SamuZai
Gruber

Gruber

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Gruber posts

Ableton Instrument – UI SFX Texture Generator 1.0

Related to my ‘Tone Generator’ the TEXTURE generator is meant to help sound designers quickly get to the clicks, shifts, and scroll sounds that are a part of UI sound effects.

You’ll find it attached to this post and you can watch a quick demo of me using it above. As I work more with tools like this, and get better at Ableton I might discover better was to organize these Ableton ra...

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New Music – Forest Firefly

This song has gone through a few variations.

When I was very new to Ableton, I was listening to a lot of Disasterpeace’s music and trying to create chiptune aesthetics using instrument plugins like Chipsounds and Massive.  Recreating chiptune aesthetics in DAWs like Ab...

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Ableton Instrument – UI SFX Tone Generator 1.0

As I work more in Ableton and video games, I’ve been creating instruments and presets for myself to help get to my ideas faster

I’ve also checked out quite a bit of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, where there’s an incredible amount of variation in UI sound effects and stingers.

This in...

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New Music – Reminiscence

Finally, some new piano music!  Current plan is to release on SoundCloud (plus short articles for Patrons).  Ideally, I’d get some artwork and create some interactive YouTube videos (like from Bebop Isolation), but that’s a bit too much post-production for me right now.  I want to spend my time writing more ...

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Music Masterclass - February 10, 2022

Hey everyone!

I'll be here composing some music in Ableton and practicing for a few hours until 3pm.  (Lunch break usually @ 12pm)

Am available to answer questions and talk about all things music (pico-8, MilkyTracker, piano, jazz, improv)! Come say hello!

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Music Masterclass - January 24, 2022

Hey everyone!  

I'll be here composing some music in Ableton for the next couple hours.  But am available to answer questions and talk about all things music (pico-8, MilkyTracker, piano, jazz, improv).

Hope to see you!

Chris

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Reflections on the Slipways OST

Last week I released the entire Slipways OST on YouTube.  I was inspired to include some in-depth musings about each track as I released them. I’m posting them here (and added some more details!) so Patrons don’t have to go searching through my Twitter feed :)

Here’s where you can listen/buy/download:

January 2022 Gruber Update!

Tl:dr – Patron feedback needed: What’s best way to release finished music for Patrons and the public (works-in-progress, finished tracks, tutorials etc.)? What would YOU like to see/hear?

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Happy new year everyone!

I’m back to work after a refreshing break and am really excited about some new music / composition goals. Also, Levi turned two!

2022-01-05 14:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post

Music Masterclass - December 7, 2021

Hey everyone!

I'll be here composing some music in Ableton for the next couple hours.  But am available to answer questions and talk about all things music (pico-8, MilkyTracker, piano, jazz, improv). 

ALL THE THINGS!!

C

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Forest Firefly - New Piano Composition

Another in a series of "only playing two notes at a time."

Originally a composition I wrote in Ableton.  It appeared in my Pico-8 album Counterpoint.  And now it's a piano composition!

I've been playing this for a couple months now, but ...

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Music Masterclass - November 18, 2021

Hey everyone!

I'll be here composing some piano music for the next couple hours. Just bought a new upright piano sample pack that I'll be trying out. 


(Apologies if you're unable to make these, because of time zones or otherwise. Happy to any questions if you have them in advance)

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When Jazz Pianists Play Fast – A Collection of Runs, Exercises, & Idiomatic Gestures

April 28/22 – 800-word update!  Eb7 & E7 fingering maps attached. I show how you can integrate the chromatic scale and more complex harmonic movement into practice. This framework now covers most of the spatial and harmonic relationships you’d expect to see/hear in Oscar Peterson runs!

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The article is a work-in-progress, constantly evolving as I ...

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New Piano Compositions – A Jaunty Strut Indeed

Hey everyone!

I’ve been busy practicing, playing, and writing piano music that past couple months. Since the completion of Bebop Isolation, I’ve been focusing on a similar project, but with original music. This includes writing piano music focused on two-part...

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November 5, 2021 - Music Masterclass

Hey everyone!

I'll be here working and practicing and working on Art Tatum for the next couple of hours, chatting, answering questions, and hanging out!

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October 21, 2021 - Music Masterclass

Hey everyone!

Music masterclass! Come say hello. I'll be transcribing some more Art Tatum. 

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Pico & Chill - Album Release!

Pico & Chill is here!

A collection of seven ambient and lo-fi inspired tracks. Thanks to Zep for the amazing artwork. 

