Week 1 ~ S.A.C. 4×4 Challenge
Blind Bay

Blind Bay

Oops, I did it again… Signed up for another Songwriters Association of Canada Songwriting Challenge. I’ve done two before, both 6 songs in 6 weeks.. this one is 4 in 4 so piece of Cake right? Well one big difference is this one is in SUMMER. So I’ll be logging some extra hours in my home studio instead of Soaking up BBR_sunset02the sun! Plus we have some more family trips and I have a business trip next week so that should be interesting!

The first challenge is by Murray Daigle and he has challenged us to write a song using only 2 chords or a repeating riff… so I created a little riff on the acoustic guitar while we were up at the Lake for Canada Day and started playing with it… We ended up staying at the lake a few more days than expected, so didn’t have as much writing time as I would have liked this week, but I used our time up on Shushwap Lake as an inspiration and wrote a song call “Blind Bay Road” We’ve spent a lot of time there over the years and it is a special place for our family, wanted to capture a bit of the idea of retreating to a special place steeped in memory.

The riff I worked up is a bit beyond my current level of guitar playing, I’m just starting to learn about finger picking so been trying to practice it as I go along. Looks like I’ll need to use a bit of a loop, as not sure I can sustain it perfectly for the whole song. Also been wanting to write a song that would work really well with a fairly simple arrangement anBBR_Guitard multipart Harmonies, along the lines of Blue Rodeo’s “Tell Me Your Dream” or the Eagle’s version of “Seven Bridges Road”.

A Brown Guitar, Two Chords and the Truth

As far as the chords go, I fooled around with a bunch of ideas… my assumption going into it was I would do something riffing between I and V or I and IV. but neither of those combinations seemed to click. Same with I and VI m or I and III m.  When I came us with my little riff on D, it was clear I didn’t want to go to G or A, so as I listened I dropped down to C and loved the tension between these chords. So I chose to use D and C as my two chords.

Anyway the song is kind of a bluegrass style and so I did the best I could with the demo to create something in that style, I have a bunch of friends who are great players that I may ask to play on version 2, but here is my one day demo for the challenge!

 

 

 

 

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Blind Bay Road

There’s a place out next to Heaven
Where Northern Lights begin thier glow
If you wonder where I’m heading
I’m going back down  Blind Bay Road
Going back down Blind Bay Road

See the stars map out forever
Campfire keeps away the cold
Raise a glass and sing together
Of our days on Blind Bay Road
Days and nights on Blind Bay Road

Storms all pass us by you’ll see
The wind’s just pacing aimlessly through the trees
Water lapping on  the shore
A red canoe’s our ticket to explore
We don’t need much more
On Blind Bay Road

Always room for another
Where time has softly slowed
We see ourselves in each other
When we meet on Blind Bay Road
Come on back to Blind Bay Road

Days float by on endless skies
Wrapped in sacred memories as we arise
At dawn the lake is still as glass
Reflecting mystic promises this all will last
Troubles fade into the past
On Blind Bay Road

Hear the loon’s mournful calling
Another day is never owed
Peace arrives as night is falling
On the Shores of Blind Bay Road
On the Shores of Blind Bay Road
Gonna stay down Blind Bay Road
Meet me down on Blind bay Road

 

Some Images From Blind Bay Road

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