Help me transcribe Pet Sounds arrangements.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I'd be happy to help, was semi joking about the multis, although  they would make the job easier, particularly having those backing vox isolated.

PM me, I'll do some.

[monicker]

Starting with WIBN, there are a few lingering questions:
2.  What do we think the little percussion thing is?  A tambourine, a shaker, what?

The two 8th notes prominent in the first half of the verses, right? Definitely not a shaker. It's a tambourine (without a head). Listen to the instrument's attack. It has a clear, cleaner "strike" unlike a shaker. The dead giveaway though: listen very carefully in the first verse when it drops out. You can clearly hear the very characteristic sound of the jingles being moved unintentionally as the player comes to a rest.

Apologies if i'm overlooking something obvious and you're actually talking about something else entirely. I would like to add though that a tambourine has probably never sounded better! What a great sound.

Hey, there's a cymbal in the tag, right? 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.  I always have assumed it's a tambourine, but for the fact, as you say, it sounds too good to be a tambourine.  It's so crisp.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I'm really good with guitar parts, so if you need help ask.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

aeijtzsche, I know this is your baby, but I've had a great idea.

Why stop at merely transcribing Pet Sounds?

Why not try to re-record the entire album as close as is humanly possible to the original? After hearing your hastily done guitar parts for IKTAA, I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility.

What makes this very exciting, is that we could then have every instrument, every vocal line, every timpani roll on its own discrete track. Save this as a MOGG file, then anyone can load it into audacity or something and discover Pet Souinds on the micro level. What a study aid!

I have very authentic sounding vst's, B3, harpsichords, tack pianos, you name it. There are loads of talented singers, musicians,  engineers and technical historians on this board. We could do this!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Certainly that's a very interesting idea.  I'd be on board, but would probably not take the lead on it.  Also, I'd want to be very certain the transcriptions are correct.  I do have access to timpani...

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Well, we could do a test run on our cover album... Maybe do a song like wouldn't it be nice on it and see how it works out?

[STE]

I haven't listened very closely (nor I have the skills to) to hear if all parts are correct, but I think this guy could help with this project:


http://youtu.be/PK4GCSXZgJg

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I haven't listened very closely (nor I have the skills to) to hear if all parts are correct, but I think this guy could help with this project:


http://youtu.be/PK4GCSXZgJg

That is quite an achievement.  But through one minute of listening it's clear it's not a note-for-note cover.  But it could be interesting to hear his multitracks.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

So no opinions on the octave split?

Starting with WIBN, there are a few lingering questions:

1.  With so many instruments playing the bass line, it is difficult to pin down what octave everything is in.

Here are some possibilities.  I'm pretty sure I hear something go up an octave.  It might be the dano bass, but I don't really hear that...

See below for the different possibilities:

[pixletwin]

I didn't want to respond because the brevity of would have felt weird, but yes, after a few listens I do believe you are right about the octave splits.

[monicker]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.  I always have assumed it's a tambourine, but for the fact, as you say, it sounds too good to be a tambourine.  It's so crisp.

So i was just listening to the WIBN session and realized that when Brian is instructing Frankie Capp he refers to the instrument as "the thing" and then he goes on to say "have those things ready," which makes it highly unlikely that it was a tambourine? It seems like one of those instances where Brian is not entirely familiar with the instrument (like the, what was it, tuba (?) in Three Blind Mice).  I can't imagine there being any way that Brian would be speaking of a tambourine that way. I mean, that was probably the single most common percussion instrument used in his and Spector's sessions, you know? I think he'd just call it a tambourine.

So what in the world is it? Could it maybe just be some "exotic" kind of tambourine rather than the sort you'd be able to pick up at any local music shop? Though i suspect Brian would still call it a tambourine if that were the case. I'm so confused because, as i said before, if you listen in the first verse when the instrument first drops out, you can clearly hear tambourine jingles being inadvertently moved, which is a natural thing that occurs when the player brings the instrument to a rest, it's pretty much impossible to avoid.

Anyone here study ethnomusicology or organology who want take a stab at it? I was looking at this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambourine#Similar_instruments but these all have a head, and whatever's in WIBN doesn't sound to me like it has a head. But who knows.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It's a puzzle.  Somebody ask Hal before he goes to the great recording session in the sky.

