The Making of the Song: "Little Blackbird"
A Neo-Soul Jazz Hit Single
🐦⬛ Introduction
The song “Little Blackbird” is my fourth single, now streaming everywhere. You can find it on platforms like Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, and more. I’ll include links at the end of this article.
🐦⬛ The Making of "Little Blackbird"
Before diving deeper, I want to share a bit about how “Little Blackbird” came to life. I created/designed this song with the help of AI tools, though the lyrics are entirely my own, written in the same style I’ve used since 1976. To shape the vocals, both lead and backing, I utilized a series of detailed prompts. These prompts specified vocal characteristics such as range, pitch, timbre, key, timing, breath control, style, and octave shifts, among other nuances of vocal production.
AI can either be a tool that has control of the creation process or it can be an art form in which the artist/designer has control over the AI tools. I am the latter. In the hands of an experienced artist/musician/writer AI has the potential to be a great art form of the current day and future. I am so excited to be on the ground level of this new phenomenon. I am also delighted to see many of my friends and peers including Misty Rae, Vicki Lawana Trusselli, and Lisa Lachappelle experimenting this thrilling art form.
Once the prompts were in place, the process of refining and fine-tuning began. This wasn’t a quick task; I spent over three hours meticulously tweaking the voice until I achieved the sound I envisioned. The AI-generated voice originated with my debut single, “Blackbird Fly,” and was further fine-tuned for “Little Blackbird” to reach what I consider perfection.
One aspect I want to highlight is breath control. Since the vocals are AI-produced, there’s no natural breathing involved. However, with carefully crafted prompts, I was able to mimic the subtleties of real breath control. This includes simulating the effect of held notes that require a longer exhalation, which added an authentic and dynamic quality to the performance.
After defining the vocals, I moved on to developing the instrumentation. Just like with the vocals, I dedicate significant time to crafting the instrumental elements. My process begins with researching the genre I want to incorporate into the song. In this particular case, “Little Blackbird” is a blend of neo-soul and smooth jazz.
I study the characteristics of the chosen genres, including the typical instruments used. Armed with this knowledge, I then incorporate what I’ve learned into my prompts. However, I don’t limit myself to using prompts solely in the designated prompt field. I also embed prompts for the vocals and instrumentation directly within the lyrics. This approach is the key to refining an AI-generated song, ensuring it’s well-detailed and includes essential elements such as dynamics, emotional impact, a memorable melody, catchy hooks and riffs, solid song structure, and, most importantly, relatability.
Once all the prompts are in place, I begin the process of tweaking and fine-tuning until the song aligns perfectly with my vision. On average, it takes me about 10 to 12 hours to complete a song, spread over the course of 2 to 3 days.
🐦⬛ Inspired by the Blackbird Fly Series
"Little Blackbird" originated from the story “Blackbird Fly Part 12: Circle ‘Round the Moon”. A portion of the lyrics appeared in the narrative as a communication from the blackbird to the story’s protagonist, Jack Amsbury. Throughout the multipart series, the blackbirds have consistently referred to Jack as a fellow blackbird.
Both songs inspired by the “Blackbird Fly” series—"Blackbird Fly" and "Little Blackbird" - have achieved modest success. The former has garnered over 6,000 streams across major streaming platforms, while the latter is steadily gaining traction, currently averaging 50 streams per day and increasing momentum.
🐦⬛ The Story Continues
The story of Jack and his friends continues with Part 13, which is set to release soon. Part 14 is expected to resolve the mysteries surrounding Angelita, Xochitl, and Mitchell. However, this won't mark the end of Jack's journey, as his blackbird persona will delve into even more twists and turns ahead.
🐦⬛ Receive Updates!
Keep an eye out for upcoming installments. If you’d like to receive updates on new chapters of “Blackbird Fly”, feel free to leave a comment on this story or send me a private message through Messenger.
🐦⬛ Thank You, Tiffany
Before I call an end to this article, I wish to shout out to my friend; Tiffany Gordon. Thank you Tiffany for your expert assistance in making decisions in the completion of all things related to Blackbird Fly - the stories and the songs.
🐦⬛ Links to "Little Blackbird" on Streaming Platforms
Click Here for “Little Blackbird” on Spotify
Click Here for “Little Blackbird” on Tidal
Click Here for “Little Blackbird” on iTunes and Apple Music
Click Here for “Little Blackbird” on Amazon Music
Click Here for “Little Blackbird” on Deezer
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Thank you for reading. I am truly appreciative!!!
🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛
With Love, RHC ❤️
About the Creator
Rick Henry Christopher
Writing fulfills my need for intellectual stimulus, emotional release, and soothing the bruises of the day.
I’m an open book. I’m not afraid to show my face or speak my mind
Visit on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vocalplusassist
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Comments (10)
Thank you. Most don't recognize that the future is now, that the world has irrevocably changed in the past two years. I consider AI to be the single most important thing that has happened since I've been alive. AI is not only indispensable; with the invention of the Neuralink chip, it will become the next stage in human evolution. I don't think I'm being melodramatic, either. Anyway, great article. All my best!
⚡ ♥️ ⚡ I love it!!! I just added this to my Spotify playlist. I'm impressed by the expertise it took to pull this off! ⚡ ♥️ ⚡
You are really leading us in taking the ai music to the next level.i play around with suno but can never really get it to do what i was hoping😅
This is fascinating, Rick. It was great to get an insight into how you work with AI. I liked the song, too.
So interesting, Rick! I had no idea that you could generate a song entirely through AI!
I gave you a 10 rating on your story. Rick, you broke down the process of creating your music utilizing AI. I congratulate you on the written documentation of creating with AI. I know I spent hours on hours critiquing and tweaking my music. Someone says, "OH, MAGIC!' That means yes! All those hours spent tweaking and creating are magic to the observer were 100 per cent worth the time and effort to produce a magical music story! YOU ROCK!
A very astounding piece of work , all the details and effort put in is never easy but rewarding Well done Rick
Fascinating process, RHC! The songs sound great & it's very informative to read about their creation. I've been away from Vocal for awhile so I don't have the BG on your Blackbird Fly series but I'm wondering if there's any homage there to the Beatles in it? Their song has a very special place in my heart, so just wondering.
It's been a pleasure to consult on this wonderful project Cousin! I'm so excited to see where Jack's journey takes us next sonically and from a literary standpoint! Keep up the phenomenal work my friend! 💕🥰
Quite an intriguing article. The song is lovely. Thank you for sharing.