Skull On Fire
November 6, 2011 5:18 PM
Give a six-year-old kid some drums, and sooner or later he's going to write a song. This is my son Sam's song, and the first one he asked me to "put...on the internet, so people can hear it!"
He kept trying to explain the song he wanted me to sing, and I told him he'd need to write lyrics if he wanted me to sing the song that was in his head. He ran off, and came back a few minutes later with this song written on a piece of cardboard. He's playing drums, I'm playing uke and singing, he sings a bit near the end. Recorded on audacity on my laptop's internal mic, sitting on the floor a few feet from the drums.
He kept trying to explain the song he wanted me to sing, and I told him he'd need to write lyrics if he wanted me to sing the song that was in his head. He ran off, and came back a few minutes later with this song written on a piece of cardboard. He's playing drums, I'm playing uke and singing, he sings a bit near the end. Recorded on audacity on my laptop's internal mic, sitting on the floor a few feet from the drums.
posted by davejay (2 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
Ya awesome!
You realize that you're imposing your own sense of "proper" rhythm on his composition, don't you? He's clearly following his own internal muse on the drums, in a very confident way, whereas you come in with the uke and the vocals in a traditional 4/4 structure, after he even gave you a "one-two" count-in!
Okay, I'm TOTALLY JOKING. But this song actually made me think that it would be fun to just go with a child's whim, musically, and see where it takes you. Trying not to introduce any chords or structure rhythmically could be pretty cool. Like the musical equivalent of colouring outside the lines.
Great job, I really enjoyed it davejay and Sam. Love the lyrics.
Making music with your kids is something that every parent should do!
Agreed, flapjax; as someone who's done it a lot.
I was just thinking last week that a cool challenge would be "Use Your Kids."
posted by chococat at 4:26 PM on November 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
You realize that you're imposing your own sense of "proper" rhythm on his composition, don't you? He's clearly following his own internal muse on the drums, in a very confident way, whereas you come in with the uke and the vocals in a traditional 4/4 structure, after he even gave you a "one-two" count-in!
Okay, I'm TOTALLY JOKING. But this song actually made me think that it would be fun to just go with a child's whim, musically, and see where it takes you. Trying not to introduce any chords or structure rhythmically could be pretty cool. Like the musical equivalent of colouring outside the lines.
Great job, I really enjoyed it davejay and Sam. Love the lyrics.
Making music with your kids is something that every parent should do!
Agreed, flapjax; as someone who's done it a lot.
I was just thinking last week that a cool challenge would be "Use Your Kids."
posted by chococat at 4:26 PM on November 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
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Love your little guy's bit of backing vocal there toward the end. And how he saved the cymbal for last, since economy of sound is an important and valuable trait in a drummer! Personally, I prefer your boy's drumming to Neal Peart's.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:30 PM on November 6, 2011