Another New Year

"Where do we go now?" - Guns 'N' Roses

2011 was the biggest year that I've ever had and that's largely due to the many of you who read this blog, buy my merchandise, come out to concerts and take lessons/workshops with me. Thank you. It's an honor, a privilege and a real joy. Happy New Year!

So, now what?

As you might've noticed, there was no huge rolling out of intent OR content on January 1st, 2012 from this camp and I'm just now getting around to posting the first blog of the new year. Going back in time to read past posts from the flipping of the calendar pages revealed the typical plans going forward, like here, here and here.

This time around, during the first week of the year, it's all about a little less talk and a lot more action: namely, those projects that have been brewing for awhile and some new ones that suddenly got ushered to the front of the velvet rope line. More than anything, this low-key approach to the beginning of 2012 is all about scoring precious time simply sitting with my instruments and working on the basics. If there's one thing I learned while on The RV Project Tour (besides how much people hate driving behind Winnebagos) it's that, despite all best intentions, not a whole lot gets done on the road. Practicing, writing, creating - it's all there in fits and spurts, enough to keep the plane leveled out and soaring, but most of my downtime in the spring, summer and fall last year was spent doing a whole lot of nothing. No thing.

That's not exactly true. There was visiting with folks in RV parks, campgrounds and festival parking lots. Many hours spent relaxing under the green canopy and red/orange sandstone and granite cliffs of our nation's state sanctuaries. Quite a lot of time madly pedaling my mountain bike on actual mountains. Soaking in the beauty of the United States of America and resting up before the next event. And sure - some recordings were made and some light administrative business was conducted but, for the most part, I came home in November to not only a huge glut of unfinished business but also to some tough choices that I had to make regarding activities in other areas of my career. Something like a total of two hours of video was shot on tour and that was by design. I wanted to live life as it happened. Not later while editing together Dulcimerica episodes. I had to pick and choose my battles last year in order to get through without imploding.

As the economy continues to take its nose dive, there has been a lot of evaluating going on here - looking at ways to work smarter and faster. Knowing when to step in and when to step out - sort of like a cosmic Hokey-Pokey because, you know, that is what it's really all about.

That's why no books were published and only a handful of videos were produced in 2011. I had to make some choices in order to move forward. Upon returning home from tour to find a deficit of registrations for the Key West Dulcimer Fest, there was a decision to make there too; not a popular decision in the least.

And after enjoying the holidays with Mrs. Futch, puttering around the house, getting caught up, re-oriented and blowing out my vice-ridden ya-ya's, I'm emerging, blinking, into the sunlight of a new year with some better plans. I'll let you in on a few of them before I get back to it.

Music

I've been producing "Dive!" now for almost four years and it's going to drop this year; period. If the Mayans are correct, then I've got 12 months before we're all turned to sheet rock or something. I will be a happier piece of sheet rock having birthed this bad boy, so it's priority number one.

Though "Storm's Sigh" and "Live At Old Songs!" have been available since the end of last year, the official release dates of both projects will be accomplished this month. (Mainly for digital distribution to pipelines such as iTunes, Spotify, Napster and more.)

As for Mohave, the trio (along with Roger Zimish and Tom Sharp) has been dead in the water since drummer Gil Oliver left town for the northeast. I've been busy on the road and with solo performances even as the guys have wondered aloud when we would get together next. Really, the next time needs to be magic in order for us all to pour the time and energy into it. It would take the right drummer and the right environment to make it work. That time may come this year and it mayn't. I know better than to make promises where there's more personality than just me involved, so stay tuned on that one.

I don't have as many festivals booked this year, but am still going to quite a few places for the first time including the Colorado Dulcimer Festival next month, Palestine Old Time Music and Dulcimer Festival in March, Augusta Spring Music Week in April and in May, the NGFDA Spring Thing and the Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival. Of course, I'll be back at Folkcraft headquarters for the Indiana Dulcimer Festival in July (with a return trip to teach ukulele in August at a brand new fest - stay tuned for details.) I haven't even begun to plan the in-between concerts and workshops but the idea is already to travel less across the country and more right here in my (now) home state of Florida.

Books

From no books in 2011 to at least three to be published this year, I'm right now working on some method books. Two of them concerning diatonic mountain dulcimer and one in support of the chromatic dulcimer. Before I get a load of ball-busting e-mails, yes - the oft-mentioned diatonic blues book will finally land. There may be more, but I kind of doubt it. I haven't knocked out more than four books in a year since 2010, I think, and I had a lot more time on my hands then.

Video

I officially got out of the video production biz (for hire) some time ago and realized last year that the state of the art was beginning to change without me. You know how it is with technology, right? First you need to upgrade the software. Then you've got to upgrade the hardware. Then you have to search for patches for the software because someone went "oops" at the hardware design phase. When it comes to media tech, especially video, which accounts for so much of our entertainment medium these days, it can be a full-time job just keeping the equipment happy and in working order so you can do what you do. The shift has slowly been tilting towards getting rid of tape altogether in favor of a fully digital format and I am very excited to embrace that. Once you shoot - you just move it onto the hard drive and you're in like Kevin Flynn. No more real time encoding and logging. It was largely the sheer amount of time that it took to produce individual episodes of Dulcimerica that kept me from doing more last year; just prohibitive in terms of actual hours in pre and post-production, especially during 19,000 miles on the road with only occasional whiffs of wi-fi. With a staff, I could make that work no problem. As the only elf in the shop, well - there I am picking and choosing battles again.

Sometime this month, I'll be taking delivery on a fully digital means of recording HD video. It's an experiment and I hope it works, greatly reducing the amount of production time so that I can shoot, cut and post as quickly as possible. In the immortal words of Dr. Walter Gibbs (Barnard Hughes) from "Tron", "Won't that be grand?" He said something else, eerily predicting the future, right after that but I'll leave it to you to find that chestnut.

So, new Dulcimerica. Soon.

