Other than saying we're working on something, all the details are a bit secret, but we'll reveal this stuff...soon!
Keep on jammin'.
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Saturday, June 25, 2011
Secret Side Quest
Other than saying we're working on something, all the details are a bit secret, but we'll reveal this stuff...soon!
Keep on jammin'.
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) 
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Streamlining the Production Process with Templates
We've earmarked a few tracks for drums;
We have a couple mono tracks for guitars;
We have one track for bass;
We have a few stereo tracks for synths (if any);
We have kept several available for vocals.
We have also specified basic inputs, buses, and plug-ins for each template track.
We've saved this template as its own file. Whenever we create a new Pro Tools project, all we have to do is import the tracks (which otherwise have no data in them) from the template file to the current project. Almost instantly, we're ready to rock -- just add music.
Hopefully this song-a-week project will be realized sooner than later. Cheers!
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Weekly Updates (Temporarily)
Quickly recording actual songs, as opposed to spur-of-the-moment, single-progression jam sessions, is taking longer than we'd like. So far we're tracking the drums to the songs that have already been written (and they've been written quickly). Once the drums are in, building the track with basslines, guitars, vocals, etc., will be fun. It'll take some time, but it'll be fun!
Once we are a couple of finished songs in, we'll restart Chord du Jour on a daily basis, with new songs posted about every Wednesday (or a rerun Jam Session...whatever).
Please stay tuned!
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Monday, April 25, 2011
Make That a Few More Weeks...
Chord du Jour will probably return in early June (we need more time to work behind the scenes!). In the meanwhile, we'll post periodic updates at the DeRamos Music website. We'll see you all again in June! Cheers!
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Monday, April 18, 2011
Two Week Break
Exciting things are afoot at Chord du Jour! So exciting, that we'll need to take a couple of weeks off to get a good running start at:
1. Recording Sessions! We plan to take our Jam Sessions concept to another level, by quickly producing actual songs!
2. Adding some helpful reference material! We want Chord du Jour to be much more than a random chord/scale/mode/podcast blog. For all our rock 'n roll silliness, we want to educate. Seriously.
In the meanwhile, we'll be updating our recording endeavors at the DeRamos Music website. We'll see you all again on May 2nd! Cheers!
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Friday, April 15, 2011
F Chord (Piano)
F is the root note, A is the major 3rd, and C is the perfect 5th.
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Thursday, April 14, 2011
F Mixolydian (Guitar)
Notes: F G A Bb C D Eb F
F Mixolydian E |----------------------------|----------------------------|-13-15-17| B |----------------------------|-----------------13--15--16-|---------| G |----------------------------|---------14--15-------------|---------| D |-------------------------13-|-15--17---------------------|---------| A |-------------13--15--17-----|----------------------------|---------| E |-13--15--17-----------------|----------------------------|---------|
Compare with Bb major: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Compare with F major: F G A Bb C D E F
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Jam Session Rewind: 212o -- The Closing Track
This week's rewind, Jam Session 212o (6:13; see original show notes) closes out our 12-week run of...well, reruns. I personally like the spacey groove of this jam session. Take a listen:
So next week, I hope we'll have something new...and different! Fingers crossed...
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Tuesday, April 12, 2011
F Minor Pentatonic ("F Aeolian" Position, Guitar)
Notes: F Ab Bb C Eb F (Compare with the F minor scale/Aeolian mode: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F)
Fm E |---------------------|--------------------|-1--4--6--8--11--13---| B |---------------------|----------1--4------|----------------------| G |---------------------|----1--3------------|----------------------| D |-------------1-------|-3------------------|----------------------| A |-------1--3----------|--------------------|----------------------| E |-1--4----------------|--------------------|----------------------|
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Monday, April 11, 2011
F Dorian (Guitar)
Notes: F G Ab Bb C D Eb F
F Dorian E |----------------------------|----------------------------|-13-15-| B |----------------------------|-----------------13--15--16-|-------| G |----------------------------|-----12--13--15-------------|-------| D |---------------------12--13-|-15-------------------------|-------| A |-------------13--15---------|----------------------------|-------| E |-13--15--16-----------------|----------------------------|-------|
Compare with Eb major: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
Compare with C minor: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
Compare with F minor: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Friday, April 8, 2011
Bb Chord (Piano)
Bb is the root note, D is the major 3rd, and F is the perfect 5th.