[puni puni]

I drank a cup of tea and listened to Pet Sounds a couple hours ago. Some new, little things I've never heard or figured out before on WIBN:

1. There are two pianos on WIBN playing two different parts. During the bridge, one of them is doubling the 'it's raining, it's pouring' melody on the left hand, right hand is doubling the glockenspiel. Other piano is doubling the accordion and strumming quarter-notes with left-hand, also during the bridge when accordion is absent. Right-hand is doubling the bouncy counter-melody to the 'it's raining it's pouring' guitar.
2. That revy-kinda-sound-guitar (Dano bass? Can't be a bass) from the very beginning of I Get Around is the high-octave instrument playing the bassline.
3. The percussion on left-channel are definitely tambourines, and they're probably being played with drumsticks on top of a high-hat. Or just being doubled by cymbals.
4. Ukelele that was doubling the accordion+piano is strumming fast sixteenth-notes during the coda
5. The 9th (Bb) note on the Dano bassline is an octave higher than the upright bass it's doubling
6. It almost sounds like there's a ukelele playing that bouncy counter-melody line throughout the whole song

Some of this is probably more obvious when hearing the tracking highlights

Another thing I never heard before was the slide guitar on Cabinessence.

[puni puni]

woops

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Kappa sez, with my responses in color:



1. There are two pianos on WIBN playing two different parts. During the bridge, one of them is doubling the 'it's raining, it's pouring' melody on the left hand, right hand is doubling the glockenspiel. Other piano is doubling the accordion and strumming quarter-notes with left-hand, also during the bridge when accordion is absent. Right-hand is doubling the bouncy counter-melody to the 'it's raining it's pouring' guitar.

Can you be a little more specific?  This is not what I hear at all during the bridge.  I hear both pianos playing chords, the tack pianoemphasizing the "two" beat of every measure, while reinforcing the root of the chord with the left hand.  The grand is just pounding quarter note chords.  This can clearly be heard during some of the takes when they break down


2. That revy-kinda-sound-guitar (Dano bass? Can't be a bass) from the very beginning of I Get Around is the high-octave instrument playing the bassline.

Yes, it's a Dano 6-string

3. The percussion on left-channel are definitely tambourines, and they're probably being played with drumsticks on top of a high-hat. Or just being doubled by cymbals.

I agree that they're probably played with sticks, and probably even by Hal, but I still can't figure out how a tambourine could sound that good.  I guess it's just god's tambourine.

4. Ukelele that was doubling the accordion+piano is strumming fast sixteenth-notes during the coda

There's no ukulele on WIBN.  There is an acoustic, jazz-box type guitar.

5. The 9th (Bb) note on the Dano bassline is an octave higher than the upright bass it's doubling

I think that's right, but don't forget there's a Fender Bass in there too.

6. It almost sounds like there's a ukelele playing that bouncy counter-melody line throughout the whole song

I'm really not sure what you're talking about here.  Elaborate, if you don't mind.


Another thing I never heard before was the slide guitar on Cabinessence.

That's a Dobro played by none other than James Burton.


Thanks for the input--I need it.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Has anybody auditioned different tambourines?

I bet the one on WIBN is something like this:

http://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/drum-shop/percussion/hand-held-percussion/meinl-compact-super-dry-tambourine-brass-black/?gclid=CMyc95qGnrUCFdOHMgodZ2EAaA

Very small and dry.  I'm also amazed how tight and dry the Sleigh Bells that they used are.

[DonnyL]

Definitely sounds like there is a Telecaster (or regular 6-string) doubling the bassline in there to me.

At this point, I think the percussion is probably just a tambourine, a very fine tambourine indeed. MAYBE there's a plate reverb catching it that makes it sound so hi-hat/shaker-like.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Definitely sounds like there is a Telecaster (or regular 6-string) doubling the bassline in there to me.

That's the Dano.  There's no other possibility unless somebody got paid under the table for it.

[DonnyL]

Definitely sounds like there is a Telecaster (or regular 6-string) doubling the bassline in there to me.

That's the Dano.  There's no other possibility unless somebody got paid under the table for it.

fair enough ... pretty twangy, low notes avoided ?

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Definitely sounds like there is a Telecaster (or regular 6-string) doubling the bassline in there to me.

That's the Dano.  There's no other possibility unless somebody got paid under the table for it.

fair enough ... pretty twangy, low notes avoided ?

No, it's doubling the bass line at 16' for most of the song, but pops up an octave at the points where it sounds more like a standard guitar.

[puni puni]

1. There are two pianos on WIBN playing two different parts. During the bridge, one of them is doubling the 'it's raining, it's pouring' melody on the left hand, right hand is doubling the glockenspiel. Other piano is doubling the accordion and strumming quarter-notes with left-hand, also during the bridge when accordion is absent. Right-hand is doubling the bouncy counter-melody to the 'it's raining it's pouring' guitar.