Attached to this post are the Mp3s.  Patrons can also find the Mp3s & Pico-8 carts in the Google Drive.  It's also available on BandCamp. &...

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October 7, 2021 - Music Masterclass

Hey everyone!

I'll be here working and practicing for the next couple of hours, chatting, answering questions, and hanging out!

(Apologies if you're unable to make these, because of time zones or otherwise. Happy to any questions if you have them in advance)

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September 23, 2021 - Music Masterclass

Hey everyone!  

Will be here working for the next hour or so. Come say hello, happy to chat and answer questions.

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Announcing Piano Streams and Music Masterclasses!

Starting this week, I’ll be continuing my piano streams.

In an improvisational practice, it’s important to be constantly nurturing an ecosystem of playing, practicing, composing, and performing.  So, a few times a week, you can expect to see me playing and improvising impromptu for an hour or so on Twitch and/...

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Thelonious Monk Transcriptions

Sept 3/21 Update – Transcriptions complete! Ask Me Now, Monk’s Point, Reflections, and ‘Round Midnight added.  80 pages of Thelonious Monk solo piano transcriptions!!

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Attached are solo piano transcriptions by Thelonious Monk. With the exception of Everything Happens to Me, these are all his originals, mostly from the albums 2021-08-18 17:34:20 +0000 UTC View Post

August 2021 Gruber Update!

Hey everyone!

Tl:drPicoChill Vol.1 releasing soon, switching gears to jazz piano projects!

First, Levi levelled up over the weekend!  His first grooming:

PicoChill Vol. 1

After writing a TON of Pico-8 music over the last couple mont...

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PicoChill, WIP #2

The PicoSpice is flowing!

In the video above you can hear two more ambient and two more lo-fi inspired tracks.  What should I name these!?

  • Pico-Fi 2 (0:00)
  • Ambience 2 (3:25)
  • Pico-Fi 3 (12:40)
  • Ambience 3 (18:16)

I'm REALLY enjoying composing these ambient tracks. When we speak about ambience, it's often in relation to "randomized" sou...

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A Night in Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie) - Solo Jazz Piano

A Night in Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie

  • Chris Donnelly, piano
  • Produced by Chris Donnelly (Gruber)
  • Mastered by Taylor Kernohan
  • Artwork by ndop

Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, March 2021

Thanks to Taylor fo...

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Introducing PicoChill, WIP #1

I'm hard at work writing new Pico-8 music.  Current plan is to write an albums worth of music that alternates between lo-fi inspired  and ambient inspired music.  Right now, I'm calling it PicoChill, but I'm open to other names and suggestions :)

In the video above you can hear what I've got so far.  It starts with lo-fi, and the ambience starts at 3:30. 

I'...

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Ask Me Now (Thelonious Monk) - Solo Jazz Piano

Ask Me Now by Thelonious Monk

  • Chris Donnelly, piano
  • Produced by Chris Donnelly (Gruber)
  • Mastered by Taylor Kernohan
  • Artwork by ndop

Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, March 2021

Thanks to Taylor for his mi...

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June 2021 Gruber Update!

Hello everyone!

Tl:dr – Focus is transitioning back to Pico-8. Any song requests?

With Slipways released, View Post

Isolation (Chris Donnelly) - Solo Jazz Piano

Isolation by Chris Donnelly

  • Chris Donnelly, piano
  • Produced by Chris Donnelly (Gruber)
  • Mastered by Taylor Kernohan
  • Artwork by ndop

Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, November 2020

Thanks to Taylor for his m...

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New Album Release - Slipways Soundtrack

It's a big week for Slipways – the game releases on June 3rd!

I’m happy to announce that the soundtrack is now available on Bandcamp. (Current +$5 Patrons will find it in the shared Google Drive)

It’s been a pleasure working with Jakub on this and seeing this game evolve from View Post

Ruby, My Dear (Thelonious Monk) - Solo Jazz Piano

Ruby, My Dear by Thelonious Monk

  • Chris Donnelly, piano
  • Produced by Chris Donnelly (Gruber)
  • Mastered by Taylor Kernohan
  • Artwork by ndop

Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, February 2021

Thanks to Taylor for ...

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Oblivion (Bud Powell) - Solo Jazz Piano

Oblivion by Bud Powell

  • Chris Donnelly, piano
  • Produced by Chris Donnelly (Gruber)
  • Mastered by Taylor Kernohan
  • Artwork by ndop

Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, January 2021

Thanks to Taylor for his mixing ...

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