Back To It

Many of you came up to me last year while on the road, or e-mailed, saying that I sounded a little off my game in this post from April of 2011 and you couldn't have been kinder or more on the money. Everyone has their breaking point and something, many things, had brought me to the brink of it back then. Thankfully, the cri de coeur was a brief one, partially soothed by the outpouring of love that was The RV Project. Then, as now, I plan to be less visible (as opposed to Les Visible, for there can be only one) so I can get to work on all of this cool stuff that's brewing. My headspace is 180° from almost a year ago. If indeed this is the last year of civilization, then I'm going to continue living the dream, making the music and loving the life. Honestly, I think we're about to enter another age of enlightenment and this is no time to be cowering under hollowed-out spaces for fear of what "might get us." If there ever was a time to be alive, alert, awake and thrilled for each second we are blessed to live - this is it.

It.

And on that note. Thanks for reading. I appreciate you and hope that you are receiving something of value from me. If not: be kind enough to tell me so and I'll do my best to deliver.

Wishing you peace, joy and, most of all, love, in this new year. Let's all win together!

Sho na bish,

Bing

New Year's Night

Every New Year's Eve, it's just about the same thing. I have to work on something and not just be content to sit back and let the year roll in. Why? Might be lots of reasons.

Still, keeping with a basic spirit of "sharing is caring", I posted a new track tonight called "New Year's Night" which probably won't stay as it is, but has risen out of two days that required me to embrace the new recording set-up.

The track isn't done, by any means - just my first emotional rendering for the new year. Equal parts texture and tension, it speaks of the ease of rolling in loosely-defined meadows before buckling down and allowing the inner monologue to kick in. What do you think?

"Dulcimerica: Volume 2" - NOW AVAILABLE!

Now available! You can preview all the tracks and download two full tracks as well.

The first 30 copies are signed and numbered - plus no shipping! I'll have some this week at McWell's for the December 8th edition of The Pub Thang.

The Dive Chronicles - "Speechless"

As production has once again resumed on "Dive!", I'll be posting some of the process here so you can get an idea of how this stuff comes together.

Above is a perfect example of how it starts - or not. Basically, this latest tune evolved out of playing a riff on the chromatic mountain dulcimer and then seeing what would happen with it after awhile - what kind of inspiration would come out of the notes. After laying down a basic drum pattern and some bass - it became clear that this would be a rocker of some sort. Seeking a comfortable spot for my voice to begin creating melody, I laid out some basic changes using piano, which would then get transferred to the chromatic dulcimer. I'm more familiar with piano voicings and part of my learning curve with the chromatic dulcimer is to take those voicings and then make them work with three strings. Or not.

Well, as it stood - I miscalculated the key for this tune - pegging it at F when I later found it to be much more easily sung in Bb. Notice in the scrawlings at the top of the page that I've been careful to write out the chord progressions using scale degrees such as I - IV - iii, etc. That way, if I decided to change keys again I could more quickly transpose the chords and, in some cases, the melody (which, in fact, happened.)

The tune, called "Speechless", takes some unusual twists and turns, but I wanted to use chord leading to make it feel more natural. Chord leading refers to the fact that some chords naturally lead to other chords.

For example, I'm beginning the tune in an odd way:

V - V - II - V
Fsus - F - C - F

Instead of starting on the I - which would be Bb - I've begun with a chord based on the V - which happens to be the 5th of the root chord. (Bb - D - F are the ingredients of a Bb major chord.)

Getting into the tune gets a bit more conventional. These scale degrees are based on the Bb major scale, which is: Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G - A. Remember that the chords and scales built off of the 1st, 4th and 5th notes tend to be major while the 2nd, 3rd and 6th tend to be minor with the 7th being diminished.

I - V - II- V
BbMaj7 - FMaj7 - C - FMaj7

The above is pretty much the verse progression. I've kept the scale degrees simple, even though I've chosen to use extensions on the I and V chords. Why not the II chord? Sounded too complicated. The progression moves three times this way, and the final way replaces the last V chord with a minor third or Dm. To my ears, with so much in a major key - the minor chord signals that something big and dramatic is coming in the chorus.

I - iii-II - I
Bb - Dm - C - Bb

There you have the chords of the chorus. It repeats twice before heading back into the verse. Pretty simple, eh? Except for the second time through when and additional Bbm6 chord serves as a very dramatic transition to the bridge.

Let me tell you, I had a devil of a time trying to figure out where the bridge was going to go after that crazy bit of color - and, after trying a number of things - this is what I ended up with:

iii-VI -II - VII -VII-iii -IV - vi - VII - VII
Dm - G - C - Asus - A - Dm - E - Gm - Asus - A

Here, I've completely leapt outside of the box and gone with changes that are very classical in a nature. Take notice of the Major VI - a recurring Major II and a Major VII. I've also included a minor VI as well - to really create a bit of urgency and darkness.

After this - the tune goes to the chorus progressions for a solo run and then one more pass through the chorus before ending. At just over three minutes long, it's probably one of my shortest tunes, yet it packs a powerful punch. Once I get a bit more polish on the tracks, I'll post it as an exclusive streaming track for members of my mailing list (so you still have time to sign up if you haven't done so already! You can use the form at the top left of this page.) In the meantime, here are the lyrics:

Speechless
Music and Lyrics by Bing Futch
© Copyright 2010 J.O.B. Entertainment Inc.

The door's closed, the light's out
and we got nothing to talk about
on my side of a one way street
don't know why I feel so incomplete

so much pain in your eyes
and it's my fault, one too many lies
in the darkness with a flashlight
searching for the words to make it right

CHORUS

oh - mercy me
can you see this? (see this)
oh - can't you see
that I'm speechless (speechless)

remember when we used to
talk for hours, I felt so close to you
but emotions met with violence,
damned the flow, now there's nothing but silence

and the time comes, and the time goes
still I'm comin' up with nothing but zeroes
forgive me or please try
let words, like rain, fall from the sky

CHORUS

oh - mercy me
can you see this? (see this)
oh - can't you see
that I'm speechless (speechless)

there's no way to begin
we can't go back again
the signs say that we're through
because of what I've done
I've ripped out my own tongue
how am I supposed to talk to you?

