As I’ve been writing new songs and exploring new ideas for the RPM Challenge in February, I have felt gratitude on numerous occasions for the opportunity presented by this annual creative endeavor. One of the benefits to me has been looking at alternative tunings and actually pursuing some elements of these on the new batch of songs.

Since my last post, I’ve posted three new songs, including yesterday’s new track, an instrumental, “The Fool.”

This song is played in Dropped G tuning and this lends a different element to the sound. At times, I hear echoes of people like William Tyler in the voicings, maybe even a longtime favorite of mine, Yo La Tengo, just a bit. For my musical tastes and where I’m trying to take my guitar-playing, that’s a good thing. Keith Richards of the Stones used Dropped G quite often. There are a few spots where I even hear myself channeling Keith. Very cool.

The track, “Living in the Worst of Times” was played using a tuning utilized often by Swervedriver during their 80s shoegaze period. It lends a bottom-heavy aspect to the song, which I really was looking to create, since as a one-man band, sans a bass player, creating a bottom in my music isn’t always possible in standard tuning, or without multi-tracking the guitar, which I didn’t have to do in this one.

If RPM ended today, I’d have the five songs I’d committed to making back at the start of the challenge. But I still have two songs partially mixed—a “country” number and one rooted in 80s punk. I might even write another acoustic ditty before midnight on February 28.

As for the title for the instrumental, I was looking through an old deck of Tarot cards yesterday and saw the card for the Fool. Since he represents new beginnings and even—having faith in the future—it seemed appropriate for me, being here in a new place and tackling some new musical ideas. The Fool also represents improvisation.

Another week of work to do. It looks like I also have another track time to qualify as an LP vs. my project being an EP.