Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2025 9:12 pm
by Lunkhead
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2025 10:49 pm
by glennny
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2025 11:22 am
by BoffoYux
I have a meeting this Monday so it'll be a later start for the Listening Party. I'll update in the YT chat if I'll be past 10pm, but hoping not.
On the plus side, I won't have another meeting on Mondays until the finals!
Challenge: Must include use of 5/8 meter for at least one significant part of the song
That's me out. I have no idea what 5/8 meter is nor how to achieve it - and don't really have time this weekend to bother trying to learn.
Also not keen on the obscure regional dialect vocabulary in the title.
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you change your mind and throw something together, although I realize at this point you've only got <12 hrs and it's the night/early morning for you, and that "meter" might be too much music theory to get a handle on in a couple hours.
I at least had no idea that "sidewalk" is "North American English", and that in the UK and South Africa folks apparently say "pavement" and in AU/NZ/Ireland/India folks apparently say "footpaths"?
Even if we had known about that, it would have been unwieldy to say "concrete path along the road" in the title. Just speaking for myself, I would be totally fine with it if folks interpreted the word "sidewalk" and used the equivalent word in their English dialect, or even in another language if we were provided a translation that showed they were singing about the equivalent thing.
Also, I know it's too late for this to possibly help, but, "meter" aka "time signature" refers roughly (I am not a music teacher, take with a grain of salt) to how to count and notate the beats and subdivisions of the beat in each measure/bar. The Western "default" meter is "4/4" meter. The 4 before the slash indicates that you count 4 beats per measure, and the 4 after the slash indicates that in notation you'd represent each of those beats using a "quarter note". If you wanted to count beats out loud in 4/4 you would say "1 2 3 4", and you could count "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and" to count beats divided into "eighth notes" in 4/4. "5/8" means you count 5 beats per measure and in notation you'd represent each of those beats using an "eighth note". You could count that out loud with "1 and 2 and 3". Thinking about it now, I am now unsure how well GarageBand supports using anything other than 4/4. IIRC glennny used GarageBand for many years and made it work somehow though?
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
That's me out. I have no idea what 5/8 meter is nor how to achieve it - and don't really have time this weekend to bother trying to learn.
Also not keen on the obscure regional dialect vocabulary in the title.
I didn't even know this was a north americanism, but I would have preferred "pavement", too.
Well - "pavement' wasn't my preference either. But this comes from a more technical jargon bias. As a Civil Engineer - a "pavement" is the hard wearing course on the top of a road structure that vehicles drive on that is designed for servicability and protection of the subgrade.
The path on which people walk with their feet. Is a footpath. Obviously.
I am now realising a terrible missed opportunity. My first professional job was 2 years operating a Falling Weight Deflectometer in Bankstown Municipality measuring the rigidity of flexible pavements of the road network. I don't think anyone has ever written a jaunty 5/8 work-song about pavement design using non-destructive testing methods!
And now I think nobody ever will.
Perhaps that is a good thing.
But - suffice to say - the nomenclature was only a mild annoyance I could have easily navigated. The real issue was:
Thinking about it now, I am now unsure how well GarageBand supports using anything other than 4/4. IIRC glennny used GarageBand for many years and made it work somehow though?
I am actually using Logic now (well - trying to - I think you Sam have mentioned my crappy vocals - I agree - it is giving me too much stuff to play with..but thats another story).
But -no - Logic had nothing to guide me. And that just made it all to hard. Perhaps I could have goolgled 5/8 loops. And one day I might. I did a little bit of research and it suggested that 5/8 sounded a bit African - and I am obsessed with Remain in Light? - is there a connection maybe?
Anyway -I was too busy to research - I had to go to Brisbane this weekend for my daughters 21st birthday - which is amusing because I discovered Songfight the week my daughter was born 21 years ago and I went to the internet to find musical outlets now I was a parent and couldnt go to the pub anymore.
Anyway - 21 years later - I am still pretending to be a musician and I still don't know what 5/8 is.
...and I have been busy this weekend doing work to promote Communism in South East Asia. Which is also a completely different story that I will expand on when I explain in a different thread why I can't come to Seattle this year for Songfight Live (sad face emoji)
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
I am now unsure how well GarageBand supports using anything other than 4/4. IIRC glennny used GarageBand for many years and made it work somehow though?
...and funnily enough - Garageband/Logic doesn't even seem to do 3/4! (OK - I know what 4/4 and 3/4 are)
Last week for Flower Moon - I was thinking of Nick Cave's "Where the Wild Roses Grow" as a model - and started playing guitar in 3/4. But I couldn't find a beat to play along to. In the end I found a midi piano loop and used that (to all the reviewews who asks if I was playing piano - yes, I cut and pasted that loop myself)
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
If you're relying heavily on stock loops though you probably won't find any that are in 5/8 I guess, so you'd have had to play all the instrument parts yourself I guess.
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2025 12:25 pm
by Siebass
I'm shocked no one has gotten into the debate about the difference between 5/4 and 5/8 time and which notes get accented; I only recently learned the difference, as my theory background is pretty weak. I don't envy the judges this round if that's going to factor in to the judging.
FWIW re: Logic, I'm in the shadows, and I use Logic, I was able to set it to 5/8 time, program a drum loop, and basically work over top of that; but 1) I love time signature challenges; and 2) I appreciated the difficulty of trying to work on pounding away at something unnatural and trying to get it to sound as natural as I could. If I had to start from research and testing of the music theory element, and didn't have much time, I'd probably feel the same way as Caravan Ray. I feel that way whenever there is a musical concept I've never heard of as the basis for a challenge or prompt, TBF.
I bet it's tough to come up with challenges that work for well for everyone, given our varied skills and experience, and appreciate the thought and effort that goes in. I think fitting everyone just right all the time is just too unrealistic of a goal. Just my 2c.
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2025 12:15 am
by furrypedro
I dont think challenges should fit everyone all the time. That's part of what makes Nur Ein tricky to navigate, and I dont think it's supposed to be a walk in the park. Personally, I love a time signature challenge, but I've been on the wrong side of a hard challenge enough times to know it doesn't always go your way. (Not least those damned guest challenges! How many singers do you judges think we know?!)
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
If you're relying heavily on stock loops though you probably won't find any that are in 5/8 I guess, so you'd have had to play all the instrument parts yourself I guess.
Stock loops are great in odd meters! Just drag and drop on the meter you want. I’ve done it many, many times.
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
I bet it's tough to come up with challenges that work for well for everyone, given our varied skills and experience, and appreciate the thought and effort that goes in. I think fitting everyone just right all the time is just too unrealistic of a goal. Just my 2c.
Not that I was driving any of the proposed challenges…because of “stuff” happening… challenges are NOT meant to “work” for anyone. They are meant to challenge folks.
Not to mention there are websites/playlists that feature just about every meter you’re curious about. ChatGPT is awfully forthcoming in this respect.
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 8:48 pm
by Pigfarmer Jr
It's highly unlikely I'll have reviews this round and I apologize for that. But I wanted to say, this round was extremely tight in quality. Thank you for the excellent round of songs.
Re: Nur Ein XX Round Four "Cracks In The Sidewalk"
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 12:06 pm
by Mysteria
Totally agree on the level of song quality this round. I typically give each song I rank a score of 1-5 stars (totally ripping off Star Search, I know). This round I had no songs ranked below a 3. Really solid work, everyone!