CHORUS

oh - mercy me
can you see this? (see this)
oh - can't you see
that I'm speechless (speechless)


That's it for this week - I've got quite a few new tracks for "Dulcimerica: Volume 2" recorded this week and will be working quickly to have that one mastered before the end of December. "Dive!", however, will continue to flow as I write new tunes and work with the ones already in production. I hope this process serves to shine a light on how songs go from idea to recording and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to post them to the threads here.

Until next time -

Well, Oh Well, Oh 'Wellyn'

Click to hear "Wellyn"

Okay, so this started off as a "testing one-two-three" and turned out to be a not-bad knock-out of "Wellyn" by Robert Force.

What makes this track remarkable is that both dulcimer parts were recorded, E.Q.ed and mixed on my iPhone.



As many of you know, I've been an iPhone owner for about three weeks or so after a long courtship with the Blackberry Curve 8310. Jae and I both upgraded at the same time (we're with AT&T) but figured we couldn't both afford to get the pricey Apple gadget, so I took the bullet and initially figured that the split would be fine. It didn't take long to begin silently envying and likewise coveting her iPhone.

Now that I've got one, it's quite clear why. It rocks. In ways the Blackberry could only dream about.

Take, for example, this app called Four Track.



This is pretty sick stuff. You've got a basic four-track recorder which uses the iPhone's built-in microphone. You'll need a set of headphones, with or without the microphone. You lay down track one, then track two while track one plays back. You add some percussion and bounce it over to track four and then begin filling up tracks one through three with other instruments and even some vocals. Just like the real thing only you're doing it on your iPhone.




Once you've recorded your tracks, you can do a number of things, from post-recording equalization to mixing down or copying to a clipboard for use in other applications. Then, when you're ready to do something more with it - you can sync via Wi-Fi to any nearby computer with a browser, download the mix or all of your single tracks in .wav format to use in your digital audio workstation (DAW.)

People are creating entire albums with this app - and, as you can hear - the sound quality has an unmistakable "you are there" sense about it. Just incredible. It's not a .99 cent app by any means, but considering what you're getting in this sleek-yet-powerful package, eight additional bucks is a small price to pay.

Jot down musical ideas, create arrangements, lay the groundwork for your first or next album. Sure, there are a few things wanting (like lack of a metronome or quantize feature), but apparently those are fixes that have probably already been worked into the next version. I've got some pretty cool apps in the past three weeks, but I'm gonna have to say that this one is just the coolest of them all.

Out with the bad, in with the good --

M-AUDIO - ProFire 610 - High-Definition 6-in/10-out FireWire Audio Interface with Octane Preamp Technology

Designed by the company that revolutionized mobile music production, the ProFire™ 610 FireWire audio interface transforms your Mac or PC into a powerful 6-in/10-out recording studio. Premium digital converters deliver high-definition, 24-bit/192kHz audio throughout the signal path.

While attempting to record two tracks simultaneously in studio today, I was once again dismayed by the apparently malfunctioning second channel on my two channel Firebox. The 48v phantom power switch has also lost its ability to be activated and the unit has a dicey relationship with Garageband in that it sometimes shuts off or introduces audio crackle when I switch between tracks and/or features in the DAW. In other words, it's a poor excuse for an audio interface and I'm ready for something reliable.

After a bit of research, I've decided upon the M-Audio ProFire 610. It apparently has pretty nifty pre-amps, though they aren't tube so I stand behind my recent purchase of the ART Tube Pac. After checking out comparably priced interfaces, it seemed that what the Firebox had that many units do not is a 1 X 1 MIDI port - something that I need in order to utilize my Roland Fantom and virtual instruments in Garageband. Narrowed the choices quite a bit. On top of that, the ProFire 610 has two separate headphone jacks, each with their own volume control. It amazes me that many higher-priced interfaces don't even go this route. It comes in handy when recording tracks simultaneously with another warm body in the room.



Interestingly enough, another unit that I'd balk at if paying retail, is cheaper than what I'd be willing to pay for the M-Audio unit. The Saffire Pro 40 seems to be chock full of goodness with many of the same features as the ProFire 610. Ah - decisions, decisions.

I won't really be able to sell a somewhat defective Firebox - so I'll probably pass it on to my daughter, Casey, when I get her started with a DAW set-up of her own. It won't be perfect, but it will be enough for her to build upon.

Regarding the Rode NT1a (has anyone else noticed that the model name actually spells "rodent"??), I may hold off on that for a spell, as the combination pre-amp and new interface should be enough to give all the mics a boost (apparently, the Firebox has a notoriously low db gain.)

Besides, there are other gear fish to fry. (to be continued.)

Tools, Baby, Tools!

It goes without saying that home studio recording and project recording are not the same as going to a full-fledged professional studio. It's worth the money to have an experienced hand at the faders and a facility with the equipment necessary to make you sound your best.

That said, there's something attractive about the D.I.Y. ethic, which can fan out over many levels - from novice buying their first multi-track recorder to careerist, making decisions on the best DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for the buck. Recording yourself and others at home offers plenty of benefits including the ability to track whenever you desire and without keeping a wary eye on the wallet clock. Another benefit is the gradual education you receive by slowly immersing yourself into the infinite world of gear, gear and more gear.

Over the years, having a home studio rig has become more affordable with plenty of resources out there to lend you a helping hand. Believe it or not, what's also made home recording so attractive is the fact that millions of people tend to listen to their music via mp3 files. This compressed audio format tends to level the playing field just a little bit in terms of fidelity. A very little bit.

During my own engineering journey, I find there are purchases made that greatly plus my ability to create and record good-sounding music tracks. Cruising on that for awhile, I continue to add onto the knowledge of recorders and mics, processors and amps, hardware and software. In recent months, I've purchased a couple of microphones (Shure SM57 and SM58 Beta) which have already improved the quality of what I record here at home. The next logical step was to get into an inexpensive microphone pre-amp to help warm up the tone that those microphones (and others in my collection) pick-up.