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Thursday, April 7, 2011
Bb Ionian (Guitar)
This is the Bb major scale: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Bb Ionian E |-----------------------|-----------------------|-6--8--10--------| B |-----------------------|--------------6--8--10-|-----------------| G |-----------------------|--------7--8-----------|-----------------| D |---------------------7-|-8--10-----------------|-----------------| A |-----------6--8--10----|-----------------------|-----------------| E |-6--8--10--------------|-----------------------|-----------------|
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Jam Session Rewind: 111l -- The Noisy Jam
This week's rewind, Jam Session 111l (15:16; see original show notes), was a fun, disgustingly long, super-noisy bit of rock 'n roll. We had an unmanned guitar on a guitar stand, plugged in to an amp. My brother Jon played a guitar but also controlled foot pedals for the effects attached to his guitar and the unmanned guitar. I played the bass at times, and at other times I smacked the unmanned guitar to play a chord or two. There are no overdubs; all instruments were recorded at the same time. The drum beat was a bit reminiscent to Nine Inch Nails' "March of the Pigs" (but slower). Anyhow, take a listen:
We've challenged ourselves to, instead of creating Jam Sessions, create Recording Sessions next time around (in a couple of weeks). In other words, in place of quickly-created chord progressions and improvisations, we're going to take a bit more time and make some quickly-recorded -- yet full-realized -- songs. It will be quite the challenge for your Jon and Ryan, your Chord du Jour hosts! Can we do it?
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Tuesday, April 5, 2011
F Minor Pentatonic ("Bb Dorian" Position, Guitar)
Notes, starting with Bb (even though the it's really in F minor): Bb C Eb F Ab Bb C Eb F
Bbm E |------------------|--------------------|-6--8--11--13-----------| B |------------------|----------6--9------|------------------------| G |------------------|----5--8------------|------------------------| D |-------------6----|-8------------------|------------------------| A |-------6--8-------|--------------------|------------------------| E |-6--8-------------|--------------------|------------------------|
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Monday, April 4, 2011
Bb Mixolydian (Guitar)
Notes: Bb C D Eb F G Ab Bb
Bb Mixolydian E |---------------------|---------------------|-6--8--10------------| B |---------------------|-------------6--8--9-|---------------------| G |---------------------|----5--7--8----------|---------------------| D |----------------5--6-|-8-------------------|---------------------| A |-------5--6--8-------|---------------------|---------------------| E |-6--8----------------|---------------------|---------------------|
Compare with the Eb major scale: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Friday, April 1, 2011
Eb Chord (Piano)
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Thursday, March 31, 2011
Eb Lydian (Guitar)
Notes: Eb F G A Bb C D Eb
Compare with the Bb major scale (Ionian): Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Eb Lydian E |---------------------------|------------------------10|-11--13---| B |---------------------------|-------------10--11--13---|----------| G |---------------------------|-----10--12---------------|----------| D |---------------------10--12|-13-----------------------|----------| A |---------10--12--13--------|--------------------------|----------| E |-11--13--------------------|--------------------------|----------|
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Jam Session Rewind: 310p -- The Potential Temp Track Replacement
Today's rewind is Jam Session 310p (6:48; see original show notes). When a production can't get the rights to an actual song, they often hire other musicians to create a mimicking, sound-alike, but not-infringing, replacement track. A more polished recording of Jam Session 310 can potentially be a temp track replacement for several popular songs. (By the way, DeRamos Music runs a temp track replacement service.)
We are so close to new Jam Sessions (and more)!
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Tuesday, March 29, 2011
F Minor Pentatonic ("Eb Mixolydian" Position, Guitar)
Notes: Eb F Ab Bb C Eb
Eb E |-----------------------|------------------------|-11--13---------| B |-----------------------|-------------11--13-----|----------------| G |-----------------------|-----10--13-------------|----------------| D |-----------------10----|-13---------------------|----------------| A |---------11--13--------|------------------------|----------------| E |-11--13----------------|------------------------|----------------|
Compare with F minor pentatonic: F Ab Bb C Eb F
Compare with Eb Mixolydian: Eb F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
Compare with Eb major: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Monday, March 28, 2011
Eb Ionian (Guitar)
This is just the Eb major scale: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
Db Ionian E |---------------------------|------------------------10|-11--13--15| B |---------------------------|-----------------11--13---|-----------| G |---------------------------|-----10--12--13-----------|-----------| D |---------------------10--12|-13-----------------------|-----------| A |---------10--11--13--------|--------------------------|-----------| E |-11--13--------------------|--------------------------|-----------|
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Friday, March 25, 2011
Ab Chord (Piano)
Ab is the root note, C is the major 3rd, and Eb is the perfect 5th.
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Thursday, March 24, 2011
G# Locrian (Guitar)
Notes: G# A B C# D E F# G#
G# Locrian E |---------------------|---------------------|-4--5--7------------| B |---------------------|----------------5--7-|--------------------| G |---------------------|-------4--6--7-------|--------------------| D |-------------------4-|-6--7----------------|--------------------| A |----------4--5--7----|---------------------|--------------------| E |-4--5--7-------------|---------------------|--------------------|
Compare with the A major scale: A B C# D E F# G# A
Compare with the G#dim chord: G# B D
Compare with the E7 chord: E G# B D
Subscribe (Blog + Podcast) Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Jam Session Rewind: 109i -- 12-Bar Blues in Ab
Today's Rewind is Jam Session 109i (6:29; see original show notes), which has a 12-bar blues structure, which is essentially a full song in and of itself: Just add lyrics (and some sort of a melody).
In any case, we'll have some new Jam Sessions soon!
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