Can you be a little more specific?  This is not what I hear at all during the bridge.  I hear both pianos playing chords, the tack pianoemphasizing the "two" beat of every measure, while reinforcing the root of the chord with the left hand.  The grand is just pounding quarter note chords.  This can clearly be heard during some of the takes when they break down

That's actually exactly what I was describing, except I also hear the 'raining' guitar/mandolin is subtly being doubled by a piano, just like on Summer Means New Love. I wasn't sure if there was a tack piano though. Maybe that means there are three including tack?

3. The percussion on left-channel are definitely tambourines, and they're probably being played with drumsticks on top of a high-hat. Or just being doubled by cymbals.

I agree that they're probably played with sticks, and probably even by Hal, but I still can't figure out how a tambourine could sound that good.  I guess it's just god's tambourine.

Again, because it's being doubled by cymbals. You can hear them at the end of the Highlights track on the Pet Sounds Sessions box. They give the tambourines that kind of wooshy, swingy texture.

4. Ukelele that was doubling the accordion+piano is strumming fast sixteenth-notes during the coda

There's no ukulele on WIBN.  There is an acoustic, jazz-box type guitar.

No way, what's that sourced from? Is that the same acoustic guitar from IKTAA? They sound nothing alike

6. It almost sounds like there's a ukelele playing that bouncy counter-melody line throughout the whole song

I'm really not sure what you're talking about here.  Elaborate, if you don't mind.

You can barely hear something that sounds like a tack piano or ukelele on the right channel being played along the verses. I can only hear the twang of the strings though, not the notes, but it sounds like it's playing the beginning 'raining' counter-riff

[DonnyL]

kit drums
timpani
'jingle stick' type tambourine ( maybe w/ hi-hat like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDjHS2J1PyA )
glockenspiel
string bass
fender bass
dano
grand piano

12-string electric (x2?)
tack piano
accordian (2?)
box guitar
mandolin

horns (3 sax + 1 trumpet)

what am I missing/corrections ?

I've decided we would need actual multi-tracks to begin to understand the reverb situation.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

That's dead on except there's no Mandolin, unless we ever get to the bottom of one of the intro 12-strings being some kind of weird heretofore unknown mandolin-like instrument.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

1. There are two pianos on WIBN playing two different parts. During the bridge, one of them is doubling the 'it's raining, it's pouring' melody on the left hand, right hand is doubling the glockenspiel. Other piano is doubling the accordion and strumming quarter-notes with left-hand, also during the bridge when accordion is absent. Right-hand is doubling the bouncy counter-melody to the 'it's raining it's pouring' guitar.

Can you be a little more specific?  This is not what I hear at all during the bridge.  I hear both pianos playing chords, the tack pianoemphasizing the "two" beat of every measure, while reinforcing the root of the chord with the left hand.  The grand is just pounding quarter note chords.  This can clearly be heard during some of the takes when they break down

That's actually exactly what I was describing, except I also hear the 'raining' guitar/mandolin is subtly being doubled by a piano, just like on Summer Means New Love. I wasn't sure if there was a tack piano though. Maybe that means there are three including tack?

There's just the two pianos, the grand and the tack.  If anything, I suppose the left hand of the tack piano could be playing the second guitar figure along with the chords.  I'll have to try that and listen for it.

3. The percussion on left-channel are definitely tambourines, and they're probably being played with drumsticks on top of a high-hat. Or just being doubled by cymbals.

I agree that they're probably played with sticks, and probably even by Hal, but I still can't figure out how a tambourine could sound that good.  I guess it's just god's tambourine.

Again, because it's being doubled by cymbals. You can hear them at the end of the Highlights track on the Pet Sounds Sessions box. They give the tambourines that kind of wooshy, swingy texture.

I respectfully disagree that there are cymbals involved.

4. Ukelele that was doubling the accordion+piano is strumming fast sixteenth-notes during the coda

There's no ukulele on WIBN.  There is an acoustic, jazz-box type guitar.

No way, what's that sourced from? Is that the same acoustic guitar from IKTAA? They sound nothing alike

There's no acoustic guitar on IKTAA, so I'm not sure how to respond.  The guitar can clearly be heard in between takes, strumming away.

6. It almost sounds like there's a ukelele playing that bouncy counter-melody line throughout the whole song

I'm really not sure what you're talking about here.  Elaborate, if you don't mind.

You can barely hear something that sounds like a tack piano or ukelele on the right channel being played along the verses. I can only hear the twang of the strings though, not the notes, but it sounds like it's playing the beginning 'raining' counter-riff

I don't really hear this, but you might be hearing the tacks hitting the strings in the tack piano, which does have a certain texture that's hard to pin down.