your ear are connected. The musical technique is of course tougher, because like an olympic skater it can only be had the old fashioned way, by practicing and falling a million times before it comes out the way you want. Garage Band can be a virtuoso instrument. For an example of such an artist try davevan. Dave gets amazing professional stuff from GB loops and SW instruments.
The other Stephen
Check out my latest song called Love's Fingers Fall
magnatone said 624 days ago (March 11th, 2008)
Great Tune
Sorry I'm a bit late to the party here - this song is just makin' me feel happy. Thanks!
Check out my latest song called Symphonic Smackdown
Kenta_and_Linda_Rocks_together said 623 days ago (March 12th, 2008)
Like a sun-shining
This song make my happy an uplifting tune.
Very nice done.
Check out my latest song called Beat The Beast (with vox)
said 619 days ago (March 17th, 2008)
Wonderful.


Hi I really enjoyed every thing about this it was very uplifting and you did an excellent job with the 100% percent software instruments. I too 2nd that comment that
ledebutant made further down. This is a very Happycholy tune indeed.
and 100% percent well done. I thouroughly enjoyed the listen and will be
back to hear more very soon. soo refreshing. and also loved the piano and guitar too.
Peace Dee.
Diviner said 569 days ago (May 5th, 2008)
Goodness
This is a good first post. It has a 'They Might Be Giants' sound to it. Its a very good track. Cannot really give any constructive feedback apart from its very good. Really enjoyed.
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Artist Info
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Name: Stephen Davis
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I didn't really know anything about music at all until about 15 when I actually decided to listen something that wasn't quite sanctioned by my parents. Over the past year I've fallen in love with almost every genre (provided the lyrics are good) and ... [see more]

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Genre Info
Ambient music is a loosely defined musical genre that incorporates elements of a number of different styles - including jazz, electronic music, new age, rock and roll, modern classical music, reggae, traditional, world and even noise.

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