After getting a lead from David Lee King (@DavidLeeKing on Twitter), I ended up setting my sights on the ART Tube Pac. (A play on Tupac, perhaps - who knows?) I've long preferred the sound of tubes over solid state for amplifiers, so it made a lot of sense to employ their warmth to vocals and instruments during the recording process. As you get deeply into the whole production process, a rather largish world of details begins to unfold. Like the difference between dynamic and condenser mics or the wonderful world of manipulating frequencies during the E.Q. and mastering process, the deeper you go, the more there is to absorb. Compression plays a big part in all three phases of production (which, for you non-tech heads out there is pre-production, production and post-production) and it seemed handy to have a mic pre that would also allow for some signal compression.

So, I'm waiting on delivery of this unit sometime this week. Next on the list will be to upgrade from the PreSonus Firebox recording interface to something a little less glitchy with more inputs and sonic controls. Then: I'll be stepping up and looking for a good deal on a Rode NT1a.

As David put it, "amazing how there's ALWAYS more gear out there, huh?" It's true. Especially if you continue to develop, nourish and perfect your craft, whether it be playing an instrument or recording one. You need the proper tools to do the proper job.

Hands-On Training

You may not be familiar with Mike Casey, the performer - he's a wizard on mountain dulcimer, limber like a gymnast on the fretboard. His book "Hands-On Dulcimer" is like spring-training for serious players.

Chock full of exercises for the left and right hands, this book is something I use to warm up before launching into playing or working out tablature or studying music theory. It consists of a number of targeted modules that help to develop and firm up strumming, flat and finger-picking, melody and chordal development as well as strengthening finger and hand muscles to do the work.

Great for all skill levels, it's either a great introduction to techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides or it's a rigorous work-out for those familiar with those ornaments. It's probably a good thing to face; you don't just learn all of this stuff and then automatically "have it" for the rest of your life. Nay - even seasoned professionals need to crack away at scales, chords, various rhythms, picking patterns and studies in order to, as I call it, "stay on the horse." The moment you stop learning is the moment that your music starts to go south (and I don't mean Key West, either.)

I highly recommend this book to not only my students, but also anyone who is serious about stepping up their game on mountain dulcimer!

Amazon coupons are available for this book.

New Gear + Track

So, in my last post, I was talking about how much difference your gear can make. When it comes to audio recording (not to mention video), this is especially important. I'm guilty of not paying enough attention to these things, but lately have been trying to shore up my studio equipment and the results are pretty amazing.

I recently picked up a Shure SM-57, the standard workhorse microphone that is great for both instrument mic'ing and also vocals. Though I got it primarily to record the mountain dulcimer, part of the test drive involved recording vocals on the excellent Mark Knopfler/James Taylor tune "Sailing To Philadelphia." My studio isn't sound-proofed, so we're at the mercy of the neighborhood noise here, from the nearby fire station to the boom cars and passing airplanes, so using a condenser microphone (my Audio-Technica ATM33a) was picking up a lot of this background wash. The SM-57 has a uniform cardioid pickup configuration that isolates the main sound source and eliminates background noise. Usually, I turn the ceiling fan off before I record, but decided to leave it on - also, there was a guy weed-wacking across the street and neither element showed up on the track. Sweet.

Don't know if I posted about this other recent acquisition, but it's worth mentioning again if so: used in combination with the SM-57 was the L.R. Baggs Para-Acoustic D.I. Though I acquired it for the purpose of better controlling the color of the dulcimer tone while on-stage at gigs, as well as a boost for weaker signals, I've been using it in the studio when I plug the dulcimer in directly. On a whim, I sent the vocal signal through and got a warm, full level that allowed me the expression I was seeking without having to overdrive, which is what I've had to do in the past. Makes all the difference in the world! The Baggs direct box has controls for dialing in low, mid, treble, presence, notch filter and both notch and presence have frequency dials that further allow you to dial in (or out) tone. There's also a main gain, FX loop and inputs for both 1/4" and XLR.

So, here's the track - chromatic dulcimer is going through the Baggs as well as being recorded with the SM-57, panned to far left and far right, minimal E.Q. Backing tracks were arranged in Band In A Box and assigned software instruments in Garageband. One track of melody and harmony vocals with an overall "jazz warm" compression setting for the track. Three of the last additions to the studio, working together to make production so much easier! Now, I just need to replace this nutty PreSonus Firebox audio interface that's acting like it hasn't got any sense. Also, on order is a Shure Beta 58a - which is another industry standard workhorse, but mainly for vocals. I've been using a SM-58, which is not a bad mic, but apparently the beta is much better, so it's going to be early Christmas sometime this week.

Bing Futch - "Sailing To Philadelphia"

Dive! - Plow-Through

After getting "Mountain Dulcimer In The Band (Book 4)" published and shipped, and with the pressing deadlines of holiday releases now past, I settled back in to continue work on "Dive!" with a renewed vigor and different approach. Prior to this, I had settled on a basic list of tracks and was pretty close to finished with the selection. However, I'm now just bashing out tunes and will pick the best of the bunch after it seems that these pipes have been cleaned.

"Dive!" has always been planned as a personal record, one that plunges beneath the surface and works some exorcism magic. It's not looking to be a bummer or too serious; everything has been couched in imaginative arrangements and dances with the lyrical content in poetic fashion. There are some heavy themes, plain-spoken and cryptically suggested, that have already been demoed here and there are more to come.

Yesterday's offering came quickly and I'm honestly not sure if it will make the cut, but I'm going to work on making it as good as it can be. The tune, "I'll Be Alright On Payday", is a short and sweet little rocker with a Louisiana Southern rock shuffle beat, distorted dulcimer, rolling bass and one catchy chorus. This one might be more along the lines of something I perform live - but who knows, it may end up on the CD.

