For me specifically, I liked the idea of using limitation to spark innovation, so I decided to use just one chord shape for coming up with sections for the rhythm guitar. I chose the E Major shape as that would be the easiest to use when experimenting with different fingerstyle/picking techniques.

I found this interesting, using the CAGED system to navigate different places I could use the Major chord shape.

I feel like this went well, the song itself came together nicely and working with people who are as motivated as me in regards to development and progress in the practical lesson was a nice change.

In terms of innovation, this was an effective first attempt of incorporating the idea into a live performance and I feel I came up with a good rhythm guitar section to accompany my peers using the limitation.

For future reference I could consider a different approach to the same challenge I set myself, if I had more time to flesh out my ideas I would experiment with more complex chord shapes that still fits with what my friends are playing. This is because although it works it's a little simplistic and I think I could come up with something a little more polished and unique.

More specifically, I want to use one instrument for the production of a song. One idea for my DAW song could be recording my electro-acoustic guitar to emulate other instruments and sections:

• For the main guitar tracks.

• Using an Octaver to create a bass track.

• Hitting different areas of the body to create percussive rhythms.

• Bowing the strings to imitate string sections

• Sampling harmonics or single notes to create pad/synth sounds.

I knew I had to make a percussive rhythm to put underneath my guitar sections, and in order to do so I had to come up with ways I can make my guitar sound like different parts of a drumkit, or other percussion instruments. I thought the easiest one to do first was a kick drum.

I started hitting my guitar at different points on the body to find somewhere that makes the most low frequency sound when I hit it, as it would be ideal for mixing a kick drum. I then recorded a basic beat along the metronome (at 110BPM, I had a guitar riff I wanted to use that follows the tempo).

I didn't find much in the way of forums or people discussing it, the point that comes up when searching was the process of how the first come up with a song, and layer ideas and instruments on top- not how you could use one instrument as all of the layers. However, I did find a YouTube video of someone testing this idea, and how to do it yourself.

He made some good points about and , but ultimately I didn't find this video as helpful as I'd like, specifically because .

I decided to focus on dynamics within the song while working with my peers- to employ the "less is more" approach. This was to again utilize the idea of innovation through limitation.

For this reason, I let the boys play through the song a few times without my guitar on top. so I could think about the absolute minimum I could add that would be effective.

This resulted in single chord/ note strums on the quarter notes or after the start of every bar, and coming in fully on the choruses to add an extra layer of intensity that complemented the other instruments.

I looked into the invention of MIDI.

A major challenge pioneers of the modern music industry faced was a lack of standardized methods for emerging electronic technologies (synthesizers, drum machines, computers etc.) to communicate with each other. Previously, most machines used proprietary software and inputs that didn't always work together efficiently.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) was invented so that electronic or digital musical instruments could communicate with each other and so that one instrument can control another.

Following the rise of technology and advancements in computer science, integration with computers also led to the worldwide adoption of MIDI.

I found some of the points made useful, such as the need to see the instruments you're trying to emulate in a real world setting to gain a better understanding of how it would operate. I like this idea because I'm a visual learner, and being able to see the "how" an instrument works physically will enable me to better emulate it.

I've written up an action plan to stick to in order to develop my new DAW song idea on schedule for the Summative deadline. If I stick to this, as well as logging the development of our live performance submission in our Brighton Electric sessions, I should have 2 presentable songs to submit.

To do in order to develop the DAW song I need to:

• Finish the overall structure of the song (Bridge section after second chorus, slower section after bridge).

• Figure out the percussive rhythm of the song: Experiment with tempo of the song and drum sounds via Ableton (this would better inform how I'm strumming the main guitar part, and can also figure out the pocket/rhythm of the song).

• Program drum section for each part of the song.

• Record main guitar line over drum track.

• Record bass track.

• Record Vocals.

• Experiment/Establish/Record lead guitar.

• Mix.

• Master.

