ambichords
I discovered that I really liked the sound of the beginning/ending guitar chords as they faded in and out, and I thought it might be interesting to dash off a small composition using just that sound. I also used the chord progression from guitarpeggios because it was handy, it somehow made sense, and I liked it. It's linked above as gambichords.
After making the fadey-guitar-chord version, I wondered what it might sound like to realize the piece as a synthesis exercise using my Behringer ARP 2600 clone. The result, slightly differing, is linked above as ARPambichords.
I noticed something intriguing about the two versions. Even though I hadn't consciously planned it, my sense of pacing for each one led to them both being very close in length. "Hmmm," I thought, "I wonder what it would sound like to mix them together and play them both back simultaneously?" ambichords is the result. I very much liked that version -- it brought out some subtle timbral/harmonic characteristics that make the piece come to life.
It's great fun to have the music technology to allow this kind of
work-process and experimentation. It's how I live.
Brad Garton
June, 2025