Part of this renewed recording push comes thanks to the arrival of Garageband '09, a huge upgrade to my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that contains some brilliant improvements (like region guides, song arranging for regions, guitar stomp boxes and frequency spectrum analyzer) along with a radically redesigned interface. It all works pretty great; except for the fact that my firewire interface, the PreSonus Firebox, has sort of turned out to be a piece of crap. Sound glitches, muted audio and general freakiness that requires me to toggle with settings in the Audio/Midi Set-up application has added hours to my recording time and removed years from my life. Okay, perhaps not that drastic, but I've been muttering lots of colorful evaluations at the screen this week.

There will probably not be a lot of demo recordings here as I plan to move forward at a pretty brisk clip, hoping to get this finalized before the end of the year. As I get into final selection and mixing, I'll post some of the best of the best.

Hope to see some of you at Dicey Reilly's on Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the Halfway To St. Patty's Day event featuring a car show, live music, Irish dancers and the usual great food and drink. Next week, I head to Bennington, Oklahoma for the Winter Creek Reunion Dulcimer Festival.

Have a great weekend, whatever you may do. Me ke aloha and mahalo nui loa!

Groovin' Into The Fall

Well, it's been a whirlwind this past week. Just got back from the Bluegrass Creek Dulcimer Festival in Evansville, Indiana and had a beautiful time in a wonderful setting (which could also be a wonderful time in a beautiful setting.) Had a great time meeting new friends and hanging out with some old ones, including some nice jams with Kendra Ward and Bob Bence. There's plenty of video to sift through and it will be appearing in a little while. If you've noticed, I've staggered the Dulcimerica videos this year so as not to show what just recently happened. It gives me some time to, well, have more things happen, so I don't run out of material. Sure, I could always knock off a couple of workshop videos if someone would invent five more hours in the day. And actually, we're working on making that happen, so stay tuned.

Got back into town in time to wish my lovely Jae a Happy Birthday - we had a house and yard full of family and friends right when I got in from the airport; a nice homecoming.

Then Monday, I had a recording session with the great Kaleo, formerly of the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World. I'd been asked by Scott May, keyboardist from The Ides of March, to produce a track with some Hawaiian flava and knew exactly the cat I needed to get. Kaleo laid down some awesome steel guitar and ukelele and I hope to share the track with you once it is approved and finalized up north. I used Garageband '09, which just shipped to me (I know, halfway through the year, punctual already) and is an amazing program. Kaleo was so impressed that he suggested I record his long-awaited follow-up to "Welcome To My Island" here at the studio. I told him, "brudda, no problem - I just need a few more pieces of gear." LOL!

What else is new? "Mountain Dulcimer In The Band 4: Christmas Edition" ships on Saturday! Those of you who have already pre-ordered will get your signed copy next week. If you haven't ordered yet, there's still time before the first shipment.

Like the other books in the series, this one comes with two CDs: one with dulcimer and backing tracks and one with just backing tracks so you can take center-stage with the band and, in this case, the orchestra and symphony!

Songs included are:

8 Joy To The World*
12 The First Noel
16 St. Day Carol
18 Hark The Herald Angels Sing*
20 Silent Night*
24 Deck The Halls
26 O Tannenbaum
28 Away In A Manger*
30 Jingle Bells
34 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings
38 What Child Is This
40 Go Tell It On The Mountain
42 Up On The House Top
46 We Wish You A Merry Christmas
50 O Holy Night
54 When Christmas Is Over

The numbers indicate pages - as you can see, this is the largest of all the MDITB books, more structured arrangements along with more chances to cut loose and improvise. There are samples of two tracks on my website; "Joy To The World" and "Away In A Manger." You'll get to swing to "Up On The House Top", make like Johnny Cash with "Jingle Bells", leap into the silver screen with "O Holy Night", "Silent Night" and "What Child Is This?" and take the lead in Bonnie Raitt's band with the bluesy "Go Tell It On The Mountain" (a foreshadowing of a future edition of MDITB featuring all blues styles.)

With plenty of time to work on these arrangements over the next several weeks, you and/or your club will be ready to perform during the Christmas season like never before!

The 58-page book and 2 CD set is $24.99 and available at http://www.darkstudios.com/bfstore.html - orders received by Saturday morning will go out First Class that day!

This Weekend At Dicey Reilly's

This Friday and Saturday (September 18th and 19th) are my regular weekend slot at Dicey Reilly's Irish Pub in St. Cloud, Florida. It's always a good time at Dicey's with fantastic food, great service, lots of parking, no cover, kid-friendly atmosphere and awesome brews on tap! I'll be performing both nights from 7 to 11 pm - lots of traditional, modern, original and cover tunes on the mountain dulcimer. If you haven't been - come on out and see what the ever-growing audience is on about! I'll also be at Dicey's on September 26th from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. as part of their Halfway to St. Patty's Day Celebration.

http://odohertypub.com for more info

Busy Fall

It is looking to be quite a busy fall season, beginning with three Dicey's shows this month and then a crazy couple of months after that, including:

October 3rd and 4th - Winter Creek Reunion - Bennington, Oklahoma
October 9th - Cameo Theater - Orlando, Florida
October 10th - Harvest Music Jam - Holopaw, Florida
October 16th-18th - Chautaqua on the Wabash - New Harmony, Indiana
October 23rd-24th - Dicey Reilly's - St. Cloud, Florida

November is going to be even more nuts, if you can believe that. My schedule for the next year or so can be found online at:

http://tinyurl.com/bingcalendar

Key West Dulcimer Fest

Registration slots are still available for the 1st Annual Key West Dulcimer Fest! If you're on the fence about attending, don't wait until the last minute or you'll miss out for sure! Workshop descriptions for some of the offerings are beginning to surface on the website at: http://KeyWestDulcimerFest.com and it gives you just a little idea of what to expect from this wonderful weekend featuring David Beede, Robert Force, GuY George, Tull Glazener, Jeff Hames, Lois Hornbostel, Dan Landrum, Karen Mueller, Aaron O'Rourke, Butch Ross, Gary Sager, Stephen Seifert, Rick Thum, Susan Trump and yours truly! We're just 132 days away from the world's first tropical dulcimer fest!