They suggested not playing anything in the verses, pre-choruses, bridge and outro, and to play an offbeat rhythm in the chorus. This would not give me enough to demonstrate innovation for my assignment. The singer left within the first 10 minutes of the lesson due to a health concern so not only do I have very little time to come up with something, I couldn't come up with something that fits with the vocals.

I will be playing on my electro-acoustic guitar and layering vocals on top. I could show innovation through picking and fingering techniques, which I intend to explore and document on my Padlet.

I came up with this "chicken picking" stye idea to start off with. I think the rhythm is interesting and allows for accenting using different notes with the chords from my left hand. I'll be experimenting and building from this.

To move forward with this I need to find a tempo that would work with the genre, and work up to it using a metronome. I would also need to find where the accent notes would fit in the riff, instead of placing them randomly. Additionally I need to come up with parts for the other sections, and develop a structure for the song as a whole.

For example, the deadlines I gave myself were more than a little strict, thinking I could complete sections of the song in that timeframe when attending uni lessons and working at my job was unrealistic at best and stressful at worst.

However, laying out what I had to do in that format definitely helped to structure my work and complete it in a more organised fashion, despite the self-appointed time restrictions.

If I were to plan this project out again I would implement an action plan toward the beginning of the module, to aid the initial experiments and planning for it.

I feel like this gives the guitar more space in the mix and helps pack out the frequency range. I think I'm going to come up with a synth in a Radiohead/Deftones style that plays continuous, drawn out notes to try and complement the spaced-out guitar layer. It should hopefully create a nice background effect, as well as let the cleaner audio interface recording be heard a little more, because it's muddying up the amp recording slightly.

(screen record Ableton/ export audio to demonstrate).

I'm deciding what kind of structure I want to go with- an Intro > Verse > Chorus > Verse > Chorus > Outro pt1 > Outro pt2 format could work, as after doing some research I found that a lot of western songs do a similar thing, just with repeated verse structures in between. For example, you can find this concept within Marty Robbins' Big Iron.

To make it sound a little less messy I decided to place the accent notes following the up-strum using my index finger, which sits on the second and fourth notes in the bar. This fits into the innovation idea as it demonstrates a unique plucking style and uses hammer-ons and pull-offs in a way that makes the rhythm of the song change.

This is good progress, as with a sections established and a structure being made I can begin experimenting with vocal melodies to sing on top. I might find this part challenging as I normally have difficulties singing and playing at the same time if the guitar component is too complex. Maybe I'll come up with something that follows the root notes of the sections so I can follow along easier?

To demonstrate innovation, as well as consistency thematically/sonically in my song, I wanted to see if the room recording/reverb track idea i used for my guitar tracks would work contextually with the drum ideas. I can't play drums and I don't have enough time to teach a drummer to play the loops I made, so I had to come up with something.

Instead, I duplicated the track and added heaps of distortion and crusher effects, as well as FET compressors with high ratios and fast releases in order to curve the distortion, and catch the initial transients of the drum hits. I also added a small amount of reverb to smooth things out. I then grouped both the clean and emulated room tracks and leveled them to the guitars.

I think this idea worked well in creating a big sound that complements the theme of the song as a whole. Using new mixing and sound scaping effects demonstrates innovation because I'm using mixing techniques to do things they weren't initially made to do, as well as create a unique sound for the song.

I wanted to use this direction change as an opportunity to do two things simultaneously: to successfully develop an innovative song to submit for my summative assignment, and write this song for a girl that I like. I thought I could tie this into the "western" theme I was coming up with for both the theme/genre of the song and the video idea I had to complement it.

I think this went fairly well, the main motif was going to be a cowboy talking about how a girl swiped his heart and he's hunting her down to get it back. As a premise this tied things together and functioned with he right creative intention.

For a melody I came up with something that follows the root note of the chords I'm playing, as this works with my lower vocal register and also allows for accent notes to add to the song.

With this sorted, I could move on to putting together a live video setting for the performance- I was thinking outside would fit the theme.

I went hunting for locations, and by locations I mean looking around in each of my friends' gardens for a place that has enough plants and fits the antique/western look.