Hope you are ready for a fantastic weekend of cooler temperatures, no matter what you do. Blessings to you from Orlando, Florida!

Dive: Recording Resumes

After a busy mid-summer season, I'm back behind the board working to complete "Dive!" The latest track is an older tune that's been performed live a handful of times and never been released. Entitled "Nine One One", I've been test-driving it on Blip.Fm to garner some early response; all parts were recorded yesterday.


http://blip.fm/profile/BingFutch/blip/19732030/Bing_Futch-Nine_One_One_Rough_Mix

Today, I'm working on finishing a tune called "Big Fish Little Pond", for which I've had the chorus for a number of years, but have never completed. It happens that way sometimes, I let a tune chase me around, demanding closure, before I feel compelled to follow through.

Mountain Dulcimer In The Band (Book 3) Now Available!

NEW! Bing Futch - "Mountain Dulcimer
In The Band (Book 3)" with 2 CDs (2009)

Book 3 in the "Mountain Dulcimer In The Band" series is now available! Like the other two books, it comes with two CDs of leads and backing tracks so you can play along! Featuring insights into ensemble playing technique, the book also allows solo musicians the freedom to explore new approaches to improvisation while having fun as the lead player in the band. Tunes include "Scarborough Fair", "Sandy Boys", Swallowtail Jig", "Buffalo Gals", "Golden Slippers", "Angeline The Baker", "Whiskey Before Breakfast", "Liza Jane", "Cripple Creek", "Shady Grove" and more!

Click here to order!

Dive! - This one's a keeper

Since this morning, I've been in the studio working the chords and dream-delivered melody into a framework that would say "yes" or "no" to some kind of lyrical structure. What I'm going to share with you now is pretty raw stuff, but I feel good enough about it to do so without reservation. No, I will not reveal what the song means - that would blow the fun, now wouldn't it?

First, a few notes on the creation of this demo:

1) After I had gotten the chord changes situated, I sat down and began improvising melody and phrases over the top. There was a general idea of subject matter and the intent was to be descriptive and vague all at once. A tune that would mean something to me, but could easily be claimed by anyone else emotionally. I took the route of doing a "half-chorus" between the first two verses, with the full chorus adding a second section after the second verse. The second verse introduces an element that really pulled the entire song together and gave it thematic heft.

2) Once the words were written (in the bathroom, no less - sorry, is that TMI?), I went back into the studio and made adjustments to the Band In A Box tracks and played through with dulcimer a few times. Once satisfied, I recorded the stereo backing tracks from my Roland Fantom into Garageband. These will be arranged (assigned different sounds) and mixed later, with additional tracks brought into the soundscape. What you're hearing is the very basic arrangement, including the dulcimer arpeggios and the Divine Melody, I guess I'll call it here. The dulcimer parts will all be re-recorded.

3) Finally, I made a scratch vocal run at all the parts to get an idea of how things would work altogether. Though I did some slight adjusting of volume and E.Q., these are raw first take vocals that are simply a placeholder for the actual performances later. They consist of the main vocal track, verse harmony and four tracks of the positioning refrain from the second verse. Of course, all vocal tracks will be re-recorded.

This is what we call a "first run" at it - and plenty will change between now and the time that the track is finished. (I've already changed one word of the tune - "think" became "speak".) But this sort of thumbnail sketch of the tune will get stored on my iPod and played ad infinitum until I feel that I've got a solid approach for finalizing the tune.

It's very rare that a tune blooms so quickly - it's usually an indication that something went right in the connective process between head, heart and spirit.

Icarus
Music and Lyrics by Bing Futch
Copyright © 2009 J.O.B. Entertainment Inc.

hazy eyes
colors blur and fade
who am I? who are they?

strange signals flashing "walk, don't walk
listen, don't hear
speak, don't talk"

CHORUS

how am I supposed to fly away now?
I can hardly stand without support
no-one ever said I'd get this close to dead on my own

breathe deeply
this is for your good
make the call, Icarus
take the fall, Icarus

screams and bloodshed
that was another life
before the angels, they came and put a stop to the game
what a miracle that you're alive

CHORUS

how am I supposed to fly away now?
I can hardly stand without support
no-one ever said I'd get this close to dead on my own

how am I supposed to face the future
when the past is fading in and out at will?
someone give a damn, tell me who I am today

make the call, Icarus
take the fall, Icarus
make the call, Icarus
take the fall, Icarus

The Art of Moving Sound

Despite one of the band vehicles getting a flat tire on the way up to Eustis last Friday, it was a great night. It'd been a while since we played with Gil Oliver on drums and he's been performing this material almost as long as I have, so he was very much "in the pocket" and gave us a solid foundation upon which to dance (though not too hard, because the stage wobbled like a bowl of jello shots.) Mohave has been really grooving in the jam arena and we had a couple that were pretty wild, including one that connected "Big Alligator" with a massive space-jam with Native American flute, djembe and solos from everybody. Afterwards, people began asking where they could get that on CD. Very interesting.

When I got back home, I checked out some mastering techniques on "Dive!" by one of the MacJams.com members, Andrew Mackle. Over the past couple of years, I've studied the art of E.Q.; equalization of tracks that you've recorded. From there, I've basically slapped it onto a disc and have had pretty good results. Andrew pointed out to me that I was missing a key element in the process, which is the mastering of those very same tracks. He explained it like this:

"Mastering is a necessary step in the production process, and a lot of things that you are trying to fix during mixing should be left for the mastering."

This was literally music to my ears. It took a while to understand the science of mixing and it's still alien landscape, but I've got a pretty decent map (The E.Q. Bible.) However, knowing that there was an entire other step in mastering, I shuddered to think about what that all entailed, other than the obligatory matching of volume across an entire CD release. No sir, there's much more than that!

"When mastering on a stereo 2-track recording the only way to get separation is through time delay between the left and right speakers. This has to be applied to specific frequency bands so all the freqs don't get stereo separated, just the ones that you want. You use a multi-band stereo widener for that. That is what is giving it a "bigger" stereo effect.

I also used mastering reverb over the entire mix to place everything into the same sonic "room", instead of a bunch of tracks playing at once.

I used compression (again multi-band) to focus in on the drums and bottom end (bass) to bring it up in relation to everything else.

I used Harmonic Excitation (again multi-band) to give the entire song more sparkle. This works by dividing the song into four distinct frequency ranges and adding varying degrees of even harmonics up the audio band in different amounts depending on what is contained in each band.

Finally, I used a multi-band dynamic effect, which works close to a multi-band compressor to focus in and get the levels right, including the added harmonics.

These are all commonly available effects, and most are available and sold as 'mastering effects' by companies like Izotope (Ozone 4)."

I thanked him profusely for explaining in simple terms what it was that my efforts were missing and downloaded a trial version of Ozone 4 this morning; ten days to experiment. That should be enough time to re-visit "Dive!" as well as play around with the next track that comes out of this journey, something I'll start today and will post about shortly. Though I'd like to go ahead and purchase Ozone 4, I've already layed down money on another very important utility for moving sound this week, one that I had been sorely lacking for quite some time: a P.A. system.

Sound moves naturally through the air when you're playing an acoustic instrument like a mountain dulcimer - but that's only for those in the immediate vicinity when the music is sent without processing. That's why when you start plugging the instrument in to record it, specific tools are necessary to get the right sound, as contrary as that seems. Likewise, when playing your instrument for 50 to 100 people at a time, amplification of the sound is required - but improper signal processing can make your nice, authentic, acoustic tone turn into an electronic garble that no-one wants to listen to. Anyone who has played through a bad P.A. or listened to an artist through one can attest to this. You just want to run and cover your ears.

I've been fortunate enough to know people who own quality P.A. systems, but it finally became obvious that my own little system was needed for the upcoming spring and summer tour. P.A.s for small use are quite affordable, and I was fixated on getting something that the whole band could use. Heavy lifting comes with a heavy price (and the gear is usually, well, heavy.)

So, off to eBay I went and after talking with Full Sail instructor and friend Jerry Waller, came to the conclusion that the Fender PD-150 would be the right system for the job. It's light (44 pounds), has 150 watts of power and a four-input mixer that includes a CD player, so you can pipe in music in between sets. On-board effects like reverb and delay are independent of each channel and there are two other nifty technologies that will certainly come in handy. One is the VIP (Vocal Input Priority) system which automatically lowers the background music when you speak into the mic. The other is feedback rejection circuitry, so that the speakers can be placed behind you (usually a no-no, as the microphone is pointing at the speakers, which can cause ear-drum shattering feedback) without any squealing or the need for monitors. This is key to hearing what the audience is hearing and allowing you to adjust the sound accordingly.

Suffice it to say that I'm pretty stoked and really looking forward to how this will "plus" the quality of my solo shows. I just booked the first of a series of house concerts for the spring/summer tour (in beautiful South Carolina) and will be posting details soon. In the meantime, recording continues on "Dive!" and a new world of exploration accordingly opens up.

Dive - Day 1 (the next step)

If you haven't listened to the 1:50 snippet of the six-track "Dive", check out the post before this one. There, I had a finished drum track, though not mixed, and every other track was a "scratch track", or placeholder for parts. Doing this helps me to work with the drums and get them exactly where I want them for fills, accents, pushes and other dynamics.

The version above is still a rough mix, but the difference in the tune is night and day; you can hear the finished product beginning to emerge. I re-tracked the dulcimer twice - two separate performances with slightly different amp settings - and panned them slightly to the left and right for a fuller sound. I re-tracked the lead vocals and made a few passes before deciding to keep the first take. I then layered the harmony parts, four in all, and then doubled those tracks like I did the dulcimer - so I sang the same parts on a different track.

I then began the process of mixing, even though I've got a few more elements that I'd like to fit into the song. Mixing is the most laborious part of the process and it's nice to chip away at it slowly, adjusting levels and equalizing frequencies as you go. Then, once everything's in place, the final mix is not too far around the bend.

The harmonies are still too low in the mix, the vocals too "hot", the bass still needs to be tracked by a real bassist. I've got some "opening up" of the drums to do and there's a lack of definition in the repeated "Dive" chorus. That's going to take some fine tuning, 'cause I'm not going to re-record anything besides the bass. One of the things about the process - you capture the moment and the more times you do it, the more the original moment slips away. Sure, I just wrote this tune today, and will be more familiar with its possibilities somewhere down the road. That's when it begins to become a morphing musical organism in the live stage show. Right now, it's raw, honest, in-your-face, and I like it. Hope you do too!

Dive - Day 1 (a sample)

Here's a rough mix of "Dive" at the early stage. What you're hearing are the drums, bass, one track of dulcimer and four tracks of vocals. Everything but the drums is a "scratch track", which means it's just there as a placemarker and will be re-recorded.

I first wanted to get the drums situated with the right amount of push and emotion (they're Garageband Loops, but played by a real person on a real drum set.) Then I laid down the dulcimer track to get an idea of how the two would work together. From that combo came the "feel" for the lyrics and laying down of lead and harmony parts. This may not be the way it all ends up down the road, some parts may change. In fact, the bass is a software instrument in GB triggered by my playing of the Roland Fantom keyboard. To get the right feel, I will probably call in an actual bass player to do the track. You'll hear a little shimmering audio artifact with some of the higher frequencies (like cymbals), which is due to the type of MP3 compression that I used.

This is as raw as it gets and it's just a half-day's work, but it will give you an idea of the first steps towards taking an idea and bringing it around to a full-blown recording.

Dive - Day 1

It's pure coincidence that I've begun recording my next record on the same day that U2 releases its long-awaited "No Line On The Horizon." The plan all along, after the release of "Christmas Each Day" in late 2008, was to write, record and publish two new instructional book/CD combos to take on the road for spring 2009 festival season. "Mountain Dulcimer In The Band" books 1 and 2, along with 4 accompanying CDs, are now available and I feel like that work is done for now. It's been about two years since "Dulcimer Rock", an album that was composed of songs both old and new; relatively safe for the ears of dulcimer festival audiences and edgy enough to have found fans in all other areas of music fandom.

"Kokopelli Rising" was an intensely personal album, albeit one to showcase the Native American flute and mountain dulcimer, so there were parameters in place from the start. With a boiling need to purge some of life's residue and internal conflict somewhat relieved, the path towards making this new record was paved lightly with musical markers tied around trees.

And I've listened to the new U2 album twice through now; there are a couple of standout tunes that caught my ear and my breath like the shiny "Magnificent" and the confessional "Moment Of Surrender." Emotionally, there were peaks that I wanted to match in this new endeavor - a lot has happened since the last time a musical vein was opened in this studio, and that went mostly unheard for production quality reasons (the album was 1998's "Die Caught Ah Me!", which I've rifled, plundered and looted for material ever since.)

There's one song recorded prior to this day that might end up on the album (the world-beat romp "Mia Cafe", written for an Australia art exhibition), but everything else is being composed on the spot in the studio, attempting to capture the emotions and energy of the Now. The aim is to get below the surface of spirit and pare away some of the shadows; a scary thing to do - introspect in retrospect. For many years, I avoided listening to other people's music as I concentrated on developing my own unique style. Once that seemed secure, the soaking up of the many wondrous influences around the world has opened up a universe of tastes and styles, colors and textures. Not only that, but ideas about storytelling and song presentation - framing of ideas and feelings; bringing truth to the surface where it can once again itch and burn.

Likening the entire record to a plunge into dark waters, it's tentatively being titled "Dive."

The title track has been written and I'm now in the process of fleshing it out - what I'll be doing through this blog is shedding some light on the creative process and what it takes to bring an album from idea to reality.

Say It With Style

What came first, the chicken or the egg? The lady or the tiger? The music or the lyrics? In the case of "Dive", I wanted a balls-to-the-wall, three-chord rock assault to couch the lyrics that would introduce the theme for the album. Swore to God I wouldn't write this thing in sequence, but we'll see how that goes.

I ended up grabbing the Greibhaus solidbody and injecting it into a well-distorted amp, eventually crunching out a looping, insistent phrase that modulated between E5 - G5 and A5. I knew I wanted to make that the foundation for both the verse and chorus to keep the thing rockin', so breaks would have to be taken from that for dynamic's sake.

Though the punkiness of the music hearkens back to my Crazed Bunnyz days (that's me on guitar with Marc Plainguet on bass synth circa 1986), the album will bear lots of cross-genre touches, including classical orchestrations that come from my work as a film composer - so though some of the changes would seem standard, the idea here was to also throw in some cinematic elements that could either be recalled later or arranged for maximum effect. The pre-chorus bridge carries this weight, with a modulation between B5 and C5 with a flat 6th chiming back and forth, which really gives it a sort of sinister and dangerous feel. Maintaining tension - I break up the main riff (shared by the bass) with a wide open G chord that never resolves to the A. That comes later.

That's the nuts and bolts of it - it times in around the 3 minute mark and when I've got a demo ready, it'll be posted here. But for now, here are the lyrics to "Dive":

DIVE
music and lyrics by Bing Futch
Copyright © 2009 J.O.B. Entertainment Inc.

floating on my back in the sunshine
gazing at the clear blue sky
thinkin' 'bout the time
before I lost my mind
and how sweet it was to live a lie

ah

the weather here is always amazing
no-one rains on your parade
center of the earth
another virgin birth
Jesus Christ, you really got it made

when the sky turned black and the water chilled
and the hired guns arrive
looking for the killer of the man you killed
hold your breath, it's time to dive

dive

it's murky in the deep blue under
forgotten memories, buried in the sand
wish I had a map
to relocate the crap
that I tossed down here from on the land

when the sky turned black and the water chilled
and the hired guns arrive
looking for the killer of the man you killed
hold your breath, it's time to dive

solo

=====

As you can tell simply from the lyrics - it's much darker than anything on "Dulcimer Rock" and certainly edgier. Much of the later Mohave material floated in this realm, tunes like "Planet Earth" and "All For One" with the difference being they were tunes generally sung in the third person; a safe place to be as a commentator or Greek chorus. When a tune comes out of a confessional place, the risk is huge.

I can't honestly tell you which direction this album is going, other than to say it's going to be "without limits." Though there is a lot of darkness to parse through, there is also much light and I do expect that there will be balance. But you know what they say (and *they* are usually right, I've found):

it's always darkest before the dawn.

Making music and meeting people

George Lottermoser, imagist.com/blog » Blog Archive » Panning for gold in the stream: twitter 4 months later

Last week I created a new web page-site poetographs.com to post work which puts words into a graphic context that, hopefully, enhances meaning. I put the link out on twitter and received a number of retweets (RT). Bing Futch, a beautiful and generous musician, responded and RT’d the link.

I've been on Twitter for about two months now and have made some fantastic connections. One of them is George Lottermoser, and this blog talks about his experiences on Twitter and how we came to meet each other. I love the internet.

Getting started with recording

7 Free Digital Recording Apps for Windows - In the Jungle

Being a musician can be expensive. With musical instruments, equipment and software you normally get what you pay for, and we want to sound good! So we pay, and pay big. But it’s good to know you can get some things for free.

Ain't that the truth?

For those of you on PCs who are looking to begin recording yourselves, this is the place to start. Next, invest in a decent microphone and/or audio interface for your computer. These range from USB interfaces like the M-Audio Transit or FireWire interfaces like the PreSonus Firebox (which is what I use together with Garageband for Mac.) They don't have to be expensive; you just have to get the sound into your computer in order to work with it.

Good mics for not a bunch of money include the old standby Shure SM-57 for instruments and Shure SM-58 for vocals.

Search this blog for the E.Q. Bible and post your questions here. If you've ever wanted to record something, now's the time to do it!